Capturing the Living Environment

A Guest Post by David Julian
“Wherever I go, I seek compositions that artfully interpret subjects and the ‘feel’ of the place they inhabit”

On a recent road trip down the Oregon coast, I spent a day at infamous Canon Beach. To say that it’s a magical and photogenic place is an understatement. The surrounding public access coastline draws over 20,000 people a year, yet much of it can easily be seen with hardly a soul upon it.
On this September morning, there were probably forty people within a hundred feet of me near the base of the ever popular Haystack rock, so I chose to move in closer to nature and leave the people out of frame. It’s easy to reach these multi hued Ochre Sea Stars at low tides, but a challenge to find an unpopulated composition that really comes to life. I wanted to show the habitat more than to focus in on the animals themselves, which I would make detailed portraits of later. I also made a gallant effort not to step on the anemones, mussels and tiny crabs covering the area.
“I must have looked like a strange clown balance stepping toe to toe with the extended tripod legs held high over my head.”

Once I found the perfect composition, I mounted my SLR and a favorite lens, my Canon 17-40mm wide zoom, composing half my frame with the starfish grouping and half with the landscape and shoreline.
The warm morning sun lit my foreground perfectly. Timing the shot was important as incoming tidal waves swirled in and around my sinking tripod legs, causing a shift in its position. I stopped my lens down to f16 to use a high Depth of Field to show not just the starfish, but also the nurturing sea and landscape’s details. A slow exposure allowed me to soften the receding waters leaving a reflected sky.

The result was a pleasing description of animals in their environment.
I had some interesting shots, but I was not finished telling the story of this amazing place. I wanted also to show our accessibility to these environments. My next idea was to show the starfish and the people in an imaginative way. I put my camera back in my bag and strolled along the tide pools noting how people viewed the uniquely accessible offerings of undersea nature in their path.
Once I had a feel for their behavior, I set out to reverse the typical photograph of people watching nature. Instead, I put my camera’s point of view as close to the starfish as possible, and let the people become the background. This technique worked perfectly, and put the emphasis on the natural history of this location rather than our occupation of it.
About the Author: Travel, nature and fine art photographer David Julian has spent 30 years capturing the essence of places, people and light with creative vision.
Since 1991, Dave has led over 60 workshops and won several national awards for fine and commercial arts. His images have been commissioned by leading corporations, collectors and published in books, blogs and magazines including Nikon World, Outside, Geo, Islands, Conde Nast Traveller, Audubon, Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo Pro, Rangefinder and The New York Times Travel magazine.
When not taking on assignments or developing projects, Dave kayaks, speaks publicly and instructs group and individual photography workshops in the US, abroad and online.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

How to Take Creative Control of Your iPhone

How to Take Creative Control of Your iPhone:
I’m excited today to announce the release of a new dPS eBook – iPhone Photography: How to Shoot, Edit and Share Great Photographs.
It is available now for immediate purchase and download for just $14.99 – 25% off for a limited time.
You can read a full description of what the eBook covers on our iPhone Photography eBook information page but in short it’s a partnership with world renowned Mobile Photographer – Misho Baranovic – that walks readers through how to Shoot, Edit and Share beautiful photos with their iPhones.
Grab your copy here.

Why an iPhone Photography eBook?

I’ve already heard this question a few times from some – why would a photography site like dPS release an iPhone Photography eBook when we spend so much time talking about ‘real’ cameras?
It’s a great question and one I wanted to tackle with a personal reflection.
At our house we have – as you may expect – quite a few cameras. I’m something of a camera junkie and over the years have researched and purchased a number of cameras – each chosen for the ability to take great photos.
As a result – it is rare for me to attend a family event without at least one of these cameras (and appropriate lenses and accessories). However it’s interesting to see what photos taken at these events get seen by the most people.
In general – it’s the shots taken by my wife on her iPhone which is quickly pulled out of her purse and used to shoot a snapshot to be immediately uploaded to Facebook that get seen the most.
It may not be the camera in our house with the best lens or most megapixels – but the fact that the iPhone is always with her and that it is a natural part of how she connects with her friendship network means that it is perhaps the most important camera in our house.
I’ve also noticed since having an iPhone that the same thing is often true for me too.
As I look back through the many thousands of images in my own image archives my eyes are often drawn to photos of special moments with my kids (like the ones below) where I was caught without my DSLR but which I was able to spontaneously record with the camera that is always in my pocket – my iPhone.

Our family is not alone – millions around the world use iPhones to take photos of meaningful moments.
However the unfortunate fact is that many of the millions of images taken with iPhones each day could be improved with just a little knowledge of how iPhone cameras work and how to get the most out of them.
As a result the idea for this eBook emerged.

What’s Inside

We hunted down a world renowned Mobile Photographer – Misho Baranovic – and convinced him (not that it took too much arm twisting) to write the ultimate guide to iPhone Photography. To help people like my wife… and me… to lift our iPhone snapshots up to be the kind of shots that not help us to truly remember the those important moments in our lives.
Misho has created an information packed yet highly practical eBook that we guarantee will help you improve your iPhone Photography (and if it doesn’t – we’ll refund your money).
Inside you’ll discover:

• How the iPhone Camera works and how to use it to take great photos
• How to take more Control of your iPhone using Camera Replacement Apps (with a rundown of the best ones)
• Advanced Shooting Techniques with the ProCamera App to gain maximum control over focusing and exposure
• How to find compelling subjects to shoot on the street, with the family, in nature, travelling and at night
• How to develop your own editing style
• A rundown of native iPhone editing functions
• An overview of the best editing apps including one touch apps, filter based editing apps and professional editing apps and techniques.
• How to add text and graphic elements to your photos
• How to share your images with family, friends and the wider mobile photography community
• How to Get Your images ready to print

In addition there are practical exercises to try, interviews with some of the world’s best iPhone photographers and plenty of illustrations, screenshots and examples to help you visualise what you’re learning.

Grab Your Copy Today

If you are ready to grab creative control of your iPhone (or if you know someone else who could benefit from the knowledge) you can secure your copy of iPhone Photography today for just $14.99 (USD) – a saving of 25% for the next couple of weeks only.
It will give you access to downloadable PDF and ePUB versions of this eBook so that you can view it on any number of devices including your computer, iPads, iPhones, Nooks, Sony Readers and more.
Nee more information? Check out the full information page here – otherwise order yours by clicking the download button below.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Neutral Density Filter Fireworks Photography

A Guest Post from Tom Bricker from DisneyTouristBlog.com
As most landscape photographers probably know, neutral density filters reduce the intensity of light reaching the lens, to allow longer shutter speeds or larger apertures. Think of them as sunglasses for your lens. While these filters have long been used for landscape photography, they aren’t typically considered for fireworks photography. At least not yet.
Neutral density filters allow longer shutter speeds, assuming the same aperture and ISO level. For example, if you were photographing a fireworks show and found that a shutter speed of 10 seconds at f/16 and ISO 200 achieved a proper exposure, a shutter speed of 80 seconds at f/16 and ISO 200 would be the proper exposure with a ND 0.9 filter. That’s a lot of pyro in a single shot, and the frame resulting from such a long exposure can be very impressive!

Given that exposure lengths will easily eclipse 30 seconds, you need to mount your camera on a tripod and utilize a remote shutter release when using a neutral density filter. Shutter speeds will typically be so long that using bulb mode is a necessity. This will require you to keep track of your exposure time mentally, while hoping that those pretty explosions don’t distract you. You may want to carry a stop-watch or use a timer on your phone (there’s an app for that!) to track your exposure time.
With exposures that long, there are obviously difficulties in using neutral density filters for photographing fireworks. You will typically take fewer photos per show. This means you have less of a margin for error, since, if you mess up one shot, that might be 20% of your photos for a particular show, whereas if you’re not using an neutral filter, one messed up shot is probably only going to constitute around 5% of your photos from the show. In addition to this, you’re more likely to make mistakes, as the combination of watching the fireworks and determining when to open and close your shutter based upon your mental count of the number and intensity of bursts can lead to over or under-exposed shots.

Additionally, the number of bursts in each frame can make the shot look chaotic and less symmetrical than capturing one or a few bursts per frame. It can be visually jarring, and because of this, it’s something that you might want to use sparingly. Although I write that now, you’ll find that once you start using a neutral density filter for fireworks, it’s hard to put it down. You might find yourself addicted to either the stunning visual appearance of the explosive chaotic-ness of the photos, and you might also find yourself wanting to embrace the challenge of this type of fireworks photography. When you do poorly, it’s really frustrating, but when you do well, it’s incredibly rewarding!
Technique-wise, there are few better options than practicing. Not only is every fireworks show different in intensity, but different scenes within each show are different in intensity. Once you have an idea of the settings you might want to use with your neutral density filter, you may want to make a chart that quickly “converts” normal exposure settings for your neutral density. These charts won’t be universally applicable due to show intensity differences, but for those among us suffering math-phobia, these charts can be a lifesaver and provide a great jumping-off point.

As far as which filter to get, the ND 0.9 filter has become the filter of choice for fireworks photographers due to its price and because it typically achieves optimal exposure lengths, but another option to consider is the ND 1.8 filter. Far fewer brands make ND 1.8 filters, and those brands that do are usually more expensive, but this filter is much more versatile for non-fireworks uses and offers a couple of advantages over the ND 0.9 filter.
First, since it stops 6 stops of light as opposed to the 3 stops of light that the ND 0.9 stops, you will be able to maintain the same long exposures as with the ND 0.9 filter while lowering your aperture even further. A lower aperture, in the f/5.6-f/8 range minimizes diffraction and maximizes sharpness, but also prevents the burst trails from becoming narrower, which occurs with smaller apertures.

In the end, these strategies can only prepare you so much. Your first time photographing fireworks with an ND filter might be discouraging. You may err on the side of caution and go for shorter exposures, questioning how on earth this thin piece of glass could allow you to take such long exposures. You might end up with mostly black frames or frames that are still over-exposed. As you photograph more with the neutral density filter, you’ll become more comfortable using it, and you will gain a pretty good feel for appropriate settings and exposure duration.
With this information and these settings in mind, you should be prepared to photograph fireworks with a neutral density filter! Remember, this type of fireworks photography is more advanced, and does have a steep learning curve. Do not get discouraged if your first few tries at shooting fireworks with a neutral density filter are unsuccessful. As with any type of photography, you will become better with more practice, and will over time find yourself quite comfortable photographing fireworks with a neutral density filter.


Tom Bricker is a travel photographer specializing in photography at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. He runs the site DisneyTouristBlog.com, where you can find more of his photography, and his tips for great Disney vacations. He also has co-authored a book on photographing fireworks, which you can find at HowToPhotographFireworks.com.

Where Your Focus Goes, So Does Your Exposure

The subject line up there is a bit of a generalization, yet true for most cameras, be they DSLR or point and shoot. And not a lot of people realize this fact. Many of my students just assume the camera makes one determination about the lighting in the scene and that is that. If only it were that simple (and it is when you use Manual mode and don’t let the camera decide, but that’s another topic).
The truth is, most of the time your camera will alter the selection it has made for shutter speed, aperture and ISO (depending on which variable you have allowed it to control based on mode settings) because you focused in one spot or another. This happens often in the matrix or evaluative metering modes, when the camera is allowed to use all of its metering point as it sees fit. It will not happen when using spot metering, but can, occasionally, when using center-weighted. Concentrating on the full metering mode then, be aware of where you are focusing as that may not be where you want to meter.
For instance, take this unedited scene from a coffee shop concert I shot this weekend for an ukulele band named The Castaways:

The exposure looks about right. The settings are Canon 7D, ISO 6400, 35mm, f/5.0, 1/60. For reference sake, I was using evaluative mode (using all the metering points) and my camera has three vertical areas to focus on in the focus mode I was using (the following effect is existent in most any of the focusing modes, be it single point or in a group). Those areas look like this:

In the shot up top, I am focused on the red location. Now, let’s move to the green location, right in the center.

The settings are Canon 7D, ISO 6400, 35mm, f/5.0, 1/160. That’s 1 and 1/3 stops faster. Can you guess why?
It’s because the area of focus, when metered, has more of the light banner (which is also being lit by direct outdoor light) to contend with. It sees more lightness, as compared to the first focus point, which had more black and dark areas, and compensates. What’s going to happen when I focus on the banner, or the blue location?

Well now, things are looking bleak. Canon 7D, ISO 6400, 35mm, f/5.0, 1/250. 2/3rds of a stop darker than before and two full stops darker than the image we started with, which was a decent exposure.
If you are not shooting on Manual, and there is no hard-fast rule that says you need to, then be aware that your camera may change its decision on metering when you change focus. Give it a try yourself to see if your camera changes its mind with your focus.
Set up a target with black, gray and white sections that will align with your focus points. Keep light constant. Move the focus points to the black, then gray, then white and see if your metering changes. Try this in Aperture Priority mode to easily see the shutter speed change. Make sure you tap the shutter half way to start meeting anew after moving the focus points. Don’t know how to move your focus points? It’s time to bust out your manual.
This effect is neither good nor bad. It’s simply something to be aware of.

29 Shots of Dogs Sticking Their Heads out of Car Windows [Humor]

OK – lets put this in the fun basket – it’s certainly not about technically amazing shots. I was surfing on Flickr the other night and came across the first shot below – a cute dog enjoying what all dogs enjoy – putting his head out of a moving car’s window.

One thing led to another and 25 minutes later I’d had a good chuckle and compiled the following – canine freedom in 20 shots. Enjoy.