A few flower tips.

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Michael Willems

Today, I shot some flowers, in anticipation of a photo club walkaround on Monday.

I’ll share a few here, to get you started.

If you have a macro lens, use it. If not, then consider a 50mm lens and get as close as you can: then crop in post-production. That’s why you have all those pixels. (If you use a “normal” lens, set it to a smaller f-number to get shallow depth of field).

And look for nice colour contrasts: purple and green is a great combination.

Here’s a shot taken in simple non-direct light (direct sunlight is not great), with a macro lens set to f/5.6. Normally, f/5,6 at close range gives you too narrow a depth of field, but in this case it works:

A flower, shot with a macro lens.

Red (or orange) and green is a great combination, also:

Poppies, shot with a macro lens

As said, if you can, avoid flash, and direct sunlight. Except translucent light, i.e. a flower lit by the sun from behind, can work very well:

Translucent tulip, lit from behind

Simple backgrounds are essential. Dark backgrounds are nice too, if you can get them.

A tulip

Can you see that the iris shot below does not have a simple enough background, and that the light is a bit harsh? If I had been able to, I might have used a black sheet of paper behind the flower.

An iris

Importantly: get your exposure right. Foliage is dark: your camera will try to over-expose it. You may well need to use exposure compensation, of perhaps -0.5 to -2 stops, to get the right exposure. I am sure I used that in most shots here.

(“I am sure” because I am not sure: it is so automatic that I am not even consciously aware!)

This, I hope, is a start: go try some flower pictures!

Shooting airplanes

Posted on May 25, 2010 by Michael Willems

And I mean with a camera, of course. That is what I did yesterday, with my student and friend Ray, at Pearson International Airport’s runway 24R. Where the aircraft are seemingly about to land on your car:

Airplane about to land at YYZ

Yes, that is my car, and yes, I do trust aircraft and pilots. And yes, I have about 250 hours in Cessnas, all over the planet, so I understand how it’s done.

So let’s talk about taking airplane pictures. Do I have any tips? Of course I do.

First about preparation.

Check the runways and check where you can shoot. Even without a scanner, if the wind is from the west, runway 27 might be in use; if it from the north, runway 36 is more likely. (the numbers times ten are the compass direction). Take sun into account as well – you do not want to shoot into the sun if you do not have to.
If you can, bring a scanner, and set it to tower frequencies (like 118.70 MHz AM). That way you will know who is about to land. Listen for “Heavy” – those are the big aircraft.
Park where it is allowed. Getting arrested or told to move helps no-one. Look for other enthusiasts.

About the lens.

If you use a lens with image stabilisation, you can use it if you are not moving the lens. If you are moving the lens, because the aircraft is close, turn it off (or use “mode 2/active VR” on expensive lenses).
It may be tempting to think “I need a long lens”. And maybe you do. You get nice pictures like this:

Turboprop Landing

And like this:

Small jet landing

But if in fact you are close to a runway, contrary to what you first think, you probably will want a wide angle lens.

Wide is good:

it is forgiving with focus
it is forgiving with motion blur
it is forgiving with depth of field. All good.

And you may need a wide lens just to get it all in. You can get pictures like this, with dramatic perspective:

Air Canada Jazz landing over a phone box

Air Canada Jazz landing at YYZ

Now exposure and other camera settings.

Set the camera to continuous drive (you press, it keeps clicking away)
Set the camera to continuous focus (“AI Servo” or “AF-C”)
Preferably, use manual exposure mode. I used manual, 1/500th second, f/8, and 200 ISO for most of today’s pictures. I measured this off the bottom off the first aircraft.
Use 1/800th second if you can to freeze motion. But when shooting turboprops, 1/400th or perhaps 1/320th is good to show some blur in the props.

The better your exposure in camera, the less work you have to do afterward.

Finally, composition.

Big aircraft are good.

A large aircraft landing

Even better, add some foreground object, so show perspective and scale. Like here:

BA aircraft landing at YYZ

Or here:

Air Canada landing at YYZ

Or here:

Aircraft about to land

That is my advice. And above all, keep in mind that this is supposed to be fun. Don’t sweat it is not all images are sharp. There’s another plane coming soon.

And if (like me) you go home with 600 pictures, you will have to cull 90% of them, and that hurts. But it’s got to be done!

Filter or hood? Which one trumps?

Posted on May 23, 2010 by Michael Willems

A reader emailed me this question:

First of all, I really enjoyed your Travel and Photo Journalism presentation on Saturday, thank you for some great information. Also the Flash Presentation was very informative.
I use a Canon XSI with a Sigma 18-200mm as a walk-about lens. The lens has a good lens hood, however I also have a circular polarizing UV filter on the lens and , with the lens hood on, I have difficulty adjusting the filter. I typically don’t use a tripod so I run out of hands and fingers at the wrong time! Because of this complication I don’t use the Hood most of the time, any suggestions as to the benefits of the hood vs. the filter if I can only use one.

Good question, and one that may be useful for others too.

I still advise using both… I have a 70-200 and with the hood it’s quite tricky to adjust the polarizer: but I still do it quite often.

So I would say:

Lens hood: always. For stray light as well as for damage protection.
Polarizer when you need it (when the skies are blue, etc, or you want to reduce reflections, or you need to cut light).
Both when you can, and especially when you are shooting against strong light

I feel the reader’s pain… it’s one of those things where we wish it was different – but it isn’t… 🙂

Manual flash or TTL flash?

Posted on May 21, 2010 by Michael Willems

You know (if only because I have discussed it before) that you can set your flash to manual or TTL. I thought I would revisit this, and show you some shots I took Wednesday.

Manual means you set the power level; TTL means the camera fires a preflash and measures the return, and then sets the power level based on that. TTL (Nikon calls its version i-TTL, Canon calls its version e-TTL) is the default setting (the panel on the back of your flash says something like “TTL”).

An on-camera flash

Unlike David Hobby, I tend to use TTL most of the time, not manual.

TTL is a major revolution in camera technology, because it allows you to shoot varying scenes without having to worry about distance. In particular, you can bounce anywhere you like, off a different wall for every shot, and you can use whatever modifiers you like, and not worry about measuring. And you can use “fast flash” to exceed the camera’s flash sync speed – useful on sunny days.

A sample, shot with TTL on Wednesday:

Bartender at a reception, shot using TTL

Indeed as David points out, TTL has drawbacks: the major one being that it’s not perfect. Its measuring is finicky. If you always aimed your viewfinder at an 18% grey surface you would be fine, but the meter is in evaluative mode, and on top of that it has an undocumented bias toward the focus point. All that means that if I focus on a black area I get grey (too bright), and if I focus on a white area I also get grey (too dark). So I need to use flash exposure compensation. And check the back of the display frequently.

TTL’s pluses, then, are:

You can use it anywhere, any time.
You do not need to meter or set anything.
You can do it when the subject varies.
You can bounce off varying surfaces, like when you shoot an event and both you and the subjects are constantly moving around.
You can exceed your camera’s flash sync speed by using “fast flash” (“auto FP flash”in Nikon terms)
You can use any modifiers you like

And its minuses:

It can be infuriatingly inconsistent.
Your subject’s brightness makes a difference.
Reflections can spoil a picture by underexposing it.
You’ll need to do more post-production work, as in a fast-moving event, where the setup changes with each shot, quite a few images will be half a stop under or over.
You’ll even miss a few images.

So TTL is great when things are predictable, but it is also very useful when things are not predictable (like when you, and they, move).

Now let’s move to manual flash. Manual is the opposite to TTL: it is utterly predictable and consistent but you need to do all the work, and it is totally useless when you and the subject move.

So I use manual when:

I want consistency, and I can ensure that nothing moves (like in studio portraits).
I have time to meter.
The flash is just adding light, like an accent, or like fill on a sunny day, when the exact power level is not that important (if the flash were a bit under or over it would not make a material difference to the image)
I am using Pocketwizards, e.g. for outdoors shots – which will therefore need to be predictable.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the predictability of manual flash firing, not to mention the predictability of the use of Pocketwizards.

So in fact I shoot manual flash if possible, and if not, then TTL.

Do I sound like I am contradicting myself? No. Because I shoot events. And events mean I need to be on my feet in a constantly changing environment. And that is when TTL shines (pun intended). Every shot I am in a different room, and I bounce off different surfaces. So that is why I usually use TTL.

And when using TTL, it is all about knowing how it is going to react, and being able to solve the problems. That is what I teach in my courses (e.g. at Henrys School of Imaging, and in the all-day course coming up on 30 May, and in Las Vegas on July 12+13, and many more times in between). There’s a lot of problem solving, involving tools like:

Flash lock (FEL/FVL)
Fast flash
Flash compensation
Knowing exactly what it will do

Remember, while a setup shot has to be right, in a fast-moving event, the objective is to get within half a stop to a stop, as long as you shoot RAW. And believe me, this is eminently doable.

Another sample from Wednesday, where bright ambient light necessitated 1/400th second, which meant using Fast Flash:

Oakville's mayor Rob Burton and family

Snacks, also from Wednesday:

Snacks at a high-end reception

Do try to bounce, and use you camera on manual settings (flash is still measured). The following may work, but only if you are lucky:

Photographer using popup flash

I would like to see her shots, but I know they would be better if she used an external flash and bounced it off the ceiling behind her!

Ten Portrait Tips

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Michael Willems

Here’s ten important portrait tips for you today:

Use the right lens. A lens in the 35-100mm range is best (on a crop camera). A 50mm f/1.8 lens can be had very affordably, and this length (equivalent to 80mm) is great for headshots.
Think about your lighting. Natural light is best (from a north facing window). Avoid direct flash: when using flash, bounce it off a white or near-white wall or ceiling or use other modifiers or off-camera flash. Use a hair light when needed to separate a person from the background. Consider adding a splash of colour. Match the light to the mood, and realise that good light is all about the shadows.
Closest eye sharp. Ensure that the eyes are sharp. Nothing else needs to be sharp, but the closest eye in particular has to be in focus.
Think about the environment. If this is an environmental portrait, use a wider angle lens and show the subject interacting with, or surrounded by, that background. But if the background is not meaningful, blur it.
Get the Moment! Shoot a lot, so you will catch the right moment, not the cheesy expressions.
Catchlight: ensure the eyes show a little catch-light. If not, they look lifeless.
Off-centre composition: do not put your subject, or your subject’s eyes, in the centre of your photo: Uncle Fred does that. Instead, use off-centre composition (“the rule of thirds”).
Directing: never tell your subjects you are posing them: say “positioning” instead.
Positioning: Angle your subjects unless they are very thin. In multiple-person groups, make little groups, use a combination of “sit”, “stand” and “lean”, and use joiners to join the groups. having a subject lean into the camera is often flattering.
Props – consider using props that are meaningful (an author holding a book, for instance).

An environmental portrait sample:

Audio Expert Victoria Fenner in the studio

And another one: a headshot, but still environmental:

Christy Smith of Studio Moirae

And here’s a traditional headshot:

Army Reserves Private

There are of course legion more tips and tricks, but the above will get you going. There will be more tips coming!

If you want to learn more, and “hands on”, then come for a short, effective, course – send me an email to hear when and where. Like the all-day Advanced Lighting course on May 30 in Mono, Ont: there are still spaces.

My shoot tonight

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Michael Willems

The second of two shoots: first I shot a politician,and then I shot lawyers. (No – with a camera).

I love shooting corporate events.

Glasses, ready for wine

Food.. aahh. excellent food

Veuve Cliquot

I get to shoot happy people and I even get to eat a snack or two. What’s not to like?

Tech: I used my 35mm prime lens on the 1Ds Mark II, and the 70-200 on the 1D Mark IV. Both cameras had a flash – aimed, of course, behind me.

Why use a hair light?

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Michael Willems

One of my favourite ways to use a light is a hair light. Add it to almost any picture to add some interest, contract, and separation from the background.

So you go from this picture of a very nice student in one of my classes recently:

A picture showing good lack of a hair light

Lacking a hair light

…to this subsequent picture of the same young lady:

A picture showing good use of a hair light

Using a hair light

Much nicer, no? And look, even the smile improves!

OK, I am kidding about t he smile. But the picture is better. A dark-haired person against a dark background particularly needs a hair light.

It is aimed directly at the subject from the back, usually diagonally. Use a grid (like the Honl Speed Grid) or a snoot for even more controlled light (like the Honl Speed Snoot).

Reiterated Trick

Posted on May 16, 2010 by Michael Willems

I mentioned this once before as an aside, but it is worth a post: a trick that tells you which flash is casting what light in your images.

Say I am lighting a person (like me) with a flash outside. Nice:

Subject lit with an off-camera flash

But how can I be sure this light is from the flash? I mean, is that really all the flash? Or is the subject in the sun? Or in a mix of light?

Solution: put a coloured gel onto the flash. Now you see:

Subject lit with an off-camera gelled flash

Ah. So it was the flash! Not only that – you can see exactly where it is -and importantly, where it is not – illuminating the subject.

Useful trick, eh? One more reason to always carry gels along with you.

Digital SLR Gotchas: Auto ISO

Posted on May 15, 2010 by Michael Willems

Auto ISO is a great feature, but use it wisely. Here’s when NOT to set your DSLR to “Auto”:

When using a tripod: you want low ISO then.
When shooting in a studio setting: same, low ISO
When using flash at events: dfoit yourself and select 400 or 800 as your starting point (and go higher if you need)
When shooting sports: your camera will go to a low ISO: you should go to 1,600 ISO instead.

My most expensive camera does not have auto ISO – you do not need it. I like having it, but I can live without it.

My starting points: 200 ISO outdoors, 400 indoors, and 800 in tough light (sports, museums). And then vary from there.

Pic of the day

Posted on May 14, 2010 by Michael Willems

And how would you like to take pics like this, shot about an hour or two ago on my way back home from day one of the excellent Henry’s Digital Imaging Show:

Oakville.com party in Oakville

How did I shoot this:

A Canon 1D Mark IV camera with a 16-35mm f/2.8 lens
The lens set to 16m (equals a “real” 22mm)
A flash on the camera set to -1 stop flash compensation
The camera set to -2 stops on the meter in manual (1/30th sec at f/4 if I recall correctly)
A Honl Photo half CTO gel on the flash
White balance set to “flash”

That’s how it’s done. Come to my courses and I’ll explain more!

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