One of the questions I’m being asked about more and more lately is about Black and White Digital Photography.
As I said yesterday in the post announcing our Black and White Assignment it seems as though Black and White images are making something of a comeback of late as digital camera owners rediscover the beauty of mono images.
If the big response to the assignment is anything to go by readers of this blog LOVE black and white photography too (I’ve used a few of the images submitted in the assignment on this post to whet your appetite).
I have a few friends who are into Black and White photography and I asked them what it was that attracted them to it. Here are a few of their reasons for getting a little obsessed with Black and White:
Versatility
“I love that it’s a format that suits almost any type of photography. Portraits, landscapes, urban landscapes, architecture. Not only that, it’s a medium that adapts really well to all lighting situations. Whereas color photography often works best on sunny days or in brightly lit studios – low light just makes a black and white image moody.’ – Sol No Distractions “I find that colors can be terribly distracting in some images and can take the focus away from your subject. I do portrait work and find that taking the color out of an image lets the subject speak for themselves. Its raw, it’s stripped back, it’s honest and it allows you to show the true person.” – Shane Subtlety of Tones
“I love the subtlety of tones that black and white images can have. In a world that often boasts about how many millions of colors a TV or monitor is able to produce – I love that in ‘Mono’ there is such a variety of what can be achieved in a photo. Black and White sounds so boring – but the fact is that there are so many shades in between – I love the challenge of bringing them all out in an image!” – Jim
Variety
“I find the creative process with black and white images is so… artistic. It’s like molding clay – you can shape it into a myriad of shapes. Black and White images can be strong, high contrast and powerful – or they can be so soft, gentle and subtle.” – Belle
Of course the black and white vs color debate is a very personal one. For every person I ask who loves shooting mono there are others who much prefer the vibrancy of color photography. Which do you prefer – Black and White or Color? What do you like about your preference? Have you experimented much with Black and White digital photography? Interested to hear your thoughts in comments below.
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26 Black and White Landscape Images
By: Darren Rowse
Learn more about how to take great Black and White Landscapes and Portraits
At first I was a little hesitant – when I think of landscapes I have to admit lots of colour comes to mind – but the more I thought about it – the more I realised that it would make a great collection. So here are a few black and white landscapes to get your creative juices flowing!
Discover how to improve your Black and White Photography
Here's the link.
https://resources.digital-photography-school.com/ref/937/
Sunday, June 23, 2019
The Human Side of Photography – 4 Tips for Natural Looking Portraits
Over the years my camera has become an extension of my arm, relate? Of course you do. Those lucky souls like you and I who discover they have a passion for photography quickly find it to be magically intoxicating in every way. We just can’t get enough. Well passion and creative vision out the wazoo (pardon my French), even when coupled with perfect light, perfect equipment, and all the experience in the world will amount to very little if you’ve got a subject who just will not cooperate.
When I first started as a professional photographer it was mind baffling to me the way some people responded when I’d point my camera at them. “FOR PETE’S SAKE!” I’d lament to my husband after a shoot. “They were paying me to photograph them, they hired me, it wasn’t as if I ripped them from their houses, tied them to a tree and forced them to say ‘Cheese.’ What am I missing here?!?” Grrr. I would leave shoots like those EXHAUSTED… absolutely ready for a cup of tea and a bubble bath, and TOTALLY dreading uploading the photos… knowing that all I’d ended up with were a bunch of awkward smiles on tight, strained faces.
Then there came a time in my career when I was in desperate need of a head shot… I hate being in front of the camera… I know. I know. Go figure. Does the irony of all this tickle you as much as it does me? I called a friend and fellow photographer to handle the shoot. “OK Nic, short and sweet. We just need ONE good shot.” She pulled that camera out and it was everything I could do not to run screaming down the beach. She may as well have actually ripped me from my house and tied me to a tree. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweating and I could feel all the blood in my body racing to my face. Needless to say we DID NOT get that “ONE good shot.” Alas, the finished product showed just nervous, awkward bubble headed me … with a face as red as a cherry I might add.
Well over the years I’ve finally cracked the code to dealing with people photographically… Thus, The Human Side of Photography. Here’s 4 tips on how I work toward those beautiful, natural, genuine portraits that make our hearts sing, end up framed on our walls, and/or sell like crazy post production.
1. Handle the Hands:
Give your subject something to hold. If their hands are busy it’s generally enough of a cognitive distraction to curb their camera anxiety.
Take this bride for example. She was really struggling being herself in front of my camera during her bridal shoot. So, I handed her her fiance’s guitar and voilà. Beautifully natural in every way! I love this shot.
2. Pull up a Chair:
I carry a stool with me to every shoot… ALWAYS. It has saved me a million times over. When people sit, they will 9 times out of 10 loose the nervous rigidity they have when they’re standing. The situation automatically steps away from the formal air of photographer/photographee and instantly feels more casual.
This momma-to-be insisted incessantly that she was just “not photogenic” (if only I got a nickel for every time someone spit that at me … or maybe a dime for every time I proved them wrong… hmm). Thank Heaven for my trusty stool. Momma loosened right up once seated, and we got something genuine and sweet.
3. The Attraction of Distraction:
Distract your subject. Get them talking about something you know they’re interested in, ask them questions about their family, pets or favorite super heroes if you get desperate. Do whatever you can to pull their attention away from themselves. I find that shifting their attention to me by making fun of myself to be a trick that’s tried and true.
I’ve also been known to suddenly start barking like a dog to inspire spontaneous laughter… quacking like a duck is also a good bet… trust me, once you get a couple of good laughs out of your subject… it’s all a breeze from there. Laughter releases endorphins and thus a general sense of well-being, at least that’s what “they” say… hey, it works for me!
An example of this was an engagement shoot I did a while back. The groom-to-be was completely relaxed and comfortable, but the bride was just NOT quite getting there. To make a bad thing worse, we started out shooting in a marshy field where we were literally swarmed by mosquitoes… I counted 26 on my legs at one point (like actual bugs biting me simultaneously… not just 26 bites … but I digress). She was bitten TERRIBLY and was SO uncomfortable. I could sense her discouragement, so as we walked to the next site (as far away from said swamp field as possible) I told her fiance to give me a couple of seconds of shooting and then just to start tickling her like crazy.
It was so much fun for everyone! We got a fun shot of the tickle-fest, though that wasn’t the end in mind… the goal was to help her feel relaxed and comfortable for the rest of the shoot- and guess what? It worked like a charm. (This tip is especially good when working with children. Get them talking about something they love and it’s like flipping on a light switch to those sweet genuine expressions that only children can give).
4. A Tip from Aretha… R.E.S.P.E.C.T:
Remember that your subjects deserve your respect… whether it’s your own kiddos or you’re on hire. If you’ve got a subject or two or more who are just plain uncomfortable, seek out privacy for the shoot as much as possible. If you’ve got something in your head that you’re working towards and your subject just isn’t diggin’ it… drop it and move on to something else.
Ultimately you want nice pictures AND a nice memory of the shoot as a whole. If your subject feels understood and respected, that’s your first step in breaking them out of that awkward little box and truly capturing their essence. I learned this the hard way… my oldest son (4yrs old) used to head for the hills when he saw me coming camera in hand.
Once I learned to just respect that, and simply leave him alone at times like these… he actually started coming to ME and asking me to shoot him. And here’s the treasured result:
In this shot he said to me, “ok Mom, now I’m going to pretend like I’m sleeping.” Ah, be still my beating heart!
Happy shooting! Natalie Lives and shoots on the North Shore of Oahu, HI with her wonderful husband and 3 crazy sons. See more of her work and writing at natalienortonphoto.com
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How to Get Shallow Depth of Field in Your Digital Photos
I’ve been taking a lot of portrait shots of our kids lately with my husband’s DSLR (Canon EOS 20D) and I’ve noticed that on some shots that I take the backgrounds is all soft and out of focus while in others it is completely clear. I’d like the soft background more but as I’ve been shooting in Auto mode I don’t know how the camera did it before. Can you give any suggestions? – submitted by DPS reader Sandra
Thanks for the question Sandra. You’re right about the soft blurry backgrounds in portraits – in most cases they are a great way to highlight your main subject and get rid of any distractions in the background.
There are a number of things you might like to try. I’ll start with the easy ones: Note: we’ve since created a more comprehensive guide to controlling depth of field that you may find useful.
Positioning of Subject
One of the easiest things you can do is position the subject you’re wanting to photograph as far away from any objects behind them as possible. If they are standing right in front of a wall you’ll probably end up with it in focus no matter what else you do – but if they’re standing 100 meters in front of that same wall it’s going to be a lot more blurry. Of course this will only get you so far – you’ll need to do some of what’s coming next as well.
Portrait Mode
The Canon EOS 20D has a little wheel on top of it (on the left) with lots of little icons on it. One of those icons is a little head. This icon is the symbol for portrait mode and if you’re not confident with changing apertures (we’ll discuss this below) it’s a good mode to switch to as it will do some of the work for you. Portrait mode chooses a large aperture (a small ‘f’ number) which will make the depth of field (the amount of your shot in focus) smaller.
Aperture Priority Mode
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous switch the wheel to ‘A’ which is Aperture Priority Mode (go on, you can do it). I’ve written on this mode before but to recap – this mode lets you choose the Aperture (the size of the hole in your lens) and tells the camera to choose all the other settings. This semi-auto mode is a great way to control depth of field as it will ensure your images are well exposed. For shallow depth of field and nice blurry backgrounds choose a large Aperture (the smaller the number the larger the aperture). Try taking a few shots at different apertures and see how it affects the background of your shots – this is the best way to learn how to get more creative control in your shots.
Zoom Lenses
I’m not sure what lens you have on your 20D but if you’re like most people these days it will be a zoom lens with different focal lengths. Many zooms will have different maximum apertures at different points along the focal length spectrum. For example if it’s an 18-55mm kit lens it will have a maximum aperture of f3.5 at 18mm and a maximum aperture of f5.6 at 55mm. Many see the bigger aperture at the 18mm end of the range and think that that would be the best focal length for blurry backgrounds. The problem with this is that 18mm is a very wide angle and for portraits it can mean you need to get in really close to your subject and it could distort their facial features (not really desirable).
Instead I find that shooting at the 55mm end of the lens is best. This means you can stand further back (making your subject more at ease and pushing your background even further away from your camera). You’ll probably still get nice blurry backgrounds if you use the fastest aperture available.
The other good thing about zooms is that they enable you to really fill up your frame with your subject which can give it more prominence and your background less.
Get a New Lens
This is an ‘easy’ solution in some ways, but hard if you don’t have the budget. Different lenses have different maximum apertures. Those with larger ones are called ‘faster’ and one of the impacts of having a fast lens is that you can make your depth of field smaller (another is that you can shoot in lower light situations without needing the flash). A good option for Canon DSLRs is the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens. It’s very fast, it’s a good focal length for portraits and it is one of the most affordable lenses Canon make.
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Friday, June 21, 2019
This Ebook is a bit older–back from the days of film–but it still has a ton of sound and relevant information that will have your photos looking better in no time. And yes, it is free to You.
191 pages of photography enjoyment.
http://ctein.com/PostExposure2ndIllustrated.pdf
You'll find this weeks' Photography Freebie in the post below.
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Photography Freebie
Exposure: Understanding Light By Nigel Hicks A Guide to Understanding Light & Exposure
If you’ve got a DSLR you’ve probably had the experience of uploading your photos onto your computer after a long day of photography – only to find that there are dark ‘spots’ and ‘blotches’ on your pictures.
These spots and blotches appear on all your shots in exactly the same position. They might be less noticeable on backgrounds with lots of detail (and more noticeable on plain backgrounds (like blue skies – especially when you have a small aperture) – but they’re there in all your shots (the picture to the left is one of the worst examples I’ve seen – and was the result of poor image sensor cleaning technique).
The reason for these marks is that you’ve almost certainly got dust on your camera’s image sensor.
Cameras are being developed that combat this problem (for example the Canon EOS 400D/Revel Xti and others) but until we all go out and upgrade our DSLR we’re all susceptible to it.
Most DSLR owners do eventually get some on your sensor (unless you never change your lens) but here are some tips for decreasing the likelihood of it:
Avoid changing lenses in risky environments (where there is wind, water, dust etc) – pick a lens and try to stick with it.
Turn camera off before changing lenses. On some cameras the sensor has an electric charge that will actually attract dust to it like a magnet.
Hold camera upside down (with the opening facing down) when changing lenses – it’s impossible for dust to fall into your camera if it’s upside down (unless there is wind that blows it up into it).
Have your lens ready when you’re changing lenses (be prepared and have your new lens ready to attach so that your camera is open for as short a time as possible).
Check your lenses for dust before attaching them – have a blower that you can get any specs off your lens with.
Clean your image sensor with care. There’s a lot of debate about whether to do it yourself or whether to get your sensor professionally cleaned (see below for of some of the DIY approaches to cleaning sensors) If you do tackle it yourself do so with extreme care – let the picture above be motivation to get it right!
To test if your image sensor is dirty photograph a white wall with a small aperture (large number) and you should see it in the images that result if you have any. See some of the techniques for cleaning dirty and dusty image sensors below:
The Digital Camera has a number of natural predators – things that in just a few seconds could snuff out it’s life and render you camera-less. Learn to identify your camera’s predators and take a few simple precautions and exercise a little care and you can keep your camera operating at it’s potential for years to come (well at least until it’s time for an upgrade). You really can never do enough digital camera maintenance. Here are 7 natural predators of the digital camera and how to avoid them:
1. Sunscreen and Insect Repellent
It is important to protect yourself from the elements of sun and insect bites when shooting outdoors, however some of the things that you’ll use to do it can cause your camera harm. Sunscreen is generally oily and insect repellent often contains chemicals that you wouldn’t want to get in touch with the more delicate parts of your camera.
The way to limit the impact that these things have on your camera is pretty obvious and largely involves keeping those parts of your body that come into contact with these things clean. Wash your hands in fresh water after applying sunscreen and repellent and you’ll go a long way to keeping your camera clean. If you do get your camera greasy make sure you clean it off as quickly as you can.
Lastly – don’t fall into the temptation of putting sunscreen and repellent into your camera bag. I know it’s tempting so that you don’t have to carry another bag – but it’s really not worth the risk as a leak could end your camera’s life. If you do travel with them together make sure you have a sealed bag for the liquids.
2. Sand
There is nothing that frightens me more than the thought of sand getting into my camera. Cameras have moving parts and to get something as gritty and abrasive as sand into them can quickly put your camera out of action or at least damage it so that you end up with scratches through it.
Ultimately the only protection against sand is not taking your camera to sandy places. Of course this is not particularly feasible and you’ll need to do what you can to keep sand and your camera separate.
Sealable bags are great to travel with, cleaning brushes to get those stray grains off your camera can be useful and cleaning clothes are helpful.
Always be particularly aware of your surrounds and things like wind or people kicking balls or throwing Frisbees when you’re changing lenses, memory cards and batteries as these are high risk moments that sand just loves to swoop in. Also – learn to think ahead about what lens you might need so that you can change it inside in a more stable environment before hitting the beach.
3. Dust
Like sand, dust is a natural enemy of the digital camera. It’s a more subtle attacker in that it generally won’t scratch your moving parts – but it is just as damaging, particularly when it works its way into your camera’s inner parts and settles on your image sensor.
Once again – wipe your camera down each day, be careful of when and where you change lenses and travel with your camera in a sealed bag.
Also if you have a DSLR consider getting it’s image sensor professionally cleaned (or learn to do it yourself – with care) every now and again if you do find marks on your sensor (you’ll notice them most at small apertures – to test it, set your camera to it’s smallest aperture and shoot at a white wall or ceiling).
4. Moisture/Water
Moisture attacks cameras in numerous ways. At it’s most extreme it attacks as water which has the ability to quickly end the life of your camera (I regularly get emails from digital camera owners who’ve dropped cameras in all kinds of liquids including the ocean, baths, rivers and even toilets). Use you camera’s wrist or neck straps to keep your cameras out of water and always be aware of where you put it an how it can be knocked.
A more subtle attacker when it comes to moisture is condensation. Particularly noticeable is when you move from one temperature to another with your camera (for example from air-conditioning to humid ones). Investing in silica gel packs is one way to help with this as they absorb moisture in your camera bag. Some people suggest putting it in a sealed plastic bag when moving between temperatures – this might work well but is not particularly practical in many situations, especially when you have a large camera. Ideally you want to warm your camera up naturally and slowly – it’s definitely a challenge. Other than that – wipe off your camera regularly when in humid environments.
5. Salt
While the beach presents photographers with wonderful photographic opportunities it also can be a dangerous place with many digital camera predators – not the least of which is salt which has a habit of getting into your camera and lenses and causing all kinds of problems (including corrosion).
Fight the impact that salt has on your camera by wiping it clean at least once per day while shooting in salty places.
If you have a DSLR use UV filters on your lenses to give an extra level of protection and avoid opening your camera up (to change batteries, memory cards or lenses) as much as possible. When not shooting, keep your camera safely in your camera bag and be particularly aware of positioning yourself in sea spray on windy days.
6. Thieves
Another natural predator of expensive photographic equipment is the thief when you least expect it will swoop in and steal your gear away from you – leaving you feeling frustrated, violated and wondering what you did to deserve it.
Always be aware of where your gear is and how accessible it is to others. Get yourself a camera bag that doesn’t scream ‘I’ve got a camera in here’ if you can (there are some great brands on the market – I use this Crumpler bag for this reason).
Keep your cameras on your body if in a risky environment, keep your bags zipped up and well fastened, consider having your bag on your front rather than your back in high risk situations, insure your gear and try to be selective and not every travel with too much of it at any one time.
7. Bumps and Drops
The downfall of many cameras comes quite literally when they are dropped or bumped into other hard objects. While some cameras now come with shock proof casings the majority of cameras do not and need to be treated as delicate objects.
Use a padded camera bag or casing (and use it when your camera is not in use, be aware of where you put your camera, be careful when passing it from one person to another etc. Also check your house and contents insurance to see whether it covers accidental damage (many do). It’s just common sense really but I’m quite amazed at how often silly accidents end the lives of expensive pieces of equipment.
Good Gear
Hopefully you’re feeling a little more prepared to venture out with your digital camera feeling confident at your ability to keep it’s natural predators away.
If you’re looking for some gear to help you with some of the above you might like to check out some of the camera cleaning products at Amazon and their range of Crumpler Camera Bags which I’m a big fan of.
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One of the common problems that many new digital (and film) photographers have is ‘camera shake’ where images seem blurry – usually because the camera was not held still enough while the shutter was depressed. This is especially common in shots taken in low light situations where the shutter is open for longer periods of time. Even the smallest movement of the camera can cause it and the only real way to eliminate it is with a tripod.
Adding to camera shake is a technique that is increasingly common with digital camera users of holding the camera at arms length away from them as they take shots – often with one hand. While this might be a good way to frame your shot the further away from your body (a fairly stable thing) you hold a camera the more chance you have of swaying or shaking as you take your shot.
How to Hold a Camera
Tripods are the best way to stop camera shake because they have three sturdy legs that keep things very still – but if you don’t have one then another simple way to enhance the stability of the camera is to hold onto it with two hands.
While it can be tempting to shoot one handed a two hands will increase your stillness (like three legs on a tripod being better than one).
Exactly how you should grip your camera will depend upon what type of digital camera you are using and varies from person to person depending upon preference. There is no real right or wrong way to do it but here’s the technique that I generally use:
Use your right hand to grip the right hand end of the camera. Your forefinger should sit lightly above the shutter release, your other three fingers curling around the front of the camera. Your right thumb grips onto the back of the camera. Most cameras these days have some sort of grip and even impressions for where fingers should go so this should feel natural. Use a strong grip with your right hand but don’t grip it so tightly that you end up shaking the camera. (keep in mind our previous post on shutter technique – squeeze the shutter don’t jab at it).
The positioning of your left hand will depend upon your camera but in in general it should support the weight of the camera and will either sit underneath the camera or under/around a lens if you have a DSLR.
If you’re shooting using the view finder to line up your shot you’ll have the camera nice and close into your body which will add extra stability but if you’re using the LCD make sure you don’t hold your camera too far away from you. Tuck your elbows into your sides and lean the camera out a little from your face (around 30cm). Alternatively use the viewfinder if it’s not too small or difficult to see through (a problem on many point and shoots these days).
Add extra stability by leaning against a solid object like a wall or a tree or by sitting or kneeling down. If you have to stand and don’t have anything to lean on for extra support put your feet shoulder width apart to give yourself a steady stance. The stiller you can keep your body the stiller the camera will be.
Holding a camera in this way will allow you flexibility of being able to line up shots quickly but will also help you to hold still for the crucial moment of your shutter being open. Another quick bonus tip on how to hold a camera – before you take your shot take a gentle but deep breath, hold it, then take the shot and exhale. The other method people use is the exact opposite – exhale and before inhaling again take the shot. It’s amazing how much a body rises and falls simply by breathing – being conscious of it can give you an edge.
Of course each person will have their own little techniques that they are more comfortable with and ultimately you need to find what works best for you – but in the early days of familiarizing yourself with your new digital camera it’s worth considering your technique. One last note on how to hold a camera – this post is about ‘holding a camera’ in a way that will help eliminate camera shake. It’s not rocket science – but it’s amazing how many people get it wrong and wonder why their images are blurry.
There are of course many other techniques for decreasing camera shake that should be used in conjunction with the way you hold it. Shutter speed, lenses with image stabilization and of course tripods can all help – we’ll cover these and more in future posts.
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Fujifilm Instax Mini film packs are just $30 — their lowest price ever
Never run out of film for your Fujifilm Instax Mini camera with a value pack from Amazon.
TL;DR: A value pack of 60 replacement film sheets for the Fujifilm Instax Mini camera is just $30, which is its lowest price yet on Amazon.
When school is out, you need to keep the kids engaged somehow. Or perhaps you want a unique way to remember your next vacation to Europe without constantly checking your Instagram. Instant film cameras are back in a fun way, but to avoid running out of film you need to keep plenty in stock. Amazon can help you enjoy plenty of hours of fun with a value pack deal for the Fujifilm Instax Mini.
Keep snapping all summer long with a Fujifilm Instax Mini value pack for 60 photos for only $30. While Amazon doesn't list this as a sale on their site, this is still the lowest price we've seen yet on this particular value pack. You only pay 50 cents for each photo, so it equals a better deal in the long run versus a 20-pack of sheets for $11.99.
These film sheets are compatible with the entire line of Fujifilm Instax Mini cameras. If you're new to the world of retro instant cameras, you can get your own Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 starter bundle for $50 off at $99.95. It's about the easiest camera you'll ever use. Just point and shoot with a built-in flash and your clear photos with vibrant colors are instantly ready. The Instax Mini works as a great way to help kids find their creativity, or you can relive the glory days of Polaroid cameras. Each photo fits perfectly in your wallet or purse and serves as a unique little memento to share with friends.
A Fujifilm Instax Mini might be the most fun you've had with a camera in years, and no Snapchat filter can replace instant photos. But to make sure you don't run out in the middle of your next vacation, grab one of these Instant Max value packs for just $30 to fill up your next photo album of memories.
One of the questions I’m being asked about more and more lately is about Black and White Digital Photography.
Versatility
Well passion and creative vision out the wazoo (pardon my French), even when coupled with perfect light, perfect equipment, and all the experience in the world will amount to very little if you’ve got a subject who just will not cooperate.
