LENS CAPTURE

Vol. 1 No. 45


Had a great time at our Sunset Meet in Brooklyn Bridge Park as we welcomed a few new faces in the group.  The weather cooperated with a very dramatic sky.  The photo below is a 7-capture high dynamic range (HDR) image. I bracketed the captures about 15 minutes before sunset.



The sharing of ideas and various technique flowed throughout the group.  Images resulting from Doug Palmer's creative tip on zooming during long exposures are already appearing on the Flickr LensCapture Group. I also enjoyed Katy's imaginative lighting of the Manhattan Bridge.

As twilight took hold, the lights of the city began to burn brightly providing a magnificent compostion begging to be memoralized.  And we all took up the challenge. Slow shutter speeds, small apertures, low ISO and long exposure in-camera noise reduction went into the making of the image below.



I was asked numerous times during the Sunset Meet for the spot of the next photo walk.  I'll be revealing the location for October's gathering later next week.  As it stands now, it will probably be an early morning start on Sunday, October 25th.  Just putting together the final details.

Remember, if you attended the meet, please share an image or two up in the Flickr LensCapture Group.


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Vol. 1 No. 44

With our Sunset Photo Meet quickly approaching, I thought I would compile a list of tips for photographing great sunsets.

• If you plan properly, you will have about a 30-45 minute window to capture some spectacular images.  This time includes the lead up to sunset and twilight - the soft, diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, from sunset to nightfall. The light changes significantly during this period.  So you need to think about the elements you want to capture before sunset or you might miss the action.  With sunset at 6:51 pm EDT on the day of our shoot, I recommend arriving no later than 6:00 pm.  The magic of sunset normally begins a half hour prior to the sun setting.
  
  
• Always be careful looking through a viewfinder directly at the sun.  It can be dangerous if the sure is not very low to the horizon.
  
  
• Composition - the act of combining parts or elements to form a whole, or in our case a stunning sunset photograph.  If you have the option of shooting with a variety of focal lengths - do it!  Wide angle focal lengths are great for providing the expansive vista, but the setting sun will extremely small in the image.  If you want the sun to be a feature in your image, then you'll need to zoom in.
    
• Include foreground elements.  Since these will usually be lit from behind by the setting sun, they will become silhouettes.  This will add visual impact.
  
  
• Experiment with your white balance.  If you are shooting with a dSLR then this is easier to manage.  Switch between daylight, cloudy, shade and tungsten (indoor).   If you are using a point and shoot camera, you can achieve similar results by switching through the various scene modes you camera offers.  The result of applying different white balance will be dramatic.
  
  
• If your camera begins to hunt for focus while photographing the setting sun you might miss the shot, or wind up with an out of focus image.  If you are using a point and shoot camera or a dSLR, you will need to focus on something in the frame that has contrast.  Focus on where the horizon or skyline meets the sky, then press and hold the shutter release half-way down until the focus locks.  Continue holding half-way down while you re-compose the image.  Once you have the scene framed the way you want, then completely press down on the shutter release to capture the image.
  
  
• Set you camera's ISO to 100-200.  This will reduce noise in your image and result in slower shutter speeds. 
  
  
• I like setting my camera to aperture-priority (usually marked A or Av) mode especially when shooting sunrises and sunsets.  I start by dialing in an aperture between f/11 to f/16. Just like white balance, you need to experiment.  You will grow tired of hearing me say this during photo walks and meets.
  
  
• If your camera allows for bracketing, I suggest using a one stop difference.
  
  
• In order to keep the colors saturated, I like to shoot slightly under exposed, so I adjust my exposure value (EV).  This is a personal preference since I don't like to add saturation in post production.
  
  
• Do not just photograph the sunset. Turn around and look at areas behind you.  Look how the wonderful colors illuminate the many subjects that will be present.  This lighting might also offer a great portrait opportunity.
  
  
• Tripods are essential for sharp images when you slow down the shutter.  Some sunset/twilight captures can drop the shutter speed to several seconds.  If you can't bring a tripod, look for someplace stable to place the camera. A park bench, a rock or railing might do the trick.
  
  
• Change up the look.  Rotate the camera from horizontal (landscape) to vertical (portrait).  This can add a lot of interest.
  
  
• Don't forget every sunset is unique.  Enjoy it like it's the first one you have ever seen.

Vol. 1 No. 42


Join me for a sunset photography session at Brooklyn Bridge Park on Thursday, September 24, 2009. We will meet promptly at 6:00 PM along the shoreline steps. Sunset is at 6:51 pm and the light waits for no one. The park is located along Plymouth Street between Main Street and Washington Street in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn.

Here's where we will meet.

View Brooklyn Bridge Sunset in a larger map


Bring a tripod if you can. Sign-up here.


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Vol. 1 No. 30

Wishing you all a happy and safe holiday. Please remember those today who keep us, and our way of life safe from harm, wherever they might be.

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Vol. 1 No. 25

Buy this image

Photographing our closest celestial body, the Moon, presents some challenges. You have probably attempted this in the past and wound up with a blown-out blob in the sky. Devoid of any detail.

The key thing to remember is the moon is illuminated by the Sun - the brightest object in our sky. You can photograph the moon using the trusted "Sunny 16" rule which states on a sunny day, set your aperture to f/16 and your shutter to 1/ISO speed. So to get shadow detail in your image you could set you camera, on a tripod of course, to ISO 100 (the lower the ISO the better to reduce noise), your aperture to f/16, and your shutter to 1/100 seconds. Do not expect to find detail in any other objects in the frame such as foreground elements (trees, buildings, etc.). These objects will be totally underexposed and lost in the shadows.

So how do you add interest in your moonscape images?

Buy this image

The best way to accomplish this type of photograph is through the use of double-exposure. The image above, again, taken on a tripod, consists of two different exposures. The first capture was exposed for the Moon. The second image was taken to provide some detail in the sky, notice the cloud streak, and the park setting in the foreground. Depending on your camera model, you might be able to accomplish this type of photograph right in your camera. Otherwise, you will need to combine them later in post-production using tools like Adobe Elements or Photoshop.

Adding foreground elements when shooting moonscapes definitely makes the scene more interesting. Another useful tip is knowing when the Moon rises and where it will be in the sky. A very useful website is Time and Date.com's Moonrise and Moonset Calculator. Just select your location and it will present you with the when (times) and the azimuth, or where in the sky to see the moon. The Moon is usually largest just after moonrise and just before moonset.

One last tip. When photographing the Moon, if you wait till it is full, it will usually look somewhat flat. Capturing the Moon while crescent or, in the images above, in the last phase before a full Moon called "Waxing Gibbous," will show more dimension or shadowing.


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ISO200 18mm f/14 1/160sec

ISO200 20mm f/5.6 1/200sec

ISO800 18mm f/6.3 1/15sec

ISO200 35mm f/14 6sec

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