Today a very quick reminder (especially as yesterday I published two posts):
Shoot detail.
Christmas cheer
Use off-camera flash.
You do not need light stands, necessarily: you can often use just the little plastic stand that comes with the camera. Here, you can see it in the shot!
Off-camera flash
And finally, throw lights out of focus (with the aperture open all the way):
Lights
Tomorrow, a new tip.
Whether you celebrate the Festival of Lights, or Christmas, or Kwanzaa, or whatever Eid this season has – or whether like me you just like parties and colourful lights, I urge you to shoot some unusual holiday pictures this month. So I will post a few posts in the next week with some ideas.
Idea number one is: detail and out of focus pictures of lights.
Start with the latter. Select a high enough ISO (say, 400 to start). Open your camera all the way (in Aperture Priority mode, select the lowest “F-number” your lens supports, like 3.5) and manually focus as close as possible (turn the lens to “MF”), while the lights are far away:
Out-of-focus tree lights
And then for the second type of image, get close to a subject and autofocus on the close subject. When using flash, use an external flash (not the pop-up), and aim this flash behind you (yes, behind).
Ball
Ensure that you expose right: use exposure compensation (or when using flash, also Flash Exposure Compensation) as needed (minus, when shooting dark objects):
Nutcracker
That way you get pictures of detail that will help you tell the story and that in themselves are visually interesting.
That was tip 1. More later this week.
As reader Robert G pointed out, the other day I posted apicture of me without a tie.
Yes, sometimes I catch myself unawares. I am my own frequent model, and today’s image is myself, again without a tie, to demonstrate an illustration of a different lighting technique from the onein the recent posts.
This time I am using two speedlights from the side. Both speedlights are fitted with a Honl Photo Speed Strap and 1/4″ grid to soften the light and to avoid it spilling onto the white wall. This gives you a dramatic light which can be very good when shooting males:
Michael Willems (by Michael Willems)
Yup. No tie.
See what this edge lighting technique provides?
This latter ability is often useful. Rememer: lighting is not so much about what you light – it is at least as much about what you do not light.
Here’s one tip for classic portraits: you can use classic backgrounds.
In the 17th century, that meant an elegant drape behind the subject, to provide:
Somewhat like this:
1630 - portrait
You do wonder how people walked around in those Halloween costumes. But anyway, back to backdrops. Why not do that today?
My student Melony built this in her home studio.
Home Studio Backdrop System
Against a wall, two curtain rods: the back one with white curtain hanging from it, and the front one with red curtain. Both operable independently so you can open or close either or both. Easy, and it is not in the way of normal use of the room.
And with proper, light and white balance, this results in portraits like this:
Student Melony in home studio
That kind of setting is very suitable for family portraits. Even in 2010. Many times, I much prefer this to a standard white or black backdrop, or to a muslin.
I might even say especially in 2010. Tip: go to an art museum if you want to see great portraits.
How did we light that portrait?
Questions?
So, a classic portrait does not have to be complicated: a few simple tools and you have great options.
You know Uncle Fred. He carries a camera and thinks he knows about photography, but he does not. None of you are Uncle Fred, or you would not be reading this.
Uncle Fred takes snaps like this, where everything is wrong. See if you can spot the problems in this recent snap of a student:
Uncle Fred Takes A Picture
And there are many, including:
Uncle Mike, on the other hand, does the following:
Uncle Mike Takes a Picture
That is simple. None of this needs a lot of knowledge, does it?
Here’s another one, of a lovely student the other night,taken with a 50mm lens:
Student Robbin
So for your next portrait, please try to get close, fill the frame, shoot vertical, and use a fast lens, focused on the closest eye, using either available soft light or a bounced flash. See the difference!
Black and white is often under-appreciated. You are taking stuff away, after all.
Yes. Colour. Of course. But you are also adding stuff.
Lyndsay in Mono
As advantages of a black and white image, you get:
So today, let me show you just one trick: the above-mentioned ability to selectively change colour.
An original image of a student the other day:
Student in colour
Now converted in Lightroom to “neutral” black and white:
Student in B/W (Neutral)
Now, I used the HSL/Color/B&W tool in the Develop module to selectively increase the brightness of her shirt:
Student in B/W (Light shirt)
But of course I want to de-emphasise the shirt, so her face stands out! Here’s the version I prefer, with a darker shirt:
Student in B/W (dark shirt)
Can you see how much more this emphasises the student, while in the original image, the colours stand out instead?
Here is one more example of how colour can distract, and how in the black and white version that distrction disappears.
So: I recommend you try some black and white. (And do it in “post”, not in the camera. Otherwise you lose the ability to tweak. You can set your camera to B/W as long as you shoot RAW, so you retain all the information).
Further to Thursday’s post, I thought I would brighten your day with some more colour.
You see, sometimes you need to shoot things that are a bit, well, drab. Like this wall – the screen is great but the wall is a bit dull:
Wall with screen
So then, as you also saw two days ago, I shot it again, this time with two speedlites:
Wall with screen with gels
How was this rainbow effect achieved?
That was simple, and I think you will agree it’s a better shot.
A reader’s spouse just asked me:
My spouse had a few photography lessons with you and I am considering getting him some equipment to begin setting up a basic photography studio in our home. Since it’s a Christmas gift, I didn’t want to ask him or her directly what he or she would need and was hoping you could give me some advice regarding the brands and equipment he or she would need.
Sure, I would be delighted to help. Here’s what I think you need for a home studio.
Always:
Then, if you want a proper background:
For available light portraits:
For studio portraits:
That is the minimum. But to do it well, you may want some of the following added:
Here are two previous posts that may be helpful:
Does this help at all? I bet many of you, with Christmas just a month away, will be thinking similar thoughts.
Often, as a photographer I have to do the impossible.
That is, of course, an overstatement. But there is a core of truth in it: photography is problem-solving.
The other night I shot an excellent Digital Signage installation. Innovative screens, powered by EnQii software, in a self-service restaurant.
The problem is: the screens are bright and need to be seen. And the restaurant is dark compared to the screens. Expose for the screens and the restaurant is dark. Expose for the restaurant and the screens overexpose.
There are three potential solutions:
I used a combination of 2 and 3.
More 3 than 2 in this shot:
Digital Signage
And more 2 than 3 in this shot – with coloured Honl gels on my speedlites:
Digital Signage and gels
As you see, an impossible-to-shoot scene is possible.
Try it – it is really not all that difficult!
This, another photo from last Saturday’s Mono workshop, prompts me to write today’s post:
Tara Elizabeth in Mono, 20 November 2010
It prompts me to talk about how to make a photo like this. You see, a photo is not just one thing. It is a culmination of things all coming together.
First you need a subject. Yes, the subject is important. When all else is equal, your subject makes the image. After all, it is an image of something. Photographers are often enough all technique, to the extent that they forget about the subject. In this image, model Tara is looking great; her clothing is avant garde, her make-up, by Make-Up Artist Tea, is superb. Tara’s expression is just right.
Composition is also important, even in a simple portrait. Uncle Fred puts the subject (Tara’s eyes) in the middle. I use the rule of thirds; off-centre composition. Balance the image.
Next, you need technique and technology. I used a Canon 1Ds with a 50mm prime f/1.2 lens set to f/8 at 100 ISO and 1/125th second – pretty standard “studio” settings. Pocket wizards were used to fire the flashes. A digital Rebel with a 50mm f/1.8 would have done the same here.
That brings me to the next factor: you need light. We used three speedlights. Two on the sides, with grids: edge lighting is always good. And one behind us, on our left, the fil-from-the-front light, down two stops, and fitted with a Honl Traveller 8 softbox. See that wonderful round catch light in her eyes? (yes, that is important.) The edge light also separates Tara’s arm, on our right, from the background.
Finally you need to simplify. A good photo is a simple photo. We used a simple white wall. I zoomed in enough to have nothing else in the picture. I used no background light or gels. Sometimes simple is better.
And there you have it, a photo worth using!
I encourage you to do the same kind of analysis on your own images. Always good to see what you are doing – it may remind you to think carefully about the image. And that will make it better. Promise.