Etiquette when working with a model

The first thing you need to do is find a model… where do you find a model without paying huge fees to a modelling agency? Kijiji, Craigslist or talk to other photographers in your area that use a model already.  I recently found a fantastic model that I will use time and time again on Kijiji. She had an ad on there saying she was looking for a professional model. If you live near me (Ontario, Canada) and you want a model that is absolutely "fantastic" contact Morgan (photo above) on her facebook page.

When you contact the model be specific about what your needs are. Remember, you do not know them and they do not know you. Lay out your requirements in detail so that they can make an informed decision on whether they want to model for you. It may sound like overkill, but you may want to do a boudoir photography shoot and they be uncomfortable with semi nudity or nudity.

The model release… this is as much about covering your butt as it is about the model protecting their reputation. Make sure the details are put in writing. What you will pay them, are you taking photos to build your portfolio in exchange for giving them images? Make sure that everyone enters into the situation understanding what both parties expectations are.

The environment for the shoot. You should make sure that you explain the environment to the model before the actual shoot. Where will the shoot take place, who will be at the shoot, is it private, in public etc… A word of advice. Have an assistant there for the shoot. It is always better to have someone there with you when working with a model… I may even go as far as suggesting you bring your girlfriend or wife if you are shooting a female model, or bring your husband or boyfriend if you are a female shooting a male model.

Working with the model. Never EVER take liberties when touching a model. Always ask for permission before you touch a model. “Can I move your hand?”, “Can I position your head the way I want?”

If you are working with a model for the first time this will help you gain repore and in the end get you the images you want… maximize the time you have the model for.

When the shoot is done make sure you follow through with what you promised. Models know other models and word will spread fast that you do not follow up on your promises…

I hope that gives you some useful information when shooting models… as for technique, well that is another post… LOL

Thanks for reading,

Kev

Setting Up Your Lighting Studio

Setting up a home studio can be extremely beneficial to any photographer. Whether you’re a professional portrait photographer or an amateur just starting to get into studio lighting, a home studio gives you a place to work and learn new things without putting the added dint into your bank account.

Over the week I am going to give you some things you should consider while you are creating your home studio set-up.  Then we will get into individual lighting techniques for a few days...

The Home Studio Space

 

The first thing to consider is creating a space. You do not need a large space, a 12 x 12 space would work. It would be tight, but doable… maybe empty out 1/2 of the garage and make your spouse park in the driveway or convert a spare bedroom into a make shift studio. (good luck with that conversation...LOL)

Ideally, you’ll want something with plenty of room to move around after it gets filled with studio or makeshift lights, your camera, a backdrop and other equipment. If your home is anything like mine it is probably full enough without a studio, so you will have to work with what you have until such time as you want, or can afford to rent some space.

You’ll want to choose a room where you can tightly control the lighting environment at any time of the day or night. Natural light can be a great tool but if your studio has a window, make sure you have a way to completely block off the light from affecting your shots… You can use thick vertical or horizontal blinds or thick fabric you can pick up at any fabric store in bulk.

Another thing you’ll want to consider is whether or not the room is climate controlled, especially if you’re going to be storing your equipment there permanently. Where I live the typical garage can stay well below the freezing point in the winter and exceed 100 degrees with the humidity in the summer… definitely not the ideal place to store thousands of dollars in photography equipment. But not only your gear can be affected, but your model will be under the hot lights while you are shooting… add humidity to that, and they will be standing in a puddle of water in no time… so consider the ambient temperatures and prepare for the change in weather!

The color of the space will also have an effect on your photos. Stay away from colored walls. Light bounces and colored walls will cast a colored hue on your images. You should try and stick to white or beige colored walls for your space… one other thing to remember about color… white reflects and black eliminates flash light… and the height of the room will impact the light. It’s a balance in your space that you will need to figure out through test shots to achieve the best lighting…

One final consideration is ambient noise. If you just shoot still photos than you’ll be fine with any room but if you’re ever going to shoot video you’ll want to choose a room far away from appliances or screaming kids.

Come on back to my blog tomorrow when we will be discussing “backdrops”

Panning PhotographyTutorial

The skill of panning photography is going to take every ounce of patience you have. Almost every person I have talked to about this type of photography has told me that it wasn’t until they saw that “one cool photo” that they had that “AHA!” moment.

I was 13 when I stumbled upon this. Yes, stumbled, sometimes ignorance is bliss, and as a 13 year old trying to freeze images with high shutter speeds, my lack of knowledge produced an image that gave me some ideas.

Back then our family had a miniature poodle named Brandy. He was a bolt of white lightening when he ran out the back yard. One afternoon I was trying to freeze the dog’s motion for photography class with little success. After a roll of film and a tired dog that was fed up with my milk bone bribery; I discovered that I could freeze part the dog yet have the background blurred. (Insert my AHA! moment here)

This latchkey kid would now have a couple hours each day to work on getting this image perfected. Dozens of film rolls, a couple boxes of dog treats, and a few extra pounds on Brandy later, I got the shot... a dog, head and body in focus, legs a little blurred, mid stride, hovering over the blurred ground... “AHA!”

So, from my personal trials and tribulations, here are a few tips I put together to hopefully take your keepers from one out of five-hundred to one out of one-hundred.
Understand the basic concept. Panning works when you move the camera in perfect synergy with the subject. It’s not enough to just swing the camera from side to side. You have to move it in perfect synch with your subject.

Choose the right subject. Generally it is easier to pan with a fast-moving subject than a slow one. Sprinters running in a straight line are moving fast enough that you can pan smoothly with their motion. People walking are almost impossible; they are too slow to get much blur and it’s difficult to pan smoothly. Football players are tough because they move erratically. And running dogs, well, they are perfect because they just want to please...

Use Manual Exposure or maybe Shutter Priority metering. Whichever you choose, the object is the same. You don’t want the shutter speed to change while you are shooting.

Focus Tracking. It’s very important that all or part of your subject is in focus. You might like to switch focus to AI Servo mode (in Canons) or AF-C mode (in Nikons). In this mode, hold down your shutter half way to lock focus on your subject and start following your subject with your camera at the same speed. You can take several shots at once… the number of photos is dependent on your camera.

Find the right background. The background must have some detail in order to produce the pleasing streaks you will want. That is why the jet is a bad subject for panning when it is up against a plain blue sky. Nothing will look as if it “moved.” On the other hand, be aware that just one person in a white T-shirt can create an unsightly white blob in your photograph.

Pick a good shutter speed. This is important. The longer the shutter speed, the higher the probability your image you wanted in focus will blur. It becomes a balancing act. As a starting point, let’s go back to the example of the sprinters running across the picture. Try anything between 1/8 of a second and 1/60 of a second. Beyond 1/8 of a second it's really tough to get sharp. Above 1/60 of a second, the camera will probably stop too much action and ruin the effect. Except for faster moving objects like flying birds or jets. For that you might need 1/250 of a second for a bird and 1/500 of a second for the jet, and that brings us to our next problem.

Practice panning smoothly. A Fluid, smooth motion is the name of the game. No jerking, no rushing and done without hesitation. Start clicking the shutter before your subjects reaches the ideal point and then keep shooting after they pass that point. Good follow through is imperative. The best panning shooters literally go out and just practice the movement.

Use the viewfinder. Your viewfinder is your friend when it comes to panning. The best tip I can give you is to set the viewfinder to show crosshairs, then focus on the intersecting line of the crosshairs and follow the subject in the viewfinder. You will eat more batteries doing it this way, but it does help with the success ratio.

Try. Evaluate. Retry. Experiment! There is no right or wrong way to produce the desired results... set rules do not apply. But try it, have fun with it, experiment with camera motion.

A couple final words on “Panning Photography”.
Things do not always have to be totally in focus. This type of photography, in addition to showing motion of an object, can be an artistic type of photography. If the intent is to produce an image of just motion through camera movement, please note that it can be referred to as motion blur photography.

Lastly, you should technically not be able to have motion in a still photograph. This is a two dimensional form of art. But the act of panning will force a person to look at the image more closely, and they will until they come to realize: "That’s not a blurry picture; that’s a young boy taking a photo of the running dog he loves in the backyard. That’s cute!"

I hope I gave you your AHA! Moment! Now go out, try this, and “pay it forward” so the next person can have their AHA! moment.

Happy Shooting!

Paris - The City of Love and Lights

The city of Paris has more familiar landmarks than any other city in the world. On your first visit you will arrive in the French capital with all sorts of expectations: cobblestone streets lined with sidewalk cafes, of intellectuals discussing weighty matters in these cafes, of romance along the Seine, naughty nightclub revues in a district called Montmarte and yes, if we are being honest with ourselves, we just might expect rude people who won’t speak English.

The truth is, if you look hard enough, you will find all of those. With an open mind you will actually discover is that Paris is enchanting, at any time of the year. It welcomes guests with open arms. I have been there six times, seen every season, met a lot of people, some which have become friends… and I came home thoroughly satisfied from each visit to the city of love and lights.

Getting to Paris: By air: Paris is served by three airports—Charles de Gaulle International Airport, Orly International Airport, and a regional airport, Beauvais. Chances are that you will be landing at Charles de Gaulle and you will need to take a €40 to €60 Euro taxi ride to your Parisian hotel.
By train: Paris is well connected to the rest of Europe by train offering high speed and normal trains such as the TER Regional trains, TGV (high-speed trains), Thalys, Intercity trains, and the Eurostar service. Getting off the train at Gade du Nord is the only experience I have taking trains. But a quick subway ride will take you right into the heart of the city.
By bus: The Eurolines company offers routes to other European cities.

Getting around Paris:Bus: The city has several hop-on hop-off bus tours specially run for tourists
By car: with dense traffic conditions, it is not a great idea to rent a car but driving may be an option if you are planning trips outside the city. Imaging this… you are driving up Av. Des Champs Elysees because you want to go to the Hugo Boss store, you miss your turn and immediately find yourself on an 8 lane roundabout that is circling the Arc de Triomphe and people are flying on and off at break neck speeds… and you get paralyzed with fear.
On foot: Walking in Paris is the best way to get around and explore the city. It is possible to cross the entire city in a span of just a few hours. For photographers it really is the only way to see the sites. Walk, admire, drink some wine, walk, admire, drink some wine, repeat…
Metro: Paris has an excellent subway train system with detailed maps of the surrounding area at each station. This would be my suggestion for travel around Paris. Look into a pass and use the Metro to get you around the city.
By boat: you can cruise along the Seine taking a circular route from the Eiffel Tower, down past the Louvre, Notre Dame, botanical gardens then back up the other bank past Musee D’Orsay.
Bicycle: You can rent a bike to explore the city. It can be much safer to cycle here than anywhere else. The government is actually planning to encourage the practice.

Where to stay in ParisThere are a few things you should consider before deciding where to stay in Paris. First, find out what area is right for you according to your visiting goals and personal tastes. Then choose accommodation based on your budget. I have stayed in hotels that are as much as €400 a night and I have stayed in flats for €100 a night. Honestly, I had a great time no matter where I stayed. Whether it was in bohemian district of Montmarte or right down on the Siene River near the La Louvre I enjoyed each visit.

The historical center of Paris is divided into 20 districts. I have put a map below for you to see what I am talking about. As you notice the city is split in the middle by the Seine River. Each of these districts is like a little village within the city with its own history, culture and way of life.

No matter where you stay in Paris, be prepared, you will walk a lot. You won’t realize it at first, but just the sheer amount of walking when inside the venues you will want to visit will be a lot. La Louvre alone can be quite a physical experience if you want to see it all (plan that over two days if you have time). Le Sacre Coeur is a 300+ stair climb to get to the top and the Notre Dame Cathedral is also a vertical hike to get up and swing from the bell like Quasi Motto did. So before you pack, think comfort or you will pay for it later.

There is accommodation for everyone in Paris, it goes from the bed & breakfast room if you want to get in touch with the locals, the cheap 2 star hotel that will be kind on your wallet, the holiday apartment for a feel at home experience or the glamorous luxury hotel if you want to treat yourself.

The Weather in ParisThe best weather in Paris is in spring (April-June) or fall (September-November), when things are easier to come by. The weather is temperate year-round. July and August are the worst for crowds. Parisians desert their city, leaving it to the tourists. Here are some quick facts:
The months June, July, August and September have a nice average temperature.
On average, the warmest month is July.
On average, the coolest month is December.
May is the wettest month.
February is the driest month.

I have been there in every season and found, as a photographer, there is no bad time to go. However, my favorite visits have been in September and March. You will get pleasing fall and spring weather and miss the majority of tourists. Regardless of what the weather is, if you are prepared, you will not have a bad day when you are in Paris.

OK, now that we have looked at the necessary details about the city, let’s get to the good stuff! Capturing a few of my favorite parts of the city in photos!

I have to say this, “Be prepared to wait your turn if you are doing the day time stroll with the camera around your neck.”

There are more photographers per square mile in this city during peak tourist times than I have seen anywhere else in the world. I have seen this happen all the time… a bus of tourists pulling up to the glass pyramid at Le Louvre, 100 people fall out of the bus and descend on the landmark like bees to a honey pot. It’s rather humorous.

My advice for the more seasoned photographer… go off hours. Apply the same photography principles here as you would at home. Shoot landmarks from 30 minutes before sunrise to ninety minutes after sunrise. Or, go at night and shoot ninety minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunset. Night photography is also amazing in this city. Some of my favorite photos have been taken at night when I have been to Paris.

The Eiffel Tower If you are taking photos to sell you should investigate the legalities of selling images or any French landmark, especially of the Eiffel tower at night. There has been much discussion surrounding this topic I would look into this before you attempt to sell anything. If it’s just for personal enjoyment and posting it on your website or sharing with your friends, you are fine.

You couldn't possibly visit Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. Even if you do not want to visit this world famous structure, you will see it from all over Paris. The tower rises 300 meters tall (984 ft); when it was completed at the end of the 19th century it was twice as high as the Washington Monument.

The cost to go to the top is approx €15, but its well worth the price to get some fantastic views of the city. Take up your wide angle lens for some breathtaking images and take a telephoto lens to get some different viewpoints of some of the local churches and structures.

The Catacombs The Paris Catacombs are a maze of tunnels and crypts underneath the city streets where Parisians placed the bones of their dead for almost 30 years. Prior to the creation of the Catacombs in the mid-1700s, residents buried their dead in cemeteries near churches as is still customary in most places.

But as the city grew, the cemeteries quickly ran out of space. Additionally, improper burial techniques often led to ground water and land near cemeteries becoming contaminated and spreading disease to those living nearby, so city officials moved to condemn all the cemeteries within city limits and move the bodies in those cemeteries elsewhere.

The decision was made to use an underground section of quarries in Paris, and the bones from Paris’ city cemeteries were moved underground between 1786 and 1788. The process was conducted with reverence and discretion – the quarry space was blessed before any bones were moved there, bones were always moved in a quiet parade of carts accompanied by priests, and these movements always took place at night. The quarries continued to be used as the collection point for the bones from Paris’ cemeteries through 1814 and now contain the bodies of roughly 6-7 million Parisians.

To get there by METRO the nearest stop which is Denfert Rochereau (either on line 4 or 6) in zone 1. Be aware before you enter that there is no flash photography allowed in the site, so to get any decent photos you either need to be able to hold a camera in dim light and shoot in a high ISO setting, or use a tripod and long exposure times, which is exactly what I did.

The staff is really helpful in shining torches at the skulls for you so that you could see in better detail but really, as much as they are just trying to help, this is more a hindrance and annoyance when you’re taking photos. I’d recommend a tripod and your own flashlight as that seemed acceptable to the staff, it also seems acceptable to be able to touch the remains as some people even pick up the bones and photograph themselves holding the remains (not my cup of tea personally).

The cost to get in is approximately €8, but well worth the price.

Le Louvre and Musee d’Orsay Le Louvre is housed in the Louvre Palace (Palais du Louvre) which began as a fortress built in the late 12th century under Philip II. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace. In 1682, Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles for his household, leaving the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection, including, from 1692, a collection of antique sculpture.

In 1692, the building was occupied by the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres and the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which in 1699 held the first of a series of salons. The Académie remained at the Louvre for 100 years. During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum, to display the nation's masterpieces.

Imagine… almost 35,000 pieces of art in one location; historically significant paintings, sculptures that stood proud thousands of years ago, and priceless artifacts you have only read about in a book. Many are right there for you to see, and photograph! YES, you too can walk home with a photo of “Whistler’s Mother” or “Mona Lisa” for €10 to €15.

 

A word of caution, keep the flash in the bag and do not bring out the tripod… They have signs that tell you that your flash will degrade the art… so not wanting to be the person that ruins a $1Million artifact, I always choose to handhold with high ISO.

I suggest you walk the museum with the camera set on 400 ISO or higher, f/2.8 and brace my camera on a folded coat to help eliminate handshake. Regardless how you do it, you will walk away with a lot of fantastic images for your own personal enjoyment.

Click here to see an interactive floor plan of Le Louvre. This will walk you through where art is located and give you a better idea of the sheer size of the building.

Musee d’Orsay The history of the museum is quite unusual. In the centre of Paris on the banks of the Seine, opposite the Tuileries Gardens, the museum was installed in the former Orsay railway station, built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. So the building itself could be seen as the first "work of art" in the Musee d'Orsay, which displays collections of art from the period 1848 to 1914. For €8 you can spend as much time as you want admiring timeless pieces of art.

For those of you that appreciate the history of photography. There is a photography exhibit that shows photos as far back as the early 1800’s

The museum is not as large as Le Louvre but I found it just as inspiring as Le Louvre. The same rules apply for photographers, keep the flash in the bag and do not bring out the tripod… you are forced to handhold with high ISO. I have however seen a few people with monopods sneaking in a few photos here and there.

The rest of ParisThere is so much more to see and photograph. I could write and show photos for hours. These are just a few of my favorite locations. What I suggest, look at photos on flickr and go to the Parisian city website. There is an abundance of available information for anyone wishing to visit the city.

From fantastic graveyards, one in particular with the grave of Jim Morrison, the Sacre Ceour, Arc de Triomphe, the Oblisque, Notre Dame, and many, many more places. Your photographic opportunities are endless. Do some research, talk to people that have been there, and just go and enjoy yourself.

If you have any questions about Paris, please feel free to contact me through www.photographerslounge.ca I have visited the city 6 times in the last ten years… and someday soon, will be back again walking the streets of Paris with my camera draped over my shoulder.

Join me on my next Parisian Workshops

Week One with Deborah Sandidge


Happy Shooting,

Kev

Sigma Canada announces Kevin Pepper as Sigma Pro Photographer

Ontario, Canada – April 11, 2013 – Kevin Pepper, photographer and operator of the Photographers Lounge, is pleased to announce that he has been selected as the newest addition to the Sigma Canada line-up of Canadian professional photographers. Kevin looks forward to joining existing Sigma Canada professional photographers Ethan Meleg, John Marriott, Gary Black, Younes Bounhar, and Crombie McNeill, and will now be using a variety of Sigma lenses for his professional work, as well as his personal portfolio. Photographers following Kevin will be able to read product reviews, watch videos, ask questions, and see his latest Sigma photos on his blog and social media platforms. Kevin’s photos will also be on display in the Sigma Pro Gallery at www.SigmaCanada.ca/Pro-Gallery.

Kevin says, "I am honoured to be accepted into such a prestigious group as the Sigma Pro photographers. I have always been impressed with the quality of Sigma lenses, and now to be able to showcase the quality through my own photography is very exciting." He further goes on to say, "In addition to personally benefiting from the quality of the lenses, students attending workshops will now have the opportunity to try these lenses in real world settings. My goal has always been to make sure my students have access to the latest photography gear in the market; this sponsorship will provide a key component in achieving that goal."

ABOUT GENTEC INTERNATIONAL

Founded in 1990, Gentec International is Canada’s leading consumer accessory products company, supplying a complete range of photo, video, digital, sport optics, home theatre, electronics, wireless, and mobile audio products to the Canadian retail marketplace. Gentec offers a variety of prominent brands, including Sigma, SanDisk, Manfrotto, Gitzo, National Geographic, Kata, Avenger, Optex, Roots, Gary Fong, Black Rapid, Mobifoto, iQ, Sunpak, Energizer, Bushnell, Tasco, and Zeiss. Gentec operates out of a high-cube, state-of-the-art, fully computerized 100,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution centre that offers efficient, seamless service to its customers. With over 90 employees, Gentec covers the needs of its retailers coast to coast using the latest technology systems, streamlined efficiencies, and customer service that is second to none. To learn more, visit www.gentec-intl.com .

For more information about Sigma products, visit www.SigmaCanada.ca.

ABOUT KEVIN PEPPER

Kevin is a professional photographer based in Cambridge, Ontario. His first love is photographing nature, regardless of the season or weather condition; the Ontario landscape is his inspiration.

But you will also see other styles of photography in his portfolio. From street photography to urban exploration of abandoned buildings and architecture, he loves to capture it all with his camera for his corporate clients and his growing personal portfolio.

Kevin also operates the “Photographers Lounge”. The Lounge is a teaching company created in 2011 and is dedicated to teaching amateur photographers through International and Canadian based workshops.

Website: www.photographerslounge.ca
Blog: http://kpepphotography.blogspot.ca

Grow Into Your Photography Gear

After I proof read my next article for PhotoTECH magazine I remembered when I went to media day today at the last airshow... lots of media types there and lots of air show enthusiasts that make the circuit. Most sporting a camera or two.

The "MONEY" hanging around peoples necks was "ASTOUNDING". Canon 5D's and Nikon D4's with battery grips, the big guns with teleconverters attached to give them what I call "peeping Tom" focal length... One guy had a 500mm and the other a 600mm on his camera... he could have had a Toyota Corolla hanging around his neck worth less money.

Don't get me wrong, when you get to a certain proficiency level, the better gear does make a difference. I respect the people that are that good at photography and invested the money in their craft to produce even better quality images.

But what really shakes my head is the people that invest all this money in gear that they do not know how to use.

I am not saying, "Don't invest in better gear." Heck, at the time I was an OLY shooter using an E-30 and E-3 and I was deciding on how to upgrade my gear. But I am at that level. I understand a camera's functions and how to produce a quality photo in a variety of situations. I have been taking photos for over 30 years and honed my craft. A better digital camera has now made me a better photographer. I switched to Nikon, bought two bodies and now have some lenses that could buy me a small used car...

But for those of you starting out, or for the photographers that wants to take things to the next level... my advice... invest in the most important element of taking a better photograph first.... that's the 6 inches between your ears. Before you spend thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars on gear, learn the basics of photography and master the craft. Then buy a DSLR that you can grow into over a period of a few years... take it slow and upgrade to gear jsut past your proficiency level so you always have gear to grow into. This hobby is a marathon, not a sprint. You will continue to learn and grow with every click of the shutter.

Become a student to the passion or hobby of photography and don't over compensate by investing in the $11,000 lens just yet. You will get there... you just need better skills first.

Thanks for reading,

Kev

Headed to the cottage? What gear should you take?

As the winter makes a turn and we head into spring people are in the middle of planning their holiday vacations. Some will be taking day trips with the kids, others travelling across country and outside the country... but many Canadians head to the cottage...

I too am headed north to the Kawartha's this summer ... beer, sun, swimming, fishing, friends, family and campfires where we make smores, cook hot dogs over an open flame and set marshmallows on fire so we can fling the flaming white chemical infused balls or sugar out onto the lake... The common denominator here though is the camera... capturing all this is what makes this all so special.

So... what gear am I taking north with me this weekend to make sure I capture all this?

1) My DSLR's... I shoot with Nikon and will have my D7000 and D600 with me...
2) My point and shoot... The ever faithful canon powershot always comes in handy.
3) my Sigma 11-22mm wide angle lens to capture those early morning landscape shots of the lake and back lakes on our hikes. Its also a great lens to have on the camera for those times where we are all scattered in the dining room and dining room... the wide angle allows me to capture everyone sitting and enjoying the conversation.
4) my walk around lens... the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 which is wide enough to take great landscape shots, but has the 70mm to focus in on those closer crop shots when needed.
5) my Sigma 70-200mm f2.8-3.5 telephoto lens that i use to photograph water skiers, boaters and kids jumping into the lake.
6) the 1.4x teleconverter that i slap on when i am hunting down some of the blue herons or loons that are often seen on the lake.
7) My 120-300 f2.8 for my longer telephoto needs..
8) the tripod and shutter release for those night time photo shoots where we go light painting or long exposure landscape photography.
9) my Lee filter sets.... i always carry my polarizers and ND filters with me.
10) external flash and flashlights
11) six memory cards... usually 3, 16gig and 3, 8gig Sandisk extreme compact flash cards.
12) 6batteries and a charger to make sure I never run out of juice.
13) laptop to download images to work on some photos and show everyone the photos of the day in case they ask.
14) Lowepro knapsack to carry it all

If you are going to the cottage this summer I hope you have a great time... chronicle the family vacation and just enjoy the time away with your family...

If you want to come to the cottage with us and participate in one of our workshops up in the Kawartha area of Ontario this summer or fall, check out the details on the Photographer's Lounge. We would love to have you join us.

Kev

Night Photography Tips

 

Night-time photography can produce some of the most dramatic images that you can create, and it can also be one of the more difficult types of photography to learn and master.

Most photographers have a file of poor quality night photographs hidden away on their hard drive. These photos may be out of focus, the exposure is incorrect, the wrong part of the photo is highlighted and it doesn't look anything like the scene you saw before you when you clicked the shutter.

This post will give you some tips on taking photographs at night (tips based largely on my own personal experiences of taking really bad night-time photographs). Even if you not a die hard photographer, these tips can help ensure that you're ready to grab that photographic opportunity when you see it.

 

Tips for night-time photography:

1.Know in advance where you plan on doing your night-time photography session. Spend a little time planning your parking, driving routes, etc in advance. And remember, you'll be going in at least one direction in the dark. But most of all, be safety conscious. More than once I have taken a tumble in the dark while trying to get to a location that I knew I wanted to photograph from.

 

2.Be aware of when and where the sun will be setting or the moon will be rising if you what to include them in your photographs. Some of the best photography makes use of these two heavenly bodies. A fantastic site to use for this is http://stephentrainor.com/tools/

It is an Adobe AIR application, so you might have to install Adobe AIR if you haven’t before. And it will work on MAC, Windows, Linux, etc…. Thanks to Gary Simmons for letting me know about this.

 

3.Check the weather forecast for the area where you'll be doing your night-time photography. Then you'll know how to dress appropriately as well as how much cloud cover to expect. It's very easy to get cold when you're just standing around waiting for the right photographic  opportunity when it is dark.

 

4.Use bug spray during the warmer months. If you're going to be anywhere near the woods or water, apply it  liberally. You'll most likely to be sitting or standing in the same place for an extended period so there's no point in making yourself an attractive meal for the local bugs. Photography should be enjoyable. Fighting off insects makes it less so.

 

5.Always bring and use your tripod. It's quite common to have exposures of an entire second or more during night-time photography. With exposures longer than 1/40 of a second, a tripod is essential in order to ensure that camera shake doesn't affect the quality of your photographs.

 

6.If your camera does not have it built in, bring and use a bubble level. A level lets you make sure your camera is level so you can prevent the annoying problem of images running down hill in your pictures. If this is not an option, use the horizon straighten tool in your editing program in post processing.

 

7.Since you'll be using a tripod, also use a cable release for your camera. If your camera is equipped to use a cable release for remote operation of the shutter button, be sure to use it. On lengthy exposures, the camera shake caused by depressing the shutter button on your camera will often be seen in your pictures. If your camera isn't equipped for use with a cable release, a self-timer is a good alternative.

 

8.Have your cell phone with you. You're going to be out in the dark after all, and things happen. A cell phone will come in handy if there is an emergency. If you're going to team up with another photographer, both of you should take along your phones. That way, if you get separated it's much easier to find one another in the dark.

 

9.This one is overlooked alot...  Bring along a flashlight. A pocket flashlight or a head lamp is essential when you're doing  photography at night. Not only can it light up your camera dials so you can adjust your camera settings, but it can also help you find your way back to your car at the end of your photography session.

 

10.Preset your camera settings. The more control you exercise over the camera settings, the greater your chances of taking some great night-time photographs.

 

If your camera has automatic settings only, you may face some real challenges in your attempts at photography in the dark. Whether photography is a hobby or just a casual interest, you'll be well-served if you invest in a quality camera that allows for adjusting the basic settings.

 

11.Don't use the flash. Most on-camera flashes without a beemer aren't effective past five or six feet in front of the camera. So  at night, it may overexpose anything that happens to be in the foreground while underexposing the primary subject of the picture.

 

12.Use a higher speed film or adjust the ISO setting higher on your digital camera to allow the use of a faster shutter speed. The higher the ISO, the shorter the exposures you can use.

 

For example, if you plan to use an exposure of ISO 100 for 2 seconds at F8.0, you can alternatively use ISO 400 for a 1/2 second exposure at the same F8.0. Some digital cameras show higher than usual noise levels for long exposures. See if your digital camera features long exposure noise reduction.

 

13.Understand your camera's light metering system, or meter separately while using manual settings on your camera. Most modern consumer-class cameras, especially the higher level ones, tend to have very sophisticated metering systems. But night-time photography involves some pretty tricky lighting situations. There will be very bright and very dark areas in the same photograph.

 

If you understand what your light meter is making its readings from as well as the type of exposure you are likely to get, you will end up with properly exposed photos. If automatic metering doesn't produce the quality of photos that you want, take control by using manual camera settings or using exposure  compensation. If your digital camera has a histogram function, use it to help determine how well your metering is working.

 

14.Always bracket your photos. If your camera can bracket shots automatically, be sure to use this feature any time you do night-time photography. I usually shoot the exposure I've set, then bracket the shot with a full shutter speed step-up followed by a full shutter speed step-down.

 

15.You may be able to save time by using manual focus. Most likely, you're going to shoot multiple exposures of the same shot (a fundamental principle of photography), so set the first shot using auto-focus, then without changing the focus, switch to manual focus. That way, if your camera has difficulty focusing in the dark, it won't repeatedly search for a focus lock.

 

The nice thing about photography involving monuments and buildings is they don't move. Once the lens is focused, the camera is mounted on the tripod and everything else is set, you don't have to refocus with every shot. But you should still check every now and then, just to make sure that you haven't bumped the lens and altered the focus.

 

16.Use the "mirror lockup" function. If your camera allows you to lock the mirror in place, do so. On some long exposures, the internal workings of the camera can actually cause enough vibration to make camera shake visible in the photo! Mirror locking reduces the chances of this source of camera shake.

 

17.Take a lot of pictures, especially when you're doing night-time photography. And try using different exposures. If you take lots of photos, your chances of ending up with a few gems are pretty high. Always remember that film is cheap (and digital cameras have a "trash can"). It is not uncommon for me to shoot  200 photos when i am shooting at night.

 

18.Try taking some pictures before it gets completely dark. Sometimes having a little color left in the sky can add an extra dimension to the photo. Some of the best photography takes place just after twilight. You will commonly hear this refered to as "The Golden Hour"

 

19.Review your shots. If you're using a digital camera, you should take advantage of the instant feedback available to you to see if you're getting the results that you want. And if your camera features a histogram function, be sure to check it often to make sure you aren't underexposing or overexposing parts of your images.
 

 

20.Have fun, be creative and try new things. I have found that when shooting night scenes some of my favourite ones that I have processed were ones that when I saw in the LCD monitor I figured they were "toss-aways" when I got them into my computer. I always tell people that shooting photos at night is like buying a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna to get...  awhhh yes, a good ole Forest Gump pearl of wisdom

HDR using Photomatix

I guess I should first explain what is High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography is...

For the sake of a photography definition, High Dynamic Range imaging (HDRI or HDR) is a technique that produces a greater dynamic range of luminescence between the lightest and darkest areas of an image produced by today's normal photographic method.

The wider dynamic range that I am referring to allows HDR images to better present a representation of the wide range of intensity levels found in a scene that you took a photo of. The range encapsulates light intensities from direct sunlight to faint starlight.

The two main sources to produce an HDR image are computer renderings and merging of multiple photographs, which in turn are known as low dynamic range (LDR) (also called standard dynamic range photographs.

Tone mapping techniques, which reduce overall contrast and noise to facilitate display of HDR images on devices with lower dynamic range, can be applied to produce images with preserved or exaggerated local contrast for artistic effect.

HDR images can range from a realistic look that mimics a standard photograph with more levels of light and darkness to a more advanced technique that can appear cartoonish with severe color and lighting contrasts.

There are numerous software's out there in the marketplace that produce an HDR image and all you have to do is Google the topic to start your research. HDR can be accomplished for example using Photoshop but after some research and using multiple HDR programs I really cannot say that Adobe has solved the HDR puzzle yet. HDR is still such an evolving form of editing that Adobe has yet to get its head around it, which I completely understand. There are a lot of smaller companies that offer a better software that perform regular updates – something Adobe cannot do. So, for the sake of this review I am going to focus on a program called Photomatix by HDRSoft. The best HDR program I had the chance to use.

Photomatix Pro from HDRSoft is a standalone application that allows you to use multiple bracketed exposures to create a single High Dynamic Range (HDR) image. This can be achieved in Photoshop but not as easily, or with the same amount of control that Photomatix provides.

As well as being able to blend multiple exposures you can also use what is called Tone Mapping to pull out amazing shadow detail from either multiple exposures or from a single image. You see, Photomatix allows you to create what is called a pseudo-HDR image from a single RAW file. This method can achieve very good results and often brings out far more detail than can be obtained by the RAW processing software itself

It uses a special approach that is intuitive, fast, and gives you instant feedback by showing you a real time view of the photo as you make adjustments with the various sliders. Its Tone Mapping tools lets you pull out impressive shadow detail from either multiple exposures or from a single image. It also automates conventional blending of multiple versions of the same image, and distributes the range of tones automatically, while converting the image to either 16-bits or even to 8-bits. This adds a new dimension to your photos and produces amazing results.

Unlike other HDR programs, Photomatix’s HDR creation and 16-bit conversion tools are more straightforward. Not only that, but this software is designed for productivity. Its unlimited stacking and easy comparison of results and batch processing save you hours of masking and its blending process is not just a layer of masking techniques.

Now, how do you create an HDR image in a couple easy steps? You need a camera, camera software or editing software, a tripod and Photomatix.

STEP ONE - Take at least 3 differently exposed photos of the same shot. It’s best that you manually set the exposures of your camera but i set the camera to bracket the image at a +/-1 EV. Use a sturdy tripod to minimize movement as possible, as this will save you time during post-processing. The program adjusts for subject movement but it's always smart to put in more effort in the beginning that leaving it up to the software to make guesses.

STEP TWO - Import your images into your computer. I import the three RAW images I have taken and perform RAW editing on these images as if I was editing them as individual photos. The only thing I do not touch is the exposure slider. Please note that you do not have to shoot in RAW. You can shoot in jpeg with a point and shoot and convert the jpeg photos to a tiff file before putting them into Photomatix. I prefer to use TIFF's in this instance, but it depends on what the image is that i am applying the HDR effect.

STEP THREE - Open Photomatix and click on “Generate HDR image”. Click “Browse” and select the 3 photos that you want to be in HDR image from your computer. Next click the alignment tools, followed by “Tone Mapping”. This is where your creativity sets in. Feel free to experiment with the tone mapping tools (sliders) and settings to get your desired result. You may want to achieve a surreal image or a more realistic, yet emotive photograph. You can easily compare the changes between settings because the image changes in real time as you edit, and if you’re happy with the preview, click “Process”. The save the file to your computer and you now have a beautifully crafted High Dynamic Range image. Congratulations!

Please note that if you want to do some further editing of the photo in your editing software you have to first convert the 16-bit image to an 8-bit image before you make those edits.

Now I simplified step three for the sake of time. There are quite a few sliders that will change many different aspects of the image... but with any software you just need to get in there and try it... you will be amazed at the results.

Here are some links to Photomatix tutorials that I found helpful...

The HDRSoft intro tutorial... http://www.hdrsoft.com/resources/tut_mac/index.html

HDR videos from hilomedia... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hxWI7SmssU

An excellent HDR resource... http://petemc.net/hdr-guide/

You don’t need to be a professional to achieve those ultra-rich pictures. With a little patience and the right tools, you can capture that perfect landscape into a single HDR image. Photomatix is very impressive editing software that lets you edit pictures to the maximum level.

Here is a 15% off promotional code to use online if you decide to buy online... Go to www.hdrsoft.com and enter in KPepPhoto

Long Exposure Landscape Photography

The word Photography is derived from two Greek words, photo - meaning “light” and graphy - meaning “to draw”. Enter long exposure photography in the digital age, and what better way to allow the light to draw the scene than letting the light scribe the definition and contours of the landscape in front of you.

Long exposure images elongate the moment that a photograph was taken until the reality of the scene before you takes on a surreal twist. Some even say they are an art form unto itself. Running water becomes a silky substance, raging oceans turn into calm pools of glass, stationary cumulous clouds turn into streaking light across the blue hour or night sky, and for the patient, even the bright stars above us can be transformed into bright trails that arc around the north star in the sky.

Personally, there are two reasons I enjoy long exposures. One reason is that it gives us the ability to remove texture from certain parts of the image. Take a waterfall, you can replace hard, high contrast falling water with a silky flow and then allow the eye to focus on the textures and structures of another part of the image. Or even take the water of an ocean, undulating, crashing waves can easily be transformed to placid glass and allow a wooden pier or rocks on a beach to punch out onto the image. The second reason I enjoy long exposure photography is that it allows you to control the introduction of light into an otherwise dull image. It evokes emotion in a photo and can, if done properly, force the eyes right through an image.

Hilton Falls, Milton, Ontario

Dave in Action, 3.2 second exposure, taken mid morning on a sunny day, ND8 filter

Fifty Point Conservation Area, Grimsby, Ontario

Nature Reclaims Industry, 15 second exposure, one hour after sunrise on a cloudy day, ND4 and graduated ND2 filter












White Lake, Haliburton Highlands, Ontario

Ethereal Reflections, 240 second exposure, taken 45 minutes before sunrise on a clear night, ND4 and graduated ND2 filter












Salerno Lake, Irondale Ontario

Midnight Winds, 240 second exposure, taken after sunset on a spring night, no filter












OK, now that we know what long exposure can do to your images and you have seen a few examples… How do we accomplish this type of photography?

Tools of the trade

1. A DSLR camera with the ability to shoot in RAW, set long exposures including BULB setting and also manipulate ISO and aperture.
2. A sturdy tripod to hold the camera in place while you are taking the image
3. A cable release to eliminate camera shake (or, a camera with a shutter delay)
4. Neutral density (ND) filters and graduated neutral density filters (not necessary, but in time, you will want them)
5. A flashlight and a glow stick … You are mostly doing this at night, the glow stick sits on the neck of the tripod so you know where your camera is at all times. The flashlight is so you can see in the dark
6. Appropriate clothing… you do more standing than pushing the shutter button. It can get a little chilly if you show up dressed for daylight and two hours later its black and you are on a windy beach somewhere.
7. Editing software. Nature is rarely perfect. So, using the RAW editor and giving you the ability to further manipulate will empower you to give the image some final tweaks.

Let me go into some details on the “tools of the trade”. My ideal setup for long exposures is to use a wide angle lens, mount the camera on the tripod, lower the camera close to the ground for a better perspective and I manually focus on the foreground about 1/4 or 1/3 up from the bottom of the image.

I set my aperture to f20 or f22 and put my shutter speed to BULB. I set my ISO around 400 (I use Olympus). If you are a NIKON or Canon shooter, try higher and lower ISO’s and see what it does to the shutter speeds. Your ISO capabilities are superior to mine.

I meter the light at the foreground, focal point first, and then I meter just the sky. I use the appropriate ND filter that will give me the desired length of exposure, and then apply a graduated Neutral Density (ND) filter to adjust the exposure of the sky to match the foreground. There are a few manufacturers of ND filters. You can screw on ND filters or use square filters that sit in front of your lens. ND filters come in different levels, each eliminating a percentage of the natural light. The graduated ND filters are just that, graduated from clear to a set ND strength… these are sometimes overlooked but make a huge difference in the final image. Some photographers prefer to have more control and do this in an editing program, me, I am more of a purist and like to do this in the field.

Then, when I am set, I take the image, holding the shutter release for the appropriate time, check the image in the viewfinder, and then take one longer exposure and one shorter exposure. I usually do not take anything less than 100 images when I am on a shoot… remember, this is the digital age, it does not cost you anything to take an image other than time.

Then, when I am in front of the computer at home and I have all the images downloaded. I open everything in a RAW editor. The RAW editor will allow you to adjust clarity, exposure, blacks, fine tune the colour and give you a chance to create a top notch base image.

Once the RAW editing is done, and because nature is rarely perfect, you can now clone out imperfections, eliminate digital noise and do any other editing you wish to do to your image to create a final product you can share with your friends or hang on your wall.

To see more of my landscape and nature photos please visit my Gallery

For more information, please contact me on my website

Raw vs. JPEG ... which format should you shoot in?

One of the most frequently debated topics inside the photographic community is whether to shoot in RAW or JPEG format. I have read a lot of articles on the topic yet several key discussion points are often ignored.

The Basics:
Before I start I would like to put everyone on the same playing field, whether you’re an experienced digital photographer or someone that is just getting into digital photography, the file formats in question should first be defined.

RAW format is often a proprietary format of a particular camera make. A Nikon RAW file will differ from the RAW file produced by an Olympus camera. RAW files hold all the RAW data captured by the camera. Unlike conventional photography where light is exposed against film with a specific chemical formulation to provide deep saturation or soft skin tones that would otherwise be automatically applied based on the type of film used, RAW digital files contain raw data that is uninterrupted and unaltered. RAW files in their simplest description can be thought of as digital negatives. They are a pre-production starting point, or the foundation of any digital image.

JPEG format compresses image data into a smaller file size. In theory, a JPEG file contains less data (how much depends on the specified size and compression/quality settings that you set on yoru camera) than an equivalent RAW file, but is able to closely reproduce an image once fully loaded. When saving an image with photo editing software it is possible to save an image with different levels of JPEG compression. This enables you to create files that take less storage space sacrificing how well the file displays or take up more storage space to more accurately reproduce the original image.

Before we decide which is better for you, let’s consider your needs. Lets first ask ourselves a few quetions to better understand whether to use RAW or JPEG file formats:

"How comfortable are you with editing images on a computer?"
Many long-time photographers are technically proficient at composing a fantastic photo in the camera; they seldom need to make substantial edits in post-production. Newer photographers that are just starting out in the digital format may need to employ many post-production editing features available to them in order to clean up their images. I would suggest that you realistically assess your technical skill level behind the camera and with a computer before deciding what file format to use.

"What are your goals as a photographer?"
Surprisingly, this is often alluded to in articles, seldom explicitly stated. The significance of this question is quite important, as you’ll want to select the right file format to match the following: your output goals (print, online display, etc), your technical comfort level, your available storage capacity of your computer and hard drives, your computer software/hardware aptitude, and the amount of time you’re willing to commit to the post-production of your work.

Pros & Cons of each format:
The Pros of RAW format:
• RAW is a digital negative holding all of the data captured by your camera providing you a foundational element to which to apply all of your edits to with no sacrifice of image quality or the original captured image.
• RAW file software editors allow you to quickly and easily change the output of your image such as adjusting exposure, white balance, noise reduction, image size (interpolation), saturation, contrast, levels, curves, sharpness, output resolution, bits/channel, etc.
• RAW file software editors allow you to load saved adjustment settings and some even enables users to batch process a group of files versus making changes to one file at a time.

The Cons of RAW format:
• RAW files take up more space on your camera's compact flash card or microdrive than other formats.
• RAW files require you conduct some degree of post processing via photo editing software to convert your image to an editable file type for editing, printing and/or online display. (PSD, JPEG or TIFF)
• RAW file software editors have a learning curve, even if mild, and for the uninitiated can be intimidating at first.
• Batch processing and/or loading multiple files may tax slower machines and require more computer RAM to keep your software running smoothly.

The Pros of JPEG format:
• JPEG is a file format that has been adopted as a standard and can be loaded in a variety of programs making display easy and simple.
• JPEG files take up less space on your camera's compact flash card or external drive than other formats.
• JPEGs can be loaded easily by most all image editing software applications, requiring no intermediate steps.
• Most dSLRs enable you to choose what size JPEG files (S, M, or L) to save to your compact flash card when shooting. This enables you to use smaller images that are easier to handle for email attachments, web display or as an alternate preview mechanism if your camera supports saving files in JPEG and RAW formats simultaneously.

The Cons of JPEG format:
• JPEGs are not a lossless file format. Each time the file is saved data is compressed, with some data being lost in the process. The net impact can be loss of color saturation, color range, clarity and sharpness.
• JPEG files reflect a one-time interpretation of your subject based on the settings of your camera (white balance, exposure settings and output resolution, etc.). Altering these settings and re-outputting a new file, as you can with a RAW file, is not possible. What you capture is what you get.
• Increasing the size of an image initially saved as a JPEG can result in less than ideal results. Some 3rd party software applications can do this better than others, but you’re still dependent on using another software application to get the job done.
• With specific types of photographed scenes JPEG compression artifacts can appear in prints.

Which Format Is The Better Format To Use?
Only you can say which is the correct file format to use after matching the pros and cons to your photographic needs and goals. An argument can be made for both formats. Many professional photographers only shoot RAW files and would never dream of using JPG images. But keep this important fact in mind: photography is their job

Since it is a full-time job, they can devote the hours it takes to process and edit RAW images so that they have complete control over the photo from start to finish. They already have special software that allows them to process RAW files, and the computer power to manipulate them. They also understand how levels, curves, color saturation and hue can alter their photos. Plus, by making the smallest of adjustments to each one of these they separate their photos from the average photographer.

In the end, using RAW files is all about control. If you're the sort of person who always dreamed of developing your own film, then RAW is the perfect choice. You can make each photo look exactly the way you want it to.

On the other hand, if you enjoy taking photos much more than manipulating them after the fact then JPG is a much better option.

My Suggestion
Every digital SLR camera sold today can capture photos as both RAW and JPG files...so why choose just yet… Go out and shoot in both, work with each type of image, see what the results are, then make the decision on what’s right for you.

Happy Shooting!

Kev

Renting Camera Gear ~ a great option

As I write this most people are in the middle of summer vacation and planning their fall photography outings for the fall. Some of you are even planning on coming with me to Tanzania, Venezuela and Iceland for some bucket list trips.

But do you have the gear to ensure you are going to come home with the photographs you want to? While most photographers have at least a 300mm telephoto, not many of us have a 500mm or longer super telephoto... but would that be awesome to have in your bag of goodies on an African safari... or even up at the cottage to photograph the water fowl?

What about a second camera? Imagine being in some remote area and your camera stops working. Without a back-up you are left with your smart phone to photograph those scenes...

Renting camera gear sometimes just makes sense... not everyone can afford to hand over $10K on a super telephoto lens or spend $2000 to $4000 on a second camera body... but renting these items for hundreds can be a viable option.

But lets not forget those of you that want to invest in new camera gear. You can read all you want, try a friends gear for 10 minutes; but without a good amount of time spent with gear, you will never get a good feel for how it gits into your style of photography.

When I want to rent gear I contact Lens Rental Canada in Ontario. If you are reading this outside of Canada there is probably rental companies in the country you live in.