PHOTOCROAKER PHOTOGRAPHY

Zoo Photography: Getting Animals' Attention

2012-02-14T13:10:00.000-08:00

Shooting at the zoo should be safe both for you and the animals, so there are a few things we all know we shouldn't do at the zoo. While the animals can growl at you, you are not allowed to grow, yell, or shout back. You shouldn't heckle them, throw anything at them to get their attention, or jump into the enclosures to get a closer shot. All of us know this, I hope, so what can we do to get attention of animals' attention?

The best thing to do is to go off and come another time, however, this might not be possible for many people. What you can do depends on what kind of animal it is, its exhibit, and how far it is from you.

Some animals don't need much to be attentive to your presence. Prairie dogs, one of my favorite to shoot, are already attuned to detecting predators. You don't have to do anything to attract their attention. Soon as you arrive, they'll be scrutinizing you. If they get ignore you, a slight cough will get their attention. Please don't yell at them. Sometimes, however, a slight noise after they've become acclimated to your presence will get them scampering. You don't want to do this, so the best is to let them get used to you then just get the shot they present you.

An unexaggerated cough is all you need for most animals. You might not want to do it for some of them, however. Some birds, such as ducks and geese, will be scared off. If they're not looking at you, be patient and wait for them or just move on to other animals.

The most you can accomplish with this is just to get them to look in your direction. If you notice the animals getting jittery, you need to stop and possibly even move away and let it calm down. I tried the cough/clearing throat move on the warthog at the local zoo and it stopped to look squarely at me, but then started dashing back and forth, clearly unnerved. I moved away and haven't done the same at his exhibit.

If the animal is a fish, you need more than luck for the fish to notice you. You just have to study their behavior and movements to position yourself to get the shot you need.

When you go shooting at the zoo, seek to understand the animal first. Even when the animal seems like it's doing nothing, snap a few shots to study later on. Zoom in to observe its facial expressions. What are its eyes indicating? What does its body language say about your or other zoogoers' presence?

If the exhibit is indoors and animals are protected by glass, coughing won't get the animals attention. In this case I'll stand in front of the exhibit until the animal notices me then I'll begin to shoot. Take note of the animal's behavior, though. Once shooting a blue iguana its head began bobbing up and down in a threatening manner as soon as I arrived. I quickly took a shot or two then stepped away. A few minute later I came back and it wasn't doing it, so I stayed longer and took more pics.

If taunted and feeling threatened, animals won't hesitate to strike at you. The bad thing here is that there's glass between them and you, and this might seriously hurt them. So, if you see an animal getting irritated, please move on...you have too much of its attention.

Also, some animals are attracted to certain colors, so you can choose your clothes depending on which color the animal likes. I won't tell you which, so you need to do your research and experiment with the animals you like to shoot at your zoo. One large cat at our local zoo is attracted by red, maybe because its the color of lunch. Every time you wear red and near his exhibit he moves towards you. I found this out by accident as a friend I was with was wearing red.

Please remember, these animals don't need to be heckled to attract their attention. Treat them respectfully and they will give you good shots. Remember they're intelligent beings who are capable of recognizing you, so work on being on their good side.

Zoo Photography: The Little Addra Gazelle That Thought It Could

2012-02-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

There are several animals that seem to recognize me every time I come to the local zoo, which I do often, and either walk towards me or put on a show for me. Of course all of these could just be in my head, but seems like that's the way it happens. One of these animals is a little addra gazelle.

For those who frequent the winter in the zoo, you know this is the time animals get frisky...frisky as in "get it on." This little gazelle, however seems to be a little confused.

That's him trying to get frisky with a lesser kudu in the same exhibit. These gazelles are the largest gazelles in the world, but still don't measure up to the kudus.

That's him following the kudu around.

This is him trying to do the unthinkable...at least to me it's 'unthinkable'. The lesser kudu chased him off and he went to look at a female gazelle, where he was chased off by the dominant addra gazelle in the exhibit.

The next time I went to the zoo, he stopped grazing when I came near the exhibit and moved towards the poor lesser kudu. This time she wasn't going to take it, though, so she engaged him in a fierce head-banging battle.

The little gazelle stood his ground and actually forced the kudu to disengage and saunter away. A couple of times I felt bad for the little fellow, though, as I thought his neck would be snapped in two or more pieces.

Good news is nothing bad happened and after a while they went back to just grazing. I'm thinking the dominant addra gazelle should just let this poor fellow get a little pleasing from the females rather than him going out and risking breaking his neck.

Maybe he can pull it off, maybe he can't, but he clearly thinks he can.

Baltimore Police's Lack of Respect for Photographers Deserves Action

2012-02-11T01:22:00.000-08:00

Recently, Baltimore City Police Department has released a memo to its officers to stop harassing photographers as a result of action from the ACLU and previously harassed photographers threatening to sue the city because of officers' behavior. To me, however, it comes off as a PR stunt and half-assed attempt to stave off a lawsuit.

Baltimore City Police Commissioner Bealefield hugs member of the city's police force.
Recent actions by his officers raise doubts as to whether he can keep them in line.

I have been approached by the police several times while shooting in places around Baltimore City, but, luckily, the encounters weren't with those officers who consider themselves "top-flight security of the world." According to the Law of Probability, however, it doesn't mean I won't run into some sooner or later.

There is absolutely no excuse for the officers to behave in the manner they did. I'm going on a limb and say the officers in the video below are rejects who couldn't hold a night gig as clerks at a Kwik-E-Mart, let alone warm the seats at NASA or Morgan Stanley. I could be wrong, of course, and they're just acting on a well-held and enforced belief that they're above the constitution when it comes to carrying out their duties.

If this is the first time it had happened I would just overlook it. But Baltimore PD...actually police in Maryland in general...is notorious for stamping on people's rights. You folks might remember the cowboy who sprung out of his unmarked car with his pistol drawn to arrest a speeding motorcyclist. Or the photographer who was harassed by transit police while taking pictures at a light rail stop. Or the photographer who was arrested, camera confiscated, and all the pictures erased during the Preakness race.

There are many more instances which are not publicized. Last year as a group of us waited for the potential appearance of the Poe Toaster on the campus of the University of Maryland in Baltimore, a female university police officer approached talking on her cell phone, passed us without asking what we were doing, and proceeded to lock the gate that the curator of the Poe House and Museum had left open for the legendary gentleman who leaves a bottle of cognac and roses at Edgar Alan Poe's grave every January. When I took a picture, she threateningly retorted that I couldn't take her picture. Being one who never backs down when I know I'm right, I took her picture anyways, but we were baffled as to how someone affiliated with the university didn't know about the tradition. She could have at least asked us or called it in to see what the gathering was about.

Ignorant University of Maryland police officer

When I was stopped another time while shooting with friends at the inner harbor, I took the opportunity to inform the Baltimore PD officer that a terrorist is less likely to carry a large camera and lenses to scout out the location. It's just not conspicuous enough. The attention I attract with my gear would be too discomforting to a terrorist scout. By the end, the officer was joking with us. I have to give credit to this officer, he wasn't threatening, barking out questions, or intimidating in any way...he was simply inquiring. This made us give him replies we wouldn't even have considered had he not shown us respect. In the end, both sides didn't have any wasted time and avoided creating a mess.

Anyways, here's the video:

Zoo Photography: Some Basics

2012-02-09T00:08:00.000-08:00

You've finally saved enough money to get yourself a nice camera and maybe a telephoto lens and now you're ready to delve into the world of nature photography. It has taken you months, years if you're one of those hardest hit by harsh economic conditions, and you are ready to show the world what you are capable of now that you have the right tools. Alas, however, a ticket anywhere outside your city's limits is, well, out of limits. Even if you sacrifice two meals a day for the next six months you still won't be able to get a ticket to Yellowstone let alone Serengeti. Oh, but you've seen those images of stampeding wildebeest, giraffes's heads towering over trees, lions stalking their next meal, cheetahs speeding through the veld. You've seen them all and you know you're as capable as the next photographer to capture the next National Geographic Image of the Year.

That's when you realize your city has its own zoo. You get your equipment, get some coins from the change jar, and hitchhike your way to the zoo. You smile, grasp your equipment- we're talking camera and lens here, folks- and head for the nearest exhibit. You snap away, but something is missing. It just doesn't feel like you were on Safari. The animals are there, but even you know your images won't fool any of your friends, let alone win you a prestigious award.

You know what's to blame. Those darned fences, glass barriers, and unnatural exhibit environments. Seriously, who has ever seen The Lion King's Timon sitting under a red light? Or a chimpanzee swinging on a tire swing in the wild?

You don't have to worry, though, there are others who've been through your shoes, yours truly being among them. I'll show you simple ways to shoot different exhibits.

1. Through Wire Fences

The trick here is two-fold: Use a long focal length lens and get as close to the fence as possible. Some zoos don't allow you to go right next to fence, so make sure you don't jump over whatever barrier they erect. Those barriers are there for your safety and that of the animals, so obey the rules.

You also have to watch where the sun is as it will reflect off the fence and will be noticeable in the image.

Leopards mating.

See the milky areas around and on the leopards? That's the reflection of the fence. The opportunity was a godsend...how often do you see mating leopards? It was the perfect situation at the wrong time. The sun was setting behind me, so the fence threw the reflection at the camera. Another factor, which I would have been able to overcome if it wasn't sunny, was there was about 3 or 4 yards between the fence and where I could stand. So, if I was closer, or the sun wasn't too bright, it would have been a much better shot.

In the image below, the arctic fox was shot through the wire and the sun was not behind me throwing a ghosting effect in the images. However, the animal was close to the back fence and it still showed in the image.

Arctic Fox

2. Through the Glass

Some people say you have to put the lens, preferably with the hood, at a slanting angle to the glass, but from my experience it's best to put the lens at a 90-degree angle perpendicular to the glass. This works to minimize reflections. Look at the glass and pick an area without reflection.

Lion through the glass. Outdoor exhibit.

Blue Iguana through the glass. Indoor exhibit.

3. Environment

The hardest thing to accomplish is to make the animal look as if it's in its natural state. The key is positioning and isolation. Position yourself in the best place to isolate the animal. Obviously, this eliminates wide angle lenses, I have yet to shoot any zoo animal using anything less than a 100mm lens, which I use primarily for indoor exhibits. 300mm is ideal for the zoo and there are a lot of good inexpensive lenses at that length.

Another trick is to use a large aperture. I normally shoot at F/5.6 to isolate the animals. Indoors, I increase it to F/2.8 and would go higher if my lens allowed.

Elephants with fence in the background

You can see the fence in the background and there was just no way I could get it out with the longest lens I had. The elephants exhibit at my local zoo is really not set up to allow good shots, so I only go by there to look at the elephants and not to shoot.

Here's one of a bird with the background blurred. You can't tell there's a net above the bird. You can see two large wires that help hold up the net, but they're blurred enough not to cause a distraction.

Abdim's Stork

Sometimes you just have to walk away from exhibits without shots, or you need a few visits before you can identify the best way to shoot that particular animal- I imagine it's that way even in the wild-so don't feel bad about not getting a great shot of every animal in the zoo.

4. Be Alert

You never know when a great photo opportunity will throw itself in your proverbial lap. Visiting the National Zoo one day, I exited the Invertebrates house and found myself in the pollinarium. I didn't plan to shoot butterflies and I'm a lousy macro photographer but I managed to get off a few good shots of the only model who stayed put for me.

Zebra Longwing butterfly

So, keep your eye out, shoot more than the animals most people associate with the zoo. Find animals hiding in interesting places. Shoot flowers and other plants. make it seem like you were there in the wild.

Roseate Spoonbill

Also watch out for shadows as they will mess up your image. Cloudy days are good to avoid shadows, but the diminished light can affect how some animals look in photographs. Experiment and see which weather is best for the animals you like to shoot. For me, prairie dogs are reserved for sunny weather, while others such as the white stork are good in cloudy weather. If the dark, you want sunny...if it's white, you want cloudy.

Go, Go, Go

Well, now you have a few basics down. The rest is up to you. Some photographers haunt the same exhibit day in and day out hoping to get the money shot...you might want to try their tactic. Study the animals, their environment, and keep practicing. Never fear being wrong or missing a shot, even the best photographers miss good shots from time to time. All you need is enough great shots to increase your confidence. Even though it won't take you to exotic wild places, it will get you on the way to being a good wildlife photographer.

Public Events Photography Etiquette

2012-02-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

The Motorettes perform at a New Year's Eve function at the Baltimore Inner Harbor, Dec. 31, 2010

I've covered many festivals, parades, and other public events to have seen my fair share of selfish, inconsiderate, rude, and unfriendly photographers. As a photographer, you might have seen these jerks, too, or you might be one yourself. At these type of events, it's important to observe a few rules of etiquette to make sure all photographers at the event get a chance to get some images from good angles. Here are a few that I follow myself to make sure other photographers and revelers enjoy the event, too.

1. Be aware of your surroundings

As a photographer, it would be a sin to stand, crouch, or kneel in
front of the kids watching the puppet show here. So find other ways to get your shot.

Sounds simple enough by itself but I've seen many photographers guilty of this. At many events, paid or unpaid, I shoot primarily with the Canon 24-70 F/2.8L so I have to be close to my subject to eliminate unwanted objects or people in my shots. Besides, in photography the rule is to get as close as possible to your subject. Being close means being at the front near the stage or wherever the action is taking place. Being a big 6'4" 240lbs fella, it's easy for me to block the view of several people, half a dozen kids, and a few unhappy photographers. While shooting a Christmas boat parade, I was at the front of the crowd when I realized there were a few older women who were struggling to see the boats. Since they were shorter than I was, I let them get in front of me and I shot over their heads. I still got my shots and the lovely ladies got to enjoy the show. At other times, I will stand to the side and dart to the front to take images then move back out of the way. If you want to stay at the front of the action, either remain crouched, seated, or lying down. These type of events are organized for the people to enjoy, not the photographer to shoot.

Being this big, I sometimes fail to see shorter people around me so I tend to step on some toes or bump into people. Be ready to apologize and ask if they're fine. They'll sense whether you're genuine, so make sure you are.

2. Other photographers need to shoot too

I've met some pretty great photographers at public events and the one thing I've observed most about them is that they are considerate of other photographers' needs. At one neighborhood event the best spot to shoot from was at the right of the stage, so the photographer and I took turns shooting from there and never staying there more than enough time to get snap off a few frames at a time. Another photographer came and stood on the spot for a long time even when he wasn't taking pictures. Normally, I would just move to find another place to shoot but because of the way the stage was set up, that spot really minimized the amount of background clutter and the angle was just perfect so I asked the new photographer if he could move aside for a second while I took some shots from there. Because I'm nice and a big guy, the fellow complied. I've also seen some photographer post himself in front of a group of photographers blocking their view. Be good to other photographers

3. If possible, ask permission and say 'thank you.'

With a beautiful smile such as this, you can be sure that I asked for her
permission before the shot and said a healthy 'thank you!' after.

Though I mainly work as an events photographer (conferences, meetings, parties, etc.) with businesses and other organizations, my joy is shooting events showcasing culture and heritage. I believe such events highlight the positives of humanity, that by observing them we get to witness what all humanity shares in common. Nothing says "I acknowledge the human in you" than asking permission to photography someone and saying 'thank you' afterwards. I know for sure they don't agree just because of my pretty face because I've seen them pose for other photographers with less than stellar looks. Also, some people have refused before. If this happens, just thank them and move on. This is not a requirement by any means, it just helps you accomplish rapport with folks and put them at ease, which will show in your images.

4. Obey event laws

Near the middle of the road shooting with a 24-70mm lens I had to be sure
beforehand that I could be here and know where I would go to get out of the
runners' way as they got closer.

There are places you can't go and things you can't do as a photographer at public events. Normally, such areas are cordoned off with barriers, but you will run into some events that don't bother to post signs or erect deterrents to keep people away. Knowing what you can do or can't do will keep you from running afoul of the event's staff and this is a very good thing for you as a photographer. Besides being thrown out or arrested, it can create a scene which will make event-goers uneasy around you. Remember that sometimes events will have an official photographer who probably worked hard to negotiate the deal and has a lot invested in covering the event, so do your best to keep out of his way.

I feel obligated to repeat that public events are meant for the people to enjoy, and not for the photographers to shoot. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy them, too.

These folks stopped me and asked if I could take their picture...I smilingly obliged.

Zoo Photography: Prairie Dogs

2012-02-06T13:21:00.000-08:00

Canon 1D Mark II with EF 300mm f4L @ 1/3200s F/5.6 ISO 400.

I love these black-tailed prairie dogs at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Their exhibit near the front entrance is normally my first and last stops whenever I visit the zoo. Whenever I first approach them, they become alert and some even rush to their burrows. The key to shooting them is using a long focal length lens, getting as low as you can to shoot them at their eye level, and waiting until they get acclimated to your presence. I've also found that sunny days are best to show the shine in their fur as cloudy days bring out more of the dark areas of their fur.

I like the closed eyes on the first fellow as it seems like he/she was trying to look cute for the picture. The second one takes a break from munching on his carrot to observe me and my intentions. After a few seconds, he happily resumed his snack.

I didn't do much editing on these images. I shot in RAW (as I always do) and edited in Lightroom 3. I use a preset I call 'QuickEazy' that I use on the vast majority of my images. Individual settings in LR3 will depend on your camera and the image out of the camera. Adjust and see what comes out to your liking. With the Canon 300mm F/4L lens, an excellent zoo photography lens, I almost always shoot at f/5.6 to give me some speed and a good bokeh. ISO 400 helps with keeping the shutter speed up, too. In shaded areas I'll pump it up to ISO 800. I have found myself using up to ISO 3200 but that was on indoor exhibits such as snakes and frogs. To help with the speed and because the animals are usually closer, I use the 100mm F/2.8L Macro lens instead. I'll talk more about low-light zoo photography in a future post.

Canon 1D Mark II with EF 300mm f4L @ 1/3200s F/5.6 ISO 400.

Blog Now Linked to Website

2012-02-06T03:32:00.000-08:00

After much work, sweat, hair-pulling, pg-rated cursing, and hissing, I've managed to link the photocroaker blog to the photocroaker website. This has been in the works for a while but I had been pushing it back because of the sheer amount of code sweet-talking and/or arm-twisting involved. After 16 hours, I'd say this baby is ready to be taken for a ride. Will post the first post with images after I've had the customary five hours of sleep and a bowl of cereal. For now, I have to jump in the saddle and sail into that proverbial land where elves and eskimos reside. Sweet ridings!!!

p.s. click on this fellow to see my happy dance...p.s. p.s. don't say I didn't warn you!!!

photocroaker.com

2010-08-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

I have a website with the address photocroaker.com where I will be showcasing my work and selling it.
I haven't been able to post much on here, but I have learned a lot in the past few months of working professionally that I'm willing to share.
If you have a question, please shoot me an email and I will respond asap.

My Review of EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM Zoom Lens

2010-06-15T06:23:00.001-07:00

Originally submitted at OneCall

This new lens does what many pros thought couldn't be done - replace the previous L-series 28-70 f/2.8 lens with something even better. Extended coverage to an ultra-wide angle 24mm makes it ideal for digital as well as film shooters, and the optics are even better than before with two Aspheric...

Great Everyday Lens!!!

By PhotoCroaker from Baltimore, MD on 6/15/2010

Pros: Fast / accurate auto-focus, Easily Interchangeable, Consistent Output, Nice Bokeh, Strong Construction, Durable

Cons: Heavy

Best Uses: Weddings/Events, Indoors/Low Light, Landscape/Scenery

Describe Yourself: Semi-pro Photographer

I had to send back the first copy I received due to massive focusing and color defects, but the second copy made me believe in this lens.
The bokeh is butter-smooth and the colors (especially greens and blues) are as vivid as they can be. I used to shoot RAW all the time so that I could touch up the photographs in post-editing, but I don't need to do it anymore with this lens. Now I shoot JPEG 99% of the time.
Be aware that this is a tank...heavy as they can make them. But you can get used to it with time. The 2.8 is worth it in lowlight indoor situations.

(legalese)

Fort Ontario, New York, Pics

2010-05-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photographs I took this Memorial Day Weekend at Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York. Great fun learning about the fort and its illustrious history and I hope to visit one day when the artifacts are back in their original place where they belong. I wrote an article about my first visit to the fort here. These pictures were taken a week after the visit mentioned in the article, and as soon as I post the article that goes with these, I will post a link here as well. Hope you enjoy them.

Trying new lens

2010-04-10T02:31:00.000-07:00

Trying out a new lens in jpeg and no editing. Cloudy day and a cold breeze. I was very lousy with the settings, so forgive me.

Sunset

2010-04-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

Canon 500D (Rebel T1i) with EF-S 55-250mm IS @116mm 1/125s F/16 ISO 400

Being without a filter, wider aperture lens, a tripod, and a camera without low-noise, high ISO performance, I still couldn't let this sunset go without attempting to capture it.

For this type of shot, you really need to do two things; use a tripod and use the Manual setting where you set your own shutter speed and aperture. Using just shutter priority or aperture priority will make your shot either underexposed or overexposed, and a tripod eliminates camera shake.

I didn't have a tripod, so I did the best I could in the situation. However, I knew I played it safe, shot RAW and simulated the Polarizer filter in Photoshop using Channels.

Here's what the original image looked like:

You can notice the biggest difference in the highlights and the elimination of the haze.

You can find the simple polarizer filter Photoshop tutorial here.

Eyes

2010-03-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the long delay, but between going out to shoot and staying in to write and edit those select shots I am including in a couple of upcoming works, I haven't had much time to share some tips on here...so, for that I apologize.

Today I want to point out the importance of making your subjects eyes clear and how Photoshop, or Lightroom, can help you. Rule one in animal photography is to have the eyes in focus and clear...as beady as you can make them...but sometimes the light situation or an off exposure will make your pictures come with darkened, unclear eyes. Notice I'm not blaming the lenses since there isn't much we can do about that at the moment because even those with the sharpest lenses do come up with photographs with darkened eyes. So, without further ado, let's see the differences...

Canon 500D (Rebel T1i) with EF-S 55-250mm IS @200mm 1/640s F/5.6 ISO 100

You can click on the image to enlarge it and you will see the eye still somewhat dark and unattractive. Now, I have not adjusted the exposure or any other setting, but I want to stress the importance of shooting RAW especially as a beginner with less than good lenses or spot-on exposure settings.

Now let's take a look at this one.

Click on the picture to enlarge it and see if there you notice the difference. I did increase the exposure, but I also used the Adjustment Brush in Camera Raw to focus on the eye and increase its contrast, clarity, and exposure. To up the color, I increased saturation all the way and a little on the brightness, too. That's the good thing about the Adjustment Brush, I could select and isolate the eye and work on it without altering the rest of the picture.
Now, let's take look at another photograph.

Canon 500D (Rebel T1i) with EF-S 55-250mm IS @250mm 1/640s F/7.1 ISO 100

For this set, everything is the same except for the eye and all that was needed to bring out its beauty was an extra isolated touching up using the Adjustment Brush in Camera Raw. You can see how its color contrast well with the rest of the picture and how it livens up the bird and the photograph in general.

To end it all, here's a little something I made using this image to go along with today's subjects. Enjoy and, remember, to focus on the eye.

Blurry Pictures: What to do

2010-03-05T16:00:00.000-08:00

It's been an interesting couple of days and I have been going out to take some pictures of the birds in the area since parts of the river have thawed. The pictures themselves weren't that impressive, the gulls and ducks were shy and stayed away, and I lacked the patience to wait since it was still chilly in the area. Anyways, I took a few photographs and edited them in Photoshop CS4 by adding a few effects. Some were edited in Camera Raw.

For this one (I won't list the exposure settings since I don't think it applies, but in case you're interested I was in TV (Shutter priority) at 1/400s) I increased the color temperature all the way and reduced the tint all the way to give it the blue and amber colors. I made a few other adjustments such as sharpening and contrast, but there wasn't much else I did.

This one, I shot at 1/600s and I didn't do anything to it in Camera Raw (I was simply too tired and lazy) but I converted to JPEG, sharpened it a little bit, cropped it to about 100%, and added a textures filter...I apologize, I don't remember which one it is, but you can play around and see if you can identify it. I picked this texture because of the details it brings out in the feathers.

This one was also shot at 1/600s and I edited it after I converted it to JPEG. I reduced noise, sharpened, and liquefy filter (under Filters tab in PS).

This one I really love, and I didn't even know I took it until I was trying to pick which ones to post on the blog. I took it at 1/600s and I did the same as the previous one...just sharpen, noise reduction, and used a filter (Pallette knife from the Artistic option).

The reason I edited these this way is because I used really slow lens to take them and they came out grainy and blurry. The Canon 55-250mm IS lens are really slow and the AF, though I use the AF Lock setting on the camera, really tried but failed. Many photographers will tell you that you should toss blurry pictures, but I think they can be salvaged and turned into different pieces of art. Although I'm primarily a writer, I consider myself an artist, first and foremost. As much as I paint pictures with words, it's my goal to also tell stories with my images, hence my love for photography.

So, next time an image comes out grainy and too blurry to use, instead of tossing it aside, see what you can do to it...it might be an opportunity to create a different type of work of art.

Happy shooting, folks, and a wonderful weekend.

Should You Shoot RAW?

2010-02-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

You've probably heard about RAW and its supposed benefits, but should you be shooting RAW? If you are a beginner, any seasoned photographer will tell you that the best way to improve and get acquainted with your camera is to snap, snap, snap...take as many photographs as you can. By doing this, you get to know the limits of your camera and its best settings under different shooting conditions. JPEG takes less memory card space than RAW, so in this aspect I would suggest you begin by taking JPEG pictures until you are better at judging the optimum settings for any scene you encounter.

Secondly, RAW can turn you into a lazy photographer. Don't believe me? Take a look at these two photographs I took while I was experimenting with RAW.

Canon 500D (Rebel T1i) EF-S 55-250mm IS @ 60mm 1/100s F/8 ISO 400

Canon 500D (Rebel T1i) EF-S 55-250mm IS @ 79mm 1/100s F/4.5 ISO 800

Both of these represent the extremes of the histogram (I will talk about the histogram in a future post). One is completely white, while the other is completely black. In the first, the speed was too slow for the condition, and the speed was too fast for the second one.

If this had been JPEG, I wouldn't have bothered to fix them as it takes too long to fix something like this and the final image would have punished the quality so much that it wouldn't have been worth the hassle.

Keep in mind that I did this on purpose to see what I could get away with in RAW, but it's not unusual to take such pictures while you are still getting used to playing around with the settings, so don't feel bad if some of your shots turn out this way.

Here's what came out once I finished retouching them in Camera Raw.

For this one, I simply reduced exposure by a few stops, darkened the highlights, and made a few other adjustments to bring out this image.

This one was more unforgiving as the noise was simply too much. I cranked up the exposure, then used the Adjustment Brush in Camera Raw to pump it up again, put saturation at 0, pumped up contrast and clarity both to 100, and did a few other things to try to bring out the image. I still like the effect of the enlarged pixels, so I cropped it to try to highlight them more.

Kind of like a mosaic, right?

Well, these images are extremes, but they show how one can take an image without putting too much stock in using the right exposure settings by shooting RAW.

I, personally, shoot RAW, but I still put as much effort into using the right exposure as if I was shooting JPEG. RAW can be your best friend, but it can also be a hindrance into you becoming a good photographer if you are not careful. I strongly suggest you shoot JPEG until you are familiar with all the aspects of exposure, then you can focus on RAW and learning the software needed to fully get the most out of it. You will appreciate the extra leverage give by RAW that way, too.

Another thing is that as a beginner or intermediate photographer, your focus should be on learning about taking a good picture and not manipulating them. If you haven't done so, take a look at my previous post on taking a great photograph. After that, you will find you don't have to manipulate a picture as much, and you will be well on your way to being the great photographer we all know you can be.

Great snapping, folks.

White Balance

2010-02-26T17:01:00.000-08:00

There are a few automatic things I trust in when it comes to my camera, and White Balance isn't one of them. Each camera has a setting to help determine how it reads colors and most, if not all, have several to choose from such as Sunny, Cloud, Tungsten, flash, etc. Some cameras, such as my Powershot A590IS go as far as to feature snow, beach, fireworks, and several other settings that make it easier for a beginner to select the right white balance setting.
I prefer to do a custom reading and tell my camera what it should interpret as "white." The way to do this is easy: Find a completely white spot, focus on it so that it fills the whole picture, then through the right selections (in camera) and set that as the white balance reference. For the Canon 500D (Rebel T1i), you press the MENU button and go under the second RED pull-down menu and the third option down should be "Custom WB." Select it, and the last picture taken will be on the screen. If that's the one you want to use, you click the SET button (in the middle of the cross keys) and select OK when asked if you want to use the WB data from that image.
On the Powershot A590IS, you select the option for custom white balance, then you press and hold the FUNC. SET button until the image reappears on the screen. The screen will go black for a moment while the camera is calculating.
For some, the use of gray cards and color cards is essential, but I found out that I can use any surface that I deem to be white and the results are usually good. Gray cards and color cards are fairly inexpensive and can come in handy if you are out in the wild or any other place where completely white surfaces might not be present.
Here's an example of what I have used in the past.

Canon 500D (Rebel T1i) EF-S 18-55mm IS @ 55mm 1/60s F/7.1 ISO 400

Now, here's the one after:

This is a crop of the same door after I used it to set the White Balance. I have also used snow, styrofoam, and walls.

Give it a try and see how you pics turn out.

Taking a Great Photograph

2010-02-25T13:55:00.000-08:00

One of the first things to learn in photography is shot composition. It's really easy to understand as you compose shots in your mind thousands of times a day, so it's just a matter of transmitting that to the camera and making it capture what you want it to.
Shot composition is simple; It's taking a picture you want with everything you want to show included in it. It is one of the vital things you need to pay attention to when you are taking a picture. The others include exposure, framing, and communication. So, basically, when you take a picture you have to know what you want the image to project to your audience (communication), use the correct camera settings to best project that message (exposure), include the right amount of information in your image (composition), and build the best set for your subject in its environment (framing). These things go together to build a memorable, impressive image. If you look at all the famous photographers and their work, you will see that they take careful attention to each of these components of taking great shots, and it's what makes their work stand out.
So, today we will focus on composing the shot that you want. To show you an example, I will use the picture that I currently have set up as my page header (the one with two benches overlooking a frozen lake with the setting sun illuminating the city in the distance). Here's what the view looked like.

Canon 500D (Rebel T1i) EF-S 55-250mm IS @ 96mm 1/50s F/22 ISO 400

Now, the picture is hazy and the white balance is off because on this particular day I was experimenting taking pictures in RAW without bothering to set the white balance either customized or any of the other settings. Here's what it looked like after I touched it up a little in Camera Raw.

As you can see, I was really fascinated by the sun beaming off the city in the distance and I wanted to capture that scene. I did use the Targeted Adjustment Tool to darken the black areas (such as the benches and trees in the foreground) but other than that I didn't do too much to alter the image.
The scene itself is beautiful, and there I didn't cram much into the picture besides what I want to project- two benches looking off into the distance at the city partially illuminated by the setting sun.
However, there is a lot of ground at the bottom and sky at the top that add nothing to the image...if anything, they dilute its effectiveness. So, the next step for me was to crop it and show just that which I wanted to.

The result was a simple image above. In this final image, you can see how I used the four components of taking a great shot I previously listed. I wanted to project an image of two benches in a dimming light looking off at the last rays of the setting sun bathe the distant city. There is a feeling of two retirees out of the chaos pace of everyday life and watching the day go by in solemn calm. They are anonymous, in the shadows, and their focus is on something greater than them. This is the communication part.

The second thing is exposure. As I previously stated, I took the image when I was experimenting with RAW, so the original image lacks the precise settings I would have otherwise used had I been shooting just JPEG. In that light, I would have left the ISO at 400, reduced the shutter to 1/30s, left the aperture at f/22, and used a stead tripod with a self-time. Then I would have adjusted as needed based on what the image turned out like.

The third thing is composition. The main things I wanted in the image was the benches, the frozen lake, and the city and hills in the distance. I didn't want too much of the ground or sky in there as they were not essential to the message I wanted to project. This is why I cropped them out.

The last this is framing, and this is where the tree on the left comes in. You can see it telling you that your eye is to stay to the subjects on its right. The right side is where the light of the sun is coming from, so it's left bare. The left is dark, the right is light, so the purpose of the tree is to guide your eye to the subjects I, as the photographer, want you to focus on. This is how framing can help enhance your image.

I hope I helped with your understanding of the four components of a great photo and please share your tips in this area if you can. Remember: Communication, Composition, Exposure, and Framing are what's needed to take a CCEF (sounds like "Safe") picture.

Taking Pictures on a Gray Snow Day

2010-02-24T22:22:00.000-08:00

Hello, folks, we're starting with something of a taboo in photography: taking pictures on a gray, snowy day. I, personally, love the view outside when there is a lazy snowstorm raging and the earth is covered in the white stuff. I long to capture that beauty through my lens to share with the world, or just to remember during the hot summer months.
Most photographers, however, will tell you to just shelf your equipment and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa as you stare at sizzling logs and doze off dreaming of days when the sun will bring its saving light, and you basking and snapping away, grateful for its return. It is true that overcast skies are not good for photography, but I believe we can still take some decent pictures without use of the expensive gear.
So, here's what I will be sharing with you. I will list the lens I used and the camera settings for each picture. For the benefit of encouraging you folks who can, I will be taking all the photographs in RAW, though I will only be doing minor touch-up on them. Many good photographs have told me to focus on using the camera to capture the shot correctly rather than focusing on post editing...I agree with them. This lets you really focus on getting to know your camera and settings and your gear's limitations.
Without further ado, here we go.

As I exited my front door, here's what greeted me. A scene out of a midwinter's snow scene.

Canon 500D (Rebel T1i) EF-S 18-55mm IS @ 55mm 1/100s F/20 ISO 200

I loved the scene - the snow was falling lightly and sticking to branches and twigs giving the woods an inviting white haze. If you enlarge it, you will see that it's hazy and not as charming as my eyes perceived it. This is what turns away many photographers from work on such dreary days. This, however, is why I love working with RAW.

When I shoot RAW, I upload through the Canon Utility software and edit in Adobe Camera Raw through Photoshop CS4.

Now, what I did with the picture is increase the exposure to +0.95 to brighten the dark areas, pushed the recovery all the way to 100, contrast to 59, and clarity to 38. Then I selected the Adjustment Brush and left everything as is except for sharpening which I turned to 100.

The end result was something closer to what I wanted to share with the world.

You can see the halo of whiteness around the trees that makes the picture more charming. Could more be done? Yes, but I don't want to do too much editing and it's still good enough for now.

As far as camera settings, there's really no magic setting where whatever you shoot will come out right. Most of the time when I shoot landscape, I always want a small aperture (at least 20...most of the time 22). Aperture is the F-number and it is how much light your lens let in. A larger aperture is the number closer to zero and a small aperture is a higher number. If you want to blur out the background (background is out of focus), set the aperture to a very low number. If you want the background to be in focus, set the number higher. In this instance, I wanted to capture the objects further away as well as the closer ones, so I use a low aperture.
Because of the reflected brightness, I also used a faster shutter speed. This also aided and blanking out the snow flakes that were falling, although these were few and small.
Well, go out there, set your settings according to the scene before you, and capture the world through your viewfinder.

P.S. Low light situations are great for black and white photography...try it.

New Camera, New Zeal

2010-02-23T20:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this is officially the beginning of this blog and I would love to take you with me on a journey from beginning (or somewhere close to there) to knowledgeable. I am not an expert and I will not pretend to be an expert, however, I will do my best to show you what I have learned and maybe even learn a thing or two from your interactions.
In my previous post, I had stated that I was going to be using a Powershot A590IS, but I have since upgraded to a Canon 500D (Rebel T1i) and I'm using the stock 18-55mm IS lens and an additional 55-250mm IS lens. Both of these are UF-S lenses and are considered good beginner lenses and perfect to learn on. As we go on and our knowledge increases, I will get some L-lenses to compare the quality of the photos we will be taking.
I will look to post at least 5 times a week and I will start tomorrow, which is my birthday, with some pictures of the woods and the snow. The main important thing I will be pointing out is understanding all the factors that go into choosing the right exposure for the picture in any type of situation.
If all else fails, I will also show you how to take RAW pictures and give them the right exposure through software.
Till tomorrow, this is me shooting out...

Introductions

2009-12-03T12:02:00.000-08:00

Photography...we all consider ourselves photographers, some more so deserving of the title than others. I am professionally a writer, but I consider myself an artist first and foremost. Artists are not necessarily confined to one medium or the other, so I am free to show my creativity in photography, as well.
I have created this blog to help beginners in learning to take that perfect shot. It doesn't matter what camera you have, you can capture perfect pictures with the right insight into the effects of light, speed, angle, subject, and others. I will show you how to stop taking pictures on "auto" mode, how to get the most of your camera, and how to impress your friends and family.
So, I hope to see you here soon as we begin this journey. I will be using a Canon Powershot A590IS, a relatively inexpensive camera that packs a lot of punch in its small size. Tons of options to get that perfect pic. Also, I don't believe in touching up photos, unless it's absolutely necessary.
Thanks,
Eddie