homework assignment - shooting in b + w mode

First, a big thank you to readers Sara and Becca for convincing me to give Flickr another chance. Based on their advice/suggestions, I decided to search out different groups that I found interesting, and that would compel me to experiment with different techniques. I was not disappointed (although beware - while there are many friendly folks on flickr there always seems to be a Negative Nellie lurking in the groups, waiting to pounce on a photo or two...)

One group I found was the Nikon Digital Learning Center group - since I shoot with a D200 I figured it can't hurt to be a part of a group intimately familiar with my camera. The group moderators post several assignments a month - one in particular was intriguing to me: shooting in black and white mode to improve your composition.

The "teacher" - Richard E. Aaron, an accomplished music photographer, suggests that by shooting in black and white (rather than converting to b + w later) the photographer can focus on the content of the photo - the lines, shades and composition. That way, color won't distract you from carefully crafting an image that really tells a story.

So this week, instead of a lesson per se, I have a little homework assignment/challenge for you readers. Assuming you can (and most of you with DSLRs can), change your shooting mode to black and white, and really concentrate on the composition of your photos. Click here for a review of the rule of thirds, perhaps the most basic composition rule out there. Click here to review additional composition rules - and for you naughty readers, click here for how to break said rules.

I adore black and white images - oftentimes I can "feel" more from the image than the same image in color. I hope you capture some good shots!

how to take better candid photographs

It's been a while since my last "how-to" post. I've got wedding photography on the brain, and I know for my taste, I love candid photos. The best photos taken at my own wedding were the ones I didn't know were being shot. Photos of me laughing, interacting with my guests, just enjoying my wedding day. I also love the photos of my kids that are not posed, but more natural and "in the moment" (which is a good thing with a 14 month old that has no interest in standing still...)

Without further ado, here are some tips for better candid photos:

• use a long zoom lens - the further away you are from your subject, the better your chances of capturing them in a candid moment. And your subject won't be so aware that there is a camera in their face...
• have your subject keep busy - people doing something are inherently more interesting (from a photography standpoint) than people sitting still or just standing there. And it's another way to distract your subject from the fact that they are being photographed.
• photograph people with people - by photographing 2 or more people you can capture the interaction (laughter, emotion, affection, etc.)
• shoot multiple frames - if your camera has the capability to fire several frames per second, do it. Chances are one of those frames will produce a great candid shot.
• nix the flash - this should be the unofficial mantra here at LF headquarters. For any camera shy subjects, the flash only emphasizes the fact that yes, they are being photographed - and they may retreat into hiding. By upping the ISO and opening your aperture, you can even get that perfectly grainy photo that (in my opinion) makes for a great candid photo. (Click here if you missed this discussion).
• shoot from the hip (literally) - changing your perspective definitely adds to the "candidness" of the shot. Many times I will shoot from a feline perspective (i.e. low to the ground) just to see what I come up with. I promise you, however, if you see me shooting low to the ground that I am NOT trying to peek up your skirt. I'm just sayin...
  

Any questions? Leave me a comment or drop an email.

Composition: breaking all the rules

I admit - I really struggled with this week's lesson. I feel like we've covered a lot of the basics of photography, and I started photography 201 to provide more advanced lessons. So readers, if you have any specific questions you want answers to, or help editing a photo of yours, PLEASE email me or leave a comment. I could use the inspiration for next week...

(And by the way, I am an idiot and I misspelled my email address in the sidebar, so if any of you readers tried to email me in the past few weeks, I didn't get it)

So today, we're breaking all the (composition) rules. I love some of these suggestions at digital photography school (a great website for easy-to-digest photo tips). Remember the rule of thirds? Ignore it. Remember those weeks we reviewed focus? Fuggetabouit. Want to spice up your photos? Try some of these tips:

• hold your camera at an angle, rather than squaring up your shot
• break the rule of thirds
• experiment with different framing with portraits
• take an unfocused photo on purpose (this one will be tough for me...)

read all of the broken rules here - let me know if you think this improves some of your photos or detracts from them...

Composition: 10 elements that create more interesting photos

Okay everyone - it's been a long week. The husband has been out of town for work, the 1 year old is recovering from an ear infection, and the dog decided to bark at something outside 3 separate times in the middle of the night. Needless to say I am sleep-deprived and on my 4th cup of coffee.

All that to say this week's lesson is actually two links to Digital Photography School's article on 10 elements of composition in photography:

Click here for the first 5

Click here for the second 5

Normally I read articles and write a post based on the information in the article, and hopefully my post is written in such a way that makes sense to my readers no matter where you're at in learning about photography. However, this article is very clear and has great photos to illustrate the concepts, so no need to rewrite. Plus, this lesson is applicable to you point and shoot photographers as well as SLR.

For those of you that remember/have practiced the rule of thirds, this lesson will push you to continue to explore composition and how to improve your photos even more.

Enjoy!

Extra credit to any readers that read the links and tell me which elements are present in my photo above...

tips for a better background in your photos

When I saw this article at Digital Photography School, I thought it was TOO basic. I mean how hard can it be to find a nice place to take a photo? But then I thought about all the times I've shot a really fantastic photo, only to find a trash can or a random guy in the background. A cluttered or otherwise unintended item in your photo's background can really ruin a shot.

Case in point:


This is one of my favorite pictures from Spain - this is the La Alpujarra region, with these pristine white villages nestled into the mountains. These are blankets that the region is known for - I love the colors and patterns, and how the blankets are all lined up for the eager tourists to check out. But look closely in the bottom left area of the photo - that's right, it's a trash can. UGH.

Sometimes the issue in a background is objects/people that shouldn't be there. Other times, the problem is that there is just so much going on (colors, objects, people, etc.) it takes away from the main subject of the photo. I've also seen lovely photos where trees or poles are protruding from someone's head...

Here is a summary of what you can do to improve the backgrounds in your photos (for the full article click here):

• Check the background before hitting the shutter button - seems pretty basic, right? It's amazing how often we don't do this. Really look behind your subject to see if there are any distractions - colors, vehicles, random people, trash cans, etc. If you find something distracting in the background, ask your subject to move, or change your shooting angle (lower, higher, etc.) to see if that eliminates the problem area.
• Work with aperture and focal length - for those of you using a SLR camera, adjusting the aperture and focal length can work to blur the background, thereby minimizing any distractions. Remember that the wider or bigger the aperture (starting around f4 and below), the more fuzzy or blurry the background. Also, the longer the focal length (think zooming out on your lens) the more shallow the depth of field which will result in more of the background being blurred.
• Place your subject in front of an open area - the open space behind your subject will be blurred by depth of field - if your subject is in the depth of field "sweet spot" if you will, the stretch of open area behind him/her will be out of focus or blurry.
  
• Fill the frame with your subject - if your photo consists mostly of your subject, there is less background to contend with. Simple enough.

This lesson might seem too basic, I know, but I equate it to the fundamentals of photography. You can have a fancy pants camera and all the lenses and equipment you like, and none of it will make any difference if you can't compose a decent shot.

So go forth and photograph your children, pets, cars, and so on, with a more simple and less distracting background. I can guarantee you'll be much happier with the results - just as I would have been a LOT happier had that trash can not appeared in my photo...

Any questions - email or leave a comment.

how to take better landscape photographs

Some of you might be thinking "seriously, Melissa? Can't everyone take a picture of a pretty view? Can we move on to something more difficult, please?" Well, yes, most of us can pick up a camera and take a picture of a lovely vista, but is it interesting? Admit it, we've all seen our fair share of travel photos that are just so-so. I think it's actually more difficult to take a typical landscape photograph and make it not-so-typical. I know I personally struggle with this - many of my landscape photographs are just kind of blah (to me, anyway). I do like this photo of Mendocino but only because of the mistakes I made - the foreground is underexposed and there is lens flare in the upper left corner - but these make the photograph more interesting. (As an aside I actually like when lens flare shows up in my photographs, hence the name of this blog. But I digress...) I would like to deliberately take better landscape photographs, especially during my next trip to Kauai (which is hopefully sooner rather than later. We'll see...)

So here are some basic tips for better landscape photos:

1. find the light - this seems to be a consistent theme here at Lens Flare...The right light can bring about an amazing landscape photo. Advice on the Internet is consistent - the 30 minutes before and after a sunrise and/or sunset are the best light for landscape photos.
   
2. Choose different vantage points - oftentimes our landscape photos are from the same vantage point that anyone and everyone else has. Change it up - kneel down, walk around. See if there's another view that not everyone's seeing.
   
3. Creative compositions - remember the rule of thirds? Vary the horizon line in your photograph by placing it in the top third or bottom third. Perhaps look for interesting patterns or colors that you can focus on in your photo.
   
4. Pay attention to detail - make sure you're not photographing something you would rather not be in the picture - a trash can (which happened to me in Spain...), a power line, a person running into the photo, etc.
   

These tips apply to any photographer using any camera, but for those of you using SLRs:

1. Smaller aperture - the smaller the aperture the greater the depth of field. Try using f16 or f22 so your image is as sharp as possible. (Also try lower ISO settings, like 100 or 200).
2. Use a tripod - using such a small aperture may result in a very slow shutter speed where a handheld image won't be possible (meaning it will come out blurry).
3. Try a filter - a filter such as a polarizer creates saturated color and enhances skies. (In fact, I should do an entire lesson on filters...) I know many of you will edit your photos after the fact, but a filter allows you to see the possibilities of the landscape as you're shooting it.
   
4. Wide angle lens - I would love one of these lenses for the next time I'm in Kauai. Click here for a brief primer on wide angle lenses.

Here is a different landscape photograph taken on my trip to Spain a few years back. I probably have about 8-10 shots of this village, all landscape (i.e. horizontal). This one is my favorite, though. I thought the composition turned out nicely, with the repetition of the diagonal lines in the photo (see the clouds, the mountains, and the village). The fact that the image is technically "portrait" makes it more interesting (to me).

Have a landscape photo you'd like to share? Email me (see above) or leave me a comment.

How to Photograph a Sunset (or Sunrise)

This gorgeous sunset photo from Carrie was the inspiration for this week's lesson (which I realize is late - I apologize). Believe it or not, there is more to photographing a sunset than simply finding a nice spot to wait for the sun to set. There are many articles on the topic, but I found this one the most descriptive:

Composing your shot is probably more important than the sunset itself. If I'm honest, I have hundreds of sunset photos that are just ho-hum. Here's an example:


Bor-ing, if I say so myself. Before you decide to take a sunset photograph, you actually need to do some homework:

• check the weather report
• investigate where you will be taking your sunset shot
• know when the sun is actually setting that day
• look at the sky 20-30 minutes beforehand
• consider photographing AFTER the sun has set, for more intense colors
  

In my opinion, the biggest problem with my sunset shot is that the composition is boring - no clouds in the sky, nothing in the shot is interesting (no silouettes of a sailboat or a pier). By doing a little thinking beforehand, your sunset photo will be much more interesting.

You also want to decide the focal length of your lens (for those of you using a SLR) - a long focal length (read: telephoto) will produce an image that highlights the sun:

A shorter focal length (read: wide angle) highlights the colors in the sky, and the sun itself is very small (or not even there):

Photo credits: Roie Galitz

Now for some logistics:

1. Don't forget the rule of thirds (click here for my previous lesson) - what makes Carrie's sunset photograph so interesting (among other reasons) is that the sky is the focal point, and is not centered in the photograph (the horizon line is in the lower third of the photo). Whether you want to highlight the sky or the sea/land below it, make sure you use the rule of thirds to create an interesting look.
   
2. Make sure you are in focus: it is difficult for your autofocus to focus on the sky (lack of contrast) - set your camera to manual focus and set the focus distance to infinity.
3. If you're using a SLR, use manual or aperture priority setting to set the lowest number, to ensure the greatest depth of field (the portion of the scene in your photograph that appears sharp - don't worry this is an upcoming lesson).
   
4. Again, for the more experienced SLR users, adjust your exposure meter to purposefully underexpose your photograph, which will result in even more vivid colors. On my camera, the exposure reading is right on top, and it acts like a level - the photo is exposed properly if there are no bars showing, and it's underexposed if there are bars to the right of middle. If this doesn't make sense, leave me a comment and I'll post a picture of my exposure meter.
   

Now go out and enjoy a beautiful sunset! Wintertime sunsets at the beach are some of the most beautiful...

Family Photos - Carrie

These photos were submitted by Lens Flare reader Carrie - her son is just adorable! I like how both shots are at an angle, and the little one is not directly centered in the shot - makes it more interesting.

To show an example of the rule of thirds, I edited the top photo a little in iPhoto:

before

after

Drawing a tic tac toe grid over the photograph, the little one's nose and lower eye should be in line with the top third of the photo. I like how the cropped photo brings even more emphasis to his eyes and silly face!

Carrie also submitted a beautiful sunset photo that will be the subject of today lesson...stay tuned...

Taking Better Pics of Your Kids - Look for the "Right" Light

Since last week's lesson was more technical, I thought this week I would keep it simple.

I remember my wedding photographer's rule of thumb: when photographing a wedding, always use flash - when photographing children, NEVER use flash. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but I admit that my favorite pictures of my girls were taken without flash.

A while back I bought How to Photograph Your Baby by Nick Kelsh. He writes that the "right" light to photograph your children can be found almost anywhere in your home. In a nutshell, you are looking for indirect light - light that pours in a window or an open door. Not the direct sunlight you find in your backyard or at the park in the middle of the day. If you can position your baby (or older one) so that one side of your baby's face is in the lght and the other is in the shadows, voila! You have a (possible) masterpiece.

Some examples of where to find this indirect light:

doorways
front porch
garage
car
window

I know some of these sound strange, but I have taken pictures of my kids in the car in the garage, and it was great light. Here's a couple of examples of getting the "right" light from my own personal photos:

I took this picture of my (now) 3 year old when she first woke up in the morning. I love the morning sun on the side of her face.


This is in an upstairs bedroom in the late afternoon. You can see the light pouring in from the window behind my baby girl. No shadows like the picture above, but I love the softness and the colors.

Taking Better Pics of Your Kids - CHEEEESE!

How to take better pics of your kids is a topic I could spend many weeks on (and probably will, I'm sure). I did have one specific question from one of you out there: how can I get my kids to look at the camera AND smile on cue?

Ahh, if I knew the slam-dunk answer to this I would be the Annie Liebovitz of children's photography. But here are some suggestions (click here for the full discussion on Flickr):

• get down on their level - sit on the ground, lie down - you'll get a much better picture if your kids can connect with you on their level.
• show them the pictures you are taking (this is the one my daughter loves).
• put a stuffed animal on your head and ask your kids to blow it off. Then nod your head and when it falls, (usually?) you'll get a smile.
• take pictures at funny angles (between your legs, over your shoulder) and then alternate with "real" pictures inbetween.
  
• bodily noises or words (burping, farting, "poopy pants," etc. - and don't shoot the messenger if you don't want to encourage these noises, I'm just reporting the facts. Use at your own risk...)

and whatever you do, DON'T ask your kids to say cheese, or you will probably get that terrible smile you HATE.

Let me know if any of these work for you...

Extra Credit: Photographing Chrismtas Lights

I don't know about you, but I seem to have numerous Clark Griswold wannabes living around me. That, and I know of several friends that are visiting various "candy cane lanes" and the like this weekend.

So in the spirit of Christmas, today's extra credit is photographing Christmas lights. Last year we went to Disneyland around the holidays, and all of my photographs of the beautiful lights & decor at night were dull and boring. So I was excited to find this blog post specifically on the subject.

In a nutshell:

1) the best time to photograph the lights is around sunset, not when it's pitch black.

2) include as much sky as possible in your photograph (don't forget the rule of thirds!)

3) for those of you with digital SLRs - set your white balance to tungsten lighting, as the Christmas lights are "tungsten balanced." (FYI tungsten lighting = light produced by either photofloods or domestic illumination, it is warmer than normal daylight). Since we haven't really discussed specific camera settings, email/comment if you need help with this.

4) use something to steady your shot, like a tripod, a bean bag, or lean up/on/against something solid (wall, car, etc.)

I'm going to try it this weekend, and I'll post my results (good and bad...) - let me know how it goes for you!

Composition: The Golden Rule of Thirds

I found an free online photography course that I decided to check out, and the first lesson deals with composition, or what makes a photograph a "good" or even "great" photograph? There are many elements of composition (or so I'm finding), but this lesson focuses on the rule of thirds and the "golden ratio" or "golden mean."

First the rule of thirds - imagine your photograph as a tic tac toe board i.e. divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines. If you don't follow here's a diagram:



Now imagine this tic tac toe graphic is placed over your photograph. Proponents of the rule of thirds claim that the important aspects of your photograph should be placed along these lines (vertically or horizontally) or where the lines intersect. The idea is the rule of thirds will help you compose an image that presents more energy and tension than if you simply centered the subject of your photo.

The simplest example - one that I think most photographers have done - is the quintessential beach photograph. You know, a lovely beach sunset photo. We've all done it. So according to the rule of thirds, most of us have placed the horizon (where the sea meets the sand) right in the middle of the photograph. But for a more visually interesting photograph, the horizon should track one of the horizontal tic tac toe lines instead.

As for the "golden ratio," two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio between the sum of those quantities and the larger one is the same as the ratio between the larger one and the smaller To clarify:

Only kidding - I promise you do not need to know any complicated mathematical equation to get this concept. The idea behind the "golden ratio" is that application of this ratio results in aesthetically pleasing art, architecture, etc. This ratio is found throughout nature - the full discussion of this is outside the scope of this post (that, and I want to get the good stuff - the photos...)

Going back to the tic tac toe graphic, the "golden ratio" applies to the intersecting lines of the tic tac toe board:



So today I took a stroll along the beach and tried to apply both of these concepts to some photographs. This first one is a photo of the Seal Beach pier, with the horizon (basically) right smack in the middle:


And here's one with the horizon in the bottom third of the tic tac toe graph:


I definitely like the second one more, but that's just my humble opinion. I like how much more of the sky you see in the second photograph, although I do wish the pier was more towards one of the intersecting lines a la the "golden mean."

Here's another example - I saw these street signs as I walked back from the beach:


So for the second picture I came in closer on the signs (the focal point of the photograph) and alligned the signs with the right vertical of the tic tac toe graphic. I also tried to put the signs at one of the intersecting points:


I love the top sign - essentially if there's a huge earthquake the residents of Seal Beach are screwed. Good times...

Let me know if these composition ideas work for your photos - I'll try to post some more examples this week as I practice more. Ideas for you moms with cameras out there would be to photograph your little munchkin off center, closer to those "golden mean" zones - see what you think.