Most of the time the subject of the a photo is easy to see – whether it’s a portrait, landscape, travel, or architecture. While these subjects are easy to identify, the use of shadows in these topics is not discussed as often as it should be. We spend so much time trying to get the lit portion of our images in focus, composed to our satisfaction, making sure things are sharp, and all the rest, we sometimes miss the value of shadows in our imagery.
The shadows of an image can be just as important to the composition as the lit parts are. When talking about how to light images with strobes and studio lights, the use of shadows to give definition is often discussed, but the same discussions can be germane to naturally lit photos too. Remember, the word photography means to paint with light (photo and graphos), so even the absence of light can be significant in defining our images.
Whether you shoot portraiture, architecture, landscapes, or even abstracts, shadows can and do play a role in how you compose your images. Do you look at the shadows in your images? What story do shadows tell in your work?
Share your own thoughts on how to accomplish a story by shooting with shadows below in the comments – would love to hear others feedback. In the meantime, keep on shooting.
With all the talk and hooplah over things like dynamic range, HDR, Megapixels, and the latest and greatest bells and whistles in photography, some of the staples in composition are often over-looked. Focus stacking is one such area. Most folks kind of look at me quizzically when I bring this topic up, primarily because it is rather niche and unique, but it does rely on principles of composition that have been around for a while.
First off, focus stacking is used mostly in genres like macro photography, where intricate detail is needed across a range wider than what the aperture will allow for during composition. The principle is much like the layered approach to HDR imagery – where you stack layers of images with different compositions on top of each other and blend the right portions through the entire image.
Where focus stacking differs from HDR is the types of images that you are layering. In HDR images, you are compositing images with different exposure values over one another. In focus stacking, you are not changing the exposure values, rather just the point of focus. As depth of field drops off both in front of and behind your focusing point, the subject will blur. While this may be an appreciated blurring technique in some cases, in other cases, getting different depths of field from different focusing points can make for a tack sharp macro throughout the range of the subject.
As is most often the case, explaining a photography concept is best done with images, so let’s take a look at an example. For easy demonstration, I took a white cordless phone and placed it on a black background. This way color issues are kept to a minimum…
Notice on the first focusing point, the sharpest point is right near the front? It also quickly drops off into the background as I was shooting at f2.8 The low aperture number means I will have a very shallow depth of field, which is what is causing the blurred background. To bring the rest of it into focus, I need to “stack” more shots that have a different point of focus. So, let’s add another few to the composite:
The end result from stacking all these together can be accomplished by any one of a number of methods ranging from the most time-consuming of doing it manually inside Lightroom or Photoshop, and the most efficient one of using 3rd party software. While several options do exist, the one that has become pretty much the industry standard is that of Helicon Focus! Their quality of processing is, bar none, among the best I’ve seen. More on that likely later this week.
In the meantime, here’s the result of an image that has been focus-stacked:
It’s a quick edit, and done with only having focus-stacked 5 images. If I wanted a really detailed depth of field on something more important than a cordless phone from circa 1990’s, I’d likely have taken at least 10-15 images and massaged them through Helicon Focus more carefully. More details on this entire process are coming up later this week, including reviews of the Tether Table (which will be given away this weekend as the March contest comes to an end), Helicon Focus, and the light triggers from Blackbelt Lighting.
For a behind-the-scenes footage video, stop over to the Facebook page! (Be sure to “like” it and share a comment while you are there…)
I had to bake bread for a work potluck today. That’s ok, I like cooking, and it seems others do too, because most of the time the dishes I serve are some of the first things to disappear. I decided last night to do something simple, but often popular: banana bread!
When it was done, the house sure did smell good from the caramelized sugar, bananas toasting, and who doesn’t like bread? (I know, I know – lots of carbs aren’t good for you…) But, every once in a while it’s fun to indulge. As luck would have it, this particular loaf of bread had some nice colors and tones to it, so naturally, I started thinking about my other hobby – photography!
With bread there’s so much you can do from capturing details, to using a shallow depth of field, to creative lighting and shadows, everything becomes a cornucopia of possibilities. Here’s a few of my selects from just ten minutes of prep, 60 minutes of cook, and ten minutes of shoot time!
Want a slice? What tasks have you taken and turned them into photo opportunities? The lesson learned here today (hopefully anyway) is to take something you have to do and make it something you want to do! In this case, it was a win-win scenario for me, but what about you? Sound off with your own fun-filled (or food-filling) photo projects!
Nothing too fancy, just a short post today to share a particular “vision” I had. Hopefully it helps to illustrate that even the mundane can be interesting if you think outside the box!
For the inquisitive, this was shot with off-camera flash, using Radiopoppers. The EXIF data:
Shutter Speed = 1/250th
Aperture = f/18
Focal Length = 70mm
ISO = 100
Flash = 580 EX II
Since EXIF data doesn’t record flash settings, I want to say that this was at 1/4 power, bare bulb (no diffuser, umbrella, bounce or anything like that). The hint of yellow reflection off the background of the stove is likely due to bounce off the yellow color of the teapot itself onto the black metal on the stove. It was an unintentional but cool side effect, so I left it in!
Zeke Kamm puts together an interesting set of books in Vols 1 and 2 of “Photo Trade Secrets” This is not your typical book though, so I’m not really sure that a normal review is warranted. It’s a pretty simple concept though:
Each book is a series of “hero shots” – just some really cool photography, ranging from studio work, to portrait, landscape, and everything in between. The concept behind the series is that each page can be torn out (they’re perforated) so you can go and try to duplicate the effect in your own images. I tore a few pages out of the books to show you the idea in practice. Keep in mind that it seems my scanner is having some issues, so the image quality here is not very consistent nor is it necessarily accurate – the end result in the book look much better!
You can see the front image (left) shows the end result, and the rear of the page (right) shows the setup with how and where things are positioned. I do wish he would have included the technical data such as aperture, shutter, ISO, light settings (1/4 power, manual, TTL, etc.), but it’s a neat idea regardless.
Here’s the rest of the sample images…
With 25 pages per volume, it’s nothing too meaty that will leave your head swirling with technical minutia and yet it’s got enough creative directions from all the contributing photographers to give you plenty of ideas for inspiration. It’s all a lot like “lighting recipies” with a boiler plate template, from which the author (and contributing photographers) expect you to springboard from. They give you enough to get up and running, but not enough to completely duplicate w/out a little of your own flavor and tastes in to season appropriately…
Depending on where you are and what you are looking for – this could be a two thumbs up or one to skip. For me personally – I love getting creative and inspirational ideas from other photographers, so this medley gets two thumbs up! Cool idea, well implemented, and lots of inspiration going forward!
As we rush to get our last minute gifts purchased for the holidays, here is the final set in the five part series of gift ideas for the photographer. I kept the criteria simple:
We’ve come a long way, with Part One, Two and Three giving fifteen of my best items I keep in my gear bag and for all around technical purposes. The list continues today with Part 4 – and only one more to come before all 25 are done! So, without further ado: Continue reading “25 Gift Ideas for 2010: Part 4”→
The tryptophan hasn’t quite kicked in yet, and your afternoon football game needs a break. Stretch those legs and surf along to one of these fine buys – Black Friday or any day! Continue reading “25 Gift Ideas for 2010 – Part 3”→
Last week began the grand-tastic gift guide for 2010, where I shared 5 of 25 great gift ideas for the photographer in your life. I keep the criteria simple. First, I must either own or want it! Second, It must be $50 or less. To read the first five in part 1, feel free to hit the archive for it here. Otherwise, today, we continue with Part 2:
1. Wireless Trigger System: Pocket Wizards, Radio Poppers and Cybersyncs are great if you’ve got the moolah, but for those on a budget, there should be some happy medium to get reasonably reliable triggers. I had tried the Cactus triggers myself, and they were a good point of entry, but really just were too unreliable. My buddy Kerry Garrison from Camera Dojo has researched the heck out of this and knows his stuff on lighting. He’s put together a great kit that includes everything you need from transmitters to receivers, and PC Sync cables too, all for the budget-friendly $50 rate! Check out his demo video here and get your photographer a set of these. I can’t wait to get my own set!
Wireless triggers from Camera Dojo
2. Lexar Memory: Everyone could use an additional memory card, and with prices dropping rapidly, the 8GB UDMA CF cards are now within the budget-conscious range, so pick up a spare (or two) of these as we never have enough in our bags…this one is linked from B&H but pick your own vendor of preference as the deals are across the internet.
Lexar CF Cards
3. Black Rapid RS7 – Okay, so it’s 8 bucks over the limit, but for the portability and easing of camera holding during extended sessions, the Black rapid RS 7 is a godsend. If you don’t have one – get one, plain and simple. Visit here to buy one today!
Black Rapid RS-7
4. Online Training – a month or two from either Kelby Training or Lynda.com is just the ticket to help the photographer in your life help themselves. Whether it’s a refresher on Photoshop, boning up on Indesign, or even learning how to set up a WordPress blog or website, these are great resources for online training. Monthly rates are $25 on average, and with the holidays approaching, you could easily find discount codes or bonus offers for signing up, so consider this valuable option. It’s all part of the mentality of helping people advance in their craft through education!
Online Training
5. Light Stand – I have been procrastinating getting a second light stand for some time now and there is just no excuse. The primary is an Impact stand I got from B&H and it has served me well, so I just need to add this to my own wish list, and encourage you to add one to yours (if you don’t already have enough that is…but then again, do we ever have enough lightstands – it’s a VAL you don’t have to feed or take out for beers after a shoot!)!. Here’s my own preferred one: 10′ Impact Lightstand (Tracy, are you reading this?) I should probably note here that I am linking to the 10′ tall heavy duty one – well worth the extra investment in my opinion, but for the super budget-conscious, these can get as cheap as $20 for a light duty 6′ one!
Impact Light Stand (6' to 10')
Okay, so consider it 5.5 suggestions today. I’m sure you have your own ideas too, so feel free to throw your own suggestions in the mix. Remember, with two down and three to go, keep the ideas coming as I do have some room open for a few more! Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!
We are officially into the holiday frenzy, and with Black Friday sales creeping up quickly, it’s time to start thinking of some gift ideas for the photog in your own family…or to drop subtle hints to others (if you want it for a present)! Over the next few weeks, I’ve got 25 great gift ideas to share with you. I’ve tried to keep true to some principles with these gift selections, so just to let you know, here’s my barometer for inclusion:
A. I either own it or want it! If I don’t own it, how can I say it’d be a great gift? Only if it’s something I want!
B. Let’s be realistic, the current economic trials are hitting us all hard – and throwing $100+ ideas on a gift guide is too rich for the blood of many photog-types in the trenches, so it’s gotta be cost-effective (nothing over $50)
To keep this manageable, it’s been parted out into five posts – each with 5 items. These are in no particular order, with no favoritism or affiliation to the actual products or vendors. So, without further ado:
1. Ditty Bag – My brother had some of these on our canoe trip earlier this year, and they proved invaluable in keeping my gear dry. $27 for a three-pack of dry ditty bags is a steal! From REI:
REI Ditty Bags
2. The Photo Mug – What can I say? I want one of these muchly. With my own expenditures being withheld to ones that are needed versus wanting, and not splurge items, I just have to hope someone in my family sees this:
Photojojo Lens Coffee Mug
3. The Battery Caddy – I know, this was in last years showcase, but that should tell you how much I love this. Mine was won in a photo contest online about three years ago and it has never left my camera bag. Brilliant idea, and worth its weight in gold! More options available than the AA clip shown here.
Battery Caddy
4. Flickr is probably one of the most recognizable photo sharing sites. With a pro account ads are banished and you are not limited in your daily uploads nearly as much. Only $25 gives the gift for a year!
Give the Gift of Flickr
5. Pocket Rocket from Think Tank. A sponsor of the Lightroom workshop, Think Tank gave us a bunch of these to include for each participant. I had to have one myself too, so out went the $17 – totally worth it!
Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket
Number 6-10 will be out soon, but I still have room on the list for some late additions, so if you’ve got some ideas, feel free to share (sharing is a good thing) either here in the comments or with me via e-mail. Happy shooting and we’ll see you tomorrow (or possibly Friday)!
