Eastmon Digital Photography Tips » lighting

Photography… It’s all about light

Eastmon Admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:24:52 +0000

It doesn’t matter how many time we hear it, the truth is It’s all about light! When I ran across this article it sprang to mind immediately the images that capture everyone’s attention are the images that have amazing lighting. You may well be using a top of the range Nikon Digital SLR or the most expensive lens you can put on your Canon DSLR, the bottom line is that a well lit shot from a compact digital camera can often look more appealing simply because of the lighting.

This simple article by Brenda Tharp is proof that a compact digital camera like a Canon G9 is capable of taking great images with the right lighting. Unusual lighting effects aren’t limited by the light of the day though. Try experimenting with an off camera flash also to create dramatic shadows and effects. You may have to use a tripod though if you are going to be holding the flash with one hand and shooting with the other.

When you capture those amazing images they are worthy of a giant canvas print placed in a very prominent position in your office or home or even turned into a photo gift for a friend or family member.

Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography

Challenge your photography

Eastmon Admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:23:12 +0000

Challenge your photography

I ran across this great article from Jeff Wignall that really challenged the way I take photographs. In the article ‘Need a challenge? Illustrate a concept‘ it struck a chord with me about the shoot anything method with a digital camera.

I know when I pull out my DSLR, regardless of whether I am shooting with Nikon, Canon or whatever I have tended to just shoot so much and eventually be disappointed with my results. I have also noticed many people using compact digital cameras doing the same.

I remember my early days in the camera club being surprised by how many of the members used tripods. This generally slowed them down and made them more considered in their approach to what they were shooting. It was when I took this on board and tried to capture a image that provoked a certain emotion that my photography improved and I took less, but better photographs.

Time and patience is also another consideration to capture great images that evoke a response in the audience you are targeting with your images. I have watched many of our customers who create and sell their own greeting cards develop a sense of emotion from the photographs they take, because they are selling to a public that wants to convey a particular thought.

My goal one day is to put my own coffee table photo book together with a theme of images that convey a particular theme, emotion or colour. In the past I have had a number of frames which hang in different places throughout the house where I have made different size digital images to create a theme for that area. With the price of digital photo prints and enlargements now it is possible to regularly change them and surprise your friends and family each time.

Winning Digital Photo Contests (A Lark Photography Book)

Getting started shooting portrait & candid photography

Eastmon Admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:27:03 +0000

Getting started shooting portrait & candid photography

Getting started taking portrait and candid photographs can be a little intimidating at first. There always seems to be so much to remember, however in this short video by Erin Manning you will learn the very basics to get you started.

Erin is a professional photographer who hosts her own television program ‘The Whole Picture’ in the U.S. and also writes books on photography.

In this video you will get an overview of;

The Rule of Thirds
Don’t force a kid to say cheese
Don’t let your subject wear busy clothing
Don’t let your subjects look like red eyed monsters
Don’t take all your pictures at the same angle
Don’t forget to flash your subject
Don’t overlook the quality of the light
Don’t stand too close too your subject
Don’t shoot in front of a busy background
Don’t miss your shot because you ran out of battery

Taking great pictures is not pot luck. You can learn the slow and hard way of experimenting and there is nothing wrong with that, but if you want to save time, learn from an expert. There are very few secrets to getting great photos, but there are lot of great tips and techniques that you can learn from well written books and videos. Have a look at the book below and see if it fits in with the type of photography that you do.

If you would like to view Erin Manning’s book click on the link below.

Portrait and Candid Photography: Photo Workshop (Photo Workshop)

Easy tips to shoot great group photos

Eastmon Admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:28:48 +0000

Easy tips to shoot great group photos

We’ve all seen them, and we’ve all probably taken one or more of them — the group photograph that didn’t quite work.

The kids look great; all happy, smiling faces.

But Grannie looks as if her favourite pet just died, and Uncle Joe … well, he is in the shot, but the bottom of his face has become lost behind Aunty Flo’s healthy crop of hair.

Group photos are among the most common. They’re taken at family gatherings, parties, weddings, at school, at work, in the sporting arena.

They are a vital part of photography, and that family shot taken at a 21st birthday party, or of young Billy’s first junior sporting team, can become a family heirloom — a treasured piece of family history.

So how can you get that great shot at the party — and as quickly as possible (keeping in mind that your subjects are there primarily to party, and not to hang around for half an hour while the happy snaps are taken)?

Here’s a few tips:

Be Prepared

Be prepared. Work out where you’ll take the photo, and let the group know when you’ll be wanting them to gather.

Make sure you have everybody there. Avoid the frustration of taking some really nice pictures, only to realise that someone is missing.

If, for example, it’s a celebration – someone’s 21st – use the the party decorations as a backdrop. Make the birthday person or the wedding couple central to the photo.

What is the photo about?

Make the photo explain what it’s about. If it’s a sports team, take the shot on the field (don’t line them up against the wall of the dressing sheds). If it’s a work shot, use the company logo or sign as part of the background.

Keep it tight

Keep the shot tight — get in close — but don’t cram the subjects. Make sure that, as we mentioned above, Uncle Joe’s face isn’t lost in Aunty Flo’s hair. Check your first couple of shots, and if someone’s partly obscured, rearrange the shot.

Take the photograph according to the occasion. If it’s a party, a celebration, get them smiling together, even if it means telling a silly joke or clowning around. There’s nothing worse than a grumpy face among a sea of happiness. Alternatively, if it’s a solemn occasion, even a slight grin can look awkwardly out of place.

Keep shooting

Take as many shots as you can within the short space of time you’ll be able to have the group together. Use continuous shooting mode if possible.

Vary the framing of your shots to suit the occasion. If it’s a ‘happy snap’ of a group of revelers, focus on their faces. If it’s a wedding or fancy dress occasion, what people are wearing is important, so zoom out.

Think about ‘dead space’ when posing the group: tall people to the rear or centre, shorter ones to the front or edges. If it’s a large family shot, don’t be afraid to use chairs for the senior or shorter people, with the taller ones standing in formation around those seated.

Light is everything

Lighting is important. Group portraits are all about faces, and you need to see them. In harsh sunlight, look for a shaded area to take shot in. Always try to use the flash.

Vary the height

Don’t be afraid to vary the height from which you take the picture. If it’s a group of children, get down to their level, rather than looking down on them. Alternatively, a group shot taken from height, using a ladder or a chair, and getting the subjects looking up at the camera, can provide a great effect.

Practice

Finally, as with just about everything, practice makes perfect.

Don’t be afraid to round up the family or some friends before the big party, and fire off some practice shots. Take note of what worked and what didn’t work — you’ll be all the better prepared when the real moment arrives!

5 Tips for Better Portrait Photos

Eastmon Admin — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:51:03 +0000

If we were all honest everyone would admit to wanting a flattering portrait photo of themselves, not from a vanity point of view, but simply from the same way our mind sees us when we look at ourselves in the mirror.

Getting that picture means that we must take control of the portrait photo session. It’s important to become a picture director, not just a picture taker. A picture director takes charge of portraits, they set the scene and mood to create the best portraits.

Get the light just right

Light to a photographer is like paint to an artist, the lighting is vital!

Try and shoot your portraits without bright sunlight causing heavy shadows across the face or the subject squinting into the sun, even light is the best to start with.

Outdoors on an overcast day is ideal for even light and the best quality portraits. Underneath the shade of a tree is another great location with even lighting.

Capture in comfort

Not many people are naturally comfortable in front of a camera, some of their anxiety may be reduced depending upon your relationship and rapport you have with them.

Spend time making the person relaxed and comfortable before taking any portrait photos. Use this time to study your subject and observe their expressions.

Once your subject is relaxed it then allows for natural expressions and avoids forced, squinting smiles. If your camera has a continuous shooting mode, use it and delete all the bad shots. It’s always better to shoot too much, than risk not getting the right shot.

Control and remove onlookers

Nothing is more frustrating than the well meaning onlooker, you know them they’re there yelling “Smile” and “Sit up straight”.

Control or remove onlookers! Onlookers will make the person self conscious and less able to concentrate on your directions making the process painful.

Get some angle

Most of us have seen, or had taken of us those formal dress up shots where we stood like tin soldiers and smiled at the camera.

It’s rare that we would talk to anyone in that pose as we are used to looking and talking to people at different angles. Try not to have the subject facing directly towards you.

Have them swing their shoulders away and turn their head towards the camera. This is often made easier if you get their feet and shoulders pointing in the same direction and then turn their head towards the camera.

Position the camera at about, or just slightly higher than eye level of your subject. Too high means you will be looking down on the top of their head and too low tends to look up their nose.

Using Light – The Art of Seeing

Eastmon Admin — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:56:01 +0000

A camera, no matter how automatic, is a lifeless piece of equipment until a person uses it. It then becomes a uniquely responsive tool, an expression of the photographers eye and creative mind.

Anyone can take amazingly beautiful photographs by simply taking a mental “walk” around a photo opportunity to view it from multiple perspectives. This will always result in important insights and fresh ideas.

Three of the most important factors as you begin to understand the ‘Art of Seeing’, are:

Understanding and using these to your advantage to take better photos helps to develop your ‘Art of Seeing’.

Light

The magic of photography lies in the light. Light to a photographer is what paint is to an artist. We can’t make much of a photograph without it.

When considered, objects are not photographed, only the light reflected by the object is photographed. There are very few subjects that emit their own light allowing us to photograph them.

With that in mind, when we talk about lighting we are talking about controlling the light on the subject. In the case of natural light it means selecting the type of light such as direct sunlight, open shade, overcast light and its direction which is determined by the time of day.

Seeing changes in the light on a subject is a key to taking a great photograph. By learning about light you can use it to say much about your subject in any photo.

1. Light Intensity

The first property of light to deal with is intensity or brightness. This is the most important property of light for the photographer because it sets the mood of a shot. Intensity of light breaks down into two types – hard or soft light.

Hard light throws distinct shadows. It comes from a point light source such as the sun or an electronic flash. This type of lighting can be very dramatic causing strong and defined lines and is great for action and high detail shots. When looking at your subject hard lighting is seen as shadows that are sharply defined.

Soft light is the opposite and comes from a reflected or broad source. It is often indirect light that reflects onto the subject from it’s surroundings. It’s perfect for portraits and images which needs a soft tone. Some photographers refer to this type of lighting as diffused light. A study of your subject with soft lighting will show shadows with very soft edges.

2. Light Direction

The second property of light to deal with is its direction, which is where the light source is coming from and how this affects the photo you take.

Front lighting is where the light source is hitting the subject directly and is behind the photographer which may cause the subject to squint.

When photography was in its infancy it was common for most photographs to be taken with front lighting, you may, even now, hear people tell you the light should always be behind the photographer.

Top lighting is when the light source is coming from above the subject. This can cause the image to look flat with short shadows often under the subjects eyes.

This type of lighting is common to most photographs as we tend to take most of our photographs when the sun is high in the sky

Side lighting is light hitting the subject from the side. This can help increase depth and contrast in most photos.

The most common occurrence of side lighting is usually early morning or late afternoon. Because of the time of day that this occurs it can often bring mood to your pictures by adding more warmth to your photos as the sun throws a more golden yellow light.

Back lighting is when the light source is behind the subject. In very bright conditions this will place the subject in silhouette. To help alleviate this flash can be used to help lessen the contrast of the light.

Another twist on back lighting is rim lighting. Back lighting as seen on the picture opposite creates lovely silhouettes and shapes in sunsets. Rim lighting is still light coming from behind your subject and tends to illuminate the hair and shoulders of your subject. Careful exposure or fill flash is required to truly appreciate rim lighting as you want detail in your subject. Back lighting on the other hand simply requires you to compose your picture and let the camera set the exposure.

3. Light Contrast

The last characteristic of light is contrast. This is how much difference there is between the brightest and darkest part of a scene.

High contrast is mainly found on bright days when there is a big change between the lightest and darkest part of the photo.

High contrast is generally achieved with hard lighting, but not always so, as demonstrated in the black and white image on the right. Dramatic results are obtained by careful use of contrast.

Low contrast is often found on an overcast day and will only display a small difference between the bright and dark parts of a scene.

A romantic or gentle mood is often conveyed by careful application of reducing the contrast of a photo. Generally you would use soft lighting and look for a background that is a similar tone or colour to your subject.