Everyone has heard the term ‘Any publicity is good publicity’. In some cases this may be true, but in photography, it is a fine line that can have drastic results.

THE NITCH
Being a photographer often means finding a certain type and focusing your efforts to this one style. You have spent years honing your craft and then in one small instant, it can all fade away faster than tide pullback before a tsunami.

This can’t be more true than with family and children photography.

BE CAREFUL
If you are advertising family and children’s portraits and then fill your portfolio/website with scantily clad fashion models, most level-headed parents would wonder if you are going to photograph their kids in the same manner/feel the models were shot in… and most likely move on to another photographer. Parents often network, so news can quickly spread around the neighborhood… good or bad. As a photographer, you don’t want to be on the latter end of that news. Getting a bad reputation (if even perceived) from parents can be a career-ending proposition for some one that has chosen to specialize in that kind of photography.

These are some simple rules I follow for photographing children.

• Never, ever photograph a child unless their parent has specifically asked you to do so, or they are a part of public display (such as a parade).
• Always (without exception) have the parents present when doing a shoot, either in the studio or on location.
• Never touch a child. If they need reposing or some other kind of attention, get their parents to do the task for you.
• Always engage the parents. Don’t just start shooting the child and emerge minutes later. Talk to them throughout the process. Let them see some of the images you are taking and let them know you are open to suggestions.

By following these guidelines (and even coming up with a few of your own), you will gain the trust of the parents. They will spread the (good) word to other parents and pretty soon, you will have them asking you to take photos of their children.

If you are even the slightest bit interested in image/photo editing, I’m sure you have heard the big news that CS5 is out. This not only covers Photoshop, but the suite of applications that happily make their home beside Photoshop. In this blog entry however, we are going to stick to the most famous of the clan.

Adobe and educators are banging the pots and pans over this release. I can understand Adobe wants to make a profit, and I understand that educators, like Kelby Media (if you are the big dog, you get more fleas) trying to get everyone to buy it. If nobody is buying the software, there go book sales, online training, and seminars. Shangri-La dries up. If I sound like I have some sour grapes, I don’t really. May Scott and crew continue for many years to come. Heck, I would even come to one of the seminars, if they were a little freak’n closer… like Omaha, maybe? I just want to keep an eye on reality.

While this version of Photoshop has some nice features, none has made me stand up and shout cool! It has left me out of the ‘wow’ crowd, and in some cases just plain let me down. Without wasting any time, let’s dive right into the new features worth giving a mention.

Content Aware Fill
This feature will find its most use by people that can’t wait that extra minute for someone to walk out of the frame, or just can’t stand that horse eating that particular blade of grass. It will however find some use in helping to remove unwanted objects from a scene. I say ‘helping’ because I am not convinced it will do a good enough job in the real world to have singular use. I have already seen an instance where it fell short of its bantered capabilities. I could be wrong and I will be keeping an eye on it.

Selections with Refine Edge
This is actually a feature that I think is the most significant. To be able to make complex selections without the use of Channels, Masks, etc. will definitely speed up workflow. Some examples I have seen looked pretty good, but they were viewed in a 5″ x 4″ video and not full monitor. Perhaps used in combination with some older methods, this will become part of a good workflow.

RAW Noise Reduction
This is another one of those things that I will have to see in action to become a believer. I will say it would be very nice not to have to rely on third-party software (and if they will be compatible with newer versions).

Puppet Warp
The ability to put ‘joints’ into an object and then be able to move that flexible appendage in the work area is a real ‘ho-hum’. Maybe some blokes in England can use it to make hilariously funny stop-action animations…. Oh wait; they already have done that…. NEXT!

3D Extrusions
Once again, this feature may find some use in the real world. I don’t see a glut of 3D objects filling the internet, or your favorite restaurant menu too soon…. Time will tell.

HDR Imaging
You’ll hear it again and again. You either like HDR or you hate HDR. I tend to fall more on the like side, if the image is not over the top and more realistic. CS5’s new HDR looks like it does a good enough job, but it can’t do the entire job on its own. It has to be finished off in the Photoshop interface (not the HDR dialog).

Mixer Brush
This one I saved for last. This was the most disappointing new feature in the bunch. Adobe states that you can blend color on canvas, have multiple brush tips, textured brush strokes. Once again, I was hoping for some good, realistic painting capability. SNAP! Not this time… if you want realistic painting, with brushes, media, look no further than Painter. When it comes to painting with brushes, Painter kicks Photoshop’s butt and then comes back to kick dirt in it’s face.

Bottom line? Some of the new features are pretty good, while others leave you with a dry mouth. Do I want it? Sure… there are a couple of things that I see could speed up my workflow. Would I want it, if I were buying the full version? Well, I would have to think hard on that one. Doing an upgrade would take considerably less thinking.

Adobe is certainly headed in the right direction as always, but from what I have seen so far, it seems like a case of the kings’ new clothes.

Concerts can be fun venues to shoot. If you take some time and don’t rush things, they can be equality as rewarding.

Gear
Because concerts usually take place in the evening, if at all possible, use the fastest lens you have. An f2.8 would be the best, but even an f4 can do a decent job. If you have two bodies (or can borrow an extra one), put a long lens on one for taking close-ups and a wide lens on the other for taking wide shots of the band. That way, you won’t be standing there changing lenses as the action rolls by you.

Hangin’ Out
Instead of moving all over the stage, trying to catch that great expression or body posture. Slow down some. The band is not going to play 1-2 songs and leave. Usually, they are there for a couple of hours (at least). Pick out a person and ‘hang out’ with them for a while, even a full song. The important thing is to never take your eye from the view finder. If you have your camera down and they start to do something photo-worthy, by the time you get the camera up to your eye and focus, it will be too late. Constantly follow that person and refocus often, never taking the camera away from your eye. Then, when they strike that killer rock ‘n roll pose, you will be ready.

Don’t worry about the other band members ‘getting away’. If they are doing something interesting now, they will be doing the same sort of thing 3 songs from now… it is a part of their stage presence.

I used to worry about getting that killer shot at concerts. I would take a shot of one person… oh wait…. There is that guy over there! Quick, get that guy! I would get myself so worked up that I would inevitably forget basic camera stuff, like monitoring my exposure. With the camera at the ready all the time and on the same person, if they are having a ‘down’ moment, you can quickly take it away from your eye and make any adjustments, if needed (if you are really good and know your controls, you can do this with the camera still to your eye).

Now, instead of having to make a decision of what image is good enough to keep, you will be faced with what images do I want to/should I discard. You will have many more good shots than bad.

In 1994, Apple launched the camera pictured above. Given the name Apple Quicktake and built by Fujifilm, it boasted a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels at a maximum of 0.3 Megapixels. Models 100 and 200 were only compatible with the Apple Macintosh, while the 150 was compatible with both the Macintosh and Microsoft Windows.

The QuickTake 100 was released as an easy-to-use digital camera that connected to any Macintosh computer by way of an Apple serial cable. The camera had a built-in flash, but no focus or zoom controls. The QuickTake 150 kit included a separate close-up lens that allowed focusing at approximately 30 cm. Other than downloading the photos to a computer, there was no way to preview them on the camera, nor was there any way to delete individual photos from the camera (though there was a recessed ‘trash’ button which would delete the entire contents of the camera).

The QuickTake 100 and 150 stored images internally, not on cards, so they had to be used with an Apple serial cable and the QuickTake driver software.

The introductory prices for the cameras are as follows (prices U.S.),
Model 100: $749
Model 150: $700
Model 200: $600

Wikipedia has the full specs here.

If they knew where we’d be in 15 short years! Makes you wonder what is in store for the next 15.

This may be one of the very few times I deviate from my usual blog entries about camera related ’stuffs’, but if anything deserves being deviated to, this is it…

As you can see from the image above, we are no longer in Kansas. No talking about Nikon vs. Canon, f-stops, how to light your subject, etc…. No, I am going to talk about talent. More so, how society pre-judges people to assess talent based solely on looks. How your age is a determining factor of the worthiness of your contribution.

Shows like American Idol (man, it even hurts to type that name) have always been lower on my list of to-do’s than running a cheese grater between my toes. The last couple of days, I have seen floating on CNN a story about a woman on the show Britain’s Got Talent. Up until a couple of days ago, I blissfully ignored the story.

Then, I clicked on that story. What I found was astounding and saddening at the same time. A Scottish woman named Susan Boyle; 47 years old got up on stage and embarrassed hundreds, if not thousands of people by proving it is not what is on the outside that counts, but the inside.

As I sat there listening to her amazing voice, I couldn’t help but think of her 47 years of life. Of how people/society didn’t give this woman a second look, because she was not “beautiful”. As if beautiful can sing, or take a good photograph. And not just regarding her singing talent. What about the other aspects of her life? 47 yeas old and she has not had a kiss (something that usually happens in your teens). How many times had she been teased as a youngster? How long did it take before she started believing what she was hearing in those muffled whispers? How long would she have stayed hidden, burdened by societies cruelty? By the grace of God, somebody convinced her she was worthy… and the rest of the world benefited from it.

We can all learn from this. Don’t be so quick to judge others abilities based on their looks or their age. You could be slighting a Susan Boyle. Most importantly, don’t listen to others opinions on what you can or can’t do. Don’t ever let someone else define your happiness. You and you alone know in your heart what you enjoy and are capable of.

I now know there is a reason for why shows like American Idol (shit… I can’t get away from that name!) or Britain’s Got Talent are on the air.. For without them, the world may have never found out about Susan. I have the highest hopes that she will finally realize her dream of singing professionally and start to unwind the many injustices she has had to bare in her life…. And that many can find inspiration from Ms. Boyle and break free of their chains. God speed, Susan Boyle… God speed.

It has been a while, huh? I didn’t forget though. In this entry, we are going to cover the 3 areas of exposure. These will be flash power, flash to subject distance and ISO.

You didn’t come here, so I could rattle on like someone who’s most important decision of the day is apple sauce, or prunes (although there are some days where that looks like a good alternative).

Flash Power
A flashes power setting, refers to the amount of light it will produce. So, at 1/1 power, or full power, it will give you the brightest flash that unit is capable of. If you drop that power down to 1/2, it means that you have reduced the power of the flash to 1/2 of full power.
Flash power settings follow this model:
• 1/1
• 1/2
•1/4
•1/8
•1/16
•1/32
•1/64
•1/128

For each of the settings you go down, you reduce the flash output by one stop. So, by going from 1/1 to 1/2, you have dropped one stop. If you go to 1/8, you have dropped three stops.

Flash power directly relates to aperture. Let’s say to get proper exposure at full power; you need to set your aperture to f16. If you drop your flash power to 1/2 (dropping it by one stop), you will need to lower your aperture setting to f11 (one stop) to get the same exposure. The big advantages of using lower flash power is that it will recycle faster and not drain your batteries as quickly.

Well, I had the intention of combining the last three elements into one post, but I think I’ll break them up into separate posts. Each one will give you enough to chew on for a while.

The next part in this series will be Flash to Subject Distance (you will see why I decided to break them up).

When I first got my camera, I thought I was satisfied shooting only in natural light w/modifiers… and for a while I was. I had decided to promote myself as someone that only shot in natural light. I thought I was separating myself from all of the other numb-nuts out there trying to do photography.

So happily I went for some time, shooting everything in natural light. After a short time, I got pretty good at it too… just goes to prove that any dumb ass can learn photography. Soon however, I realized that pros were using flash to enhance (and modify) natural light. They were doing it in such a way as to make it seem as though they always had the perfect light. That, I found out is rarely the case. When I found that out, my world changed! My whole thinking changed.

My aunt gave me (I still can’t believe she did that) a couple of studio strobes. I got myself a speedlight for my camera (another one to come later) and I was on my way. I devoured all that I could find on off camera lighting. The best site you can find on the internet is Strobist.com. David Hobby really knows his stuff and is more than ready to share. Another very good source is Zack Arias. Zack’s approach is to use only one light (generally camera flashes). I have to tell you that the results he gets are just amazing.

There must be parts of my brain that are made of Teflon. Nothing seems to stick; no matter how many times crap gets thrown at it. Other parts must be a mix. It takes 2-3 good throws to get things to stick. This is how it is going with mastering flash.

When I took the image above, I had been struggling for a good 30 minutes trying to get things right. I went back later that night and reviewed Zack’s DVD. What took me 30 minutes the night before now took me 1-2 minutes. I hope it will stick this time. Zack tells us that there are five things to consider, but for now I am going to talk about the two most important ones (in my mind).

Shutter Speed
Shutter speed controls ambient light. Ambient light is a constant source. It is always on. Whether it is a table lamp, or the sun, it is constant. To control this, we limit the amount of time it strikes our cameras sensor. To take away (make darker) the light, you increase the shutter speed, reducing the time the light has to strike the sensor. To add (make lighter) more light, you slow down the shutter speed, allowing more light to strike the sensor. To totally eliminate all ambient light in an indoor situation, I usually set my shutter speed to 1/250 and my aperture to f8. Then, if I want to make it lighter… leaving the aperture where it is (be patient, its turn is coming), I lower the shutter speed to where I like the ambient levels.

Aperture
Aperture controls flash. It does not matter if you are using a studio strobe, or a camera flash. Flash, unlike ambient light only lasts for a fraction of a second. In that instant, all the light from that flash is going to hit your sensor… and then it is gone. To control this, we use the aperture to control the amount of light entering the camera. If I want to make the light from the flash brighter, I open the aperture. If I want to darken the light from the flash, I make the aperture smaller. I usually start with the aperture set at f8. This leaves me room to go up or down, as needed. I also usually set my flash power to 1/8 to ¼ power.

There are of course other things that will affect your photo (I did say there are five). I will go over these items in a future post. In the mean time, if you even work with the two variables mentioned above, you will see results.

The image above was taken in my living room, under normal lighting conditions. Camera was in manual mode. Shutter speed was 1/250 and aperture was f10. I had my flash set to ¼ power and shot through a translucent umbrella. Camera ISO was set to 250.

The image above was not taken through some massive telescope, nor is it an image of some tiny world that only exists on a microscopic slide. It is an every day occurrence. It stares many Americans right in the face each day and we do not see it.

Blinders
Most people are more than happy to go through each day, only looking at the big picture. Not taking time to relish the small things, the whole picture. We as photographers, if we already don’t posses it, must cultivate our way of thinking and to see detail where there seems to be none. To make a photograph out of nothing. More often than not, we try and cram in as much information as we can onto that little sensor, or piece of celluloid. We have the room, why not use it? Hell yeah! Unfortunately, this is the attitude many amateur (and pros) adopt. Their images tend to look like what Mary Beth took at the beach last weekend. No inspiration, emotion.

Small or Large?
Try and embrace the simple. Focus on one aspect of a subject, instead of the whole. Does this mean you should throw away all of your lenses, but the macros (if you do, throw them my way)? No. Inspiration and emotion are not things that are exclusively found in close ups. Try and isolate larger objects, so they are not crowded by other elements.

Another Perspective
A piece of advice that has always stuck with me goes something like this… “People see a rose looking down on it every day. Show the viewer a different perspective of the flower, so it will look fresh to them. Like they are looking at the flower for the first time.” Shoot it at ground level, shoot it from underneath. The key is to look (and photograph) at things in a different way than most. Start doing this one simple thing and your photos will stand out from the rest.

Become Inspired
Look at different things for inspiration. Read a book. Take a walk through the park and take in how kids abandon themselves in the moment. Listen to a speaker, other than a photographer and embrace their passion for the craft they choose. Inspiration can come in many forms and places.

Oh, yeah. The photo above? It is a shot of mist/water droplets on my windsheild as the car was going through the wash. Happy shooting!

When it comes to paradoxes, the Nikon 50mm f1.8 D AF fits the bill very well.

Usually, when a person spends less than $400 for a lens, it shows up somewhere in the quality of the resulting photo. This is not the case with the 1.8. Retail price is just over $100 (I got mine from B&H Photo for $109). Now at that price, bells and alarms should be going off in your head and generally, I would tell you to listen to them for a lens this inexpensive. For this lens however, push those thoughts back in the closet, where they belong.

Being a prime (fixed) lens, there is no zoom. The photographer must move to get in closer, or move further away. Image quality is outstanding and sharp as a tack. I have only used this lens a short time so far, but I can say this much…. No matter what camera you shoot, you owe it to yourself to get a fast prime like this.

The low light capability of this lens alone is worth the price. I have shot early in the morning in light that would have the shutter dragging, if I had used one of my other lenses. Instead, I was able to shoot at shutter speeds of 1/100+, because of the wider aperture available. Some of my other initial thoughts…

Pros:

• Very sharp images. Much sharper than you’d think for a lens of this price.
• Lightweight. Less glass means less weight.
• Low light shooting.
• Creamy bokeh.
• Compact size. Ahh… isn’t it cute?
• Forces you to move (and think) to compose your shot.

Cons:

• Built with plastic.
• Tight fitting. I wondered if I was attaching the lens correctly, it was so tight fitting.
• No clear mounting marks.
• Forces you to move (and think) to compose your shot.

Bottom line. If you don’t have this lens (or its bigger brother f1.4). Get it. You won’t regret it. If you don’t have the $100 right now, break into your piggy bank, take your daddy’s beer money (he may be grummpy, but he can buy more next week). I can almost promise you that this lens will spend more time on your camera than many others you may have.

Winter is here, with its short daylight hours and bone chilling temps. Many photographers would rather spend these cold months, curled up next to a fire, reminiscing over the summers photos, dreaming of  next years opportunities.

It doesn’t have to be like this. Winter can offer some of the most rewarding photography, if  a few simple steps are taken and approached with the correct mindset.

Get Your Mind Right
Getting past the fear/hate of getting cold for a little while is half the battle. The difference between getting good and bad shots really does start with the attitude you have about taking them. Once you have set your mind to going out and getting some good photos, you are bound to find something interesting to shoot. If you are dreading your shoot and can’t wait until you are back inside and warm, then your photographs will reveal that in lack luster photos that just don’t have it.

Treat Me Right
Not only do you have to get the right attitude to get good photos, you have to treat your camera and equipment right. One of the worst enemy’s of shooting in cold weather is condensation. Keeping your lens and camera free of condensation, or moisture is something you should be keenly aware of. If you have your camera out in the cold for a while and some snow gets on the lens, trying to blow it off can be one of the worst things you can do. Your warm breath on the lens will create condensation that will quickly freeze, leaving you with blurry ice-images. The same goes for your body and barrel of your lens. A warm breath can melt snow, causing water to seep inside your camera. Getting into a warm car, after you have been out shooting will make condensation form on all parts of your camera. For this reason, it is recommended to turn off the heater. Hey, you are already dressed for cold weather (aren’t you?)!

Time To Shoot
There are many ways to approach shooting in a winter scene. One way would be to show the human drama/struggle having to deal with the cold weather. This could be a shot of a person, or group walking down the street, bundled up and fighting the wind and snow. Another approach is to focus on the details. A withered flower in a pot, covered with snow would really set off the contrasting nature of summer and winter. Focus on peoples feet, trudging through the snow. The world is your snowy oyster!

Whatever you decide to shoot, winter is the best time to break out that polarizing filter. With the high reflectivity of snow, a lot of detail is lost that a polarizing filter could bring back. Remember, that you get the best results, when you are at a right angle to the sun.

Black & white is always a good choice when shooting in snow. The high contrast of the snow and surrounding environment practically shout B&W!

So, go out this winter and make some amazing winter photos. You will be glad you did (your fireplace friends will be jealous) and you may actually look forward to next winter.