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Eight Ways to Awesome Photos

March 4, 2019August 12, 2019 JasonLeave a comment

One of the worst moments in photography is when you get things back on the computer from a shoot to see that dreaded blur! If only you had been able to stabilize the camera more. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been confidant enough in my own abilities to think “I can hand hold that shot”.

The truth of the matter is, most of us can’t! So, avoid the blur whenever possible When trying to capture images where light is low, a sense of movement is desired, or any other scenario where shutter speeds drop perilously low, getting that camera stable is critical! Here are eight ways to make that happen:

1. Use a Tripod – Shots taken with tripods are inherently more stable than their handheld counterparts. Nothing stabilizes things like an inanimate object!

2. Use a Monopod – With the tripod police out in force more and more, they are being allowed less and less in a number of areas. If a tripod isn’t permitted, a monopod may be an alternative worth considering.

3. Use Your Surroundings – Okay, so the tripod wasn’t allowed, the monopod you forgot, but there’s still a chance to catch that shot. The answer lies in using your surroundings. Brace the camera against a tree, a fencepost, a car, or whatever is available. They key is to make your camera stationary.

4. Bump the ISO – As much as I try to avoid increasing ISO, the newer cameras available do a great job of smoothing, and even then, software post production options are also pretty advanced at cleanup afterward. So, if you have to, go ahead and bump the ISO settings to shoot fast and still retain exposure accuracy.

5. Hold that Camera – I know some shooters who claim to be able to hand hold as slow as 1/30th of a second, and one of their “secrets” is a secure grip on the camera. Make sure you’re holding your camera right and not flapping your arms out beside you, all fingers around the edges (like a camera phone), and you can get better shots.

6. Shoot between Breaths – Yup, you can shoot between breaths. It’s key to remember not to hold your breath, but rather inhale slowly, exhale slowly, and that momentary gap between breaths is a moment when your body rhythms are not moving at all, heartbeat included!

7. Slide that Finger – No, not that one! Your shutter finger is what I am talking about. So many people tend to jab the shutter, but that pushes the camera and can introduce movement. Make it a slow slide with increasing pressure, almost as if the shutter release is an afterthought.

8. Watch Your Feet – Standing with your feet together like a ballerina is never a good idea when shooting. Your center of gravity rises, and you are unstable. When you are unstable, so is your camera. The same holds in the opposite extreme, so keep your feet about shoulder width apart when shooting.

If you like these tips, keep in mind, there’s 90 more tips just like these in my eBook Combo Kit where you get both 49 Photo Tips, Volumes I and II, as shown at the top of the homepage. On sale for a limited time, this combo kit is going for $10, so get it now while the savings are available!

There are, of course, other tools and methods to help make your photos better, but these 8 ways to add stability are just a primer to get you on the right track to making the most of your time behind the lens! Know of any other ways to help stabilize a shot? Anything I missed or that particularly speaks to you and your own techniques? Sound off in the comments or via email!

Puerto Angel Vacation Photos

May 18, 2011January 19, 2017 Jason1 Comment

As you may or may not have noticed, the blogging schedule has sort of gotten re-aligned again. I had slipped from the 5-day schedule down to a 2-day schedule, but during a recent getaway, I was able to get things back on track. Hopefully there won’t be any more changes to what is now a Mon-Wed-Fri setup, but news-breaking or other earth shattering info may trump the normal order of the universe! In any case, during the break, I happened across a few really good photo ops. Some gorgeous vistas and scenery, plus an occasional animal sighting from the trip to Puerto Angel Mexico (you’ll get more info if you subscribe to the free PhotographyBB magazine as a full-length article with many more photos is due out next month).

Nevertheless, since photos have not been at the forefront, I wanted to dedicate an entire post to sharing some photos from the trip here with you. So, without further ado, some selects from the trip!

Did You Know…

December 20, 2010 Jason2 Comments

Over the weekend I was down in Tucson, spending some time with the in-laws, and during the getaway, had a chance to catch up on some overdue reading in my monthly magazine stack (it has been growing steadily lately as other stuff has gotten in the way. I emerged from my readings with several “Eureka!’s” and “What a great idea!” so, figured to pass on the new-found or re-kindled knowledge here on the blog. (In the spirit of giving and all that…) So, without further ado, here’s a new feature on the blog:

Did You Know…?

1. Fog is about 1 stop brighter than what cameras detect as 18% gray? To compensate for shots taken in foggy conditions, adjust your exposure settings up by about 1/2 – 1 1/2 stops to compensate, otherwise you’ll get underexposed shots.

2. Cameras are designed for right-handed people…the ergonomics are made to grip and adjust controls with your right hand. Left-handed shooters have it twice as hard as the rest of us so double kudos to you!

3. Pentax was actually the first camera vendor slated to release a full-frame DSLR camera, not Canon or Nikon!

4. As you move light away from your subject, the output drops off by a factor of almost 2 to 1? (It’s actually technically “double the distance, 3/4ths the output…) Which means if you move your subject away, you need twice as much light at double the distance to equal the same output…

5. To shoot a picture of the moon, use the Moony 11 Rule, just like the Sunny 16, but use f/11 and match the ISO to shutter speed

And since I was in Tucson this past weekend, here’s a couple holiday photos to tickle your funny bone…Christmas Tucson-Style:

Got your own DYK tips or photo nuggets? Share ’em here on the blog. I’ll likely start doing this as a monthly feature and would love to hear the ideas, tips and tricks that others have to share as well. In the meantime, keep on shooting, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

6 Tips for Shooting Christmas Lights

December 15, 2010 Jason1 Comment

It’s that time of year again, and many have already covered the tips and tricks that surround shooting Christmas Lights. Here’s just a few tips and sample photos to help you along the way, and give you some ideas for your own creative vision and inspiriation:

Keep your shutter speed around 3-7 seconds. Much longer than 7 seconds and the lights will start getting blown out, losing detail. Much shorter than 3 seconds and your lights won’t have enough detail.
Shoot at twilight (or early morning if the lights are still on). This avoids the problem of needing longer exposures in darker night shots, which can cause #1. Also, the dark blues in twilight can add some real nice depth and appeal that would otherwise be lacking in darker sky photos. If you time it right and get clear enough skies, you can also get stars in your images!
It should go without saying, but use a tripod – these long exposures are impossible without it. To this end though, if you don’t have your tripod wrapped in foam, now is the time to do it. Colder temps can make it downright painful to touch.
Don’t try to capture too much – you have a limited window of twilight, so once that’s gone, just enjoy the rest of the evening – most of your shots after twilight won’t be “keepers”
Try shooting low to get a different angle, or from above looking down – to get a better “aerial” approach.
For the starburst effect without the star filter, drop your aperture down to f16 or smaller – lights will start to exhibit the starburst effect at these smaller apertures.

There’s my 5 tips – but there’s always more where that came from. What about the rest of the audience? What tips, tricks, and advice do you have for shooting the holiday lights? Share ’em in the comments! Here’s my sample (there’s more also up on my Flickr photo stream). Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

Editor Note: These were taken at Chatfield, part of the Denver Botanical Gardens, which are decorated every year. A nice change of pace from shooting the downtown Denver area, and tickets go for $9.50 (adults) and $6.50 (kids). With lots of lights and diversions for kids including hot chocolate, hay rides and more, it’s definitely worth the price of admission. Maps, schedules, and additional information are available here.

Meeting Your Goals…with help!

December 6, 2010 Jason1 Comment

Did you meet your goals in 2010 photographically speaking? It’s an interesting question, especially for me because as I started to move in toward the holidays, with a new job ramping up, had felt as though work in the photography arena had stagnated for me to a degree. It really was not the case actually – and the back story here is what is important. None of us are an island – we all need help to both keep ourselves motivated, and to keep the fires and energies burning. Sometimes we recharge from a break other times it’s from a good kick in the…well, you get the idea!

The Back Story

Colleagues, mentors, tutors, and others in the field can be a hugely helpful influence, and one sage such associate recently told me to shoot more and talk less. The whole idea of “shut up and shoot” had come back to haunt me! This is advice I give to others when they approach me – how dare he suggest that. But then I considered…and in all honesty, the last month or so of photo production had not been as productive as I had wished. I had excuses of the new job, sure…but the bottom line was that my colleague was right! I needed to get out and shoot more! So I did just that. In doing so, I got a few good decent photos together, including one for the desktop download series…

Then, another industry association (although I use that term lightly), is none other than Mr. David DuChemin. You may recall he paid a visit to the podcast a while back, and occasionally we have had a few exchanges on Twitter, but it’s definitely a one-sided relationship where I learn from him and not vice-versa! 🙂 (There I go again with the self-deprecation – someone needs to shock me so I stop doing that!) Anyway, he reminded me that the whole point of our craft is to share our vision and work with others. It came through a Twitter exchange when I was giving a compliment to his work by also using my well-known tactic of self-deprecation. It stuck with me so much, that I’d rather just share his exact words:

– and that is exactly what I had not been doing photographically. Oh sure, test shots from lens reviews, a few sample photos here and there…but nothing really from the inner core that had apparently been needing some voice. So, with that I decided to go ahead full force – not only with capturing more images, but completing the last of the Desktop Downloads for the year!

The 2010 Desktop Downloads

What’s that? You don’t know about the Desktop Downloads? Of course not, because I had been neglecting to share the information with everyone on the regular monthly basis that a new photo for inspiration and enjoyment had been uploaded. For many months of the year, I was capturing photos and content to share, and not sharing it! The legwork behind it was lost in the business. So, I owe the audience an apology and 12 downloads for the year! No worries though – you know why? Because I met my goal for the year! In going back through each month for the image I had selected, I realized that this was also tied to a “project” I gave myself for 2010 – to shoot more often, and take on more projects. The goal was one a month, and I did it! With my personal success finally realized, it’s high time to share that success with everyone else. For the monthly desktop image for December, you can get click the appropriate link and download for your own inspiration and enjoyment!

1280×1024 px

1024×768 px

To get the rest, simply hit the Downloads page and save for your own desktop wallpaper or screen saver as you prefer… As an aside, there are a couple months I had done the download as a calendar, thinking it would be more functional (May and June), but after toying with the idea for 2 months, decided it detracted too much from the image for my tastes (all due respect to Jeffrey Friedl and his PS plugin that helped produce those months though.). Nevertheless, with the year far from over (most of December is left for us), I can officially say I met my goal for the year with 12 photo projects. Already, I’ve shot nearly 20% more than I did last year, because of directed projects and diligence. Have you met yours? There’s still time, so get out there and shoot! Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow…

Editor Note: (Who am I kidding, that’s still me…) I know the Monthly Newsletter is still not out as promised and I expect that to be out tomorrow as well, so if you’d like to still sign up for that, there’s still time!

Raquette Lake Rendezvous

August 17, 2010 Jason3 Comments

Every year, the men in the family (cue Tim Allen-esque Home Improvement style grunts) depart from their women and the rigmarole of daily lives to embark on a quest to re-connect with nature. We build fire, we eat man food, we emit bodily sounds not allowed in most social circles, tell jokes that are decidedly not PC or appropriate for most audiences and all sorts of other debauchery.

This year I had the chance to attend (I missed a few years due to work), and with a new generation of men-in-training to initiate, it was quite the sojurn! We also dealt with survival skills in the wild – land navigation/compass courses, intentionally over-turning canoes and kayaks to recover, and all sorts of hair-raising experiences for the single-digit aged crowd. They learned quite a bit!

In all the ruckus, I did manage to sneak my SLR into the forest for what I anticipated to be some possible chances at some nice scenery. I was not disappointed…here’s a few sample shots from said trip:

In addition to spending some good quality time with family, some “man-bonding” and such, a few decent shots came out of the trip too! Plus, with my packing list, and preparations for keeping everything dry, as well as some other trip-specific details, a few posts worth of content will likely be coming down the road later this week too!

In the meantime, don’t forget to set your alerts for the first free webinar that Kerry Garrison and I are hosting tomorrow night from our joint venture with Lightroom Dudes. That starts tomorrow at 6:30pm Pacific, 7:30pm Mountain, and 9:30pm Eastern(More are coming after that for only $20 a session…) The Denver workshop is also fast approaching , and there are still seats available. You can register for only $79 here:

Hope you enjoy the pics, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

May We Salute You

June 2, 2010 Jason1 Comment

The May pool of photos that everyone contributed to was quite stunning – the listening and reading audience is quite a talented group and some of the images on here were really incredible. Full of vibrance, vision, color and passion – it was really hard to narrow things down – but I give you here just a few from the wonderful month of May. There really is no better way to say it than: Continue reading “May We Salute You” →

Five Elements of Control: #4 Context

September 17, 2009 Jason1 Comment

Have you ever seen something that looks so out of place that it catches your eye? Well catch it with your lens too, because contextual positioning of subjects in interesting or unusual/unexpected areas creates visual interest. This is what I refer to as controlling the context of your subject. So many times I’ve heard people tell me “but how can I change the surroundings?” The answer lies not in changing the surroundings of subjects you want to shoot, butin reversing that idea: find unusual subjects in your given surroundings. Say you are on a photo walk and in a city area. Well, try and find subject matter that contradicts the sense of city.

Additionally, you can also create contextual appeal by the use of negative space too. See something standing all by itsef, or away from other things? That’s a picture possibility! Conversely, something that is amidst other things could be a cue for creative expression. What if you saw a plastic water bottle among some glass beer bottles? That could be cool…or what if you had a computer mouse sitting in a mousetrap? You can create subject and background contextual associations in your own environment too ya know. Photographers that make good money do it all the time. (Hint: that’s called stock photography! 🙂 )

Here’s a few examples to give you a springboard for creativity. Find something you like? Tell me below! (I love to get feedback on photos just like everyone else…) Got your own ideas? Share those below too! Sound off in the comments, and don’t forget to keep on shooting! (That Flickr Contest thread is still alive and kicking you know – great chance to win $500 of gear, including a Thinktank bag System and a copy of the Topaz Labs PS Plugin Bundle!)

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Super Santa Fe

September 9, 2009 Jason8 Comments

As a kind of salute to the Santa Fe trip from this last weekend, I thought it might be fun to do just a photo-sharing day here on the blog so you can see some of the fun stuff from down in Santa Fe. We did a lot of walking around both days, so it was definitely a photo-walk type of atmosphere. The opportunity to take a solo vist over to the historic rail yard in Santa Fe also presented itself so I took advantage of that too. Here’s a sampling from the trip:

As you can see, we had a good time. I wasn’t exactly “focused” on photography as these shots are works in progress, but regardless, I did get the chance to practice a little. As the old saying goes though, we are always our own worst critic, so I’ll throw the critique doors open to the reading audience too. Do you like the processing? Composition? Technique? Etc.? Since some will likely ask, all of these HDR composites were done by pulling into Lightroom, then using the new Photomatix software from HDR Soft. (Be on the lookout for a review coming up on this latest incarnation too as it’s got some nice advancements and feature additions.)

In other news, keep in mind the latest Giveaway is underway over at the Flickr Group. You can win the Thinktank Photo Multimedia bag system and a Topaz Labs Photoshop Plugin bundle with a combined retail value of $500 just by submitting your favorite “Think in Color” photo to the Flickr thread! Until tomorrow, hope all your shots are fun ones! Happy Shooting!

A dash of splash

June 4, 2009 Jason8 Comments

First up – another web gallery of water drops – this time with a neutral black background that I developed in Lightroom. I am tellin’ ya – this product is just too cool! Photo management, editing, tagging, and gallery production all in one – what’s not to love?

Also up today, a little shout out to Dave Zarzacki, who owns a like new Canon XSi in mint condition, but just doesn’t need it in his gear bag (he’s trying to round out his collection with an SLR that will take all his current lenses). It’s a great deal which includes the following:

XSi body (black) – $640 value from B&H
Canon 18-55 IS lens – $60 value as part of above kit from B&H
Tiffen UV filter – $7 value from B&H
2 4GB SDHC cards – $25 value from Amazon
Gary Fong Puffer flash diffuser – $20 value from B&H
M-Rock Yellowstone bag ($54 value)

Individually, this would sell for over $800 easily, and Dave is only asking for $650 plus shipping. I know the guy personally and can say that he knows how to take care of gear – this stuff will not have a scratch or scuff and will work as though new. A great deal for someone starting out! Any takers? Drop me a line to get his email address and information.

Finally, for today, the Sigma lenses are in, and I can’t wait to start the review process on these this weekend! Already found a few features that are just too cool for school! Some other gear review items are on deck too – but I want to hear from you! What do you want to learn more about in the way of products, gear, accessories, and such? Sound off in the comments or with me via email!

Happy shooting all and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!

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