Photography Basics Archives - Page 6 of 16

Flash Umbrellas – Size Does Matter

wescot 7 foot umbrella — New umbrellas like this 7 foot Wescott for $99 are bringing umbrellas back

It may come as a surprise to many photographers today, but softboxes are relative newcomers on the photography and video lighting scene.

In the old days on movie sets there were huge hydrargyrum medium-arc iodide lamps (HMIs), and “hot lights” with names like “Blondes”, which was a 2K open-face light and “Red Heads” which were 1K. Only poor filmmakers used Red Heads, although I saw them sneak on to big sets as background fills occasionally.

About the same time in photography, you probably would have found floor flash units mounted inside large umbrella reflectors.

Photography has always had an edge on film lighting, until very recently. With the advent of DSLRs on movie sets, we’re also seeing some intersection in lighting gear. The old days of HMIs, jokingly referred to as standing for High Monetary Investment, are giving way to less powerful lighting options that produce more even lighting. Softboxes are now turning up in photography studios and film sets alike, although the lighting inside is somewhat different.

With advances in construction and materials, we’re also seeing flash umbrellas making a comeback in photography, although these are not your grandpa’s flash umbrellas.

When it comes to umbrellas in photography, size matters. The broader and more diffuse your light source, the more even the lighting on your subject. The older style umbrellas were small, not much bigger than an umbrella you might carry with you for rainy days. Today you have a better selection.

Companies like Booth Photographicare fielding umbrellas that would make any softbox owner blush with envy. Parabolics, because of the shape, are going to have less fall off at the edges. A parabolic light like a large umbrella, near your subject. is going to give you a bit of wrap around the subject, contributing to a very smooth overall lighting effect.

Booth umbrella — 75 in reflective umbrella by Booth Photographic

Umbrellas lost favor to softboxes because, for a long time, the only large umbrellas you could find were really expensive. Today, they’re coming back into vogue with models like this 7 foot Wescott and this 75 inch silver model from Booth.

When you’re out shopping for studio lights, don’t forget to give some of the newer umbrellas a look. With price tags under $200, it’s possible that parabolics will stage a comeback.

Better Christmas Light Photography

Taking pictures of Christmas lights is fun and challenging, but mainly fun. Most places only have their lights on display a few weeks out of every year, so get those shots while you can!

The biggest mistake I see people making with Christmas lights is taking their little point and shoot and trying to take photos from a standing position with the camera set to automatic. This will not work.

Step one if you live in cold climate is to review our cold weather shooting suggestions to equalize the camera temperature before rushing it outside from a warm room.

Other than that you’ll need a tripod, a remote release for your camera, and an external flash, if you have one.

If you opt for a wireless remote release instead of the kind with a cord, do be careful to check that they are compatible with your camera’s “B” or Bulb setting. Wireless triggers and bulb operation can be problematic on some cameras.

It may not be totally intuitive that the best time to capture Christmas lights is after sundown but before it gets completely dark. That way you can preserve some of the color and texture in the sky instead of the inky blackness of space.

You’ll want to use the tripod and turn your camera flash off, otherwise your poor camera is going to run the flash setting up to Ludicrous Power in an attempt to light the night. If you want to add a foreground subject later, that’s where the external flash comes in.

In the old days setting your camera’s white balance was easy as most everything outdoors was tungsten balanced. Today there are more LED Christmas lights in the mix and most of those will balance closer to daylight.

This is one instance you may want to consider white balance bracketing and seeing which one looks the best for the particular display you’re shooting.

As it gets darker, when the sky fades to black, and after you get a few good shots of the whole display, then you can break out the external flash and start adding foreground subjects and use the light display as a backdrop. Follow the same general guidelines that are in our night photography article.

The main thing is to get outside with the family, have some fun and take great pictures. Let your imagination run wild and take pictures until your card is full.

Night Photography Tips

As winter rolls into town and the heavy coats come out of the closet, we also start getting into the best time of year for night photography. The stores area all still open at sunset, all the lights are on, and there’s plenty of rush hour traffic for light streaks. Winter is the best time to get some great nighttime shots and still be home in time for dinner.

Equipment

Besides your camera, the key piece of equipment you’ll need will be a tripod. You’ll want one that’s light weight, sturdy, and fast to setup and take down.

Another factor to consider for tripods is the weight rating which, on many models, is a big, fat lie. You’ll want at least a 10 pound weight rating if you’re shooting a full size DSLR. No, your camera and lens combo doesn’t weigh nearly that much, but start getting close to the upper limit of the weight rating and the legs will start to bow and the slightest whiff of a breeze will make your tripod shake.

If you’re going with a brand name, I’d suggest a model like the Manfrotto 190XPROB 3 with a ball head. Weighing in at around 4 pounds, it’s easy to carry and fast to set up.

Timing

The best night shots happen just before it’s completely dark, while there is still enough light left in the sky to keep the background from being completely black and the shutter speeds slow enough to get all the great streaking effects and color aberrations that make night photography really fun.

Exposure

As much as I love my Canon 7D, and as great as the pictures are in daylight, the internal computer does not like night photography. It tries everything I don’t want it to do like correcting the white balance, averaging the exposure across the scene, and trying to optimize the contrast.

Night photography is one of the times I turn off automatic everything and work almost exclusively in manual. Strange things start happening to images with really long shutter times, so don’t be afraid to experiment. You can even get different results on the same scene with the exact same exposure settings.

Don’t Forget Your Flash

Bring your external flash, if you have one. Use it to combine a long exposure night shot with some foreground lighting, the effect can be quite attractive when done right.

Take Control Of White Balance

white balance changes — Changing the white balance can dramatically alter the look of any photo - by Spiritia

The subject of white balance can generate some resistance because some elements of the topic are quite technical. Instead of talking about the technical details of color temperature and black body radiation, I’m going to give you a few tips to hack your camera’s white balance functions to get more interesting pictures.

Automatic White Balance

When set on automatic, your camera’s computer reads the scene in front of it, takes an approximate reading of the color temperature, then sets the white balance accordingly. Auto white balance is far from an exact science because a scene can have a range of color temperatures and light sources.

In some situations, like outdoors on a sunny day, the automatic white balance does an admirable job. In other situations, like mixed light, it may perform poorly.

In most camera brands, I’ve noticed the auto white balance seems to err on the blue side. That might be more noticeable to me because I prefer a warmer (red or orange) cast with a bit more contrast. Really, the proper white balance is in the eye of the photographer and not all brands are alike and can even vary between camera models within a brand.

Take Control

Almost every camera, from point and shoot models to the highest end DSLRs, has a way to manually select white balance. Your user manual, which you should be reading anyway, will have a section on how to manually adjust white balance.

For some cameras, like the Canon 7D, you’ll have to select a shooting mode other than Auto or Creative Auto, to get access to the white balance controls.

You’ll notice many cameras don’t have a “daylight” or “sunny” setting for white balance. That’s because everything about your camera is optimized for shooting in daylight and everything else is an adjustment.

Once there you have a lot of options for getting different results. Even on a sunny day try selecting the “cloudy” setting and notice that your photos look noticeably warmer. Basically you’re fooling the camera into thinking the light is shifted more to the blue end of the spectrum than it really is.

You can experiment and try the fluorescent setting under tungsten lights, or the tungsten setting in daylight. Mix it up, try different combinations of lighting and white balance settings. You may even discover that you want to leave your camera on the “cloudy” setting all the time.

The great thing about digital photography is if you don’t like the results, you can push a button and start over.

Taking The Stress Out of Holiday Pet Photos

Kids and animals are the bane of photographers and filmmakers alike. If you can shoot good pet photos then you are a giant among photographers, because it’s a tough skill to master. After getting shots of your human family and companions, it’s time to think about your four-legged friends.

Luckily there are some tips that can make the experience a lot more pleasant for you and your pet.

Start Early

For your own pets, have the camera around when you’re petting and interacting with them. Let them get used to seeing it so your camera is neither an object of dread nor curiosity. It won’t take many sessions before they just stop paying attention to it.

Pick Your Location

Animals photographed at home will be more comfortable in their surroundings. At a place like the dog park, your pet is going to be distracted. Sometimes the distraction works in your favor.

If you’re confident in your pet’s recall, it can provide those moments of high interest that make good shots. Pick a spot away from the crowd where your pet can still see what’s going on.

Set The Scene

Forget the felt antlers and holiday sweaters. Pick the toys that your pet plays with all the time. It will be much more memorable if the shots are with familiar toys and don’t feel like you have to clutter the background with holiday decorations.

Large Animals

Some animals, like horses, will be less afraid if they can sniff strange objects. For larger animals I try to interact with them in a safe environment where we’re separated and let them sniff the camera. Once horses get the idea that the camera is inanimate and not a threat, it doesn’t seem to bother them as much. Surprising them with a camera can startle them and a surprised 1,200 pound animal is an accident waiting to happen.

Another trick we’ve used with horses is called a rattler. Tape a plastic grocery bag around the end of a buggy whip and, when you’re ready to catch the shot, have someone behind you raise the rattle and shake it briefly. I’ve never had a horse not look at the rattle. For about 2 seconds you’ll have their complete attention. After the first two seconds the look is going to change to either curiosity or fear. A smaller version also works with cats.

If you’re going to use a rattle, make sure the horse is in a contained area and you’re on the other side of the fence. I had a juvenile Arabian break out of a show halter during a shoot one time and he was going downtown. The owner wanted the pictures in front of a certain barn next to the pasture where the mares were grazing. We trotted out this big handsome fella and the mares went bananas. Being a teenager, he wanted to be out with the girls and he snapped the show halter like it was thread. It was lucky none of the animals or people were injured.

For your pet holiday pictures, just be patient and keep things low key. If they’re large animals, be safe and smart. Make sure there’s a barrier between you and the animal and that you both have a safe exit.