Self-Portraits.
I haven't done much of anything with my photography lately. I took a break from customers and personal stuff to get my mojo back.
This week i've been focusing on capturing some of the elements of my relationship with D.
We have been wanting some photos together, but I have a hard time having my picture taken and truly relaxing and not looking so stiff.
I discovered this week, that the timer delay is my friend.
I challenge you- get your camera, set up your shot, set the timer and jump in...you may be surprised by what you get- be free....use different angles, perspectives, etc. It's funny how YOU can truly reveal YOU with your photography-
Here are some of our captures.
Yo.
I'm going to try to come up with something for the site in the next couple of weeks or so. I had to order a new battery charger (do NOT run yours over with your car) and hope to shoot some at a parade this weekend and then at a concert next weekend. We'll see what happens. I seriously haven't even taken a pic since August.
Bad Steph....Spank me!
Ka*BOOM!
Oh yeah baby, that time is here again. It's summmer, that means, hotdogs, pool time, tan lines and Independence Day!
The Fourth of July is an amazing holiday. The sights, the sounds,the colors, the events. Unfortunately it's also a hard day to shoot with the ever changing conditions.
You've got your daytime activities down. You are awesome!
This week we'll focus on the hardest part of the day..the fireworks! Yikes!
We'll start with professional displays.
GO BUY YOURSELF A TRIPOD!!! A steady shot is absolutely neccesary for getting firworks shots- if you're wiggling and jiggling you'll end up with shots that look something like this... EW!
You may not end up using it for every shot, but it's much better to have it and not need it and then to need it and not have it.
With photographing fireworks, You'll definitely want to be shooting in Manual mode. Flip the dial over to the M and go with it. Don't let being full manual scare you, you are a bad mammajamma ...Oh come on, smile, you know you like it!
Ok, we're in manual-
We are worried about getting digital noise with the start contrast between the sky and the bright colors of the fireworks.
Set your ISO to 100. We want quality pictures with the least amount of noise possible. With an ISO of 100, we'll want to go with a Fstop of f/8-f/16 for proper exposure.
When shooting fireworks you will have to play with it, watch your preview screen and adjust accordingly. We're going to turn our shutter speed all the way to the left (I believe, i'll check when my camera gets here later!) You'll go past the longer exposures, keep turning and you will get to bulb mode. Bulb mode is a fascinating setting, the shutter will stay open as long as you hold the button...PERFECT for fireworks!
We've got our settings, ISO 100, F/8-F16, Bulb mode.
Everything logical will tell you that you want to use a tripod. I have one. I started out using it. I got frustrated! In technicality you will get the best shots if you use a tripod and a shutter release cable. Make sure you set up where your tripod won't get kicked by random people walking by. I got my best fireworks shots ditching the tripod and just trying to hold steady. The show we went to the bursts were of differing heights and the tripod was just too much to deal with. A better tripod would probably make it a little easier. Work with what you have and make lots of exposures, don't be afraid to experiment.
**Flip your lens to manual focus. You will need to play a bit to get the general exposure in focus, but after you get it, you should be good. If you leave it on auto focus you will run into it hesitating becasue of trying to find something to focus on**
when you're either in someplace steady or you've got your camera mounted on tripod. Point in the direction of the bursts. The trick is to open the shutter right at the beginning of the burst and close it when it reaches its peak. Anticipating the explosion can be difficult, but not impossible.
Work with holding the shutter for various lengths, pay attention to your feedback screen and work with the Fstop until they are looking right.
Some things to remember when shooting fireworks.
*Arrive early- Stake out your location, find out where the bursts will be, throw your blanket down and know where you will be shooting.
*Don't forget your tripod and/or cable release
*Bring a small flashlight- You'll be working with settings and such in the dark. A flashlight will be good for battery changes, memory cards, etc.
*Bring extra batteries and memory- Shoot the night away. You can delete extra pictures, but you won't be able to take more once it's over. Batteries and memory can go quickly- bring extras, just in case!
*Experiment- My shutter speed usually ends up being 1-4 seconds, but some are way longer, some are shorter. Work with it. The only regret you will have is not trying!
Here are some of my shots from last year- I was very very beginner and just winging it, but they turned out ok. I can't wait to see what y'all do!
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From the NY institute of Photography- some help to get your black skies black.
Noise Reduction Techniques Using Adobe Photoshop.
One way to reduce noise in a digital image is to make a black frame during the shoot and then sandwich it with the noisy shot. To make a black frame, place the lens cap over the lens and make an exposure using the same settings that you used during your shoot. I usually try to make one of these exposures before I start shooting, and then another one at the end of the shoot. That way I won't forget.
In Photoshop:
1. Open the black frame file alongside an image that has noise.
2. Shift + Drag the black frame Background layer over the noisy image workspace to create a new layer. (Holding the Shift key ensures that the new layer maintains perfect registration.)
3. Change the Layer Mode of the black frame layer to Difference.
The noise should be reduced significantly.
Have fun y'all!!
Now for personal fireworks! Fun!
Sparkler art.
Shooting Sparklers are very much like shooting regular fireworks. We're going to be in bulb mode, same settings. You'll have a hard time getting the kids fully in focus,but the effects of the sparklers are tre'cool!
You'll want to tell the kids to hold still! lol. That should be a cardinal rule of sparklers anyway- we need to be safe!
Have them stand, set your focus on them, set up the camera and then light it up. Show them to move the sparkler around, and not right in front of their faces. Experiment, draw things, write their names..have fun with it!
See the lights behind him in the last picture? Try to avoid that..lol!
Enjoy- any questions, drop me an email TheStephStanley@gmail.com
Questions/comments/suggestions are always welcome!
Getting photos you love!
I just felt like I needed to post as i'm sitting here wide awake again, thinking about people in my life, people who arent' in my life anymore and people who may eventually be in my life.
I get a lot of emails from people here and other places asking for photo advice, tips, etc. I love it, I love helping out when I can, it truly gives me joy to see someone getting the pics that they want.
However, i've gotten quite a few emails in the past two weeks that have said things like 'I'm not taking my camera, the lighting won't be great and I don't want to be disappointed" or 'I can't take my SLR, so i'm not going to worry about getting many shots' or 'I really wanted a pic, but I just wasn't looking great" As I read them, I started thinking about the way that my photography habits have changed since I started scrapbooking.
I used to take pics here and there, whenever the mood struck. When you start scrapbooking, you start paying attention more. Look at the background, look at this, look at that. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just encouraging you. Go for the shots that will look great on your page.
Strive to improve your photography, learn what you can about your camera, dress your kids in matching clothes, stage what you want. But, while you are getting the perfect shot, don't forget the small things.
I am very very guilty of wanting the perfect shot, having a messy house so not taking pictures, not liking the background so zooming in super close,, not taking a pic because the kids are messy, whatever.
It struck me as I was flipping through pictures earlier this evening, that the ones that I sat back and looked at the longest weren't the ones where I took my kids out for a shoot and got beautiful angelic pictures, they weren't the posed shots of matching babies all smiling sweetly.
the ones that made my heart beat a bit louder and made me stop and look and think were the ones where Josh was sleeping in his high chair. My dad beaming over his first hot krispy kreme donut. The boys with snotty noses sick in bed and out of focus.
they are by no means perfect technically, and most of the time, they are just not good shots, off center, out of focus, too much flash, too dark, whatever. Don't throw them away for the 'perfect' shot. Keep your files for a few years, you never know what my end up jumping out at you later.
Here are some of the favorites that I found. I grabbed ones with me in them because I want to encourage you to get in front of the camera- how many pictures of YOU do you have in the past year? It's not enough. Your babies will want to remember you as much as you want to remember them. They aren't going to care that you have an extra ten pounds or bags under your eyes. When they look through the pictures of you they will remember the good times you had, just as you do when you look at them.
Hand those cameras over ladies- you are just as important as anyone else is. If your husband doesn't like taking the pics (or even if he does) find someone and say 'would you mind taking a picture for us' I've never had someone tell me no, even with the scary Dig. rebel.;..put it on auto, it will be fine! People are nice, get in those picture!
here are my favs...show me some of yours!
This is my stepdad wrestling with Josh and Jake a few years ago. I look at it and am reminded of how fortunate I am that my mother found someone so perfect for us to marry. I was 16 when they got married and he went through a lot to be there for us. Through everything I knew he was someone i could turn to for anything at all and this picture just makes me smile, knowing that for someone who didn't know me until I was older, he loves me and my babies like his own. Seeing them being so careless just radiates his love, and theirs for him.
This one is my kids, neice, sister, mom, grandma and great grandma. The lighting wasn't great. I look like a cow, we were all hot and sweaty there is a nasty shed in the background, but we're here. all of us, and we're happy. We had a great afternoon and i'm so thankful we got shots while we could. My great grandma passed away a few months later.
This one is Billy and I two years ago. It's out of focus and behind us is supposed to be the national christmas tree in DC, when you are on auto with flash (duh) christmas lights don't show up and you get washed out. We look so young, so happy, so just in love. I love this picture although it's definetely not what i would have envisioned.
And this one is me and Ms.Alice. Ms.Alice lives across the street from my Gram in Ohio. I spent every afternoon on her front porch, just talking and spending time with her when my parents were going through their divorce. She listened and sat and was just there for me. She had a curio cabinet with the tiniest porcelian dolls ever, she gave me one when we moved and to this day it sits in my living room. when I go home to visit, I make sure I visit. She is 98 now, 96 in this picture, it was taken by holding the camera out with my arm. I barely got us both in, but I have this picture framed and look at it every day. Not technically perfect, but seeing it reminds me everyday that things will be fine, you just have to stop and take the time to rock. I don't know how many times she told me that, and she is so so right.
So, i've rambled on and on and on, and you probably didn't read all of it, but that's fine with me.
Get in your pictures, look for love, not perfection. don't stop learning but don't lose what you have!
***Ps- I will be updating with photo tips again in a few days, We'll talk settings for fireworks with the 4th of July coming up!
anything else specific you are wanting to know? Leave me a comment and i'll work on it...i'm begging, give me some direction!
Coming soon.....
Just wanted to let y'all know I haven't forgotten, i just haven't had a chance to get something together....i'll try for tonight or tomorrow!
Any suggestions??
Updates.
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White Balance.
Ready to figure out White balance, what it means and why we want to set it? Good!
The white balance settings tell the camera what kind of light you are shooting in and what color the pictures you are taking should come out. Basically, Light is red as either warm (reds) or cool (blue tones) You know the snapshots you have at indoor birthday partys where everyone looks like they have used way too much orangey self tanner? Yeah, that is the light and the way the camera is reading it.
The Rebel generally does a good job of reading the light on the auto White Balance setting, it gathers up the data in the lens and evaluates it and finds a good medium tone. Normally your pictures will be fine, and it will balance just fine, unless your picture is dominated by one or two colors, the camera won't get a good 'range' to measure and your color will be jacked. You will need to tell your camera what kind of light is available and in turn what to do to give you the captures you want.
The digital Rebel offers 8 different white balance settings. 1. AWB (auto white balance) 2. Daylight 3. Shade 4. Cloudy 5. Tungsten 6. White Flourescent 7. Flash 8. Custom
First things first-
To change White balance on the Rebel
1. Press WB on back of camera (the down arrow)
2. turn dial to selected White balance option.
3. Push 'set' (middle of arrows)
4. Take your picture.
If you're not sure what white balance is correct, the Rebel offers White Balance Bracketing. When bracketing is set, the camera will capture three images. The first is at the white balance setting, the second is 3 stops warmer (more red) and the third is 3 stops cooler (more blue)
To set bracketing-
1. Press menu
2. Press down arrow until WBSHIFT/BKT is selected
3. press set
4. Scroll left (magenta/green tones) or right (blue/amber tones) to set bracketing, up to 3 points each way.
5. Press set.
6. Press shutter half down, compose and shoot.
Custom White balance-
When it HAS to be right and/or your light is mixed and you're just not sure what setting to use, you can set a custom exposure.
to set a custom White balance-
1. Take a picture of a plain white piece of paper (make sure it fills your screen)
2. press menu.
3. press down arrow, choose custom WB
4. press set (you should see the pic of the paper, if not scroll until you do)
5. press set.
6. press menu.
7. Press WB on back of camera
8. Choose Custom WB Setting.
9. Shoot.
The disadvantage is that you will have to set the custom WB using the sheet of paper each time your lighting conditions change. As long as your lighting will be the same, your WB will stay. I tend to stay on the cloudy setting (I like my pics a bit warmer) unless it's something that just isn't coming out right.
A huge advantage of shooting in RAW format is the ability to change the white balance AFTER you take the pictures. I'm still shooting in JPG, so i'll discuss RAW after I give it a fair chance and fall in love.
Here is a sample of the same basic shot (in my kitchen) using each of the white balance settings so you can see the difference.
