Eastmon Digital Photography Tips » Photographic Journal

Backlighting tips to add magic to your photographs

Eastmon Admin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:18:57 +0000

Once you start taking photographs you begin to see how many different styles of light there is. When I first started I knew that lighting was important but I really had no idea how important or how it can either make or break a photograph. The concept of lighting is something that I couldn’t really get my head around by reading it in a book. You really need to experiment with different light sources, directions and intensities.

Backlighting brings life to ordinary subjects

One type of lighting though that I am beginning to become a huge fan of is back lighting. It is something that most people try to avoid and rather have their subjects standing straight on at the sun getting them to look up at the camera on the count of three. You can hardly say they are the most flattering, natural photos. However by using backlighting you can easily get around this problem while at the same time giving the photos a lot more depth

Beautiful, shape and form with backlighting

Flat, boring lighting

It goes against everything we have been taught since we first got a camera in our hands but it just gives a different feeling to the photo. By having the sun directly behind your subject the camera will pick up a lot of detail that otherwise would have been lost like a wisp of stray hair caught by the wind or the shape of the leaves. Shooting the camera right into the sun is really great for thin objects as you can pick up more vivid colours or patterns in it, for example the photos of the smoke. When I took the first shots I had the light coming in from the side but I couldn’t seem to get the smoke to stand out so that I could capture it clearly enough with the camera so I moved the lamp around to the back of the candle, coming in from a low angle so that it really picked up the shapes and density of the smoke and defined the contour of the candle.

Backlighting and lens flare

As nice as an effect as backlighting gives there are a couple of pitfalls I have learnt that can ruin a great photo. The first problem is lens flare. This is created when excess light hits the camera sensor creating shapes or circles of light on your photographs. Some people use it to create an artistic effect however most of the time it is best avoided which can easily be done by buying a lens hood or by sheltering the lens from the sun with your hand like you do for your eyes when you look into the sun. The second most common problem is the camera being tricked by how much light is going into the camera so that it underexposes the image, leaving you with nothing but a silhouette of your subject. The simple way to get around this is to set your camera to forced flash mode so that not only will the camera pick up the nice sunny background but the flash will fill in the detail on your subjects face. If you find that the flash is a little too harsh, try a reflector which can be easily made out of a piece of white cardboard.

Once I had got my head around using light in such a way I noticed a definite improvement in my photos. They are so much more interesting and have more depth and feel to them. Being able to manipulate light to your advantage is also a very valuable tool to have.

Very subtle backlighting does not detract from the subject.

Amy is one of the team members in the Ballina store. You can see her profile here or drop in and see her and the rest of the team for advice or help.

How to place hands in your photographs

Eastmon Admin — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:25:54 +0000

Hands can be pesky things to deal with when it comes to photography. They can be the difference between a photograph looking forced or relaxed. Most people always have to be doing something with their hands whether it is playing with their necklace, holding onto the bottom of their sleeve or picking at a loose thread on their jeans. However when someone pulls out a camera hands tend to instantly stop what they are doing and just sit there lifeless and rigid. It is an instant tell-tale on whether someone is comfortable in front of the camera or not.

Positioning the Hands

However there is a way to keep these hands under control and that is to simply give them something to do. Now this doesn’t have to be any thing extravagant like origami or anything like that, it can be as simple as getting the person lay one hand over the top of the other or give them something to hold. Some People say it is the reason that brides have bouquets so that no one can see how nervous they are or that their hands are shaking. It is a simple thing to consider when you are about to take a photo and yet it can make a world of difference.

Personality

Hands are also an important part of us that can give a clue to what type of person we are. A shy person may keep their hands close to them, while a more confident person may be more flamboyant with their hands. Some people talk with their hands using extravagant gestures to accompany what they are saying. Also hands are great for showing emotions such as a gentle touch on the cheek to let one know that it will be okay. Just by focusing on ones hands you can sometimes tell more of a story than if you photographed the whole scene.

Posing in Context

As I have mentioned previously, just before you take the photo take a second to look at the scene. Think about what type of photo you are taking, a formal or casual photo, and get the hands to act appropriately. For example you are taking a photo of your son on his graduation day. Rather than him standing there stiff and rigid get him to hold onto his certificate or his graduation hat, have him lean against a tree or put his hands behind his back. You will be surprised the difference it will make. Couple shots are the easiest because you can simply tell them to hold hands, link arms, give each other a cuddle, put their arms around each others waist… the list is endless. For a casual shot get them to put their hands in their pockets or lean on a chair. Hold onto the ends of their scarf if they have one on or fiddle with a piece of jewelery. It is amazing how by giving someone a task or something to think about they will relax and forget for at least a split second that they are getting a photo taken which is all the time you need to take a photo. It does take a little thought before you shoot but once you get into the habit of checking what those hands are up to you will notice your photos look a lot more relaxed and natural.

Amy works in the Ballina Eastmon store and has written a number of articles as she pursues her passion to be a Professional Photographer. You can read other article by Amy here.

Have fun with Black & White photos

Eastmon Admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:57:30 +0000

Colour image converted to B&W with yellow balloon held back

I felt like trying something a little different and as I have just acquired a new photo editing program I decided to play with some of the different effects that can be achieved. The simplest and sometimes the most effective technique is turning your photos black and white. Almost every program is capable of achieving this whether it is a simple photo editing program that comes with your computer or Abode Photoshop.

B&W photography was the beginning of photography back in the days when they had nothing but. There are beautiful old B&W photographs that may be fifty, sixty or maybe even more and they could have been taken yesterday, besides the fashions and hair styles. Some places such as Dreamworld have people dress up in the old time clothes and take photos, editing them to make them look as though they are from the period they are after. Not only are these a lot of fun but they are a great idea for presents and make a unique family portrait. These days with the diversity of programs it is easy to take some of these photographs yourself. You just need to pull out the dress up box or raid the salvos. Then set up a simple background and away you go. Remember though to try and adopt the traditions of the time, for example, sorry to say, but the males are always the prominent ones in the photo.

Now it's colour...

However B&W photography is not just limited to period photos. There are many photographers that use B&W photographs, especially in weddings. B&W photos are good because they show the shade and textures of the subjects rather than the eye focusing on the colours. If done properly it can make the subject jump out of a photo simply by placing a dark subject in front of a light background or visa versa. You have to be careful though because impurities or intrusions in the photograph will be more prominent and could easily ruin a shot. B&W photos tend to have a different mood about them than coloured photos, as you can see in the example below. It is the same photograph but the black and white photo has a stronger presence.

Now it's Black & White.

B&W photography is a lot of fun and is good for teaching you to be aware of what you are photographing and considering the different shades of things. Also between your camera and your editing program you can also achieve some really creative shots. For example in the photos below I simply selected the balloon and then turned the rest of the photo B&W, making the balloon the focus of the photo. The possibilities are endless, all you need to do is go out and experiment and most importantly, have fun!

Amy works in the Ballina Eastmon store and has written a number of articles as she pursues her passion to be a Professional Photographer. You can read other article by Amy here.

How to Shoot Photos on a Rainy Day

Eastmon Admin — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:05:01 +0000

Look for strong colours to capture attention.

The wet, rainy weather wasn’t very good for our Australia day this year, ruining BBQ’s and street cricket everywhere but as far as photography is concerned you can’t let a little rain dampen your spirits. Just after it rains it seems that colours are brighter and stand out more and everything looks so fresh and clean.

Overcast days are great for taking photographs as the clouds block out the harsh sunlight so you don’t have to worry about strong shadows and highlights and your colours will show up more brightly, resulting in a clearer more crisp shot. You can also have great fun using props such as gumboots and umbrellas and have your subject jumping in puddles or catching them in the rain. By having fun taking the photos you will be able to capture that excitement and innocent play in your shots. It is great for taking photos of children; however it may take a while to convince them that they are allowed to play in the puddles for a change.
Having all the excess water around makes a playground of photo opportunities, if you use you imagination. I took this photo of the girls reflection in the puddle. You can’t see their faces very well but the shapes of their silhouettes makes an interesting and fun shot. Although it is important to remember to make sure that you don’t catch your reflection in the water at the same time and to make sure the water is still so you don’t have the ripples distorting the reflections.

Reflections are everywhere after the rain.

The other good thing about taking photographs during wet weather is that most things are covered in tiny water droplets which make for really interesting macro shots. For example look at this photo of the frangipani. Not only are the colours more intense and dramatic but all the water droplets that are resting on the petals make the shot all the more interesting. You need to get in real close to your subject and make sure you focus sharply so that your photos are crisp and sharp and picks up all the minute detail. Also, when taking macro photos, remember to keep an eye on your background, and if possible blur it out, so that the focus remains on the detail of the subject.

Water droplets add life to your images

As fun as it is taking photos during wet weather it is important to remember that cameras don’t like too much water (unless of course you have an underwater camera). It is okay if a few droplets fall onto the camera every now and again however if the rain gets heavier and more persistent then you really need to get your camera under cover. I found that by wearing a rain coat I can keep the camera out of the weather while I rethink a shot or reposition and then just bring it out quickly when I am ready to take it. However I have a couple of times used glad wrap or a large zip lock bag with a hole cut out for the lens to put my camera in to keep it dry while taking the shots. Might not be a high tech water proof casing but I find it does the job.

A slow shutter speed to capture the rain drops and the strong fence line draws your eye in to the Kookaburra

Don't forget to have fun!

However careful you may be water still finds it way on to your camera so I recommend that you let your camera air over night. All this involves is taking out the battery and memory card (and taking off the lens for SLR’s) and putting it somewhere warm and dry overnight. After that it should be fine to pack away as normal. So next time the rain has ruined your plans grab your camera and take the opportunity to take some fun, interesting and unique photographs.

Amy is one of the team members in the Ballina store. You can see her profile here or drop in and see her and the rest of the team for advice or help.

How to Create Depth in your Photos

Eastmon Admin — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:24:40 +0000

Compose your shot to draw your eye into the picture

Have you ever seen a beautiful landscape, taken a photo of it to show everyone, only to get home and find the photo lifeless and dull? It is very hard to capture the feeling and atmosphere of a place in a single photograph and when it comes to landscape shots most end up boring and uninteresting as they lack both detail and depth. But there are a few simple techniques that can overcome this problem to help you create photos that draw you into the picture and are more intriguing.

The first hint to making more interesting landscape shots is to pick a subject. Maybe you want to take a photo of a paddock. If you just took the shot with out giving it much thought all people would see would be the endless field rolling off into the distance. It may be pretty but it doesn’t make for a very interesting photo. On the other hand if you have a look around you might see something to make the focus of your photo. For example, a tree or a tractor in the paddock, or maybe even an old fence post, just something for the eye to focus on. Just by adding a simple image into the scene you are not only showing the beautiful landscape but also creating a more interesting and eye-pleasing photo. You just have to remember that if you can’t look at a photo and point to the subject within a second then you need to rethink the shot.

Try getting down low.

The second hint is to think of a scene in three parts – a foreground, middle ground and background. For example think of a skyline in the city. Lots of huge buildings all different shapes, sizes and colours is an interesting subject however is it enough? To capture the atmosphere of the scene you really need to look at the bigger picture. We know that the buildings are the subject but when looking at this scene it would be best to make them the background. When you look in front of the buildings you have the river with boats and docks which show life in the city and draws interest – creating the middle ground. However if you pan back further there is the nice stone wall and the interesting spiky plant right in front. It tells the viewer a little bit about where you were standing when you took the photo and also gives you a foreground. So there we have it, we have a foreground, middle ground and our main subject in the background, creating a more interesting photograph that tells a story as well as captures your subject.

This could be a city anywhere and who would care?

Other benefits of having a point of interest in the foreground:

Draws the eye into the picture
Acts as a framing device
Hide objects or intrusions that you don’t want in your photo

Things to remember about the background:

The simpler the better
The sky can sometimes create an interesting background
Anything can be a background (fence, doorway, side of a building, a curtain)
If you can’t create a good background, blur it out

Now the buildings have scale and the picture becomes more interesting.

As with most things in photography there are exceptions to the rules however by keeping these two hints in mind you will become more aware of what you are taking photos of and therefore will achieve better results.

Amy is one of the team members in the Ballina store. You can see her profile here or drop in and see her and the rest of the team for advice or help.

Photographers Profile – Amy

Eastmon Admin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:22:44 +0000

Hi, my name is Amy and I am a 21 year old who absolutely loves taking photos. My camera is a permanent accessory in my bag and I don’t think a day goes by without it coming out. I have more photos than someone my age should and everyone just accepts that you take me, you take the camera too. However recently I have been thinking about getting into professional photography and it was here that I began to realise that my photography knowledge and skills aren’t as high as I’d originally thought.

When it comes to my little compact camera set on automatic mode I consider myself somewhat of an expert, but as soon as I had a Digital SLR in my hand and people began rattling off terms such as aperture, ISO, depth of field, f-numbers, focal points, resolution, compression, crop factor and white balance I began to feel quite inadequate and I must say, it makes the whole thing a little bit daunting. But I am determined for it not to get the better of me, so I am attempting the mission into the mind boggling terminology and skills of the more advanced photographer.

As I learn the different aspects there are to learn I am going to write an article with some ‘what to do’ and ‘what not to do’s', and hints so that you can learn along with me. I will try to add a few examples of my photos so you can see more clearly what I am talking about and also learn from my mistakes. I hope you find this helpful and somewhat inspiring, now that you know you are not on your own. I am looking forward to having you along on the journey.

Amy is one of the team members in the Ballina store. You can see her profile here or drop in and see her and the rest of the team for advice or help.

Getting started with your Camera

Getting started with your Camera

Eastmon Admin — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:03:12 +0000

This is the first article in a series of articles by Amy as she treads the path to advance her photographic skills and techniques.

When confronted with the task of learning the more advanced side of photography it can be a little daunting and it is hard to know where to start.

This photo was a complete fluke. When I took it and reviewed it on the camera I could hardly see the image because it was so overexposed, but when I got it on the computer I managed to get it like this by adjusting the contrast and brightness. I really like the way it came out and it just goes to show that you can not write photos off until you play with them a little bit.

I went down to the local library and hired out a few photography books but I found that none of what I was reading was sinking in. My head just wasn’t grasping the terms and techniques in the book as I didn’t know how to apply them or why they were necessary. The more I tried to work them out the more confused I was getting. Eventually I gave up and decided to try a different approach. I went on the Internet and googled photography and just began getting ideas, putting some of my favourites on a word document. You will eventually realise that certain types and styles attract your eye more than others.

Next I decided it was time just to pick up my camera, grab a willing subject, who happened to be my younger sister, find a nice location and just start shooting away. At this stage I still had my camera set on automatic modes as I just wanted to get used to the feel of the camera and see where I was up to. I took along a few pages of ideas from google and just tried a few different poses. It got interesting trying to dodge cars and avoid the harsh, late afternoon sun but I think I got some pretty good shots.

I got the idea for this photo off google. Initially it was a girl lying beside a lake, but I put my own spin on it and this is how it came out. I got right down level with her and got her to look straight down the camera lens. The problem with this photo however is that the camera has focused on the crown of her head rather than her eyes which are supposed to draw you in. This would have been easily overcome if I had used focus lock or manual focus.

When I got back home and had them up on the computer I actually surprised myself. I fiddled around a little bit with the contrast and brightness setting on my very basic photo editing software and came up with some pretty interesting effects. So they weren’t quite magazine type, picture photos but I found them very inspiring. If these were the photos I could take without using manual settings then I was a bit excited about the possibilities ahead.

As much as I was excited about my photos I sat there and looked over them with a very critical eye. I needed to be sceptical so that I could know what I need to improve on and what to watch out for next time. It was also good showing the photos to other people and getting them to give you productive criticism. By doing this I now knew what I was capable of, what I needed to work on and it also helped me to begin to understand some of the jargon in the books. But most of all it was a bit of fun for both me and my subject.

Amy is one of the team members in the Ballina store. You can see her profile here or drop in and see her and the rest of the team for advice or help.

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