Category: Articles

The Beauty of Bokeh Revisited

Jason3 Comments

I know – the blog has not gotten much attention lately.  My apologies – but after the job loss, and pounding the pavement, my schedule has tightened up considerably, so the “planned posts” have pretty much been exhausted as I let myself get behind.  The good news is that with several opportunities on the horizon, I am a little less stressed about “real world” economics, and can dedicate some time back to the blog.  A few items of note:

#1 – The Year End Blowout Bash is underway – and LDP/Canon Blogger is giving away a ton of goodies.  I posted details about this last week, but in the interests of giving it a little more “face time”, I would encourage everyone to start thinking about their “giving” themed photos – could mean some seriously cool prizes coming your way to start the new year off right!  More details on the prize package and such here:

#2 – The 3rd edition of the LDP Newsletter is forthcoming – with some little known tidbits about the guests on most recent podcasts, including nuggets from David DuChemin and Andie Smith, as well as the monthly roundup, great quotes and christmas/holiday ideas for the photo buff in all of us.

#3 – With many things under way both professionally and personally for this time of year – the posting schedule that I had been adhering to for most of the year (hardware, software review, composition, podcast, etc.) is likely not going to be followed as strictly as things will be done more on a “catch as catch can” sort of thing.  If you like tuning in for one thing or another – keep on reading because the stuff you like will be there, just maybe not on the schedule you are accustomed to.

#4 – Last up, I’d like to point out that the donations tab is still active, and all are welcome to contribute via that conduit – but in the interests of getting some tangible things back to the reader and listeners that have been so encouraging, I am going to be coming out with some short eBooks (5-10 pages max) and there is a new link for the website to bookmark for that content:  https://canonblogger.com/store  While I am getting a fairly good idea of things readers and listeners would like to see/hear, feel free to send in questions, comments, suggestions and the like for store content as I am open to input.

So, with the vegetables out of the way, I’d like to delve into the “meat and ‘taters” segment of today’s post and that lies in the title:  bokeh

For those of you that may not be aware, bokeh refers to the blurred portions that are out of focus behind your subject matter.  The quality and nature of that out of focus portion can really enhance a photo, and can even become the subject matter itself when looked at creatively.  Now, I‘ve talked here on the blog about bokeh in the past, but in the spirit of the holidays, I thought it would be fun to share some samples of images where I actually forced the entire scene out of focus, to basically make the bokeh the subject:

The Beauty of Bokeh #1
The Beauty of Bokeh #1

The Beauty of Bokeh #2
The Beauty of Bokeh #2

The Beauty of Bokeh #3
The Beauty of Bokeh #3

The Beauty of Bokeh #4
The Beauty of Bokeh #4

The Beauty of Bokeh #5
The Beauty of Bokeh #5

As the samples show, you can make some pretty fun use of blur and bokeh.  Shapes lend themselves well, and varieties in colors, as well as monochromes too.  Another thing – when getting bokeh and blur – don’t worry too much about noise and crank the ISO if need be – it’s all about your creative mind.  You can remove noise if you must, but the idea is to capture something in a new way and getting bokeh this time of year specifically can be a lot of fun.  A few suggestions though:

    1. Look for shapes, as suggesting what the subject might really be can catch visual interest by teasing the eye – you know what it is by the shape…
    2. Look for light, because without much variation in light or bright spots, the bokeh will end up looking like just some smudges of a limited tonal range
    3. Use your best lens(es) as these produce softer bokeh – less angular edges, and more rounded or smooth textures, which is usually better for bokeh (“better for bokeh”, did I just say that?)
  1. Shoot wide open, then switch to manual focus and intentionally blur – push the lens further out of focus for variations on your bokeh elements.   Watch what happens and adjust to taste.

So, there’s a few ideas for you – there could be an eBook coming out on this later with more samples and suggestions so let me know if this whets your appetite.  Do you like the idea?  Want to see more?  Get more tips on shooting for the abstract?  Do the photos above help or hurt the idea?  Do you like them or think there are better samples?  Got any of your own?  Feel free to post links to your own libraries of bokeh and blur for everyone to enjoy – there might even be a newsletter mention in it for ya! 🙂

That’s gonna do it for today – coming up later this week, the aforementioned newsletter, another podcast, and much more, so keep on shooting, until then, may your batteries be charged and your memory cards filled with lots of photos this holiday season.  Now get out there and shoot ya some! 🙂

The Best Lens on the Planet!

Jason3 Comments


Adobe Lightroom 3

Imagine the following lens:

    1. Can capture wide angle panoramas
    2. Can capture detail as close as one inch away.
    3. Can capture detail as far away as 300 feet in most cases.
    4. Can adjust to extreme low light scenarios in an instant
    5. Can adjust to extreme bright light scenarios in an instant
    6. Can capture HDR imagery with no post processing
    7. Can capture 3-D in the truest sense of the word
    8. Can capture images with no pixelation
    9. Can capture the widest tonal range available in the visible light spectrum.

How much would you spend on these lenses? How much would you protect, treasure, and cherish them? We all love our high quality optical glass whether we be Canonites, Nikonians, Pentaxians, Olympians or whatever. Across all brands, we know the value of high quality optics, and also know that such optics do not come cheaply.

We also know that owning such gear requires regular maintenance. I know people who take a lens out of it’s case, place it on a camera, take a picture, and when done, replace it right back in the case. When the lens costs upwards of $5000 or even $10,000 for the super zooms, it’s understandable. Many would say that even the most expensive lenses in the market today do not meet all of the above 9 criteria. So, it’s kind of hard to put a price on such a hypothetical lens.

However, we are all given two of these lenses by default – even before we got into photography. What are these two lenses that are priceless? OUR EYES!

Think of all the time we spend cleaning our lenses, wiping them down, avoiding scuffs, chips, and keeping away from dust and dirt as much as possible. Then compare that to the amount of time we spend maintaining our optical health. It’s kind of ironic, eh?. So many of us take our eyes for granted. The moral of the story?

GET YOUR EYES CHECKED REGULARLY!!!

I just got back from my annual eye exam the other day, with some good and bad news. The good news is that the glaucoma and macular degeneration which runs in the family (both sides) has not reared its ugly head yet. The bad news is that apparently I am getting to an age in my eye health where I need a little assistance at both the near and far end of vision – in other words: bifocals! *shudder*

While it’s not the end of the world, and I certainly can swallow my pride, accept the fact that my eyes will see better and get the glasses, it is just another anecdote where a little education can come from it – to take care of your own lenses (your eyes).   After all, without your own lenses, the rest of the lenses in the world won’t make a difference!  On that note, let’s get out and use our eyes to capture the world around us!  Happy shooting, have a great weekend, and we’ll see you back here on Monday!

Happy Thanksgiving

Jason4 Comments

While the rest of the world thinks of this as Thursday, here in the USA today is called “Thanksgiving”, and it’s a day where Americans far and wide take some time to stop and take a moment of pause to consider everything they are thankful for.  While most bloggers in the U.S.  are taking the day off, I am actually bucking that trend with a few brief thoughts, specifically of what I am thankful for:

  1. My health – I know it sounds corny, but when you consider how many people are fighting off diseases and life-threatening circumstances, I am very lucky to be in fairly good health.  Granted I am a little over-weight, and a little under-exercised, but for the most part, am feeling in pretty good health considering.
  2. My wife – For those of you that read the blog regularly, you know that Tracy is my ever-supportive wife, who not only tolerates my obsession with photography and technology, but also encourages me to do things better, who constantly says she is proud of me, and will always be there for me when I need her most.  She is literally the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am a lucky guy to have her.
  3. My Freedom – I rarely get political on the blog, but we Americans take so much for granted when it comes to freedom.  We have freedom of speech, expression, the right to bear arms, the right to vote, and so much more that others across the world only dream of.  That freedom came at a price – and that is the lives of many of our servicemen and women.  So, I also would like to tangentially give some thanks to our troops both domestically and abroad.
  4. My Family – Again, it sounds corny, but there are so many homeless folks, orphans, and people who live alone in the world – to have the benefits of having a family (even when they drive you bonkers) is to have it all.
  5. The viewers and readers – That’s right – without the readers, listeners, and friends I’ve made through all of this time online, this blog would be just another voice in the wind of the internet.  It’s the encouragement and participation from readers and listeners of the blog and podcast that has often kept me motivated to keep on going, and the success the blog and podcast have seen is due mostly to the inspiration, encouragement, and feedback I’ve received from each and every listener out there.

What are you thankful for?

Useful Resource

Jason32 Comments

In the interests of giving people enough time to participate, here is the awaited review of Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Book, Volume 3.  To be eligible to win this book, simply comment on this post – you have until Friday to make a comment – the winner will be announced then.  One entry only per person, and free shipping to anywhere in the US.  If you live outside the US you can still participate, but shipping won’t be free.  Details to follow for the winner…  Good luck all and thanks to those at NAPP and Kelby Media for sending the book out (little did they know I’d be turning around and giving it away again).  So, ready for the “review”?  Here goes:

Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Book, Vol. 3
Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Book, Vol. 3

The relatively recent release of Scott Kelby’s latest book on photography has met well with readers and reviewers so when I got an opportunity to read through it in some detail, figured this would be a good time to give a Canon-centric rundown.

First off, the book is interestingly organized.  Scott’s impressive background with Photoshop has lent itself well toward his particular writing style in that a work flow of sorts can be how reading material is organized.  With photography, a “work flow” is not as easy to adhere to because things will vary from one type of environment to another.  There are some basics that will be the same across the board, and given the layout of this third volume, I am guessing he found a flow for the first book or two.  For this third book though, it’s not typical “Kelby-esque” style writing.  Sure, the wit still comes through, and for those accustomed to his writing style, this is a welcome element.  The flow aspect being different though, takes some adjusting.  To that end, here’s how the book is laid out in its chapter organization:

  1. Flash Tips
  2. Studio Tips
  3. Lens Tips
  4. Product Photography
  5. Outdoor Photography
  6. Portrait Photography
  7. Sports Photography
  8. General Photo Tips
  9. Avoiding/Dealing with Problems

Because in previous works, I have been accustomed to reading something like a story as things easily transition from one element to the next, this was a bit more challenging at first.  Once I made the shift to this new style, it became easier – so, my recommendation, read this book more as a quick reference guide.  The tips, tricks, and pointers he gives on all subjects are spot on for the specific subject matter.  The content shifts quickly though with each tip lasting about a page (and this includes graphics).

When all is said and done though, would I recommend this as a book to read?  I can honestly say that though I’ve probably advanced past his introductory books, this is definitely a keeper.  Not only are there some great tips in here, but they aren’t just cheesy ones like “Don’t forget to take your lens cap off…”  These are real tips, true gristle that you can sink your teeth into.  Want to know how to use mirrors?  Scott tells you!  How about what to do if your flash isn’t bright enough?  Scott tells you!  There’s even nuts and bolts info on things like how to get specific effects with your photography in all genres of work.  I think what I like best is that he actually goes through some of the specifics for both Nikon (his camera gear of choice) and Canon equivalents, for camera and lighting settings.  This way no one is left out (unless you shoot Pentax, but then even there, the tips for photography still apply.)

The last element I think is worth mentioning is that while this book is not complete on any given subject matter, that it is still a good choice  because now you aren’t trying to get everything out of one book – you get nuggets and tricks and tools for any genre that can help you.  Even if you knew  everything in this book at one point in time, it would still be useful because we all need reminders every once and a while, so this is one to be sure to hold on to.  Scott gives enough detail to get you started in whatever field interests you – or even enough to take you from beginner to serious hobbyist, or even to maintain your skills as a general reference guide.  Is it too late?   Can I retract the “Comment Contest” and keep the book?  No worries – out it goes for some lucky reader.

I do feel that I should give some fair warning here though – this book is not for beginners.  If you’ve got a few things down, some of the basics of gear and lighting, and known your rules of composition, then yes, jump right in, the water is warm.  If the terms I just mentioned are somewhat new or you are still getting them down pat – you might want to start with his Volume 1 or Volume 2 book (or even just keep reading the blogs – I know a few good ones! 🙂 )

So, there you have it – thanks to Scott for putting out yet another must-read book (what’s he at, like 60 books now?).  Thanks also to Kelby media for sending this one out – I wasn’t sure if it would come or not.  And lastly, now it’s time to share your thoughts…did you like it?  Did it stink?  Needed more?  Needed less?  About right?  Should he switch to Canon and leave the Nikonians behind?  (Ok, just kidding on that last one…)  But sound off – this is your chance to win the book for free!

Happy shooting all, and thanks in advance for all that stop in to comment – don’t forget the month long contest going on over at Flickr to win a bunch of prizes including some more stuff from NAPP.  It’s in the Flickr tab up at the top, but I’ll link here again for convenience sake!  We’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

In the interests of full disclosure…

Jason6 Comments

It recently came to my attention that the FTC commission has taken an interest in the reviews that bloggers provide as unbiased information on the products.  I guess this came about due to some people that gave reviews of products that were actually paid endorsements, and did not disclose this information to their readership.  The FTC is now apparently requiring that all reviewers release and disclose their relationship with the vendors of the products for which they are reviewing by December 1st.

So, in the interests of full disclosure, I have compiled a page to disclose exactly what I get for the review of products written here.  As most of you are already aware, the answer to that is nothing, with a few notable exceptions.  The products that I have reviewed here on the blog are entirely done via donations from vendors (where the products are then put up for giveaways in the monthly contests), or on loaner programs where the products are reviewed and then returned to the company.  The rest of the products I have reviewed are of my own gear which I have already purchased with my own money!

For those interested in viewing the page, it’s titled “Supporters of the Blog and Podcast and is displayed in the sidebar.

*****

Okay, with the legalities out of the way, just a couple other blog maintenance things to mention:

  • The next podcast is going live tomorrow!
  • The latest contest is underway over at Flickr (you can win a free copy of Noise Ninja from PictureCode – the theme this month is Fall)
  • The 2nd issue of the monthly newsletter is also under construction, so if you are interested in being a featured artist, let me know!

Wow – what a bunch of “official” sounding stuff – so unlike me!  Let’s change that up – share with me your thoughts on the FTC position.  Do you like it?  Agree?  Disagree?  Think they are off their rocker?  Call me the fence sitter, but I can see why they are doing it, but I think they’ve taken it too far.  What do you think?  Got any of your own bureaucratic wonders to share?  Sound off  – maybe if we get enough feedback saying that no one likes it, they will reconsider their position on “all bloggers”! 🙂  (Kind of like “rocking the vote”!)

Anyway, that’s about it for today, so Happy Shooting and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

And there’s more!

Jason2 Comments

First there was the blog…  Then video tips got added…  Then a podcast came to fruition…  Audio tips got added…

And now:  A Newsletter!

That’s right, I am happy to announce that the inaugural issue of the Canon Blogger Newsletter (CBN) is now ready for download.  It’s pretty much an introductory issue more than anything else, in hopes of doing three things:

  1. Tempting your taste buds (photographically speaking)
  2. Letting you know what’s in store for future issues
  3. Getting some preliminary feedback

As with anything, the first incarnation will have room for improvement, so here’s what I’d like to know…What are your thoughts on the design and layout?  Content?  Creativity?  Please let me know what you’d like to see as this really is your newsletter!

Here’s the link to…  download the Newsletter Here

Last up, the September contest giveaway is closed to entries and finalists announced.  I am waiting to hear back from the vendors on the grand prize winner, btu while we await that news, the October contest forges on.  This month, the lucky winner gets a free license of Noise Ninja, one of the best known and most widely used software resources for photographers.  Coming from the folks over at Picture Code, this is an $80 value for the Pro Bundle – well worth the money.  To win this, simply enter a recent photo in the Flickr Contest Thread, for October – the theme for the contest is FALL! Good luck to everyone – let’s start snapping!

On that note, hope everyone had a great weekend.  Surely there’s photos out there, so keep on shooting! (Don’t forget to sound off in the comments section with your thoughts on the newsletter!)

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Blurring Water

Jason3 Comments

An interesting question came cruising through the blog a few days ago.  While the submitter wished to remain anonymous (I asked them if I could share the details, which I always do to encourage any and all questions)…the details of the answer follow here today.  You see, what this person wanted to do was capture an image that included several challenging elements…including windy conditions, early (and late) light, moving water, and a deep need for detail from front to rear.

Without going into more detail, here’s basically what the shooter wants:

  1. High depth of field to capture detail (which requires a high aperture setting (f16 or f11)
  2. High shutter speed to freeze the leaf movement in the trees
  3. Blurred water

If you know anything about the exposure triangle (which we’ve talked about here before – shutter, aperture and ISO), then you know that any hopes of blurring the water with simple exposure adjustments is almost impossible.  WHile it can be done, the result will require post processing because at some point you will need to have a shutter speed where it’s long enough to blur the water.  There are some steps you can take in camera though – through ND filters.

ND Filters (Neutral Density) are basically light stoppers – they cut the amount of light that hits your sensor.  From anywhere by 50% to almost 100% (Check out the Wikipedia chart here for specifics).  You can stack them to net a greater effect (some of the dark ones are pretty expensive).

Even with the ND filters though, the end result will be blur in the water (wanted) and blur in the trees (not wanted).  So, some work is needed in your post processing.  I’ll propose two ways here:

Method #1

Overlay multiple images in Photoshop – Take several bracketed exposures and overlay the parts you want of each image to show through.  You can use the Mask tool to do this.  The problem here is that it can be tedious and time consuming to get things just right.

Method #2

The other way would be to take one image into Photoshop and use the blur tool or some other equivalent plugin (of which there are several), where you can selectively blur the area of the photo where you want it (but always do this on a duplicate layer or duplicate copy – never do this on the originals)…

Kind of a detailed post for a Friday, but one that I thought would be worth sharing regardless.  Did I miss something else?  If you have any other ideas that may be helpful, feel free to sound off in the comments with them as many brains are better than one!  Anyway, as we head into the weekend, there are just a few blog notes to let you know about:

    • The Topaz/Thinktank Contest has concluded, and I am waiting to hear from the vendors on who the lucky winner will be, so thanks in advance for your patience.
    • The October Contest is now under way!  We’ve got a very exciting contest from the folks at Noiseware – makers of the famous Noise Ninja software.  This software is fabulous at reducing noise in your images.  I’ve reviewed this in the past here on the blog, so feel free to peruse the archives for that review.  Why is it exciting though?  Because they are giving away TWO copies of the software – so we’re going to split this one up – one will be given away this month, and another at some yet to be determined point in the future.  The thread is now up in the Flickr Community – so feel free to start sharing your images there.  The theme this month:  Fall
    • Last but not least, a question for the readership – I am putting the final touches on something new and exciting that is coming out very soon for blog readers, but I am wondering if there is enough interest in doing something else as well – a forum!  I know, there’s tons of forums on the web, but I have literally connected dozens and dozens of people with similar needs and interests through the blog and podcast, and thought that CB might be in need of a community where participants and readers can share with one another.  There would also be areas to discuss recent podcasts, to share websites, and other useful online resources with one another – and who knows what more.  The first step though would be in setting it up – but to do that requires just a smidge of work.  The question is – is there enough interest?  So, sound off in the comments, let me know if you would like to see that happen!

      Okay, well this post has turned out to be much longer than I had anticipated, so let me stop rambling now.  Hope your weekend is great, and we’ll see you back here on Monday (hopefully with the new announcement to share)!  Happy shooting and we’ll see you then!

      Classic Questions on Photography: Which Lens?

      Jason7 Comments

      Every photographer, whenever they start or dip their toes in the proverbial waters, starts wondering about their gear, their work, and how to do things.  And, in search of answers to questions – we start asking them.  One of the classic questions is “What camera should I buy?”  Another similar one is “What lens to get?”  There are more (of course), but these are two of the most commonly asked questions I’ve had proposed to me (and that I’ve proposed myself in the past.  The answer though, is a bit more problematic, because there are qualifiers to everything.  More often than not, the answers start with the inevitable “It depends…”  The reason is – it does!

      For lenses, the “depends” factor relates to what you want to shoot because your subject matter will define the focal range that is best suited to your purposes.  Here are some general rules of thumb to follow:

      • Wide Angle Lenses

      Wide angle lenses (in my opinion), are best suited to a few specific styles and subject matter.  I’ve found that the wide angle of view is best suited to subjects like landscapes and architecture.  Wide angles allow you to capture a greater sense of scale, where clouds, skylines, building lines, and other scenes like this.  In general, the focal lengths that I would put in this category range from the low end of 10mm up to around 35mm.

      • Portrait Lenses

      These are the lenses that are really best suited for portrait work.  Take someone’s picture with a wide angle lens, and the proportions can be very unflattering.  Alternatively, taking portrait pictures with a zoom lens requires to to be pretty far away, which makes for less interaction.  I like to really catch the details of people’s eyes, and be able to interact, so certain lenses work better for this.  The ones that I like for portrait work range in focal length anywhere from 50-200mm.  The 50mm (or nifty fifty) is the classic portrait lens, and when you shoot portraiture with one of these on a low aperture (f2.8 or lower), the results can be very appealing with some nice bokeh yet your subject is tack sharp.  You can probably go up to about a 200mm lens, before you are just too far away (for my taste).  Ironically, as you go up to the higher range of zooms, the higher focal range will compress things which can be more flattering, but you do so at the expense of being able to interact

      • Zoom Lenses

      The zoom lens is probably the most obvious lens type and function.  Zooms are intended to take photos from further away than you normally would be able.  This makes them ideal for things like wildlife, sporting events, and things of that nature.  While preferences may vary, for me I would define zooms as anything above the 300mm level.

      So, those are my general categories for lenses.  So, when you ask me what lens you should buy, I’ll ask what you want to shoot.  From that, these guidelines can help answer the lens question in better detail.  So, there’s my answer to the question of “Which Lens?”…what do you think?  Like it?  Make sense?  What are your categories?  Got any favorites?  Sound off in the comments, and share your own thoughts on the question of “Which lens”.  Until tomorrow, keep those lenses open and Happy Shooting!

      ***********

      P.S.  Tomorrow, the Guest Blogger series is back and we’re going across the pond – literally!  So, be sure to tune in to Kevin Mullins, a wedding photographer from the UK.  He’s got some great stuff to share so be sure to tune in then.