Thursday, November 25, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
"Pic of the Day" is back!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Photographing Fantastic Fall Foliage
Shoot Early or Late: Consider shooting during sunrise and sunset hours for the best lighting opportunities as these times can help you capture the richness of color around you. The morning hours may yield the best results because the air will be cleaner and largely free of dust, smog and other airborne particles. Those minute flecks in the air can have an impact on the richness and clarity of your images.
Wait for the Clouds: If you’re trying to capture the vibrancy of autumn leaves and colors, patience pays. Overhead clouds can help retain the depth of color in the foliage whereas direct sunlight is often extremely harsh and can wash out the colors you are trying to capture.
Experiment with a Polarizing Filter: While it may not work in every situation, a polarizing filter can help in those situations where bright sunlight might flatten fall colors. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different tools during your session; when you take the time to try new things, you discover additional tricks to add to your photography arsenal.
Capture Contrast: The rainbow of colors fall provides is even more gorgeous when coupled with contrast. A ruby leaf paired with green grass or weathered wood can create a more powerful image than either item photographed alone.
Stay Simple: Part of the beauty of fall can be captured in its simplicity. Zoom in close and focus on a single leaf or a small cluster of them. Spend a few minutes surveying your surroundings to find the perfect subject. It may be something completely unexpected such as an unassuming park bench or a solitary bird.
Rain Reigns: If it happens to rain in the location you wish to photograph, celebrate! The images you can capture after a rain occurs may just take your breath away. The leaves are clean and vibrant and the rain will clear away dust and other items that may get in the way of the perfect shot.
Play with Settings: If your digital camera includes settings to shoot in ‘vivid’ mode or has options to adjust saturation, use those settings to determine if the results are richer than what you would create in your standard automatic mode. You can also experiment with ‘cloudy’ settings on overcast days. Being open to experimentation may bring images that surprise and delight!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Holiday Challenge: Photographing the Thanksgiving
Few things stump the assigned family photographer like trying to shoot a large Thanksgiving table populated with people and decorations. The traditional table shot is an important annual ritual, and because of this, it’s worth investing in a little bit of advanced planning time to make sure you’re ready when everyone sits down to celebrate. Things to Bring: If at all possible, bring a tripod and a remote trigger for your camera. A tripod will steady the camera and allow you to try different locations and angles to see what works for your particular situation. You will also want your lens cleaning kit nearby to ensure smudges don’t ruin your holiday memories. Better yet—consider our new Promaster HGX filter that has the exclusive REPELLAMAX Element Resistant coating which repeals moisture, dust, and fingerprints. Try the fingerprint test to see how well it works!
During busy holiday visits, you will also find extra memory cards handy. There’s nothing worse than running out of room on your memory card and trying to impulsively decide which images to delete to make room for new shots.
Lighting Considerations: When photographing a long table with people seated from one end to the other, proper lighting is critical to making sure everyone is evenly covered. If your light source is far away from your subjects, the light will fall off gradually; however, if you are shooting close to your subjects (using a point and shoot camera, for example), the light from the flash will fall off quickly and can make those seated further away from you appear darker (because the light from the flash is diminishing and not giving proper illumination). Here are a few things to try:
· Check available light around the table. Do you have windows that will provide light and how will this light change when it is time for everyone to sit down for dinner?
· Ask a couple of guests to ‘model’ for you for a few minutes. Seat one close to the front of the shot and the other at the far end. Play with different angles and with light sources (lamps, overhead, etc) to see which best provide necessary fill light.
· Try bouncing the flash off the ceiling to see if you can create a more even light stream across the table.
The Kids Table: This is where the real fun happens! If you have a separate kids table, make them the stars in a few photographs. Try standing on a chair and shooting from the top down while they hold up their water glasses in a kid toast. With kids, playing with angles is particularly important because you want to capture the event from their perspective so shoot at their eye level—as adults, we often tower above them, especially when they’re seated.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Holiday Photo Tip: The Traveling Tripod:
We have models that are small, light and demand almost no space in your suitcase. We even have miniature tripods that can fit in your pocket or purse!
Here are a few of our compact favorites: www.fortworthcamera.com/minitripods
We also have our new Clamper model, which is often called the Swiss Army knife of tripods. Use it as a table top tripod or clamp it on virtually anything. “The Clamper” has two extremely versatile clamp legs and works on flat surfaces, thin surfaces and round surfaces. It’s the perfect “problem solver” to have in your camera bag.
Outdoor Portraiture: Photographing Families
Try Different Textures: The fall temperatures mean you can pull out all the fantastically-colored scarves, sweaters and hats. Play with layered looks and change accessories to see which items add that perfect pop op color and texture.
Photograph the Kids First: If your family gathering includes fairly young children, consider photographing them first. Start with individual shots and let them move around and offer suggestions. Take a few images of them in action—looking at flowers, sitting on a bench or petting the family dog—and show them what you’ve done so far. When they see the results, kids are likely to be more cooperative throughout the rest of the photo session.
Invite Friends: For twins and teenage kids, invite a friend or two. Photograph the kids and give them the images to use for their Facebook pages or personal blogs. Again, by making the event enjoyable, they are more likely to cooperate when the time comes for the family shot.
Take the Show on the Road: Consider photographing at a local park where you can experiment with backgrounds and utilize colorful fall foliage. We often assume our outdoor photographs must be taken by the lone tree in our backyard, but by making it a road trip, your options expand exponentially. Just make sure to test your cameras batteries and double check that you have everything you need before loading up the car! If you’re going to be at your location for awhile, consider putting some water bottles and snacks in the car to help keep the kids cooperative when hunger strikes.
Get it Together: Make sure you know how to use the delay setting on your camera if you intend on being in the shot. If possible, play with it a few times prior to your outdoor photography session. And, of course, your tripod will be indispensable
Take a few test shots without the kids so that you have the background scenery and the basic distance and positioning figured out. This bit of extra effort will help you get your group in order and get the images taken in pretty quick succession.