Introduction
Tibor Vari
President of Teaneck Camera Club 2005-2006 & 2006-2007, VP 2003-2004, 2004-2005
First VP of NJFCC 2007-2008
Salon Worker: Slides/Digital, Nature, Color Prints By The Maker
Numerous Medals, MAs & HMs in NJFCC and PSA
Landscape Workshop Tour Guide, Youth Sports, Weddings, Proms, Home Family Portraits
Tibor Vari’s website is at http://www.tiborvari.com
Email: tibor@tiborvari.com
I have had a 35mm since I was 18 (Olympus OM1 & OM2)
08/1993 Nikon N6006, 05/1995 Nikon N90, 08/1996 Nikon N90s, 05/2000 Nikon F100, 02/2001 Nikon F5
11/2001 Canon G2 Digital
09/2004 Nikon D70 Digital
04/2005 100% digital with Nikon D2x (Nikon F5 & F100 sold 02/2006)
04/2007 Nikon D200 , 07/2008 Nikon D700, 02/2012 D4?
Found out life is too short at 33!
2 weeks vacation plan vs 12 month plan
Workshop geared for Beginners on up to Pros
Forget about “drive by shootings” – your counting on pure luck to get a good shot!
Great shots can be yours with some planning
Luck Factor
•
Only involves weather and colors (I can’t control these)
•
The rest is up to you (I can control where I’ll be & when)
1.
Research
2.
Where to stand at what time
Tibor Vari Landscape Photography Workshop
Agenda
Research
•Books
•Guides
•Internet
•Magazines
•Trip Planning
Equipment
•Camera
•Lens
•Film/Flash Cards
•Filters
•Tripod
Clothing
Exposure
•Depth of Field/Shutter Speed
•Camera Meter
•Histogram/Bracketing
Composition
•Center of Interest
•Rule of Thirds
•Telling a Story
•Impact
Slide Show
RESEARCH
“Before I even leave home, I’ve thoroughly
researched the mountains I’m heading to.
I already know where I’m going, otherwise
valuable time and light can be wasted
trying to determine where I needed to be
in the first place.”
Art Wolfe
Outdoor Photographer, March 2004
Best Light:
•Sunrise - 45 minutes before to 2 hrs after (generally)
•Sunset – 2 hours before to 45 minutes after (generally)
Internet Sources
Great
source for
information
on
locations
Map Reading
Bridges
and bends
in rivers
are good
locations
Road
conditions
Pictures
Searching Other Photographers Websites
Photography Research Sources
National Park Visitors Center
•Postcards, books, sunrise/sunset times, weather conditions, park rangers, tourist information offices
•Scout sunrise/sunset locations during the afternoon. Search for interesting foregrounds.
•Ask Rangers for locations of photographs & best time to shoot them (sunrise/sunset).
Books:
•John Shaw, Nature Photography Field Guide
•Joe Lange, How to Photograph Landscapes, Yellowstone & The Tetons, Grand Canyon & Northern Arizona
•National Geographic Photography Field Guide
•Laurent Martres, Photographic the Southwest Volumes 1 & 2, Land of the Canyons
•Michael Frye, The Photographers Guide to Yosemite
•Gary Braasch, Photographing The Patterns of Nature
•Bryan Peterson, Understanding Exposure
•Art Wolfe, The Art of Photographing Nature
•Andy Cook, Colorado’s Best Photography Locations (cdrom)
•Sierra Press
•Yosemite The Cycle of the Seasons, Yellowstone The Cycle of the Seasons
•Death Valley A Visual Interpretation, Bryce Canyon A Visual Interpretation
•Zion A Visual Interpretation, Grand Teton A Visual Interpretation
•Grand Canyon A Visual Study, Islands in the Sky – Scenes from the Colorado Plateau
•Sierra Press “Wishing You Were Here” series of booklets
•Olympic NP, Arches & Canyonlands NPs, Yosemite NP, Death Valley NP
•Glacier NP, Sequoia & Kings Canyon NPs, Mount Rainier NP, Mount St. Helens NM
•Books by Art Wolfe, Galen Rowell, William Neill, David Muench, Tim Fitzharris, John Fielder, George Lepp, Jim
Brandenburg, Daryl Benson, Frans Lanting, Joe McDonald
Photography Guides
•Photograph America Newsletter: www.photographamerica.com
•Photo Travel: www.phototravel.com
Magazines:
•Outdoor Photographer: www.outdoorphotographer.com
•Photo Techniques: www.phototechmag.com
•Popular Photography: www.popphoto.com
•PCPhoto: www.pcphotomag.com
•PhotoLinks: www.photolinks.com
•Vivid Light Photography: www.vividlight.com/
Websites:
• Fall Color Reports: www.vividlight.com/articles/fall_foliage.htm#2
• NY State Fall Foliage: www.empire.state.ny.us/tourism/foliage/
• Maine Fall Foliage: http://www.state.me.us/doc/foliage/
• New Hampshire Foliage: http://www.newhampshire.com/pages/foliagereport.cfm
• Vermont Foliage: http://www.1-800-vermont.com/seasons/report.asp
• New England Foliage: http://foliagenetwork.com/
• New England Foliage Driving: http://www.adirondacks.com/fallfoliagedrives.htm
• Leef Peeping: www.fs.fed.us/r9/white/other_things/leaf/leaf_peeping.html/
• Photo Secrets: www.photosecrets.com
• Photo Trips USA: www.phototripusa.com
• Luminous Landscape: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/ <- great photos and articles
• Computer Darkroom: http://www.computer-darkroom.com/home.htm
• Sunrise/Sunset times: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.html
• The National Park Service: www.nps.gov/
<-excellent site to search every NP
• America’s Parks Online: www.parksonline.org/index.html
• Tons of Links: www.members.aol.com/OptiquesJN/links.htm
• Nature Photo Gallery: www.naturephotogallery.com
• PhotoNet: www.photo.net
• Desert USA: www.desertusa.com
• American Southwest: http://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/index.shtml
• Antelope Canyon tours: http://www.antelopecanyon.com/index.html
• Monument Valley Tours: http://www.monumentvalley.com/Pages/english_tours.html
• Zion Narrows Equipment: http://www.zionadventures.com/narrows2.htm
• Coyote Buttes & The Wave: https://www.az.blm.gov/paria/index2.html
• Photo Trip USA Showcase: http://www.phototripusa.com/showcase_list.html
• North American Nature Photography Assoc.: www.nanpa.org
• Nature Photo Gallery: http://www.naturephotogallery.com/
• Slot Canyons: www.americansouthwest.net/slot_canyons/index.html
• Capital Reef: http://www.phototripusa.com/E_gallery_1298.html
• Arches NP: http://www.parksonline.org/parks/ada/arches/index.html
• Escalante Staircase: www.ut.blm.gov/monument/
• Dennis Halkides: http://www.dhalkides-stockphoto.com/home.htm
• Don Baccus: http://donb.furfly.net/
• John Shaw: www.johnshawphoto.com
• David Muench: www.muenchphotography.com
• Galen Rowell: www.mountainlight.com/
• Art Wolfe: www.artwolfe.com
• Bill Atkinson: www.billatkinson.com
• Pat O’Hara: http://www.patohara.com/home.htm
Tibor Vari’s website is at http://www.tiborvari.com
Email: tibor@tiborvari.com
Always keep an eye open for subtle hints regarding
opportunities
End Result of Research & Planning is a Trip Plan
Date
Location
4/21/2007 Sat
day
4/22/2007 Sun
4/23/2007 Mon
4/24/2007 Tue
4/25/2007 Wed
4/26/2007 Thur
4/27/2007 Fri
EWR -> SLC -> Grand Junction
drive to Arches (2hrs)
SS 7:57
Hotel
North Window
Moab Super 8 Motel 435-259-8868
889 N. Main St., super8@quintstar.com
SR 6:39
day
South Windows -> Turret Arch
SS 7:55
Hotel
Delicate Arch/Windows section
Moab Super 8 Motel 435-259-8868
SR 6:38
day
Landscape Arch -> Tunnel Arch
SS 7:54
Hotel
(LA) Skyland Arch (SS) Balanced Rock
Moab Super 8 Motel 435-259-8868
SR 6:37
day
The Organ -> 3 Gossips
SS 7:53
Hotel
Windows Area/Balanced Rock
Moab Super 8 Motel 435-259-8868
SR 6:36
day
Canyonlands Green River Overlook (60 min)
Drive to Monument Valley (3 hours)
SS 7:52
Hotel
Visitor Center area
Best Western 928-697-3231
SR 6:35
Totem Poles / Ear of the Wind
day
Possibly Antelope Canyon (lower?) 2.5 hours
SS 7:51
Hotel
Visitor Center area
Best Western 928-697-3231
SR 6:34
Totem Poles / Ear of the Wind or Visitor Ctr
day
drive to Arches then Grand Junction after SS
SS 7:50
North Window / Balanced Rock
Ramada Inn, 752 Horizon Dr, 970-243-5150
#209435
4/28/2007 Sat
SR 6:33
Enterprise + PAI 5 + SLP 12
$625 FYYYYD Tahoe
$95.00 P46492-00
25 min to Windows
$95.00
35 min to parking lot
$95.00
12 min to Organ
$95.00
4 1/2 hr to MV (Rt 191->163)
$95.00 #638591111
35 min to visitor center
$95.00
or Valley of the Gods
3:40 from MV
$92.00
Fly Home
Know where you are going to be during the magic hours of light!
Have alternative locations (sunny vs rainy days)
EQUIPMENT
Nikon D700 (D2x
spare)
Cable release
Extra flash cards
Bubble level
L bracket
Micro lens cleaner
And last but not least
The Dixie Cup!
Available Free in your hotel room!
Filters
Polarizer
Graduated Neutral Density
In the digital world, I no longer carry warming or enhancer filters
Filters
Polarizer Filters (one for each lens), eliminates glare and reflections – will pop the
colors of the subject. You will lose about 1-2 stops of light.
Warming Filter (81A or 81B), good for shaded locations to remove blue tint
Enhancer Filter, pops the colors, in particular red (great out west in red rock
country). Always take a shot with and without filter.
Neutral Density Filter (2 Stop & 3 Stop versions), used when the brightest to
darkest parts of a picture are greater than 3 F-stops
How to use the Polarizer filter: The basics of this filter is that you get the maximum
polarization by being 90 degrees from the sun shooting towards your subject.
When looking for subjects to shoot, I make a concerted effort to be 90 degrees from
the sun. When using Velvia out West, you will have to back off from maximum
polarization otherwise the sky will be a very dark blue (same with digital).
SUN Light Direction
Subject
Camera aiming at subject
1, 2 & 3 Stop Neutral Density Filters
Image from: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-grads.shtml
Why Neutral Density Filters?
No
Polarizer
Polarizer
CLOTHING
Layers
Gore-Tex
Be Prepared!
EXPOSURE
3 Way Tug of War
Shutter Speeds
1/1250 1/1000 1/500 1/250 1/125 1/60 1/30 1/15
Freeze Action
1/8
¼
½ 1”
<-Silky Water->
2”
4”
8”
15”
Low Light
Lots of sunlight
F11-F22
Wide Open Apertures
Slow Film (ISO 50)
Fast Film (ISO 400+)
Narrow Apertures
F Stops
F1.4
2.8
4
5.6
8
11
16
22
32
Portraits
Landscapes
Shallow DOF
Great DOF
Background blurred
Everything sharp
ISO
(film/digital speed – generally in 1/3 to ½ stops)
50
100
200
400
800
1600
3200
6400 12800
30”
My Typical Settings
Landscapes:
RAW, ISO 100, Aperture Priority (typically F16 or F22), RAW compression On,
Tone Compensation -1, Color Space Adobe, Color Mode III (landscape), 12MP,
White Balance Auto
Sports:
JPEG, ISO 400+, Aperture Priority (typically F4.5 or 5.6), JPEG Compression
optimal quality, JPEG Fine, Image size L (12 MP), White Balance Auto, Color
Space sRGB, Color Mode I (portrait), Image Sharpening Normal
Weddings/Family Portraits/Events:
RAW, ISO 200-400, Aperture Priority, WP Auto, Color Mode I (portrait), 12MP
Tonality
+2 ½ stops: textureless white
Broad expanse of snow (overcast)
+2 stops: extremely light
Textured snow, sand dune
+1 ½ stops: light light
Birch bark
+1 stop: light
Khaki shirt
+ ½ stop: dark light
Caucasian skin in sun
Metered value: medium tone
Most grass, green leaves
-½ stop: light dark
Caucasian skin in shadow
-1 stop: dark
Animals with dark hide
-1 ½ stops: dark dark
Dark Shadows with texture (pine tree bark)
-2 stops: extremely dark
Fur on a black cat
-2 ½ stops: detailless black
Night sky
Sunny 16 Rule Daylight exposure = 1/ISO of a second at F16
Camera meter wants to make everything 18% gray
•Snow or Beach Scenes - Compensate by +1 to +2 F-Stops
•Dark subjects like a black cat - Compensate by -1 to -2 F-Stops
Dynamic Range of Light Values
So What is a Histogram?
• A digital camera histogram is a graphical
representation of the brightness levels (from
pure black to pure white), in an scene and the
relative count of pixels within each brightness
level.
• Do not trust your camera monitor to judge light
and color! The monitor is not calibrated!
Digital Histogram on a D2x
Digital Camera monitors are
not calibrated! Thus you
cannot judge exposure or
image colors by it!
Use your histogram to
determine image exposure!
If you do, you will not have
to look at the image using
the camera monitor at all!
Finally, your monitor will be
difficult to see in daylight –
the histogram will in fact be
easier to see.
Histogram to Image
Mid-tone
118 R
124 G
136 B
Shadow
24 R
23 G
18 B
Highlights
238 R
232 G
Pixel count high
for sky
115 R 151 G
185 B
220 B
Interpreting your Histogram
(High Key sample)
There really isn't just one proper histogram for any given image. You can shift the tonal range
(the histogram) around to lighten, darken or adjust the contrast in an image. To take advantage
of the information supplied by an image's histogram you have to be able to visually interpret the
image content, taking into consideration the location and approximate percentage of highlight,
shadow and midtone pixels in the image itself. Because of the snow, you would expect this
image to have a majority of its pixels to the right side.
Interpreting your Histogram
(High Key sample)
There really isn't just one proper histogram for any given image. You can shift the tonal range
(the histogram) around to lighten, darken or adjust the contrast in an image. To take advantage
of the information supplied by an image's histogram you have to be able to visually interpret the
image content, taking into consideration the location and approximate percentage of highlight,
shadow and midtone pixels in the image itself. Because of the snow, you would expect this
image to have a majority of its pixels to the right side.
Blown Shadows & Highlights
Exposed for mountain
Exposed for foreground
Merged in Photoshop
Blown Shadows
Blown Highlights
Added Saturation, curves
Black Pixel count
White Pixel count
Contrast, Adj Levels
COMPOSITION
Rule of Thirds
Center of Interest
Telling a Story
Leading Lines
Impact
Compositional Do’s
• Please yourself first, not someone else.
• Wander around to find the best subject.
• Handhold your camera to find the best composition, then setup
your tripod.
• Preview the depth of field.
• Check for background distractions.
• Check the edges of the frame for distracting objects or hotspots.
• Check for merging tonalities.
• Control or enhance the light if needed (flash or reflectors).
• Check camera histogram for “blinkies” (hot or dark)
• Be deliberate about camera placement and lens selection.
• Position your camera as the subject matter dictates (leading lines,
rule of thirds, etc.).
• Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.
Most of the above items taken from John Shaw’s Nature Photography Field Guide.
Compositional Don’ts
• Do not photograph the first subject you find; look for the best subject.
• Do not mount your camera on your tripod before you’ve found a good
composition.
• Do not extend you tripod legs before you’ve found your subject and
composition.
• Do not photography contrasty subjects in bright sunlight.
• Do not bull’s-eye your subject in the frame.
• Do not tilt horizons or place them in the middle of the frame.
• Do not try to capture everything with one picture.
• Do not photograph low objects from a high perspective.
• Do not let objects barely touch the edge of the frame.
• Do not pick a flower (or harass an animal) to move it to a better spot.
Above taken from John Shaw’s Nature Photography Field Guide.
T-Tours Addendum
• If the light is good – keep shooting (you can eat/sleep back in NJ).
• Know your equipment and camera controls without having to look.
• Clean equipment, lenses, and install fresh batteries before trip begins.
• Read and bring your camera manual. Then read it again!
• Get up early and be at the sunrise location 45-60 minutes before sunrise.
• After framing a shot – run your eye along all four edges & corners – make
sure nothing is intruding in the shot that is not needed.
• Look for interesting foregrounds & middle ground for your main subject.
• Remember the rule of thirds
• Start wide, then keep getting in tighter and tighter.
• Try scouting sunrise/sunset locations during mid-afternoon.
• Walk around – visualize the shot in your mind. Afternoon for distant drives
• When in doubt about exposure – bracket (film/digital is cheap vs trip cost!)
• If your shooting digital – use your histogram!
• Be cognizant about having to use your ND filter.
• If you compensate – remember to reset to zero!
• Take notes of locations and make map notations.
Run your eyes along the edges
Shift position
Watch your horizons!
You sleep in – You lose!
SLIDE SHOW
(A quick tour of America)
SUMMARY
Do your research!
Know your camera
Use your histogram
Use a graduated neutral density filter where necessary
It’s all about the light – get up early
Composition:
•Rule of Thirds
•Leading Lines
•Impact
•Tell a Story