Monthly Archives: September 2011

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” … Continue reading →

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Posted in Technique, Travel | Leave a comment

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 … Continue reading →

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Posted in Gear | Tagged | 14 Comments

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 … Continue reading →

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Posted in Gear, Light, Technique | Tagged | Leave a comment

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 … Continue reading →

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Posted in Light, Picture of the day, Technique | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

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 … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business | 3 Comments

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, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Light | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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 … Continue reading →

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Posted in Light, Technique | Tagged | Leave a comment

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 … Continue reading →

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Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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 … Continue reading →

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Posted in Learning | 2 Comments

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 … Continue reading →

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Posted in Learning | 2 Comments