How to Avoid Blurry Long Exposure Images with Proper Tripod Setup

By: Joey J

A tripod is an important piece of gear for all photographers, but even more so for those who are hooked on shooting long exposure photography at the blue hour like myself (I primarily shoot waterfront cityscapes). Those photos require exposures lasting for minutes with a use of neutral density (ND) filter. Therefore, a sturdy tripod is absolutely essential to keep photos sharp.

A sturdy tripod is a must for long exposure photography, as there is no chance
at all of shooting sharp photos by hahand-holding a camera for minutes.

Get a Best Tripod Within Your Budget

This article is not your ultimate tripod buying guide (dPS already has an excellent article on that here), but let me mention a few brief pointers first.
First of all, unlike your camera body, a tripod isn’t something you will upgrade very often. In fact, a good one could last a lifetime, so it’s advisable to get the best possible tripod within your budget. Here are a few other things to look out for when choosing your tripod.

Load Capacity:

The maximum load capacity of your tripod should be at least twice or preferably three times the maximum weight of your camera body and biggest lens combined. For example, my trusty Manfrotto MT190CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber Tripod supports up to 7kg, which is more than sufficient for my Nikon D610 (850g) and Nikon 18-35mm (f/3.5-4.5) (385g) combined (1.25kg).

Tripod Head:

Your tripod head also has a maximum load capacity, and it should at least match that of your tripod. If your tripod supports up to 7kg, but the head only supports up to 5kg, then the load capacity of the entire tripod system is to be 5kg, as the maximum load comes from the weaker component. For your information, I own the SIRUI K-20X Ballhead, which supports a whopping 25kg.

Tripod Weight:

Decent tripods are commonly made of aluminum or carbon fiber. Both are equally good, but carbon fiber tripods are lighter yet more resistant to vibration (hence they are also pricier, too). My Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod weighs 1.6kg (3.5 lbs.) while its aluminum counterpart the Manfrotto MT190XPRO3 weighs 2kg (4.5 lbs.), with all the other specs being pretty much identical).

Tripod Leg Sections:

While 3-section legs provide a more stable platform, tripods with 4-section legs have a shorter closed (folded up for transportation) length and make it easier to pack into a suitcase when traveling. For example, closed length for my 3-section leg Manfrotto MT190CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber Tripod is 61 cm (24 inches), but its 4-section counterpart the Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 is only 52 cm (20.5 inches).
If you ask me, I recommend choosing nothing but 3-section tripod legs. I personally won’t compromise stability for convenience. That said, my tripod still fits into my check-in luggage (after taking out the center column). Before purchasing, I even tested it by bringing my luggage to the camera shop!

Tall Isn’t Always Cool

Having a good tripod is one thing, but using it correct way is another. I see way too many photographers fully extending tripod legs even when it’s not necessary. The rule of thumb is that the higher the tripod legs are extended, the less stable it gets, leaving more prone to high winds and undermining your chance of taking sharp photos. The photo below (at Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, with an altitude of 552m) is a good example.

To take blur-free shots here, I kept the tripod low and put the lens through the bars, rather than fully extending the tripod legs and center column to shoot from above the railing.

Instead of fully extending the tripod legs (and even the center column, which is a big NO-NO) to position the camera above the railing, I put the lens through the bars and kept the tripod as low as needed to minimize the risk of vibration.
Actually, I learned this from a previous mistake. I shot at this exact location the previous year but screwed up the opportunity by setting up the tripod too tall (over the railing by extending the center column) in high winds, and none of the photos came out sharp.

Extending the center column in high winds or when shooting long exposure photography
is a recipe for a disaster. It’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to capture sharp photos this way.

Long Exposure Photographers’ Worst Nightmare

Let’s say you’re shooting waterfront cityscapes at blue hour with a few minutes of long exposure at a tourist-centric area (places like Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, The Bund in Shanghai, etc.) on your holiday. It may be your once-in-a-lifetime trip, and the weather is clear and perfect.
Such places are always crowded especially at sunset and dusk times with herds of tourists flocking to take snaps, selfies, and groupies. Extending all the tripod legs inevitably takes more space on the ground, which has a huge risk of someone accidentally kicking it during long exposure and ruining your potentially epic shot. This is long exposure photographers’ worst nightmare (and happened to me once).

At a crowded photography location like this (Merlion Park in Singapore), keep your
tripod setup as low as possible so that it takes less space on the ground and reduces
the risk of someone accidentally kicking your tripod legs.

Tripod Alternatives

To avoid such a nightmare, I’m also using a sort of a tripod alternative that helps stabilize my camera setup. A clamp tripod like the Manfrotto 035 Super Clamp without Stud comes in handy at places with high winds or at crowded city shooting locations where you feel worried about someone accidentally kicking your tripod legs.
It’s not that you can use a clamp tripod anywhere you want, as it needs a railing or something that it can be clamped onto. But where possible, this setup can be rock solid (with a load capacity of 15kg) and the resulting long exposure photos are appreciably sharper than those shot using a regular tripod.

A Super Clamp is like a game changer, it’s small and strong.

To mount a DSLR on a Super Clamp, first, plug a separately-sold Manfrotto 208HEX 3/8-Inch Camera Mounting Platform Adapter (or a cheaper alternative Manfrotto 037 Reversible Short Stud) into a Super Clamp socket and secure it with the double lock system. Then mount a tripod head with DSLR on the mounting platform adapter, just like you do with your regular tripod.

Conclusion

I hope these tips help you avoid making the same mistakes I did. Don’t blindly follow the mantra that says, “Extend your tripod and place the viewfinder at your eye level” (you’ve probably heard about that before!).
There’s nothing wrong with setting up your tripod low and bending down. This increases your chance of capturing sharp long exposure photos in high winds and also prevents your tripod legs from getting accidentally kicked.
If you have any other tips or experiences to share, please do so in the comments below.

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10 Ways to Use a 5-in-1 Reflector

By: John McIntire

#Reflector#QualityofLight#WhiteBalance

In photography books, magazines, and websites, references to reflectors are often and many. They’re a quintessential tool for modifying light in just about every genre, and they’re an indispensable part of many photographers’ toolkits.
If you’re new to the idea of using reflectors, or new to photography in general, the problem with reflectors is that, although they seem self-explanatory in use, their effects can often be too subtle to be noticed if you lack experience using them. To combat this, and make the learning process easier, this article will give you examples of 10 common uses for a 5-in-1 reflector. It will also show you what the reflector is doing in each instance, as well as provide diagrams for you to repeat the exercise in your own time.
The best way to take full advantage of the information in this article, is to duplicate all of the following setups, using your own equipment and subjects. Once you understand the basics outlined here, you can start experimenting, and altering variables, to see how small changes can affect your images.

What is a 5-in-1 reflector?

A 5-in-1 reflector is a nifty gadget that incorporates several different types of reflector, into one portable and easy to use package. These include white, silver, gold, black reflectors (or flag), and a diffusion panel.
The way they are put together is that the four reflector sides are sewn into a sort of pouch, that fits around the diffusion panel; making a change to a different color as simple as unzipping it, removing the diffusion panel, turning the pouch inside out, and replacing it over the diffusion panel.

Clarifications

This article focuses on practical uses for 5-in-1 reflectors, but to use and understand them most effectively there a couple things to keep in mind.

Quality of light

When referring to the quality of light, this term has nothing to do with whether light is good or bad. The word quality refers to the physical properties, traits, or characteristics of the light. These properties include the softness or hardness, the shape, the color, and the intensity of the light.
A little confusing, I know, but it’s just one of the many quirks of the English language. If it helps, try to remember there is no such thing as good or bad light; only light more suitable for a different subject.

Softness, hardness and intensity

In terms of reflectors, it is important to understand how they modify your light.
Softness and hardness are affected by the apparent size of your light source. If you move your reflector closer to your subject, you get softer light. If you take it further back, you get harder light. The same applies to different sized reflectors. A larger reflector, at the same distance from the subject as a smaller one, will produce softer light, while the smaller one (in the same position) will produce harder light. However, if you put the larger one farther away from the subject, and the smaller one closer – they may become equal.
When swapping between the colors on your 5-in-1 reflector, from white to silver for example, the properties of the light you are altering are the color and the intensity. Providing that the reflector hasn’t moved, a silver and a white reflector will give the same softness/hardness of light. However, a silver reflector will reflect more light than a white one, thereby providing more intensity. Because of this, anytime you change out your reflectors, you will also need to alter your exposure settings.
Additionally, using a different colored reflector will change the color of the light and you may need to alter your white balance settings. The exception to this is when using a gold reflector which is often done to intentionally add a color cast to the image.

Exercises

Exercise One – white/silver on the side

This first example may be the most common way to use a reflector. The light is illuminating the subject from camera left. This is causing dark shadows on the subject’s face at camera right. While these shadows can often be pleasing and acceptable, at other times you may choose to fill them in with additional light. This is where the reflector comes into play.
To do this, place your reflector, either silver or white, to the side and close to your subject, facing the light. This will fill in the shadows, brightening up the frame.
Note: You can also vary the intensity of the light reflected by moving the reflector toward, or away from the subject. Move it closer to brighten the shadows more, move it away to have less fill-light and darken the shadows.

Left: without reflector. Right: with reflector

Exercise Two – white/silver from below

This setup is also very common, and is a slight variation on exercise one above. Here, the reflector is placed underneath your subject, and is filling in shadows from below.

Left: no reflector. Right: with reflector.

Note: be very careful doing this on a subject that is heavy-set or has a double chin, as it will highlight that and make it stand out more – not overly flattering for them. You could also light up the nostrils so be conscious of that as well.

Exercise Three – white/silver bend it

You can also take advantage of a 5-in-1 reflectors lack of rigidity, by shaping it. This will allow you to mould your light, to fill in shadows that may not have been affected by a flat reflector. To do this, simply hold two opposite sides of your reflector and bend it inwards, thus creating a curved surface that will fill in shadows that a flat surface could not reach.

Left: no reflector. Right: reflector in place bent to fit.

Exercise Four – white/silver

In this example, the light source is coming from behind the subject. The reflector is used parallel to the light source in order to bring detail into the heavy shadows caused by the backlighting technique. While it is possible to use this technique for portraits, it can be tricky. However, it comes into its own in food photography and other still life situations.

Left: no reflector with strong backlight. Right: with reflector.

Exercise Five – white/silver

If your light source is small, and the light is too hard for the effect you are trying to achieve, 5-in-1 reflectors offer a few options to help you soften the light.
Here, instead of lighting your subject directly with the light source, bounce the light off of the reflector. Doing this effectively increases the size of your light source, thereby softening it. You will lose some of the intensity of the light doing this, and you will need to meter for the reflected light, rather than the output from your flash.

Left: direct, small light source. Right: light bounced off white reflector.

Diffusion

Exercise Six – diffusion panel

Another way to soften hard light with a 5-in-1 reflector, is to use the diffusion panel. Simply place the diffusion panel somewhere between your light source and subject, making sure that all of the light is hitting the reflector. Diffusion panels do come with an inherent loss of light. Many are designed to cut down two stops of light, but this will depend on your exact reflector. As such, you will want to calculate your exposure with the diffusion panel in place, before taking any images.
Where this technique really comes into its own, is that you can move the diffusion panel anywhere between your light source and the subject, without altering your exposure. This allows you to manipulate the shape and quality of your light in moments, without having to further alter your settings.

Left no diffusion, small hard light source. Right with diffusion panel in place, softens the light.

Black reflector

Exercise Seven – black reflector or flag

For the first use of your flag, use it as you would a white or silver reflector, as in example one above. Doing this with the black side of your reflector will help to deepen, and intensify the shadows on your subject. This technique isn’t as common as the others, but it can be used to great creative effect.

The difference is subtle but look at the shadows.

Exercise Eight – black reflector or flag

Instead of reflecting light, you can also use your flag to block, and shape the light in your scene. With the black side of the reflector facing your subject, hold it so that it obscures a large portion of your light source. This technique can be use in lieu of time consuming modifier changes, and can allow for some dramatic lighting effects without a great deal of equipment.

Left: before. Right: after.

Exercise Nine – black reflector or flag

Another use for your flag is to use it as a background. You probably won’t do this very often, as it isn’t an ideal solution in most cases, but in a pinch you can get rid of messy backgrounds with ease.

Gold reflector

Exercise Ten – gold

To be honest, you will probably never want to use a gold reflector. The effect, and the color cast they provide are often far too intense for most purposes. However, with judicious care, they can be used to provide a warm colored rim light. Here, the reflector is placed behind the subject and is reflecting light back onto her hair.

Left: before. Right: after. Notice the warm tone added to her hair, it’s very subtle.

Just the beginning

These 10 examples barely scratch the surface of what can be accomplished with a 5-in-1 reflector. However, by going through these exercises a number of times, with a variety of subjects, you will quickly begin to notice how reflectors modify light in a given situation. From there you will be able to employ them effectively in your photography. Do you have any other uses or tips for using one? Please share in the comments below.


PIN IT: here’s an image to pin to save this article for later on Pinterest.

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Five Budget Portrait Photography Hacks to Save You Money

By: Jackie Lamas

We all love some good photography hacks, and what better than some for portraits. Photography is such a great and fun artistic journey and there is always something new to try, or rather, buy. However, taking great portraits can be done with these five hacks that won’t break the bank. Most of these hacks can be made using household items or you can find them at your local craft stores for a quarter of the price.

#Reflector#Diffusers#Photography

Use a plain, solid painted wall on location as a background for your portraits to add a
different look.

#1 – Reflectors

Reflectors are a great tool, especially for both studio and on-location setups. They help fill in the shadows with light, bounce light back onto your subject, and can create cool effects. They can even help block out the sun or light falling on either on you or your subject. A reflector is great all around tool.
There are many great reflectors available, like the very popular 5-in-1. But you can definitely make one yourself that will give you the same results and enhance your portrait photography. The great thing here is that your handmade reflectors can be large or small depending on your portrait needs. Small, perhaps for the studio, and large for outdoors or on location portraits. Or make one of each, as it really is so simple to do!

Use your handmade reflector to bounce light back onto your subject’s face.

Making your reflector

Grab a piece of cardboard and some aluminum foil (crinkle it up a bit first). Next, glue down the aluminum foil with the shiny side up with spray glue or double-sided tape. Make sure to smooth it out as best you can and cover one side of your board. Finally, paint the other side white. If you choose to go with white foam board, then you can skip the last step.
What you will have is a very durable and effective two-in-one reflector! Use the silver side for maximum fill and use the white side for a softer look. This reflector can be used for both indoor and outdoor portraits. Make a few in different sizes to fit your needs.

Aluminum foil glued to recycled box cut to lay flat.

DIY reflector in use.

Use the white side of your DIY reflector to softly fill in light while photographing portraits on
location. 

Don’t want to DIY it? You can head over to your nearest store and pick up a reflective car shield, 

the ones that help block the sun from heating up the inside of your car. Those also work great as reflectors and the best part is that you can simply fold it up when you’re finished using it.

#2 – Diffusers

Diffusers, like reflectors, are incredible tools especially for outdoor portraits and for newborn photography. They are simply a translucent material that you can use to soften hard lighting or to create soft light on your subject.
I say newborn portraits because even window light can be hard for these little ones and a diffuser helps to soften it. You can also place the diffuser in front of off-camera speedlights to disperse the light over a larger area, effectively softening it.

Use a diffuser to create soft light for your subject, especially great for newborns.

You have the ability to create a diffuser just the right size for your portraits. Grab an embroidery ring and some translucent fabric at your local fabric or craft store. Place the fabric inside the embroidery ring, cut the remaining fabric so that you don’t have too much hanging out. You could hem the edges but the embroidery ring really does hold it pretty tightly.
Once you cut the edges, you have a portable and easy to hold/mount diffuser. It’s lightweight and easy to carry. Use this indoors to soften window light or even a speedlight. Or use it on location to soften harsh sunlight and simply to shade your subject during the session.

This scrim was made with a thiPVCvc pipe about 6 feet long to create a diameter of about
3 feet. I duct taped the ends together and hot glued the translucent fabric to the ring.
A hula hoop would be perfect to use for this as well. I couldn’t find one big enough to use
for this so I used PVC, both are inexpensive and quick to make.

DIY lighting diffuser in action.

You can also make a DIY large lighting panel – get instructions here.
Editor’s Note: Make note that a ring, 12″ or so is still a relatively small light source and as such will produce fairly hard light. You need a large diffuser (larger than the subject’s face) to really soften the light.

#3  Portrait stools

There are many tools that are made specifically for portrait photography like the portrait stool. It’s basically a fancy hydraulic stool to sit your subject on while you make their portrait. There are also some made especially for children. You don’t have to invest in one of those, however, you simply have to go to your local hardware store and pick up a small two-step ladder, or if you photograph children, a two-step stool. Both of these options offer you the same functionality as a portrait stool.

Use them during your session to pose your subject indoors or on location. Another advantage to using a ladder as a posing stool is that it gives you the option to use it yourself to get a higher camera angle. There are really no limits to the usefulness of the ladder, or small step stool, and it is easy to transport. If you are a beach photographer, use it as a tabletop to hold your gear and keep it from touching the sand.

Use a portrait stool to seat your subject.

#4 – Phone Flashlight

Sometimes the best tools are right in your pocket. Your phone is used for so much of your daily life and it can also be a great tool for photography. The flashlight on your phone can serve as a steady fill light in case you don’t have an off-camera flash or need a little boost of light.
Turn your camera’s flashlight on and point it directly toward your subjects. You may need the help of a selfie-stick or a friend because although it’s powerful, you’ll still need to have the light pretty close to your subject. The mighty flash is perfect for portraits where you want to capture the light behind, but need a little fill on your subject. This is perfect for on-location photography, especially when the sun is setting behind your subject.

A phone flashlight was used to create interesting lighting in a dark area.

Use your handy smartphone’s flashlight to add drama to your portraits.

Create a little drama using your phone’s flashlight and use it to manipulate the available light around you. This is also very easily done for indoor portraits and it works great to fill your subjects when there is beautiful warm light behind, like in the photo above. Get creative with this portable light that you always have with you. It’s quick and there’s no fussing with adjustments.

#5 – Backgrounds

One of the best photography hacks that you’ll learn is how to turn plain walls into beautiful portrait backgrounds. When you’re looking to do some headshots or just photograph so that it looks as though you were in a studio, this is the hack you can use every time.
Choose a concrete wall that is plain. Pose your subject a good distance from the wall so that you can let the background blur a bit (use a wide aperture as well). Then, with your handmade reflector or phone flashlight, photograph your subject. What you will get is a beautiful seamless background just a tad out of focus to give it that studio look.

Use your ladder and a plain wall to create studio-style portraits on location.

You can also choose a more patterned wall to give your background added texture. Look for walls that are painted in a solid color or have a repeating texture like the brick wall below. Another great photography hack is to shoot from above and let the concrete stairs or asphalt blur out so that it creates a nice background.

Choose plain or patterned walls to give your on-location portraits more of a studio look.

These five portrait photography hacks will save you both time and money all while enhancing the portrait experience for both you and your subject while photographing on-location. Use them for your next portrait session to get new and different results!

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12 Tips for Improving Camera Phone Photos

By: Darren Rowse

Photo by DavyRocket

We are living in a time where ‘convergence’ is everywhere. Gone are the days when a camera was a camera, a MP3 player was an MP3 player, a phone was a phone….
These days digital cameras are found in a variety of other gadgets – including cell phones. In fact Camera Phones are one of the fastest growing segments of the digital camera market and with the improvements in the quality of what is being offered in some phones (higher megapixels, better lenses, high capacity storage) some believe that they are beginning to win market share away from the low end offerings of many digital camera manufacturers. Our current poll on ‘take anywhere cameras‘ reveals that many of you are using camera phones regularly.
Unfortunately many of the pictures being taken with Camera Phones are poor in quality. This might partially be a result of lower quality cameras – but it is also often a result of poor photographic technique.
Following are 13 tips for Camera Phone owners to help them get the most from their cameras phones:

Photo by Dr John2005

1. Light Your Subject Well

The better lit your subject is the clearer your image is likely to be. If possible shoot outside or turn on lights when shooting inside. If you’re turning on lights in a room to add extra light to your shot be aware that artificial light impacts the color cast in your shots and you might want to experiment with white balance to fix it (see below).
Some cameras come with a built in flash or light – this can really lift a shot and add clarity to it, even if you’re shooting outside (in a sense it becomes a fill flash). If your camera doesn’t have a flash or light you should avoid shooting into bright lights as you’ll end up with subjects that are silhouetted.

2. Get Close to Your Subject

One of the most common mistakes with camera phone images is that their subject ends up being a tiny, unrecognizable object in the distance. Camera phone images tend to be small due to low resolution (although this is changing) – so fill up your view finder with your subject to save having to zoom in on the subject in editing it later (which decreases quality even more).
Having said this, getting too close on some model camera phones creates distortion and focusing issues (particularly if the camera phone doesn’t have a macro or close focusing mode).

3. Keep Still

As with all digital photography, the more steady your camera phone is when taking your shot the clearer your image will be.
This is especially important in low light situations where the camera will select longer shutter speeds to compensate for the lack of light. One trick is to lean your camera phone (or the hand holding it) against a solid object (like a tree, wall, ledge) when taking shots.
Keep in mind that many camera phones also suffer from ‘shutter lag’ (ie the time between when you press the shutter and when the camera takes the shot can be a second or so). This means you need to hold the camera still a little longer to ensure it doesn’t take a shot as you’re lowering it away from the subject.

4. Edit Images Later

Whilst it can be fun to use your camera phone’s inbuilt editing and effects, editing pictures later on your computer produces much better quality images. Take your shots in color at high resolution to keep your options open on how to treat it later.
You can always make it black and white on your computer, but you can’t make it color if you take it in Black and White mode.

Photo by Bram and Vera

5. Don’t Throw Away ‘mistakes’

Remember that on many phones the quality of the screen will not be as good as your computer’s. So if possible hang onto your shots until you can get them on your PC. You might just find that they come alive on a quality monitor. You’ll also find that even ‘mistakes’ and blurred shots can actually be quite usable (in an abstract kind of way)

6. Avoid Using the Digital Zoom

As tempting as it might be to zoom in on your subject when taking your picture (if you have a zoom feature on your camera phone), if the zoom is a ‘digital zoom’ it will decrease the quality of your shot to use it (you’ll end up with a more pixelated shot)..
Plus you can always edit your shot later using photo editing software on your computer.
Of course some camera phones are beginning to hit the market with ‘optical zooms’ – these are fine to use as they don’t enlarge your subject by enlarging pixels.

7. Experiment with White Balance

An increasing number of camera phones come with adjustable white balance which allows you to modify color balance in your images based on shooting conditions. Experiment with this feature to get a good feel for the impact that it has on your shots. I find that it impacts different camera phones differently. Read your manual to find out how it works on your phone.

Photo by markresch

8. Take loads of Shots and Experiment

The beauty of all forms of digital photography (including that of camera phones) is the ability to shoot off many shots quickly and without cost. This means you can experiment with different modes and composition and discard those that you don’t want to keep.
Camera phones are particularly good for experimenting with new angles and perspectives – shoot from down low, up high, close up etc and you’ll end up with interesting and fun shots.

9. Follow Rules of Composition (and then Break them)

Learn some basic composition ‘rules’. (for example – the rule of thirds – ie don’t place your subject squarely in the middle of your frame but a third of the way in). Simple tips like this can bring life toyour photos.
But then also remember that the beauty of a camera phone is its ability to break all conventions – some of the best shots around break all the rules. So shoot from the hip, the floor, up high, up close – anything goes.

10. Keep Your Lens Clean

One of the challenges with many camera phones is keeping them maintained and clean. Phones spend a lot of time in pockets, in bags and being used in all manner of weather and conditions. As a result they get dirty and can easily become damaged – fingerprints are a common problem on camera lenses – especially if your phone doesn’t have a lens cover. From time to time clean the lens of your camera using a soft cloth (sunglasses cleaning cloths are great).

Photo by phil h

11. Observe Camera Phone Etiquette

While there is no formal set of rules for using camera phones – it is worth considering how you use it and what impact it might have upon others. There are many cases of camera phones being abused to take sneaky or voyeuristic photos. Ask permission to photograph strangers, consider restrictions on the use of cameras in places like theaters and concerts etc.

12. Use the highest resolution possible on your camera phone

Some phones allow you to choose what resolution you want to take photos at. It almost goes without saying (but we like to state the bleeding obvious) that the higher your resolution the clearer your shot will be. This is especially true for camera phones which often have sensors of under 1 megapixel in them. Keep in mind however that the higher the resolution the larger the file size of the images you take – this means if you want to send images they can end up taking a long time to send.

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