BetterPhoto Instructor Insights

Artistic Images: Seeking Different Photos in Bhutan

By Brenda Tharp

photo copyright by Brenda Tharp

One of the great advantages of returning to a place after a year is that you’ve had time to review and reflect on what photographs you made, and what you would like to do differently.

The top of Dochu La, a pass over the mountains in Bhutan, is littered with prayer flags, and 108 stupas, and there is a plethora of photographic opportunities there. Having crossed that pass four times now, I am certain that the best light is soft, diffused, even foggy light. When the sun comes out, there are still photos to make, but the mood of the fog/mist just adds so much to the place.

We were lucky on this trip, we got to the top for some incredibly beautiful scenes of low clouds in the valleys in contrast with the tall dark cypress trees, which made for graphically interesting scenes. The morning sunlight was soft enough to manage in terms of contrast, and about the time it was getting too strong, the clouds moved up and over the pass, engulfing us. Perfect! We turned to other more intimate details of what was there.

The hillside across from the stupas is a visually cluttered mess of prayer flags - strung from every branch, every tree, and while it’s colorful, it’s really messy to try and capture artistic images or the essence of it (see picture below) That provided the challenge for me. I walked around, looking for ways to express the essence of all of it, and when I turned around at one point, I found the scene above to be much more interpretive.

Note: Brenda Tharp, a top travel photographer, teaches many online photo courses at BetterPhoto.com, including one that focuses on how to capture artistic images and another on macro photography. Also consider other online photo classes at BetterPhoto's digital photography school.

photo copyright by Brenda Tharp

Natural Light Photography: The Camera Is Not You

By Rob Sheppard

“The camera is not the same as a person” may seem like an obvious statement, yet a common mistake many photographers make is that they want the camera to act like they do in terms of seeing the world. It is very important to understand that the camera does not see the world, and consequently, a scene the same way that you do. The camera is restricted by technological limitations that your eyes and brain do not have.

This is especially important with exposure in natural light photography. Photographers see a subject and take the picture with the expectation that the “right” camera exposure settings will give a good picture. When the photo does not cooperate and results are poor, they think that they just did not adjust the camera right. In fact, in many situations, it is impossible to get a good picture. The scene is simply beyond the capabilities of the camera, even though you can see it perfectly.

This is most common in extreme lighting conditions. Your eyes can handle a huge range of detail from dark to bright in situations such as a scene where the light goes from brightest sun to dark, dark shade. The camera simply cannot handle such conditions and no exposure will be “right.”

While HDR (High Dynamic Range in which multiple exposures are shot and then combined in the digital darkroom) can be helpful sometimes in such a situation, often it is important to recognize when a good photograph is not possible and then you move on to something that is.

NOTE: Rob Sheppard is an Outdoor Photographer magazine columnist who teaches many online photography courses, including Guaranteed Better Photography and The Magic of F-stops: Choosing the Right Aperture.In addition, BetterPhoto.com's photography school offers many online photo classes on natural light photography, flash photography, and exposure.

Wildlife Photography: How to Photograph Birds

By Jim Zuckerman

On a recent trip to Costa Rica, where I planned an exciting wildlife photography tour there for next year, was thrilled to get a picture of the most active volcano in the country, Mt Arenal.  I was also able to get a very special series of pictures of an extremely endangered jungle cat, the oncilla, in the Arenal National Park.

My primary goal, though, was to shoot hummingbirds. Hummingbird photography is a serious challenge because the wings are moving at 200 beats per second, and the only way to freeze that motion is with a flash. Here is how to photograph birds - specifically, hummingbirds:

When a flash is put in manual mode, the 'flash duration' - i.e. the precise length of time that the flash tube is lit during the exposure - is about 1/1000th of a second. That is not fast enough to freeze the wings. A much shorter flash duration is required.

What causes a variation in light output from a flash is not what you think. It's not that the flash varies in light intensity, or bright versus darker. Instead, it's the flash duration. When the flash is used on ETTL (automatic mode), the actual flash duration varies. For example, when the flash is close to a subject, let's say five feet, the flash duration may be 1/1500th of a second. If the flash is moved further away, say 15 feet, the flash duration has to be longer - perhaps 1/500th of a second simply because a greater flash-t0-subject distance requires more light.

With hummingbird photography, I used four separate flash units (Canon 430EX speedlites), and they all had to be outputting the exact same flash duration (otherwise there would be ghosting). Therefore, they were all used on manual mode, not automatic. The way you can shorten the flash duration is by cutting the power of the flash down. For example, if the typical flash duration is 1/1000th of a second on full power, when you set the unit to 1/2 power the flash duration is 1/2000th of a second. Similarly, at 1/4 power the speed becomes 1/4000th of a second, at 1/8 power it is 1/8000th of a second, and at 1/16 power we get about 1/16,000th. This is the setting I used.

Obviously the diminished power setting cuts the light down considerably. That's why the flash units have to be placed very close to the flower from where the birds will be feeding. The two flash units in front of the setup - one on either side of it - were about 16 inches away. This close proximity allowed me to use 1/16th power. In addition, I had a flash behind and off to the side for a backlight, and then one flash unit was aiming at the background. I didn't want a black background (since hummers are diurnal), so I placed a 24 x 36 inch print of out of focus foliage behind the flower.

To trigger the flash units, a wireless transmitter is needed. This can be either the Canon ST-E2 (which also works with Nikon) or a Pocket Wizard. The advantage of the Canon unit is price, but the Pocket Wizard allows you to trigger flash units if they are placed directly behind the subject because they work on a radio frequency rather than line-of-sight. If you wanted a direct backlight, the Pocket Wizard is ideal.

At 1/16th power, the recyle time of the flashes was very fast  - about 1/2 second. I could therefore shoot rapidly. It is impossible to see the wing formation of the hummingbirds as they are hovering above a flower because to our eyes it looks like a blur. Therefore, many pictures I took weren't good. The wings were in unattractive positions. I took enough shots, though, that a certain percentage were fantastic.

NOTE:
Jim Zuckerman is a top wildlife photographer. See more of his wildlife photography at his corporatefineart.com website. Also, Jim teaches many excellent courses at BetterPhoto's online photography school, including his online photo class on how to photograph birds and other wildlife subjects.

both photos copyright Jim Zuckerman

Photoshop Tutorial: Turn Your Imagination into Photographic Art!

By Deborah Sandidge

Savannah offers wonderful photographic opportunities, such as this collection of treasures found in a store basement in the downtown area. (See photo below.) The textures and colors are very appealing. I like the baskets, the bike, and a cricket box with instructions on how to catch crickets! I can just imagine riding this bike to the local fishing hole, with picnic baskets, and crickets in tow.

This was a fun shot not to be missed, and the perfect opportunity for HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography. There are several destinations to take an HDR image through post processing. You can go photographic, illustrative, and anywhere in between. Detail, color and exposure can be accentuated by using Photoshop plug-ins such as the Photomatix Tone Mapping Filter, and Topaz Detail.

After generating the HDR image, I used the Photomatix Tone Mapping filter for a photographic look using the "Smooth Skies" preset as a starting point. Next, I used a Photoshop plug-in called Topaz Detail to accentuate detail in the image and to give it more of an illustrative look. As a finishing touch, a vignette was added to frame the image, and bring attention to the subject.

Like the idea? Join me for my online photo class - Photoshop: Enhancing Images and Creating Works of Art - starting November 4th at BetterPhoto. Make great pictures!

Editor's Note: Deb Sandidge also teaches another excellent online photography course: Digital Infrared Photography. In addition, BetterPhoto offers a number of online Photoshop tutorials.


photo copyright by Deborah Sandidge

Lowlight photography: How to shoot night pictures

By Jim Zuckerman

Night photography means a dramatic mix of colors. Mercury vapor street lamps, neon signs, the sky reflecting city lights, tungsten lamps - all of these types of light produce different colors, and the combination can be quite compelling. After shooting lowlight photography in Chicago (see image below), I think the colors make this work so well.

What is also significant is the fact that I placed the chrome hemisphere so close to the camera and I used a wide-angle lens. This dramatized the foreground and made it disproportionately large. The camera was only three feet away. The closer you get with a wide angle lens to the subject, the more exaggerated (and distorted) it becomes. It's a very effective visual technique.

NOTE: Jim Zuckerman is a top stock photographer and published author who teaches many excellent online photography courses, such as Perfect Digital Photography, which covers lowlight photography. Also, BetterPhoto's photography school online has a number of classes that focus on exposure techniques.

Photo copyright by Jim Zuckerman

Photographs aren't free

I recently received an email from someone claiming to be a writer for a how-to website. This person stated they wrote articles for the search site and wanted to use one of my images for their article (originally used from one of my Via magazine assignments).

This is normal in the photography industry, and a big reason why I own all of my images (and do not do "Work for Hire" jobs which transfer all image rights to your clients). I grant first-time publishing rights, and once my photos are used by my client, they are part of my image collection, available to license through my company or my stock agency. Some clients think licensing our images is 'extra money' but it's not- it's simply part of our income as freelance photographers - photographers with no guaranteed source of income, no benefits, no 401K or pension plans. 

Getting back to the request, after doing a little research on my own, I come to find out this person was not a writer for the website, nor employee as a writer anywhere else. Instead the site relies on people for their content - it's like saying you're a writer for Wikipedia. And not to bash this person since most people aren't aware of copyright laws, or the licensing fees for a photograph, or the proper way to go about obtaining images - shoot, I've had some editors and clients in the past who didn't necessarily follow the proper way being in the business of licensing images - but pleading ignorance doesn't necessarily get you off scot-free either.

Then as I researched the how-to site a bit more I learned that my image was ALREADY on the site - with the credit listed as the magazine I originally shot it for! They basically took the image from Via's website and pasted it into their article.

At this point I had a few options - I could:

1) Contact my copyright lawyer and sue (which is the last thing I would do since mistakes do occur, and I'm not one to stick it to people that way)

2) Send them a bill for licensing, charging them a penalty for illegally using my image (this is more in line with the norm, and completely appropriate since the image was up for at least a week or two).

3) Notify the "writer" and the website were infringing on my copyright with the unauthorized use of my image and to remove it immediately or face a possible lawsuit and licensing fees (which is what I did).

The site removed the image that day, and at first the "writer" was a bit rude but after explaining the law, she relented and apologized. If they made me an offer to pay for the use, I would have looked up the licensing fee in my price guides, and charged them appropriately including the time they had already used it for. If she didn't apologize, she would have been dealing with my lawyer. The site also tried to claim that they didn't have control of what members uploaded- wrong- if it's their site, they SHOULD have control - or they might get sued.

Moral of the story- your photos are exactly that- yours. If you are a professional photographer with your own business, they are not just sitting in your files or computer, they are part of your inventory. I can't just go and take something off of the shelf at Target, walk out with it, and claim "it was just sitting on your shelf". A lot of money, time, effort, experience, knowledge, and equipment goes into all of the images I produce- as with any business that has a product to sell. Control your photos - do your homework - purchase pricing guides and/or software like Fotoquote or Jim Pickerell's stock guide, and prepare yourself for the day when a client wants to buy one of your images- or one uses an image without asking for permission. And if someone tried to abuse your copyright, find a lawyer.

Irregardless of royalty free photos, royalty free art, royalty free graphics, and all the accessible work on the internet, my photos aren't free.

How to Shoot Sunset Pictures

By Deborah Sandidge

Crystal Beach is one of my favorite locations on the west coast of Florida. The locals have a ritual... each evening they meet at the shore to watch the sunset together. What a wonderful way to end each day. I can't think of anything more perfect.

Sometimes it's long after sunset that the sky is the most expressive. This photograph was made about thirty minutes after sunset. The last rays of the sun were stretching across the horizon, creating a dramatic sky.

Here are a few considerations for sunset photography...

• Scout out locations and arrive well before sunset.

• Keep the composition simple to focus attention on your beautiful sky.

• Incorporate an interesting foreground element - a silhouette works beautifully to complement an image.

• Bring a tripod, and cable release, as you may find the richest colors in the low light long after sunset.

• Shooting sunrise? Same rules apply, but arrive very early!

Have fun shooting...

NOTE: Deborah Sandidge teaches an online photo class - Digital Infrared Photography - at BetterPhoto.com's photography school online. BetterPhoto also offers many Internet photo courses on light and exposure, with many of the classes covering how to shoot sunset pictures.

photo copyright by Deborah Sandidge

HDR Tutorial: How to Create Artistic Images

By Deborah Sandidge

On my way to Savannah, Georgia, I stopped to check out a location called Jekyll Island. It's beautiful and offers great potential at sunrise and sunset. Mid-afternoon, driftwood and a cloudy blue sky created an opportunity for photography in HDR.

HDR, or High Dynamic Range photography, reveals more detail in the shadow, highlight and mid-tone areas of a scene. HDR, along with detail, color and exposure enhancing software, enables you to create a more compelling artistic image than a single photo straight from the camera. It's wonderful to have these creative options available to the digital photographer!

Here's a quick HDR tutorial: I made three exposures two stops apart, the "correct" exposure, 2+ and 2-, and used Photomatix to generate the HDR photo shown below. The latest version Photomatix 3.2 and the Tone Mapping filter has great starting points for processing HDR images.

You can produce HDR photography that has a grunge look by using the Grunge slider, a realistic rendition using the Natural preset, and anything in between. With this image, the "Smooth Skies" preset and a few adjustments to the various sliders created a look that complemented the image. Have fun shooting...

NOTE: Check out BetterPhoto.com's photography courses online, which includes an online photo class on Digital Infrared Photography by Deb Sandidge and an HDR Tutorial by Tony Sweet.

Jekyll Island HDR photo copyright Deborah Sandidge

Picture Taking Tips: How to Create Artistic Images with a Digital SLR Camera!

by Kerry Drager

While Photoshop and other digital darkroom software boasts so many creative approaches, your own digital SLR camera can be used to make an eye-catching variety of artistic images. Two top professional photographers (below) share their picture taking tips and artistic pictures on creating a beautiful look of movement with "just" a digital camera.
Enjoy!
Kerry

Sisters of the Sea... by Deborah Sandidge
Starfish - photo copyright Deborah Sandidge

For this photograph, I wanted to create a sense of motion with the starfish, the idea of waves rushing past. This is easy to do with a zoom lens, sand, shells and a few willing starfish. An overcast day provided even light and allowed for a slightly longer exposure time. With the camera mounted on a tripod, I twisted and zoomed the lens during exposure to imply motion for the two starfish. How simple is that?

The Expressive Image in Santa Fe, NM ... by Brenda Tharp

Trees in Motion - photo copyright Brenda Tharp

This area had beautiful orange/red/yellow ground cover, and that’s all you need for adding some hint of Autumn to a picture! Several of us were standing there panning up, down, up and down, and a variety of other directions to try and abstract the scene for a painterly effect. The “secret” is to start your movement before you press the shutter, and press it while still moving, continuing to move after you hear the shutter close. Like following through in a golf swing or tennis swing, that smooth movement will give you results like the above picture. If you press the shutter and then move the camera up or down, you’ll probably have some detail registered, and then a swoosh of colors, if the shutter is long enough. Otherwise, your picture will be made before you get the chance to move!

NOTE: Brenda Tharp teaches many Internet photography courses, including Creating Visual Impact. Also check out Deborah Sandidge's online photo class: Digital Infrared Photography. BetterPhoto's digital photo school, by the way, offers more than 80 classes that provide professional picture taking tips.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Digital Workflow

By Rob Sheppard

Filing your accumulating digital images can be a challenge. There are lots of good ways to file, but not always good ways for you. I now use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom almost exclusively for downloading images from a memory card and for organizing my photos.

Lightroom offers a lot of tools for filing, but they are only tools. Ultimately, the filing system is up to you. I strongly recommend to folks when I do workshops on Lightroom that they follow a system that makes sense to them based on how they file anything. You simply need a structure or digital workflow. I often use this analogy:

• Set up a storage room for your photos - this is a master folder on your hard drive for all of your image files - it can be the existing Pictures folder or something else. I use a specific Digital Photos folder on a separate hard drive from my main computer.

• Set up cabinets to hold your photos in that storage room - these are subfolders to the master folder that allow you to group photos into certain categories that make sense to you; for me, that works if I use years.

• Set up cabinet drawers to hold your photos in the cabinets - these might be the folders that hold your photos as you import them and are subfolders to the “cabinet” folders - an example might be a folder that holds images from a trip to a specific state - this might mean if you travel a lot, as I do, that these folders are all based on state and dates - but there are lots of ways to categorize these images based on what, how and when you shoot.

• Set up folders in the cabinet drawers to hold your photos - these might be subfolders to your “cabinet drawer” folders - they might be based on specific days within a trip, for example. I don’t need to go to this level most of the time.

Note: Rob Sheppard is a columnist for Outdoor Photographer magazine teaches at BetterPhoto.com's digital photography school. His online photo courses include Successful Publication Photography and Guaranteed Better Photography. In addition, check out BetterPhoto's other online Photoshop training tutorials, including an Internet seminar on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom by Lewis Kemper, a top nature photographer and a contributing editor at Digital Photo magazine.