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November 7, 2009 |
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Created and Maintained by: The Photoimaging Information Council |
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Blog |
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What to pack for a photo trip, part IV by Allen Birnbach  There are a lot of things I've been able to shed from my pack when I head out the door to shoot with a digital camera. Color compensating filters, for example, used to adjust the color of how film sees light in different conditions is easily replaced by one of two methods. You can either use preset or custom white balance settings in shooting to affect how the sensor reads the existing light, or shift the color in post production with the color balance adjustment layer in Photoshop. But one thing I still carry for digital photography is my polarizer filter. Yes, there are some Photoshop plug-in filters that emulate it, but I still prefer to have the real thing in my camera bag. Why? Well, a polarizer is a great tool for making a sky look darker and richer than what the scene would look like without. The effect is particularly noticeable when you are shooting a subject that is in the shade, but the sky is still visible. That's because you are opening up the exposure from the full light exposure to capture detail in the shaded areas. But along with that, you are lightening the sky. Using a polarizer compensates for that overexposure of the sky, and makes it look more natural. Just compare the image above without a filter, to this image below that has one. But be aware that a polarizer works at it's best when aiming 90 degrees from the sun. Shooting into the sun, or directly opposite will have no effect. In between, the effect increases as you approach the full 90 degree differential.  For more tips on how to improve your photography, visit Allen's photoblog at A Better Photograph.com.
What to pack for a photo trip, part III by Allen Birnbach  When it comes to lenses to carry on a trip, it's good to have a range so you can cover a variety of situations. And with today's technology, zoom lenses often come close to or match the quality of prime, fixed focal length lenses. If you are shooting digitally, you want to keep in mind the camera sensor factor before choosing a lens. A 17-35mm lens for a full frame chip becomes a 27-56mm lens when used with a smaller chip with a 1.6X factor. That's a significant difference in coverage, and if you love to shoot wide angle, it's something to consider. The same effect is a consideration when choosing which telephoto lens to take. A 70-200mm zoom becomes a 112-320mm lens when used with a chip with a 1.6X factor. For more detailed information and additional examples from this shoot, and other tips on how to improve your photography, visit Allen's photoblog at A Better Photograph.com.
What to pack for a photo trip, part II by Allen Birnbach  1-Camera 2-Camera manual. 3-Wide angle zoom lens (minimum 24-70, possibly 14-35 as well) 4-Telephoto lens 70-200mm 5-Lens extender 1.4X 6-Polarizing filter 7-Graduated neutral density filter 8-Filter holder 9-Lens cleaning solutions (bulb brush, lens cleaning tissue or microfiber cloth, and fluid) 10-Tripod and cable release (optional) 11-Portable flash (some cameras have these built in) In this brief article, I want to talk about the value of taking the camera manual on location. These new digital cameras are computers, and they have tremendous capabilities. Even for someone who has been in the business for years, I sometimes find it a bit overwhelming when I get a new camera. So my suggestion is to be sure to take your manual along until you know the camera functions inside and out. It's a bit like loading film onto darkroom spools, or loading 4x5 film into holders in the dark. You want to be able to do things without even thinking about them. I would suggest practicing the possible scenarios you might be faced with before you go out to shoot. Make sure you understand how to set the camera to shutter priority mode, aperture priority mode, change the metering mode, change the auto focus points in the viewfinder, add exposure compensation, how to playback images and how to zoom in on them to check focus and composition. And bring the manual along in case you forget these things, or need access to a more obscure function. Hesitating because you do not know how to make the camera do something will result in missed images. Avoid the frustration, and carry your manual. For more tips on how to improve your photography, visit Allen's photoblog at A Better Photograph.com.
What to pack for a photo trip by Allen Birnbach  Whether going out for a one day excursion around town, or traveling overseas for an extended photo expedition, the key is making sure you have the right gear so you can capture those great images. Let's start with the photo equipment itself. This pertains to 35mm gear. Lens choices in larger formats would be different. Camera Camera manual Wide angle zoom lens (minimum 24-70, possibly 14-35 as well) Telephoto lens 70-200mm Lens extender 1.4X Polarizing filter Graduated neutral density filter Filter holder Lens cleaning solutions (bulb brush, lens cleaning tissue or microfiber cloth, and fluid) Tripod and cable release (optional) Portable flash (some cameras have these built in) SPECIFIC TO DIGITAL CAMERAS Charger and an extra battery Memory cards Card reader Laptop with DVD burner, back up hard drive or photo storage solution SPECIFIC TO FILM CAMERAS Film of various ISO ratings Color compensation filters and filter holder Extra batteries GRIP EQUIPMENT AND MISCELLANEOUS Gaffers tape Rain protection Chamois or soft cloth to dry off camera gear GPS for noting locations (some cameras are coming with this built in) Notepad or voice recorder to help with cataloging images later (some cameras have microphones built in) Guidebooks, maps or other research material for the location Food and water Good shoes that can support the extra weight, and keep you comfortable For more tips on how to improve your photography, visit Allen's photoblog at A Better Photograph.com.
Getting great pictures in cloudy weather by Allen Birnbach  One possibility, of course, is the shoot the scene and add a sky later in post production. Although this can be successful in some situations, you have to be careful that the sky you add looks believable. The other option is to look for photographs that do not include the sky, thus eliminating the lackluster quality it brings to the image making process. This is a great time to hone your observation skills, and zoom in on details. Start looking for parts of the landscape that are interesting, things like streams, rock formations, flowers. All can be great subjects in the soft light the overcast sky provides.  For more detailed information and additional examples from this shoot, and other tips on how to improve your photography, visit Allen's photoblog at A Better Photograph.com.
Open shade portraits by Allen Birnbach  When a situation like that arises, it's time to look around for open shade. Maybe there is a tree close by that you can put the person under, or a doorway they can stand in. Or maybe there is an overhang on a building. Whatever the options, look for opportunities to get your subject out of the harsh, overhead light, and into open shade. The results will certainly be worth the extra effort. For more detailed information and additional examples from this shoot, and other tips on how to improve your photography, visit Allen's photoblog at A Better Photograph.com.
A great little backpack by Allen Birnbach  So I went to my local camera store, and started looking for a hybrid packpack, one that I could access without removing it from my body, but still had enough capacity to do the job. It needed to be light, since I would be out walking all day for two weeks, have good weather protection because of the heavy rains in Bali, and it had to have a small profile so I could navigate in tight environments. I ended up buying the Lowe Orion AW, which is a convertible beltpack/backpack. The way it works is that there are two separate components, which attach to each other. One is a traditional beltpack, deep enough to handle a 70-200 lens, among others. The second part is a small backpack, which clips into the top side edges of the beltpack. Once that is done, you basically have a two compartment backpack. The concept works quite well. I was able to put a speedlight, my rainjacket, a couple of energy bars and a headlamp in the backpack component, and put two of my17-40, 24-70 and 70-200 lenses in the beltpack. That way, I could walk around with one of the lenses attached to the camera in my hand at all times, and have the weight of everything carried by both my shoulders and hips. But in just a few seconds, I could unclip the backpack from the beltpack, rotate the beltpack around to the front of my body, and change lenses on the fly. It was a great solution for shooting on the move through temples, markets, and street scenes. A side benefit was that if I did not want to carry equipment to dinner, I could leave the beltpack in my hotel room, and just take the backpack with my personal items. We all look for different things when choosing how to carry our gear, and even that can change based on specific situations. In fact, I own five different backpacks to handle the range of work I do. But for this kind of working environment, I can highly recommend the Lowe Orion AW.
Howard Schatz at the top of the tree by Allen Birnbach  Howard used the analogy of climbing a tree for the way in which his career has blossomed. He talked about stepping onto branches that might be rotten, leading to a soft landing on the ground below, and the resulting return to the tree bringing him to higher vantage points. It was an analogy well illustrated with his early work of underwater work with dancers and street photographs of homeless people, right up to his current work with athletes and actors. And a return to working with dancers underwater once again. and creating fonts using the technique of painting with light. His warm voice, easy manner, sense of humor, and respect for the creative process all bolstered the impression that this is a man who loves what he does, and lives his dream. It was a delightful, inspiring evening.
Depth of Field by Allen Birnbach  One of the most important concepts to understand is depth of field, which is the distance in front of, and behind the subject that will be sharp in relation to where you focus. The general rule of thumb is that the greater the ƒ-stop number, the more depth of field you will have. So, for example, at ƒ22 you will have a lot more in focus in front of, and behind your subject than you will at ƒ4. The benefit of understanding this, is that different subjects benefit from using more or less depth of field. Landscapes, for example, benefit from greater depth of field because you can keep the foreground and background sharp. So you can keep a rock in the foreground in focus, as well as the mountains in the background.  But for portraits, the reverse is generally true. Although in environmental portraits there may be an interest in keeping the surroundings sharp, for the most part, we want to separate our subject from the background as much as possible. So shooting with a narrow depth of field is the way to go. Just look at this portrait, taken on a basketball court. The important thing here is the personality and expression of the person, so allowing the background to go soft is a great solution.  For more detailed information and additional examples from this shoot, and other tips on how to improve your photography, visit Allen's photoblog at A Better Photograph.com.
Look for the light by Allen Birnbach  One of the keys to successful imaging is watching for how light creates volume, shows texture, and affects color. So always be observant in experiencing the world, and of course, always have a camera ready when you see something special. For more detailed information and additional examples from this shoot, and other tips on how to improve your photography, visit Allen's photoblog at A Better Photograph.com
Check out this amazing new technology http://www.flixxy.com/photosynth-digital-photography.htm, I can see some incredible possibilities, especially for photographer's websites, cataloging, and location scouting. For more photography tips, see Allen's photoblog at A Better Photograph.com.
A follow up endorsement of Nik Color Efex 3.0 by Allen Birnbach  I’ve already reviewed NIK Color Efex 3.0 a number of months ago on Take Great Pictures.com (http://www.takegreatpictures.com/Articles/Details/params/object/12065/default.aspx), yet I felt it important to do an update on it. The reason is simple. Sometimes you try a new tool, you are excited about the possibilities, yet over time you don’t really use it. Other times, the tool becomes a part of your normal workflow, and such is the case with Nik Color Efex 3.0 for me. Here’s a great example why. I shot this portrait of a dancer (above), working with the natural light coming in from the large studio windows. My intention was to create a painterly image, with soft directional light. Once I brought the image into Photoshop, I still felt there was a need for more atmosphere to create the look I had in mind. So I opened Nik, and looked at a number of filters I thought might help me out. I tried several, but here are two solutions that I thought worked quite nicely, Film Effects (I used Fuji 160C) and Polaroid Transfer.   For additional photography tips, see Allen's photoblog, A Better Photograph.com.
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