Monthly Archives: July 2011

Tip time: Fill Flash

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Michael Willems

Tip time: fill flash and how it works. Fill flash means flash “helping a little”. It is not a particular type of flash; it is a particular use of flash. In fill flash, the flash is used to light up … Continue reading →

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Traveling?

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Michael Willems

It is summer. And if you are traveling, you may want to check out the article I just wrote for Photonews magazine: “Top Ten Travel Tips for Togs”. Here it is: http://www.photonews.ca/?p=1293 Ten tips to make your travel photography more successful and … Continue reading →

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Posted in Travel | 1 Comment

Lightroom tip

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Michael Willems

You know how you sometimes have to shoot with the camera slightly up or down? And how that makes the vertical lines converge or diverge at the top – i.e. they are no longer vertical? Enter Lightroom. Simply go to … Continue reading →

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Posted in Digital Darkroom | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Get down!

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Michael Willems

Well, perhaps. What I mean in my tip of the day here is that viewpoint makes a difference. Avoid being “Uncle Fred” and always shooting from exactly 5.5 feet above the ground. Look what a difference this makes. From this … Continue reading →

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Posted in Composition | 2 Comments

Fuji X100 tips

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Michael Willems

Two more Fuji X100 tips for you today. This little camera continues to amaze me. First: turn off the shutter sound. And perhaps also the focus chirp, although I must admit I find it hard to dispense with that altogether, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Gear, Technique | Tagged | 1 Comment

Tip: Help yourself

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Michael Willems

Quick tip of the day: When setting up a complicated shot, always do a “pull-back” shot to remind yourself of the lights you used. So when you shoot an Emma Peel-like pose such as this: …you should also shoot at … Continue reading →

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SLR Tip of the day

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Michael Willems

When you are using an SLR to look at images you have taken on the back of your camera, set your camera to not autorotate the images. That way you can see the image fill the entire LCD instead of … Continue reading →

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Posted in Technique | 1 Comment

Document your life

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Michael Willems

Why do we take photos? Do we just shoot posed relatives with pyramids in the background? Or perhaps we are artistic photographers who shoot carefully lit set-up shots like this (three speedlights, using Pocketwizards)? Yes, that too – of course. … Continue reading →

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Posted in Picture of the day | Leave a comment

Studio cameras

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Michael Willems

Professional studio portrait cameras have to be the most expensive models. That’s just a given. Right? Oh wait. No… they do not need to be the most expensive. I have taken many studio shots with Digital Rebels and a 50mm … Continue reading →

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Posted in Gear, Light | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Outdoor Flash technique

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Michael Willems

In today’s lesson in my ongoing master flash course, a word or two about outdoor fill flash. First: you need it, quite often, and for various reasons: To fill in dark areas on those bright sunny days; To brighten the … Continue reading →

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Posted in Light | Tagged | 1 Comment