Author Archives: Michael Willems

Off-centre

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When composing a picture, our proverbial Uncle Fred puts every subject in every picture smack bang in the middle.

Sometimes that works. But usually it leads to an unbalanced composition.

Like a scale with a pivot, I like to think as pictures needing the weight balanced. That leads more to this kind of thing (last week in Sedona, AZ):

The “Rule of Thirds” is one example of such a balanced layout. If you do not know this “rule” (which of course is only a guideline) then please look it up now. Or just click here. And you will conclude that of course I am using that rule in the photo above. I am also using colour contrasts and converging lines.

And all that in one hand from the steering seat of a Dodge Ram. You see, the point is that this is not a conscious decision. Good composition becomes second nature, an automatic reflex. With practice.

Here is another sample:

Another important thing is that any activity, motion, pointers, etc point into the middle. Not usually out of the frame.

Have fun shooting!

Outdoors Tip

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You should definitely get one of these:

A Hoodman Hood Loupe. With it, you can see your LCD even in bright outdoors daylight. It adjusts to your eyes and it magnifies, as well. Invaluable, and I would not go anywhere without mine.

I am so glad I had mine in Arizona last week. Otherwise I would not have seen what I was getting in bright “creative light” like this:

Or this:

Without a Hood Loupe, you are guessing. A sin “I think they’re OK, and when I get indoors I’ll see for sure” – if you can even see the display at all.

Aircraft image

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How to shoot an aircraft?

If you are a terrorist, use whatever guided weapon you have. If, however (as I assume since you are here) you are a photographer, you want to do something like this:

There are four key points:

  1. I am using a long enough lens. In this case a 70-200mm f/2.8L lens set to 200mm. Which on the Canon 7D I used is equivalent to 320mm.
  2. I am using the lens’s image stabilizer (IS), but in “mode 2”. That means I can pan – that is what mode 2 is for. If my lens does not have a mode 1/2 setting I would turn IS off, unless I intend to hold the lens still.
  3. I have shown the prop turning. Just a bit. In this case, by using 1/25oth second. This meant I needed f/5.6 at 160 ISO.
  4. I have not underexpose the sky too much. A bit of underexposure is good here, because it shows the blue. If the sky had not been blue, I would have wanted to expose more, in order to show aircraft detail. So the need is to first show aircraft detail, then if possible to expose to show a nice shy if the sky is blue.

I hope that helps and am looking forward to seeing your pictures, if you happen to live near an airport (and not be male and bearded like me).

Oh and the fifth key point? I am showing the big aircraft’s trail in the background, creating a bit of a huxtaposition.

This is what I like

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But instead, this is what I get:

Snow and local blowing snow changing to rain showers in the morning then to flurries late in the day. Snowfall amount 5 cm. Wind southeast 40 km/h gusting to 60 becoming southwest 30 gusting to 50 late in the morning then increasing to 50 gusting to 70 late in the day.

Grrr.  Why am I here again?

Good thing my cameras are waterproof. Except the “Toe Cap” for my Canon 1Ds MkIII is missing – fell off. Canon “is unable to” (meaning: refuses to. How I hate euphemisms!) sell me one; I have to go to a third party. No doubt $100 for a tiny piece of plastic. But a necessary one.

ADDED:

(It is the “Extension System Terminal” cover.

One tip for you this morning. When you go from a cold area into a warm one (airconditioned hotel to tropical outside – or Ontario day to warm indoors!) wrap your camera into a tightly wrapped plastic bag before going through that transition.  Take it out after 15 minuts when it has warmed up. Else, you get condensation.

Filter tips

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A quick tip, today. All about filters.

  • Yes you need them. When it starts raining, or in the snow, or in a sandstorm, you want your filter to be ruined, not your lens.
  • But they cause flare, so you do not need them on all the time. I never use my filters except in rain etc. That’s right –  normally, I use no filters.
  • And polarizing filter (“Circular Polarizers”) are great to darken the sky: so you need them. But do not leave them on. They cut the light by a couple of stops! Only put them on when using them, then remove. This is a very common error: I see it all the time.

Oh and do use your lens hoods all the time.

Here’s a polariser picture:

In other words, I slightly darkened the sky by using a polarizer. This brings back the scene to the impressive one that I felt I saw.

Have fun!