Quality of Light – Part 2

These orchids were photographed inside, under incandescent light. The blue background is the window. The camera was set on Incandescent, therefore the daylight turned blue (turning the window blue).

Indoor and outdoor light have different temperatures.  Our eyes automatically adjust to the difference in color, but our camera needs to be adjusted.  The different types of light include Daylight, Incandescent or Tungsten and Florescent.  With film, the type of film had to be changed between indoor and outdoor shooting.  The emulsion dictated how the camera saw the whites in the scene.

With digital cameras, we control how our cameras view light through the White Balance (WB) setting.  Most cameras have a quick button to set the WB, though it is located in different places (per the camera manufacturer).  White balance is how your camera “sees” the tone white.

The WB setting for this photograph was shade. This setting cuts out the cyan overcast that happens, when the WB is at daylight in this situation.

The WB can be used to correct the lighting situation, or as a creative tool.  The color of outdoor light changes through-out the day, and whether it is shady or over-cast.  Indoor light is more consistent, but there are at least three types of Florescent lights in use.  Some cameras reflect this with three different Florescent WB settings.

When using a flash indoors, the camera’s WB should be set on Daylight.  The flash is the “temperature” of a sunny day.

More Later. . .Karen

This is an outdoor photograph. It was a sunny day. This was shot with the WB set on Cloudy. The cloudy setting warms up the photo, and the yellows are more vivid.

Shooting Nature in a Crowd

This photograph was taken in the tulip fields during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. There were hundreds of people in the fields on this day.

Event provide a great opportunity to photograph nature, though they can be very crowded with people.  There are a few techniques that can be used to create the photograph that shows the elements the photographer wants his/her view to enjoy.

First, it is important to control the aperture or depth of field (DOF).  Many times, a person in the background can disappear with a shallower depth of field.  They become another shape or color without definition.  In the photo above, the DOF is shallow enough to blur the tulips in the background.

This is one of my favorite photographs of the tulips that I took on this shoot. Unfortunately, there are people in the background. To use this for retail, I would need to get a model release from the people, or remove them from the image.

Second, take the time to look at all the elements in the photograph.  In the picture above, I missed the two women at the bottom of the picture.  During the event, people were suppose to stay out of the field, but everyone wanted their picture taken with the tulips.  In this instance, I should have waited until they left the field.

Third, selectively crop the photograph before taking the picture.  At a crowded venue, it is important to take time to visualize the photographic image before taking the picture.  This is where the elements of composition can help the photographer select what goes into the photo.  This concept is shown in the image below.

Selective cropping of the photograph in the camera can eliminate people from the photograph.

Fourth, it is important to consider your perspective of the scene or point of view.  Often times, the chosen perspective can naturally crop-out unwanted elements from a photograph.  In the top image, the perspective eliminates the people and buildings from the photograph.  In the third image, the perspective includes all of the different colors of tulips in the garden, while eliminating people, structures and the road from the photograph.

Also, it is important to experiment when composing a photograph in a crowded area.

Have a great photographic outing soon. . .Karen

Catching a Defining Moment. . .

I watched this Osprey hunting for food, and this was his second dive. Exposure: 100 ISO, F5.6, 1/250.

Photography is the art medium that “catches” a moment in time, through the use of a camera and the photographer’s creativity/knowledge.  Correct exposure means going beyond the Auto functions of the camera, and controlling the exposure through manual, aperture priority or shutter priority.  It also includes use white balance, ISO, bracketing (depending on subject), flash and other functions.

Pre-setting exposure is a great way to prepare for shooting subjects like birds.  This blog is focused on Osprey, and they are a fast-moving bird.  I always pre-set my exposure before shooting birds.  This pre-setting phase includes selecting an auto-focus point, as a starting point.

This is one of a series of images from the Osprey in the water to flying past me with his fish. Exposure: ISO 100, F5.6, 1/250.

Planning or visualizing the image is essential for bird/wildlife photographs.  This simply means know your subject, study it and anticipate the next series of events.  It’s good to go out on a shoot knowing what subject you are planning to photograph.  For locations I know, I usually have a broad subject such as birds.  For unknown locations, I do some research before going on the shoot.  This allows me to know what type of landscape I will be shooting in, and what kinds of subjects are usually at the location.

The second part of planning is deciding what equipment will be necessary for the subject.  For birds, I always use my 100-400mm IS lens.  I take my tri-pod for shooting video.  In addition, I carry extra memory cards, an extra battery and lens cleaning cloth.  Usually, my flash is included in my bag too.

For the complete Osprey hunting sequence, visit my video at http://youtu.be/S9LFynPyNew.

Have a great day shooting. . .Karen

Often, I see Osprey flying and hunting at a beach I frequent. This day, the Osprey was flying over-head. Exposure: ISO 100, F5.6, 1/500.

 

Spring Migratory Bird Adventures

Spring Migratory Bird Adventures.

Sitka Center: Of the Land, Sea & Air: A Coastal Photographic Adventure

Here is the information on my upcoming workshop on the Oregon Coast.  It is on June 30th and July 1st.  It would be great to see you there, and feel free to pass this on to other interested people.

Thank, and have a great day. . .

Sitka Center: Of the Land, Sea & Air: A Coastal Photographic Adventure.

Wildlife and Lighting

From birds to mammals, the lighting is very important for a good photograph.  Light in the eyes gives a depth to the eyes, and attracts the viewer.  It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and it is one of the first places we look in a photograph.

The best lighting has the sunlight on the side of the subject or behind the photographer.  Light behind the subject requires adding light via reflector or flash.  Natural light on the subject gives it shape, and gives dimension to the photograph.

In the photograph with the gulls, the light reflects in the eyes of the gulls.  The shadows on their bodies give the birds shape.  On sunny days, it is easy to get this effect.

On overcast days, the shadows and highlights become subtle.  Contrast is less, and the scene in front of the camera becomes flatter, as shown in the photograph of the racoon.  This photograph lacks the dark shadows and the bright highlights.  The sky washes-out to white and light gray.

In both these situations, a polarizer filter will cut the glare off of surfaces, and bring more color into the photograph.

More later. . .Karen

Snowy Owls at Boundary Bay

There were at least 22 Snowy Owls at Boundary Bay in Canada earlier this week.  The owls were roosting close enough to the dike to photograph with them with a 400 mm lens, and get good photos.  Many birders and photographers are visiting the area to observe and/or photograph the white owls.

In this area, weather is an important factor to a successful photo shoot of the owls.  The landscape is reminiscent of the tundra, and is wet.  The best and driest viewing area is from the dike.

Equipment for the shoot should include a tripod and long lens.  The minimum lens length would be a 100 – 400 mm.  Many photographers use a 600 to 800 mm lens for this type of shoot.

Visitors can get within 30 to 50 feet of the owls without disturbing them.  During the day, the owls are sleeping and/or resting, which makes them easier to photograph.  They do startle easily by people coming to close to them.  The rules of the area indicate that the owls should not be disturbed, and need to conserve their energy for the long migration back to the arctic.

The owls will be migrating back soon.

Also, the area is teaming with Bald Eagles, Hawks and other raptors.

More later. . .Karen