LENS CAPTURE

Vol. 2 No. 12

If you have been following the Lenscapture Blog, you have seen some of the images I have posted from my latest trips to the Southwest of the United States. These recent adventures have taken me to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Verde Canyon, Zion National Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park and the amazing Bryce Canyon.

Sharing these adventures with others is one of the main reasons for starting this blog more than a year ago. Another way to share and preserve these memories is to create a photo book. The great thing about a photo book is how it can be used. You can use it to create a portfolio of your work, to remember and re-live a fantastic vacation, to share an event such as a wedding or sweet 16, or to just decorate your coffee table.

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. 28
With Independence Day upon us, opportunities to photograph firework displays should be many. Capturing fireworks takes a little thought. But you might be surprised by the wonderful images that can result.


©Tom Dowling

Follow these steps and you are sure to capture the moment.

Use a tripod - Since you will be using a slow shutter speed of several seconds, you need to keep the camera steady. There's no way you can hand-hold the camera and capture a sharp fireworks image. Instead of a tripod you could use a small beanbag, or a ledge to steady the camera. You need a solid platform to keep the camera steady.

Set your camera's sensitivity - To reduce noise from long exposures, set your camera's ISO to its lowest setting, such as 100 or 200. If it is set higher, your images will contain distracting artifact (noise).

Long Exposure NR - If your camera has a long exposure noise reduction feature, use it. Your camera's sensor heats up during long exposures. This feature will help to eliminate the resulting noise. Expect to wait a little longer between image captures since it takes longer to process and save the images in the camera.

Aperture - I prefer f/11 - f/16 for more depth of field and better exposure of the bright explosions. This will also intensify or saturate the colors of the rocket bursts.

Focal Length - A normal to wide lens I find to be the best. Bursts from the fireworks can be rather large. A longer focal length will result in the cropping of these spectacular displays.

Camera Orientation - Your choices are portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal). In most cases, you are best to have the camera in the portrait orientation since this provides the vertical room needed to capture the firework's trajectory.


Frame you image - Try and include the crowd, or landmarks to give the images a sense of scale. Adding foreground or background objects will definitely add more interest to your images.

Use flash - only if you want to expose nearby bystanders. Make sure you set the flash to rear curtain so it only fires at the very end of the exposure to allow the ambient light from the fireworks to be recorded. This might take some practice. Otherwise, make sure the flash is set not to fire.

Other steps to ensure a sharp image - use the self-timer or a remote shutter release. Pressing down on the shutter release will result in camera shake. If you are shooting with a digital SLR camera, you should use a remote shutter release and the mirror lock-up mode. This mode will reduce and/or eliminate any vibration caused by the mirror swinging up out of the sensor's way during image capture.

Set your shutter speed - How long should you set the shutter to remain open? I usually count how long it takes a mortar (the fireworks) to leave its firing point, to the time the rocket burst blossoms fully. I then take a few shots using that amount of time. This usually ranges anywhere from 2 to 5 seconds. If you have a shutter setting called "bulb," the shutter will remain open until you depress the shutter release a second time. Only use this setting if you have a remote shutter release cable or wireless remote. Otherwise, depressing the shutter release button on the camera will result in camera shake and a blurry photo.

Catching multiple bursts - This is pretty simple. Leave the shutter open longer. Shutter speeds of 10 to 20 seconds will capture several exploding rockets.

Manual works best - If your camera is set to auto-focus, it will hunt continuously for a target. Instead, focus on an object relatively the same distance from the camera as the exploding fireworks. Then set the focus to manual and leave it there for the remainder of the display. This technique is called pre-focusing.

Remember - The great thing about digital cameras is you do not have to wait to process your images to view the results. Check your LCD often to see if you are getting the images you desire. If not, experiment with your settings. There's no additional cost.

The New York Institute of Photography has written an excellent article titled Shooting Fireworks with a Digital Point-and-Shoot Camera.

Be safe and leave the fireworks display to the professionals. Enjoy the show!

Happy 4th of July!


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Vol. 1 No. 27
Summer is here and there are several great events coming up. There's the 4th of July, which I plan to post about photographing fireworks, and the Worldwide Photo Walk on July 18th. I already have 26 registered to join me at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden! If you're interested in joining us, don't delay - register now before it it's too late.

In the interest of time, and while I finish up the article on capturing firework displays, I have put together some speed links I think you'll find interesting.

Looking to retouch your photos for free?
Look no further than the freely distributed GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). Now in version 2.6 and originally released officially in version 1.0 in 1998, this powerful piece of software is available for most operating systems such as Linux, FreeBSD, MacOSX and Windows. The Digital Photography School has posted an excellent introduction to the power, tips and tricks of this freely licensed post production tool.
GIMP - An Intro

Police in trouble for taking photo
So, you thought only photographers get in trouble capturing the moment? Seems a city attorney from Indiana had a little too much to drink and tried to sleep it off. One of the responding officers snapped a quick shot of the barrister while he slept in public and is now in "hot water."
Attorney Trashed

Joining a Photo Walk?
Laurie Excell, a professional nature photographer and instructor, guest blogs on the World Wide Photo Walk. She discusses participating in the PhotoWalk and how to properly prepare for the event. If you are joining my walk, or signed up for any of the other walk on July 18, you should take a few moments to read her post.
Laurie's Advice

Photographs from the International Space Station
The Boston Globe posted 35 awesome photographs from the recent eruption of the Sarychev Peak Volcano to stunning images from recent NASA archives. 35 photos in total, definitely worth a visit.
View From Above


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It's March already! Where does the time go? I thought it would be a good opportunity to point out some interesting video resources on the photography
scene. With the financial situation the way it is, the good news is these videos are FREE! There's something about free that warms my heart.

Attention: Nikon shooters
Scott Kelby and his trusty sidekick, Matt Kloskowski, over at Kelbytraining.com have done it again. They have created a new weekly video Podcast for Nikon dSLR owners called DTownTV. Each week, Scott and Matt bring you cool tips and tricks, news and accessories for Nikon's Digital SLR cameras. If you own a D-series Nikon camera, you won't want to miss an episode.

Visit DTownTV


The Basics
In searching the iTunes Store Visual Arts section, I ran across several excellent photography video podcasts. Ted Forbes publishes a great weekly video podcast that covers equipment, technique, shooting and a wealth of information for beginners to intermediate users interested in photography. I definitely recommend everyone view Ted's coverage on the Rule of Thirds. His presentation is easy to follow and understand.

Visit The Art of Photography on iTunes


The Longest Day
If you're into photography and reality TV, then I have a video podcast for you! The Longest Day splits 24 top photographers into two teams charged with writing, shooting and editing an original short film about photography. Additionally, each team has to produce a public service announcement (PSA) for their chosen charity. It definitely shows these superstar photographers as real people. I just finished watching the first few episodes and I definitely want to see the result of their efforts culminate into the final videos and Team A & B's PSA.

Visit the Longest Day on iTunes


If you don't already have iTunes, you can download it here: Download iTunes from Apple.com

And remember, you don't need to own an iPod to watch these free podcasts.

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