Hazy? Solution here!

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Michael Willems

I have asked this before… what do you do when it is hazy? Like in this shot of Hong Kong?

No-one will be impressed.

So you can take the image into Lightroom, and drag “blacks” to the left and “exposure” to the right. Or do a “Levels” adjustment in Photoshop.

True. But as said before, you can make the drawback into a benefit. Male lemonade out of the lemons. And I thought I would show you another “improved” example. Here:

So you find a sharp object to put in front. Simple – now the haze becomes a benefit. Making lemonade out of lemons.

OS X Lion: Apple’s Vista? No – worse.

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Michael Willems

I’m an Apple user, and I have been for a while – happily so far.

But the more I see OS X Lion, Apple’s new OS, the less I like it. No – the more I hate it. It is a dumb downgrade, designed to make your powerful computer into a dumb iPad.

Apart from the many cosmetics, the silly seven-finger (or whatever – after three I stop counting) swiping gestures, the “Full screen nonsense”, the “Launch pad”, the “App store” – in general, the drive to use a computer as an iPad, not as a powerful work computer – there are many big issues that stop me from switching.

The lack of a “save as” function, and the fact that Apple in its app now always saves multiple versions of files unasked, is a show-stopper for me. The lack of a scroll bar, the unnatural scroll direction, and in general the dumbing down and the emphasis of scroll pads and de-emphasis of anything mouse-related are big factors too.

It seems to me that Lion was made for people with an IQ of 85 – unfortunately, those of us who know things are now reduced to the same level. It’s like you make a Boeing 747 that is able to be flown by Granny – that unfortunately means that a real pilot is going to be severely restricted in what he can do.

And to top it off, now I was told by Apple that iCloud will be unavailable if you do not use Lion or iOS 5. This is a cynical abuse of power – upgrade or lose your email address and any calendar synching, and so on. So Apple does not want people to use Lion because they like it – they will instead force you to use Lion if you want synching (which is 100% central to my life in the case of synching Calendar events). For no reason other than bullying, Apple now says “switch to Lion or use that ability”.

I didn’t think I would ever say this, but this may very well drive me back to Windows or Linux. The “save as” function is deeply ingrained in my workflow – it has been a staple function since early computers – and iWeb runs all my web sites.

When I was just telling Apple advisor “Yashika” this on Live Chat, she abruptly cut the connection. It seems that Apple staff, like scientologists, do not like to have anyone interfere with their reality distortion field.

So either I live with a severe dumbing down and a permanent impoverishment of my computing, or I switch to Windows, which has some pretty severe drawbacks of its own. Or to Linux, which lacks the apps.

Don’t take my word for it. Many pundits agree with me. Here’s a few:

http://gizmodo.com/5819418/mac-os-x-lion-this-is-not-the-future-we-were-hoping-for

http://todmaffin.com/lionsucks

http://smilingmac.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/personal-thought-dont-upgrade-to-lion/

http://www.reghardware.com/2011/09/07/apple_mac_os_x_lion_the_nanny_os/

Well – I have until June 2012 to decide on other options. What wil be my new operating environment? Ideas?

Tools

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Michael Willems

As I recently said here, you need to do what you need to do with whatever tools do it. And sometimes those are not the ideal tools.

And once again, let me say that the tool of last resort for me is the Gary Fong Lightsphere. I can be seen here using it at a recent shoot:

That is needed in an environment where it is hard to bounce. So then I get acceptable pictures by all acounts: not art but not bad either:

As you see. a shadow, but not a hideous one. This is light I can live with, and you will see me using this kind of light in events regularly – but only until I can find a place to bounce.

Hidden worlds

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Michael Willems

There is a hidden world in water’s surface tension. A world like this:

Is that difficult to photograph? Depends on how much patience you have.

Here’s how I just took this picture:

Camera on a tripod, equipped with a suitable lens – I used a 100mm macro lens but a 50mm or a telephoto lens may also do.
I set the camera to 320 ISO, f/11, 1/250th second.
A black background, lit up with a gelled flash – or just a coloured background.
A tray with water – also preferably black. I used a wok since I had nothing else, plus a wok is round, so you get circular waves.
A plastic bag with water. I hung it from my microwave. Poke a very small hole in it with a pin.
A for the background – I used a 430EX with a Pocketwizard driving it. The flash set to manual 1/4 power and equipped with a Rust gel from Honlphoto.
Another flash aimed at the drops from the side. Also driven by a Pocketwizard, this flash was equipped with a Honl snoot. Also set to manual 1/4 power.

This looked like this:

See the ziplock stuck in my microwave door? And see the tripod on the right?

And given enough patience you will get pictures like the one above. Yes, patience is required – I just shot 500 pictures to get 10 great ones.

Gotchas to watch out for:

Too big a hole will give you streams of water – not flattering. You want slow-moving, large drops. Small pin hole achieves this (else, wait until the pressure lessens).
Like in any macro photo, you may need to clean up your picture to remove the dust you lit up with the flash.
You will also want to crop the image.
Watch for reflections of the waves in the bottom of the pan – shoot as horizontal as you can.
Watch for reflections elsewhere too – I got a reflection in the side of the pan; some of this I had to remove in post-production.
Focus manually; prefocus where the drops fall.
You want fast flashes – and since a flash’s power is set by its duration, this means not full power, so make sure the flashes are close.

A few more samples:

Productivity tools

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Michael Willems

Whether you are a pro (i.e. you do photography for a living) or an amateur (you do it for the love of it), there are always chores; things to be done. And how quickly you do them determines how quickly you get back to what you want to really be doing.

So here, in case it helps you, are a dozen of my main productivity tools:

Adobe Lightroom. Lightroom is software for photo asset management, editing and production. It has cut 75% off my post-production time. (If you have a Mac, like me, then Apple Aperture is also an option).
Apple iPad. My iPad is my business tool, my portfolio, my email and web device. I could not live without it anymore.
OmniFocus – a task manager/organizing/ To Do tool for Apple, iPhone and iPad. I have it for iPad and am loving it – the first task manager that actually works for me.
Numbers. Apple’s spreadsheet tool for the iPad is, once you learn it, an amazing productivity tool. I run my business using this spreadsheet tool; a spreadsheet that uses the screen interface well.
My Brother QL-570 Label Printer. No kidding. Mail always used to pile up; now I click and a label is produced , and I actually mail the envelope.
USB memory sticks. Now that these can cost under $10, I send my customers their shoots on a USB stick nowadays. No more waiting for failed DVD writes.
ConstantContact. To send emails with info and offers to prospects and clients.
WordPress. My blog runs on WordPress. Simple, to the point, etc.
iWeb. Apple’s simple web editing tool may not be important to Apple – it is essential to me. How else could I quickly write my sites, like www.michaelwillems.ca?
1and1.com – I host all my web sites there. ‘Nuff said.
Google Apps – my emails all run on Google Apps – my own “personal Gmail”.
The Mac. Since switching from PCs to Macs some years ago, my productivity has gone up immensely. With a Mac, you do not, like with a Windows PC, spend your time making it work well. You spend your time actually working. A lot of this is due to the fact it runs on UNIX – the real OS, the same OS that powers mainframes (and that has so successfully been made into Linux as well).

Your mileage will vary, but this gives you some idea of what I use to make my life more efficient. As far as my “a mile a minute” personality will allow, of course!

What makes a shot?

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Michael Willems

What makes a shot? New photographers think “technique” – and that is understandable, since the weakest points are where you concentrate first.

But in the end, it is much more than technique.

As an illustration of some of the factors, take a shot like this, from that recent “autumn” magazine shoot in Oakville:

What had to happen for this shot?

Technique, of course. I described this in my post of 5 September. Two lights, and a gel on the light on our right (that autumn feeling!), and a long lens (70-200).
People. Two models (thanks, Vanessa and Mel), an assistant (thanks Kurt), client for direction, and myself. Five people. And they all have to show up.
The models. Modeling is a profession, and not everyone can do it equally well. Models have to look good, be the right types for the shoot, carry themselves well, and even have a good day. I am sure even supermodels have off-days, so it is something to keep in mind: you are shooting people.
Clothing. The clothing here was from a great Oakville store – instant makeover. Without that, nothing.
Props. The theme was “autumn”. So flowers and fruit personalized that very well – as well as introducing wonderful colour. Props are often forgotten but they can make (or break) a shot.
Weather. Since I am using strobes and speedlights, I can do this in pretty much any light – but I still don’t want too much rain, and I do not want direct sunlight on the models if I can help it, and I sure don’t want sunlight into the models’ eyes- they would squint.
Location. I chose this location because it had many options, and settled quickly on this particular option – shows a “boulevard” type walk, shows trees, even shows autumn trees even though this was still summer. And those wonderful European-looking street lights.
Moment. In this shoot, half the shots (40 out of 85) shots were unusable due to one or both of the two models blinking. With two models, on a bright day, that happens! And some were not in sharp focus (6 out of 85) or were awkward moments.

Get all of the above working, and you get nice shots. It’s not just technique: subject and moment are important!

Flash restraints

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Michael Willems

When working out a photographic scenario, it is often useful to think in terms of restraints – i.e. “what to watch out for”. That can help you handle tough situations.

When using flash, especially in mixed light (e.g.outdoors) the following are the major restraints to watch for:

Flash synch speed. When using flash, your camera cannot exceed the speed beyond which the shutter no longer fully opens. This is around 1/250th second on most SLRs. (Tip: open the aperture on your camera all the way at 1600 ISO and point at the sky. Check shutter speed. Now turn on the flash, and see what the shutter speed is now reduced to – that is your flash sync speed).
Flash range. Your flash range gets smaller the more you close the camera’s aperture. The guide number divided by the aperture tells you the full power range. (Tip: the flash may display it on the back – most modern flashes do, when the head is pointed straight forward.)
Usable Aperture Range. On the one hand, you want a small aperture number (a large aperture, say f/2.8) for blurred backgrounds – but that may be difficult due to constraint (1) above. On the other hand, you may need a large aperture number (a small aperture, say f/11) to make backgrounds darker, but that may be difficult due to constraint (2)

Geez, life is full of impossibilities, isn’t it!

But if you keep those constraints in mind at all times, you will know when you are about to run into trouble – conversely, staying clear of those constraints guarantees trouble-free shooting. Like in this recent shoot:

A reminder: ISO start points.

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Michael Willems

You can use “auto ISO” if you like – but never in a studio or when using manual lights.

Otherwise, if you like, you can use it, since other than in terms of grain, ISO does not affect the essence of your image. (That to me is the measure of what you should do manually: anything that affects the look of your image.)

When you use manual ISO, here’s some simple starting points that will help you get off on the right foot:

Outdoors, or when using tripod: 200 ISO
Indoors, even when using flash: 400
“Difficult light”, or sports: 800
But.. go as high as you need to get acceptable shutter speed!

Those starting points are just that – but they will start you off not far from where you need to be.

ISO: raise it when your pictures get motion blurred. Lower it when you need great quality and have light or a tripod.

Dealing with motion

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Michael Willems

Dealing with motion can be complicated becuase it involves multiple aspects of photography:

Are we talking about your motion , or the subject’s motion?
Do you want to show motion, or freeze motion?
How do you Focus?

So here, in my usual quick tips format, are a few tips that may help:

These are simple pointers to good camera technique:

To avoid motion blur, ensure your shutter is set to “1 / lens focal length” – or faster! I.e. if using an 18mm lens. at least (roughly) 1/18th of a second; when using a 100 mm lens at least 1/100th of a second; and so on. Preferably twice as fast or better!
To freeze rapid motion, like a race car: 1/500th, or preferably faster, like 1/1000th.
Use VR/IS stabilization, it rocks – unless you are moving the camera or are using a tripod.
On that subject: tripods are cool – use one whenever you can.
Pan (follow the subject while pressing the shutter) when shooting a moving object.
Try AF-C / AI Servo focus if your subject’s distance from you varies (it is coming to you, or moving away from you).

Use of these techniques maximizes the chances of an image that uses, or freezes, motion the way you want it.

Unproductive Questions

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Michael Willems

One reason to learn in a formal setting is that it helps you ask the right questions.

“But surely, Michael”, you say, “there are no bad questions?”

True enough – but there are many questions that waste your time if you try to really answer them; that should not be pursued, but rather should be answered with “don’t do that”, or “do it another way” or “that is unimportant”. In that sense, they are simply the wrong questions.

I get many of those questions as a teacher, and of course students in a class will hear and understand the explanation and move on. But if you take no classroom training you will spend much energy on those “wrong questions”.

I mean questions like:

I don’t like changing lenses, so which all-purpose lens can do all my photography? (Understandable, but wrong question. If one lens could do it all, I would own that lens. Except it would weigh 10lb and cost $5,000 and distort around the edges).
How can I take the same sports pictures you do, but with my kit lens? (Ditto. you simply cannot).
How do I best use my pop-up flash? (Not. Use an external flash: it is more powerful and you can direct its light elsewhere, and in any case it is farther from the lens).
What happens when I press exposure compensation while at the same time pressing exposure lock and the shutter? (Who knows! This is the kind of question that just wastes energy. Yours.)
How do I best mount two filters on top of each other: polarizer on top or polarizer on the bottom? (You don’t. Only one filter at a time).
How do I avoid flare without going through the effort of getting a lens hood? (Not very well. Use a lens hood.)
What is the highest zoom I can get? (Before answering, I would need to hear much more on why this is important to you.)
What lens/camera/flash should I buy? (That is an understandable question, but you should not expect a real answer, since only you can make that decision – after you understand the criteria for choosing!)

…the list goes on ad infinitum. Many of these are “wishful thinking” questions. Some are not. They are all questions that are easily answered, or at least countered, by a teacher- but when you ask them without that formal training, you will waste half your energy (I bet you can find a dozen sites on the Internet that try to answer those unproductive questions.)

I have an interest in saying this, of course – I coach privately, I teach at the School of Imaging and at Sheridan College – but that’s not why I am stressing the point. I would not do this daily blog if it was. Instead, I am prompted by a closed Facebook group where thousands of pros and would-be pros converge and talk, and it amazes me that quite a few of the would-be pros proudly say “I don’t go for formal training”. That is a shame – because training, rather than giving you all the answers, helps you ask the right questions, and in doing that, saves you lots and lots of time.

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Monthly Archives: September 2011