Capturing a sense of motion with shutter speed

BY KERRY GARRISON · 

A common issue some people have is getting their images to portray a sense of movement. Today we are going to look at how adjusting our shutter speed can help achieve the desired look that we want. For this simple example we will look at a ceiling fan taken at different shutter speeds so you can see how adjusting the shutter speed through an entire typical range can help you achieve the exact look you are aiming for.

Often we try to use the fastest shutter speed possible to help avoid blur but when shooting a moving object you sometimes need some amount of blur or it can look like the subject of the image is sitting still. In many cases you want to have the sense of movement to help convey the story of the object.In the case of the ceiling fan we want to show a little movement of the blades since the moving blades is going to be more typical of what you would see by looking at the fan once installed. We also want to show that this is a five-bladed fan so we have to be careful not to have too much blur that we lose all the details.

Let’s take a look at a series of shots taken at different shutter speeds:

1/10th Second - Way too much blur

1/25th Second - Better but lacking detail

1/40th Second - Looking good

1/100th Second - Not enough, just looks fuzzy

1/200th Second - Almost no movement

As you can see the photos taken at the two extreme ranges show either far too much blur or not enough blur to make for a good image. The photo taken at 1/40th maintains a little more detail than the images shot at 1/25 making it a more suitable image for our use.

Summary

The whole point here is to get you to experiment more with shutter speeds to capture a sense of movement, action, or speed. By adjusting the shutter speed you can control how much or how little the blur effect will have.

Camera 101 – Understanding the mode dial

BY KERRY GARRISON 

The latest cameras can often do an amazing job right out of the box but to really take creative control over your images you will want to learn about some of the other modes your camera can operate in. Sometimes you want to control the shutter speed to freeze or convey motion. Sometimes you want to control the depth of field to blur out a background. Once you get the hang of it, then you can go full manual and have complete control over everything.

Aperture Priority (Av Canon / A Nikon)

Aperture Priority mode has the most dramatic impact on your images. Adjusting the aperture opens or closes a set of blades within the lens that controls how much light comes into the camera. The smaller the aperture number, the more open the aperture is. The smaller the aperture, the less depth of field. A very short depth of field could have someone’s nose in focus but their ears out of focus. A deep depth of field could have the person in focus as well as the background behind them. When you switch the camera to Aperture Priority, you control the aperture and the camera will control the shutter speed to automatically get a good exposure.

Short Depth of Field – Shot at f/2.8

Enhancing Pictures With Photography Courses

Enhancing Pictures With Photography Courses

by fuah

What Will I Learn in Photography Courses?

There are a number of skills to learn when you embark on increasing your understanding of photography. The depths to which these courses go and the topics they cover vary depending on the program. However, many courses have some basic topics in common.

The basics of photography include a number of components, including film, speed, composition and lighting. These are the cornerstones of learning to shoot well-composed pictures. Companies offering photography courses may package these concepts in a class called Photography 101 or Photography Basics. A good course will focus first on the basic concepts of photography first, such as film and processor speeds, and move into the physical portion of taking photographs. One of the most important parts of learning photography is sticking to a specific concept or act until you master it. For example, if you select a camera speed, you should continue to shoot at that speed until you completely understand how it works.

Once you cover the basic concepts and actions of photography, you may move into the tools used by photographers. Such courses may cover tripod usage, film, lenses and flashes. Each of these tools is essential to creating better photographs. Intermediate courses may move into the composition, lighting and topics that emphasize advance focusing, f-stop and aperture. Other subjects may include portraiture, action photography and photo editing.

What Equipment Will I Need?

The type of equipment you choose relies heavily on what you want to accomplish and what makes you comfortable. Cameras can cost a substantial amount of money, along with the purchase of lenses, data communications tools, flashes and equipment. If you would like to learn film photography, you can use a single lens reflex, or SLR, camera. If you prefer the ease of sharing and transferring your photographs digitally, a digital single lens reflex, or DSLR, camera may be suitable. You can even learn photography using some of the more advance point-and-shoot systems, which cost less and do not require as much equipment.

The basic items you should obtain are the camera itself, any film you plan to use, and if applicable, a tripod, carrying case and at least one additional lens. This will provide you a solid starter kit that offers some flexibility in producing a range of photographs.

With a format close to the Vanguard Adaptor 46 (which we had reviewed a while ago), this backpack is perfect for photo/film projects where you need your DSLR camera and a couple of extra lenses, without bringing your entire gear set. It is separated between a lower compartment where you fit your DSLR camera, the lenses or a few other accessories, and the upper compartment for non-photography items (for example a laptop or tablet, enough clothing for the day, some water & food …).

The camera comportment is really solid and padded, so you feel confident nothing will happen to our gear. At the same time, you can easily access it and take the camera in and out. Most of the time, I don’t need to take the bag off my back, I can just turn it around and snatch the camera, which is great for outdoor or street photography.

It’s also comfortable to wear, the shoulder pads are really soft and there is a waist strap that you can use to get some weight off your shoulders (I personally don’t use it and fold it in the back).

Finally, the fabric is really robust, I’ve been hiking and going through some pretty dense woods, without getting any visibile scratch. It’s also waterproof to some extent - note however that it doesn’t come with a rain cover.

Crumpler is well-know for the quality of their products and this photo backpack is no different - good quality, well thought and really cool look to take it anywhere - from the mountains to the beach, from downtown to university.

3 Great Articles on Lighting from: Improve Photography

14 Tips for Building a Sub-$1,000 Home Studio

A home studio is a great option if you are taking clients to support your photography business. But before you open your home to your clients, make sure you have a setup that will give you great results and deliver the professional photos every client is looking for from their photographer.

Follow these 14 tips to help make your home studio space work for you, not the other way around! And don’t miss out on the recommended home studio gear list at the bottom.

1 – Dedicated Studio Space

An ideal home studio setup should have its own dedicated space where all your photography toys can hang out. Your family does not want to feel like they are tripping over your gear and constantly needing to move it around to accommodate daily living. Having this dedicated space is also important because you don’t want your clients to feel like they have just invaded your personal space. This creates a subtle tension in the room and ultimately someone is bound to be uncomfortable. Whether it is you or your client, the discomfort will show up in the photos.

Another bonus to having a dedicated space is that you can close off the rest of the house while you are doing a shoot. You want to isolate your shoot from the cartoons playing on the T.V. or restless children running through the house. Those distractions take your focus away from where your attention needs to be: on the client and the technical execution of the photos you are taking.

While having this dedicated space might be difficult to arrange, it is absolutely worth the effort. Evaluate your situation, think creatively, and see what you are able to do inside your own home to make it happen. You’ll be glad you did.

2 – Room to Zoom

The biggest hurdle you need to overcome in your home studio setup is making sure you’ve got enough room to zoom. If the space is too cramped, you won’t be able to get a variety of photos from your studio, and (even worse) there is a chance your photos will look distorted.

If you use a wide angle lens while standing close to your subject, you will quickly find that the image is distorted and your subject doesn’t look good at all in front of the camera. The best way to prevent this distortion is to step back and zoom in. To do that, you need the physical space to move back. If you plan to take full body shots, a 20 foot deep room is generally considered ideal. You can make it work in a room that is 15 feet deep, but if it is much smaller there won’t be room for much of anything.

To help avoid lens distortion in your photos, don’t go wider than 50mm. Whether you use a zoom or a prime lens for your photos, 50mm should be your absolute minimum when you shoot portraits in your home studio.

3 – Remember the Low Ceilings

While depth of the room is a serious limitation, don’t overlook the height of the ceiling. If you have a low ceiling, you can be sure light will bounce off it. The ceiling effectively becomes a giant reflector board, adding light that you didn’t even think about. You will have to work with your studio setup to learn how the light behaves and what it takes to avoid having too much light bounce off the ceiling.

Another limitation low ceilings introduce is that there isn’t enough space to place a hair light. A hair light is used to light the back of the subject and separate them from the background. With low ceilings, you will be able to use a hair light for a seated subject, but not for a person who is standing (unless they are really short – for very young children you’ll probably still be ok). Generally, you need about 3 feet between the subject and the hair light for it to work properly.

4 – Using Window Light

Window light simply refers to the light that comes through your window and into the room. There are pros and cons to having a window in your home studio. Assuming the window is placed in an ideal location in the room, when used properly it can be a great benefit to your studio.

Pros
- Soft, even, light.
- No need for flash.
- Easy to cover up – a good set of drapes will shut out the extra light.

Cons
- Extra ambient light.
- Direct sunlight if the window is not north- or south-facing.
- Harder to control.
- Limited use/creativity.

Here is a fun article on how you can use window light to get studio-like lighting without all the studio gear. (Well, except for maybe the background.)
How to Get that “Photo Studio Look” Without the Studio

5 – How to Manage Ambient Light

Ambient light is the extra light that appears in your photo that you didn’t put there intentionally. This is one of the most common things to overlook when you’re ready to take your first shot. Ambient light can include (but is not limited to): window light, room light, reflections, and so on. Many of these ambient light sources are regulated through the amazing optics in our eyes and consequently go unnoticed until they show up in photos.

The easiest type of ambient light to detect is the mixture of incandescent lighting in the room with the light from your flash. The warm, yellow hue cast by incandescent lights is a very different temperature from the light cast by your flash. This is obviously not ideal, but can be easily corrected. Either turn off the lights, change out your bulbs for daylight balanced ones, or gel your flash.

The best way to manage ambient light is to know where it is coming from. Once you know the source, you can block it, turn it off, or do whatever you need to get rid of it. The way to control it in your camera is through the shutter speed. However, when doing flash photography there is a limit to how fast you can go with the shutter. Usually you can eliminate a lot of ambient light with the shutter speed, but not all of it. That is when it is good to know the source of all the extra light that shows up in your photo.

6 – Have a Good Backdrop

The backdrop is merely a background for your setting. In home studios, nice backdrops are often seamless so they don’t distract from the subject and instead provide a clean, simple look. There are a lot of different backdrops you can buy; they range from plain white to printed graphics and locations, with all sorts of things in between. The only limitation on the number of backdrops your studio can have is determined by how much space you have to store them.

Trendy backgrounds are just plain solid colors. You can get neutral colored backgrounds and use gelled lights to change their color, or use Photoshop to edit different colors or backgrounds onto them.

The idea behind having a good background for your photos is to remove distractions, enhance professionalism, and add to the control you have as a photographer over your photos.

If you have limited space, you can buy a wall mount that allows you to hang 2 or 3 rolls of paper. When you are done, you use the chain and roll the paper back up. If using a wall mount isn’t an option (maybe because you live in an apartment), then using stands for the backdrop works well too.

7 – The One Stop Prop Shop

Using props to add a new element to the photo can make all the difference. One difficulty with studio photos is that it doesn’t take very long before every photo in the studio starts to look the same. You will need and want to mix it up by adding in creative elements with the use of props.

Props can be anything: clothes, clothing accessories, furniture, or even a staged scene in place of a plain background. Start collecting things now to add to your prop shop. Garage sales, thrift stores, grandma’s attic, or your best friend’s closet are great places to acquire fun props that don’t cost a lot of money, if any at all. Then, once you get them, place them in a dresser or closet nearby that is easy to get to and manage.

8 – Lights

There are a lot of studio lights to choose from that claim to do certain things to help you with flash photography. The basic types of lights you want will be one of these three:

Constant Lights
These are lights that are on all the time. (Pretty much a fancy word for a lamp.) These are nice because you can instantly see how the light will fall on the subject. However, they often lack the brightness and power that you can find in a speedlight or strobe.

Constant lights are not very portable or much good outside. Before getting a set of constant lights, consider these other, more versatile lights.

Speedlights
These are compact flashes that are easy to set up. The best way to use these lights is in conjunction with radio triggers and receivers. This allows you to use them off-camera and not be tethered by cords as you move the lights around the studio. You can also take these lights with you anywhere because they are so small.

Studio Strobes
A studio strobe is a high powered flash that plugs into the wall. These are a dream when compared to the speedlight and constant light, but they come with a high price tag. They have great output and an incredible recycle time that is sure to never slow you down. Studio strobes are often a photographer’s choice for any studio setup if their budget allows. The downside to these lights is that they are heavy and need to be plugged in all the time.

To understand more about the differences between these two types of lights, read this article:
Off-Camera Flash…On the Cheap!

9 – Light Modifiers

A light modifier controls the effect the light has coming from the flash. You can choose from umbrellas, soft boxes, beauty dishes, strip banks, flash benders, and more. There are a lot out there to choose from, and they come in all different sizes.

To keep things simple, this list will only focus on the two major light modifiers that you can buy to use with any of the three lights discussed above.

Umbrellas
Umbrellas are intended to spread light. This is a nice choice if you are trying to light a large area or a group of people. You have little control over where the light goes because as far as the umbrella is concerned, you are not trying to limit its reach.

There are different types of umbrellas out there, but for a home studio purpose, stick with a white shoot-through umbrella or a small silver reflective umbrella. These are highly portable and very cheap depending on what you get.

Softbox
A softbox gives you greater control over the direction of the light. These are often seen on constant lights, but they can be attached to speedlights and studio strobes as well. Softboxes are more expensive to get into and less portable than umbrellas. However, you get better control over the light so these are great for smaller studio situations where you’re trying to keep the light from going everywhere.

10 – Portability

How much of your studio do you want to take with you on location? Before you run out and buy a bunch of gear, this is a very important question to consider. A lot of studio gear is big, cumbersome, and often requires being plugged in. The studio strobes and modifiers, for example, are great but are difficult enough to set up that it is easier to leave them instead of tearing them down and loading them in the car.

But don’t despair – you can achieve great studio photos with portable gear. Going the speedlight route will be the easiest and by far the most cost effective method. If you are tight on space and money for your home studio, then buying speedlights is probably your best option.

11 – Set Up in Phases

Don’t feel pressured to go out and buy everything right now. There is nothing wrong with building up your studio setup as you go.

An added benefit to purchasing as you go is the possibility of learning about new or different pieces of gear that might make more sense for your particular studio. Each studio space is going to be a little bit different. Because of this, each studio will require unique pieces of gear to make the space as functional as possible. Determining what else you need after using your current gear for a while will help you make more educated choices with your next gear purchase.

12 – Hang Your Best Work

Show your clients other work you have done. The studio is your space, so show off some of your best work! Chances are they have already seen some of your work and that is why they are in your home having you take their photos. But there is something special about seeing a printed photo; it’s a different experience and really brings the photo to life.

Also – here is the real added benefit – you can show your clients what different sizes of prints look like if you offer that in your packages. Help them fall in love with large prints and upsell them to the idea that they, too, can have that on their wall.

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Legal Reminders

Note: Improve Photography, LLC does not offer legal advice. This is a simple suggestion to encourage you to seek out proper legal advice within your jurisdiction.

13 – Have Insurance for the Just In Case

Inviting people into your home business comes with a few inherent risks. Not only are you exposing pieces of your personal life to them, but what if they get hurt on something while in your home? What if someone trips over cords in the studio or falls down the stairs? Risk is always there, and you need to be protected should anything happen to your clients. Be sure to have business insurance to project your business endeavors from the unexpected.

Then there is you! What if you have a client who has sticky fingers? Imagine: you set your client up in the studio, but the phone rings or your child calls for your help and you have to leave the room. The client takes something from your studio and you don’t notice until after they leave. For a small monthly investment, get set up with renter’s insurance (or equivalent) to protect yourself from any loss or damage.

14 – Taxes

Get in touch with your accountant and make sure everything is in place for proper tax filing in your area (where applicable). This is going to be a pain, but I promise you it will be better than the heartache in store if you sidestep this section of your business plan. Using your home as a place for business can come with some added benefits! Your accountant will help you keep track of procedures and paperwork, and inform you of proper business practice when it comes to finances and taxes.

Home Studio
Shopping List

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Total: $999

 

Seamless Background Paper
$65 x 2 = $130
BUY: WHITE | BLACK | OTHERSWe have had such great success with these paper rolls. When the bottom gets too dirty, just cut it off and start over. It always looks great in every photo and the mount above does a great job of keeping the paper in good condition every time it gets rolled up.

Yongnuo YN-560 III $80 x 3 =$240 BUY NOW	Comes with a built-in receiver to work with the RF-603 transceivers by Yongnuo. This is our favorite flash here at Improve Photography. It has 90% the power of the $500 flashes made by Canon and Nikon, and does just as well. Packed with all the important features any speedlight needs to have.
Yongnuo RF-603 $36 x 1 Set = $36 BUY:CANON |NIKON |SONY	These very affordable radio transceivers work great with the YN-560 III recommended above. They work with other speedlights as well, and you will need to buy enough for every flash if you are not buying the YN-560 III.
Impact Light Stand $39 x 3 =$117 BUY HERE	These stands are much more stable than the ones in the beginner kit. I use these with some HUGE 5 foot tall (1.5 meter) lighting modifiers and it can withstand any flash. This is very comparable to the Westcott brand, but cheaper.
Flash Bracket $7 x 3 =$21 BUY HERE	These are decent flash brackets with umbrella holders. They will NOT work for a softbox. These are durable brackets and will last for a really long time.
43″ Umbrellas $30 x 2 =$60 BUY HERE	This is a versatile umbrella that has a black cover that comes off so you can use it as a black umbrella, or a white shoot through. Very handy when trying to travel light with gear. And it’s affordable!
24″ Speedlight Softbox $60 x 2 =$120 BUY HERE	I LOVE this softbox! It works very well and it is a good, manageable size. The best part is that your speedlight can attach to this. You will get great quality light compared to many top name-brand softboxes.
32″ 5-in-1 Reflector $45 x 1 =$45 BUY HERE	I personally own and often use this very reflector. It has served me well for several years. Understanding all that you can do with this will make this a must-have piece of photography gear.
ROSCO Flash Gels $15 x 1 =$15 BUY HERE	Slip these little gels on the head of your flash and you can change the color of the light. Very handy for creative lighting. I use them all the time.
Muslin Backdrop $156 x 1 =$156 BUY HERE	Very nice to have a sturdy backdrop stand and some backgrounds that you can use to set up a studio anywhere. This one is rock solid and cheap.
Backdrop Wall Mount $59 x 1 =$59 BUY HERE	This is such a great product! This works great when you have rolls of paper that already have a tube in it. Others would work too if you had a roll to attach to the bracket. It’s very comparable in price to what you would find in a DIY project.

What is a Softbox?

It’s a secret that portrait, product and commercial photographers have long known: the value of using a softbox in their studio photography.

In its essence, a softbox is nothing more than a light modifier. Oh, but what it can do!

A softbox diffuses the light into a pleasing soft, even light. When used properly, it reduces harsh shadows. The closer the softbox is to the model or subject, the softer the light appears, emulating window light. The shape of a softbox can vary from rectangular to octagonal to square to a long strip of light. A softbox is comprised of translucent cloth and attached to a light source (usually a studio strobe or speedlight) on a light stand. The cloth, white or silver for the interior and black for the exterior, is wrapped around a wire-framed box covered over the front with a diffusion panel. The black exterior prevents light from spilling out and reflecting back in the studio.

The light emanating from the strobe or speedlight is bounced around the fabric box and scattered in all directions inside the box. The sides of the box direct the light outward. The light flooding out of the box is evenly distributed from top to the bottom of the box. Softboxes come in a variety of sizes from small hand-held attachments to large wall-size modifiers. Smaller softboxes are more portable than their larger counterparts and are therefore great for on-location shoots.

But whether you haul out a large softbox or opt for a smaller, more portable one, the area of coverage is generally about the same size (assuming, of course, that the light modifiers are the same distance from your subject). There is about a 1-1.5 stop falloff on the sides as the light wraps around your model. The sweet spot for softboxes is generally about six feet away from your model or subject.

But why have different sizes? It’s all about the quality of light. Large softboxes cover a broad area with undefined shadows. Medium sized softboxes provide slightly harder shadows. And small softboxes throw off harder and well defined shadows in the background. Often a grid or egg crate is attached to the front of a softbox (usually with Velcro). This accessory, which looks like a honeycomb, gives the photographer a little more control over the light with a narrower focus on the subject and less spillage on the background.

Because of its variety of shapes, a softbox is considered a workhorse in the studio. The traditional rectangle shape can be used with a main light source or a fill light. A strip bank is great for a hair light, and an octobox works like a charm as a key light.

A tipoff that a softbox was used in a shot is the shape of the catch lights in the eyes of the model. A rectangular softbox creates square catch lights which look like the light was coming from a window. An octobox will create round catch lights which look more like the light is coming from a natural light source (like the sun).

Why do Photographers Use Such Large Flashes?

There are times as a photographer when you need that added burst of light. The three most common options are the built-in on-camera flash [small], an external flash [bigger] (such as a Nikon or Canon speedlight), or a studio strobe [biggest]. Generally, you will see professional photographers using external flashes or studio strobes instead of the built-in on-camera flash. Why is this?

Pop-up Flash

The on-camera pop-up flash is handy because there’s nothing extra to carry around with you. However, it produces flat light that can be harsh and unflattering. It also has a limited range, making it impractical to shoot things far away. Red-eye, something you commonly see when photos are taken with the built-in on-camera flash, is also unflattering and something we want to avoid. There are some things you can do to improve your pop-up flash photography, but you still won’t see the kind of results anexternal flash or studio strobe can give.

External Flashes

Flashes that connect to the hot shoe (commonly known as speedlights) are a better option. With a dedicated flash unit you will gain an increase in power, flexibility in the direction of the light, better control over the strength of the light, and (with optional accessories) have the ability to get the flash off the hot shoe and away from the camera so you can angle the light on your subject.

However, speedlights require batteries, so be sure to keep plenty in stock and readily available. While a speedlight is one extra piece of equipment to lug around, the benefits of streaming light on the subject or tilting the speedlight at the ceiling to bounce the light far outweigh the inconvenience of having some additional weight in your camera bag. External flashes provide a better means of controlling not only the light but also the shadows. This gives your photo a more natural look with added depth and artistry. Check out this speedlight that we recommend.

Studio Strobes

Studio strobes are generally more powerful and can throw off more light than a speedlight. One drawback is that studio lights require electricity (you have to plug them in to use them) which limits their portability. But if you are shooting in an indoor studio, once you are plugged into an outlet you don’t have to worry about dead batteries and not having a fresh supply on hand.

Studio lights, which were built to accommodate light modifiers, can offer continuous lighting making it easier to focus on your model. There’s no delay in shooting with a studio strobe (a speedlight has to recycle in between shots). With continuous lighting you can see how the shadows will fall and adjust accordingly.

Studio strobes are fairly expensive (around $500 each) and require light stands. But if you want to shape the light, you have many options with a variety of light modifiers such as softboxes, umbrellas and stripe banks to name a few. A softbox, which comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, can wrap the light around your model. It is one of the most popular light modifiers. Umbrellas, either reflective or shoot-through, spread the light evenly and have a wide dispersion area. They are cheap and portable and can turn a harsh light into soft window-like light. (If you want more control over the direction of the light, a softbox is the better option. A honeycomb grid in front of the softbox gives a focused beam of diffused light that has soft edges.) A beauty dish is a shallow parabolic disk that produces a harsh edgy light which has become very popular in sports portrait photography. Stripe banks are narrow banks of lights which are great for side lighting or rim lighting (also known as a hair light).

As you can see, bigger flashes (though more expensive) come with a lot of benefits over their smaller counterparts. And now you know why photographers use speedlights and studio strobes instead of pop-up flashes!