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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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®
The Cape Town Best Seller ee-Book Series
100 Great Tips for the Amateur
DSLR Photographer
(International Edition)
by
Michael M. Paulse
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After many years in the commerce, Michael Paulse’s
has decided to pursue his passion: Photography. His
father was an astute and accomplished photographer
who started his career as a laboratory assistant at
Kodak Eastman in Cape Town, South Africa in the
1960’s. It is from these rich roots that instilled in him his
love of this art.
Mike holds an MBA and currently lectures Economics,
Logistics and Management at the various local
universities as well as freelancing as a photographer.
He enjoys the commercial, sporting and creative genre
of this fine art.
He shoots almost exclusively in RAW and is currently dabbling in High Dynamic Range (HDR) postproduction imaging. Mike rank’s Michael Freeman as one of his inspirational authors.
COPYRIGHT 2010.
2010. All Rights Reserved. This book/ebook
book/ebook is copyright under the Berne Convention and as such no part of
this book/ebook/e-book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, recording,
recording, or by any
other information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
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A
cknowledgements
For my dear friends, Michelle and Deon Eybers, who have been stalwarts in their persistence that I start
this project.
For my sons, Brett and Cole, and especially for my beautiful wife who is always there by my side (not
necessarily quiet by my side, but by my side, nonetheless.)
And finally for my late dear Dad, who is still (I suppose) keeping us in his focus!
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I
ntroduction
The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series® is finally here! After years of contemplation, procrastination
and false starts, I have finally knuckled down and penned what is already proving to be a successful local
p-book and e-book brand.
My desire to pen my passion for photography came to fruition following Cape Town’s (South Africa)
successful hosting of the 2010 soccer World Cup. Amidst the sweet cacophony of the Vuvuzelas, I was
commissioned to shoot a series of night time photographs of the Cape Town Soccer Stadium in Green
Point, a lovely suburb adjacent to the famous Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront. And soon after this project,
came the requests to do something more. With my association with sites like www.lulu.com,
www.myebook.com and www.digital-photo-secrets.com are slowly allowing my dreams to take shape!
This e-book is the inaugural flagship of The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®. It is my first entre
into the e-book genre and the initial interest has been phenomenal. These e-books will be available in
PDF readable by Linux®, Windows®, Android® and Apple Mac® operating systems.
The title, 100 Great Tips for the Amateur DSLR Photographer, addresses the basic ‘must know’ and
‘need to know’ tips to get you going with your DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera. It is written in a
language that is easy to understand and cuts to the chase. No complicated technical jargon, or sequential
training methodology.
My method is one of emersion – YOU are thrown in at the deep end! YOU, the learner and aspirant
photographer, yes YOU, decide the pace, the topic or tip, the duration of practice, etc. And it is all
demonstrated in clear photographs# that illustrates the underlying tip. Just page to the topic of interest
and ‘Voila!’, it is explained in one or five (?) printable and descriptive photographs! Take this with you and
go and practice it. There are 100 easy to understand tips – all beautifully illustrated by yours truly in about
190 or so photographs covering all the issues you need to get you going and truly enjoy this fine art form.
It is my intention to use The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series® brand as a platform to bring out the
best of local South African writing and artistic talent. Exposing and bringing to the international audience
contemporary African literary masterpieces that are not only creative but reflect and highlight the social
issues affecting youth in South Africa. Issues such as drug abuse, poverty, gangsterism and hope! You,
too, can play a part and the purchase this e-book certainly goes a long way in supporting this initiative.
A lot of material and know-how has been drawn from personal field-work experience, mentors, other
photographers, the internet, etc. But it would only be prudent to acknowledge authors such as Ian
Bradshaw, Michael Freeman, Darren Rowse (http://digital-photography-school.com) among others and it
is through their collective wisdom and teachings that have shaped my progress in this medium.
#
I have had to reduce the resolution of the inserted pictures in order to keep the size of the e-book a little more manageable from about 600
to 72 dpi. Hopefully it has not deterred too much from the message and quality of the publication. Consequently some pictures may be
slightly blurred at high resolution. My apologies for this.
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“The more I practice,
the luckier I become.”
- Gary Player
Thank you.
This space will become available to the Top 5 contributors of The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series® initiative.
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A
Special
Special Appeal
Finally, another incentive for launching this title was
to assist my son, Brett, in pursuit of his passion –
Rugby.
Brett is 14 years old or rather “… almost 15, going
on sixteen…” to quote him, is 1.83m (6’) tall and
weighs 95kg (190 lbs) and is an ardent rugby
player and dedicated student of the Seido Karate
School in Belgravia, Cape Town. He currently plays
for his school’s (Rondebosch Boys High School)
Under 15A and B side as a prop (loose- or tighthead) and lock.
The proceeds of this publication will be used to
sponsor his school rugby tour to Argentina in June
2011. The cost of the tour is $3,000 – money we do
not have as a family. The sale of the e-book as well
as your kind, voluntary donations will assist greatly.
So please buy it and encourage others through
your social networks such Facebook® and Twitter®
to support my son’s initiative. Every little bit helps.
Thank you.
Michael M. Paulse
michaelpaulse@gmail.com
+27 +79 632 4454
http://michaelpaulse.jAlbum.net
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C
ontents
Inside Cover Page
2
About the Author
2
Copyright 2010
2
Acknowledgements
3
Introduction
4
The Five Top Contributors
5
A Special Appeal
6
Tip #1
3D Photography and the Wireless Flash.
12
Tip #2
Action Shots - The Art of Anticipation.
14
Tip #3
Angle shots.
17
Tip #4
Aperture Priority.
19
Tip #5
Assignments.
21
Tip #6
Backlit Subjects.
24
Tip #7
Backup Buddy - Your Second Camera.
26
Tip #8
Basic Lighting in the Studio.
27
Tip #9
Beach Shots.
29
Tip #10
Black & White Dramatic HDR Portraits.
31
Tip #11
Bouncing Flash for Flattering Portraits.
33
Tip #12
Bracketing different Exposure Settings.
35
Tip #13
Buildings in all their Stature.
36
Tip #14
Candid Shots.
39
Tip #15
Candle in the Wind.
41
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Tip #16
Cars, in all their muscular splendour.
43
Tip #17
Centre-weighted Metering: Politics 101?
45
Tip #18
Chromodek or Blue Box Photography.
47
Tip #19
Churches and Cathedrals - "Look Ma, 'No Flash!'"
48
Tip #20
Clutter junkie! Keep your Composition Simple.
50
Tip #21
Cropping for Impact.
52
Tip #22
Depth of Field and the Aperture. (Sounds like a bad Novel).
54
Tip #23
Devil is in the Detail.
56
Tip #24
Evaluative, Honeycomb, Matrix and other Puzzling Metering Settings.
58
Tip #25
Exposure Lock[ing] the Reading.
60
Tip #26
Exposure Value or EV Explained.
61
Tip #27
Fans - Don’t forget about them!
62
Tip #28
Fill Flash at High Noon and dealing with other Shadowy Characters.
64
Tip #29
Filters: UV & Polariser – unintended uses.
66
Tip #30
Fireworks and the Bulb Setting.
67
Tip #31
Flash you flashlights at Night.
69
Tip #32
Flower Arrangements.
71
Tip #33
Focus Lock.
73
Tip #34
Food made Yummy?
75
Tip #35
F-Stop, not F&%$king Stop, Build up.
77
Tip #36
Fun! That’s what it’s all about!
78
Tip #37
Getting the Background right.
79
Tip #38
GIMP® (or GNU Image Manipulation Program)®
80
Tip #39
Glaring dealt with the Lens Hood.
81
Tip #40
Going down… Huh? Unique angles.
83
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Tip #41
Great Resources on the Internet.
85
Tip #42
Grey 15% Card explained.
87
Tip #43
Group Composition Basics.
89
Tip #44
HDR Photos explained.
93
Tip #45
Height of the Subject vs the Photographer.
99
Tip #46
High Key Photography.
100
Tip #47
Histogram clearly exposed.
102
Tip #48
Indoor Shots with your [Creative] Flash.
103
Tip #49
ISO Setting for great low-light photography.
105
Tip #50
Kids should be Seen (at their Level).
106
Tip #51
Know your Camera is Step One.
109
Tip #52
Landscaping and Aperture (Wide Depth of Field).
110
Tip #53
LCD Screen Setting – The bane of Proper Exposure.
112
Tip #54
Leading Lines: Follow my eyes.
113
Tip #55
Low Key Photography.
115
Tip #56
Macro & Close-up Photography.
118
Tip #57
Merging differently Exposed photos.
120
Tip #58
Motion and Busyness recorded for Impact.
121
Tip #59
ND Filters and Washouts.
124
Tip #60
Never leave home without it!
125
Tip #61
Night Shots that are Sharp and Clear.
126
Tip #62
No movement please - Auto-timing and the Tripod.
129
Tip #63
Nudes.
130
Tip #64
P Mode - The Start of taking Control of your DSLR.
132
Tip #65
Panning is a Skill that starts to Showcase your ability.
133
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Tip #66
Panoramas that impress.
135
Tip #67
Pets.
144
Tip #68
Photo of a Photo Techniques.
146
Tip #69
Portraits - It’s in the eyes!
148
Tip #70
Positioning yourself for that Shot.
151
Tip #71
Post-processing, like post Apartheid… its, or we are free.
154
Tip #72
Raw Quality Mode - Getting the wrong White Balance right.
157
Tip #73
Re-composing - Excuse me?!
159
Tip #74
Reflections.
160
Tip #75
Rule of Thirds - Sounds like Math!?
162
Tip #76
Scanning a Document.
165
Tip #77
Scrap Yards and other Junk areas made good!
166
Tip #78
Self Portraits and other Narcissistic Personality traits.
168
Tip #79
Seperating Bride and Groom at Weddings - Huh?
169
Tip #80
Sex in… or is it, …and the City at Night?
170
Tip #81
Shutter Priority.
173
Tip #82
Silhouettes - adding a bit of Mystique.
174
Tip #83
Skew Perspectives.
175
Tip #84
Slow Boat? Slow Sync.
176
Tip #85
Soft Box Flash and effective Diffusing.
178
Tip #86
Sonop, Sonsak! (Sunset & Sunrises and other Surprises).
180
Tip #87
Space… the final frontier in Composition.
182
Tip #88
Spot Metering wonders.
183
Tip #89
Stitching of Photos.
184
Tip #90
Street Photography.
185
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Tip #91
Taking a Photo of your Television Set and other poor Social skills.
189
Tip #92
The 50mm Lens – The Wedding Singer.
190
Tip #93
The Shot after the Shot!
191
Tip #94
Trailing Lights made easy.
193
Tip #95
Wedding Blues.
194
Tip #96
White Balance and other Far Right tendencies.
196
Tip #97
Z-Cards.
198
Tip #98
Zoom Lenses and ISO Setting explained.
199
Tip #99
Zoom Trails.
201
Tip #100
Zzzzz
202
Registered Trademarks
204
Index
205
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T
ip #1
3D Photography and the Wireless Flash.
With the ability to physically separate your hotshoe flash from your camera, affords you the ability to give your
images a three dimensional dynamic. This is achieved by varying the amount of illumination (light) on the subject.
In the case of Sony, this is done wirelessly. Very creative shots can be generated by “attaching” additional wireless
flashes to your camera. One can act as a key light i.e. firing directly onto the subject (and from an angle) and the
second can, for example, be “bounced” off the ceiling thereby bathing your subject in a gentler and softer light.
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ip #2
Action Shots - The Art of Anticipation.
Getting the shot and being ready for it is of crucial importance. I would dare to say, more so than the correct
exposure or composition. It is about being ready for the expected ‘unexpected’ to happen. By positioning yourself
to where you anticipate the next “move” to be taking place is critical. But it can also be a bit of a hit and miss affair.
You need to, it goes without saying, understand the nature of the game or sport.
Typically, I may set my camera to the Action (or Burst mode) setting. But these have their shortcomings such as
poor and incorrect exposure because the Action setting uses Evaluative metering and auto focusing. I prefer,
instead, to set my camera to P- or Program Mode, change the drive mode to Burst; change the Auto focusing to
Single Shot and the metering to Centre Weighted metering.
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Finally, I always use a telephoto or zoom lens (especially for sports photography) and I may marginally ramp up my
ISO number setting to at least 400 to 800 to compensate for the one or two lost stops due to the telephoto lens’
polarizer filter. A lens hood is also recommended to deal with glare and potentially washed out shy lines.
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ip #3
Angle shots.
The idea here is to compose your shot from an angle that is unique and unnatural. You may employ placing your
camera on an extended pole and firing “from above” i.e. sort of a bird’s eye view composition, or going down low
and viewing the world from a dog’s perspective.
“I know… photography can be a dog’s life…”
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Climb a tree, use a ladder, and if necessary, attach you camera to a balloon, get down dirty on your belly or (I kid
you not) attach your camera to Jacky, the local pooch, to get some unique insights.
(Public Announcement: The usual disclaimers apply. No animals were hurt during the production of this
publication.)
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ip #4
Aperture Priority.
This, along side with Shutter Priority Mode, is your gentle entre into the world of (semi-) manual manipulation of
your DSLR. The AP allows you to fix the aperture setting i.e. you have total control over this aspect of the camera,
and the camera’s computer decides what the other complimentary exposure settings must be e.g. ISO and Shutter
speed. AP, therefore, determines the amount of light entering the camera and simultaneously assigns a depth of
field.
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AP - very useful stuff, indeed.
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ip #5
Assignments.
Preparation is vital and so is your professionalism when you are on assignment. It is the right thing to do given the
fact that you are getting remunerated for your services. And service is everything in this highly competitive game.
Secondly, it also instills a sense of confidence in your client. You are putting him at ease so that you will deliver
against his brief. You need to without question interpret this brief as best you can and test your interpretation with
your client as appropriately as possible. And I suggest even advising him on how to get closer to his expectations.
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Go and scout out the site before the day of the shoot (not an hour before the time, or arrive late on the day in
question). Check out angles, light sources, etc. Also prepare a “Shot List” or a “List of Rough Sketches” to work
against. Let your clients also suggest scenes that they want specifically captured. Finally I always shoot in RAW for
superb results especially if it’s an assignment that is not repeatable such as a wedding.
(For interest, the next page shows a typical visual sketch list for a Wedding Assignment…)
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ip #6
Backlit Subjects.
Rule of Thumb: Always take a photograph with the illuminating light source behind you! Sometimes shooting into
the light is unavoidable. In cases like this, the camera’s AUTO mode and metering may often get the exposure
wrong (even with modern Evaluative, honey-comb etc. metering algorithms.) The resultant pictures may have a
bright background and a foreground with subjects that are terribly under-exposed. To solve this problem, the
foreground subject must be spot metered and the exposure settings locked with the camera’s AE Lock button.
Thereafter, the shot can be re-composed and captured with the now correct exposure settings. A further
enhancement may be to fire the flash as well.
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ip #7
Backup Buddy - Your Second Camera.
Always ensure that you have a second back-up camera in case your primary one fails. I have had my camera’s
flash fail on me whilst on assignment. Ensure that your backup is functional i.e. has clean lenses, extra memory
cards and is fully charged (and that you are still au fait with its intricate workings).
Your backup may also have an alternative lens attached to it. It’s highly recommended that you change your
cameras and NOT your lenses on site. Often there isn’t time for this. So typically, I have my standard 50mm or 1870mm lens on my primary Sony Alpha and my 70-300mm telephoto lens on my backup Sony.
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ip #8
Basic Lighting in the Studio.
The thought of doing studio work can be quite intimidating to the novice photographer. However, following these
basic principles will assist you. Needless to say, a couple of fundamentals worth reviewing:
(1) Remain calm and confident after all you are the expert.
(2) Camera on a tripod.
(3) Avoid direct illumination – said with caveats.
(4) Use an appropriate backdrop.
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Studio time is costly so plan and simulate what needs to be achieved before walking into any studio. And position
your lights such that you get a 3D effect i.e. varying light intensity and angles reflected onto your subject. I also like
to use a basic combination of a single key light, a gentler soft box and some background (behind the subject)
illumination and where necessary, reflectors and poly-boards. Experiment.
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T
ip #9
Beach Shots.
The ocean has a truly therapeutic effect on people. I think particularly so if you from Cape Town – the closeness to
the sea and our ever imposing beautiful mountain, Table Mountain. This cathartic effect must extend to your
pictures as well.
The ocean as backdrop must simplify the scene and draw the viewer’s attention to the subject in the foreground. I
have found that using a narrow depth of field with the focus firmly locked on the subject(s) yields pleasant results. I
am often reluctant to choose between metering techniques (particularly for beach and snow shots) but I have found
that in fact all the options produce acceptable results.
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ip #10
#10
Black & White Dramatic HDR Portraits.
The same HDR methodology applies in this case, however, the fundamentals of good portraiture is of paramount
importance. Once captured, I desaturate the image to classic black and white, or re-tone e.g. sepia my final shots. I
may also intensify the contrast levels in GIMP®.
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ip #11
#11
Bouncing Flash for Flattering Portraits.
Direct illumination, whether by your camera’s built-in flash or with its hotshoe, can “oversupply” the subject with
light. It washes out the image (and often the background is left in darkness.) Firing your hotshoe vertically instead,
“bounces” the light off from the [hopefully white and low] ceiling and gently bathes the subject in a flattering and
softer white light.
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ip #12
#12
Bracketing different Exposure Settings.
If you are not sure about the correct white balance setting, the camera’s drive mode can be set to Exposure
Bracketing. This affords the camera the ability to record a number of different exposure or white balance
photographs from which the correct/best can be chosen. The use of RAW, however, negates this practice as white
balance along with other settings can be manipulated later off-camera.
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ip #13
#13
Buildings in all their Stature.
I am often in awe at the brilliance of building design and architectural thought that goes into it. Also the sheer
creativity of bringing to life a concept (on paper) and seeing it “concretised” (no pun intended) in reality. To capture
this on film (“… on CMOS/CCD…” just does not sound right) is indeed an honour and must be done so with absolute
prudence. I look for symmetry, neat clean lines, texture, ergonomics, contrasting materials design, colours,
features, aesthetics and its congruence with its environment. You need to find an angle that exemplifies these
characteristics and the final product is truly in the eye of the beholder.
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ip #14
#14
Candid Shots.
The world’s your oyster! And beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Every candid shot is different and so are the
techniques required as well. Don’t let criticism or undesired outcomes deter you: one out of at least 25 will be worth
drooling over. So keep shooting!
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ip #15
#15
Candle in the Wind.
To obtain great results, it is essential that all the other [distracting] light sources are eradicated. You need to almost
start in complete blackness – the only illumination must come from the candle. The candle must also be placed offcentre (i.e. nowhere near the front of the subject) and ideally, to the side of the subject. The same principles with
respect to low light and night photography will need to be adhered to. See 3D photographic techniques as well.
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ip #16
#16
Cars, in all their muscular splendour.
The idea is to exaggerate the “musculature” (personification) of the car in question [in order to fulfill some guttural
testosterone fuelled (sic) niche in us!?] By changing your angle i.e. composing very closely and from below,
changes the perspective of the final image. It becomes artificially ‘warped’ as it were. An effect that can also be
achieved with a fish-eye lens. Things appear to be more exaggerated and aggressive.
For moving vehicles, the speed and direction of motion is used to amplify these qualities by manipulating the
speed of the shutter.
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ip #17
#17
Centre-weighted Metering: Politics 101?
Centre-weighted metering (CWM) samples 80% of the scene (from the centre outward) and ‘weights’ or applies a
greater importance to this aspect of the subject. It then averages the remaining 20% (the outlying areas) to yield
the final exposure reading. The results are great for portraits.
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ip #18
#18
Chromodek or Blue Box® Photography.
I often call this my “Plan C”! Not having a venue or reasonably good background as a result of say inclement
weather, or an alternative venue, I offer my (by now) distraught and desperate clients a “Plan C”. This involves
shooting in front of a Green or Chromadek back drop (as inserted). With the use of special and intuitive “Selection”
tools, the Chromadek (and all its variations) can be removed and new appropriate backdrop (from your collection of
appropriate stock photos) re-inserted as replacement.
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ip #19
#19
Churches and Cathedrals - "Look Ma, 'No Flash!'"
There are occasions where the use of a flash is not permitted and is in fact frowned upon. In my opinion, it is
disrespectful given the ceremonial importance and revere associated with places of worship. (It is only courteous,
that you seek permission long before the ceremony should you so desire to use a flash.)
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Let’s assume, it is not permitted...
It is a fact that it will indeed become ineffectual for some shots as the flash has a limited reach in low light scenes.
In churches, I typically work on about 4 to 6 rows of efficacy. Notwithstanding this limitation, places of worship offer
the vigilant photographer a kaleidoscope of creativity. They are abound with candles, contrasting natural light,
beautifully stained glass, artifacts, architecture and that does not even account for the parish itself, or the
ceremony! It can become a photographers “heaven” (pardon the pun). Shooting in these environments requires
practice and I would suggest that the novice accompany a seasoned photographer to get in the miles as it were.
See also the discussion on low light photography.
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T
ip #20
Clutter junkie! Keep your Composition Simple.
Sometimes the most admired photography involves simplicity. Remove the props, remove the cacophony of
“noisy” colours. Keep it simple. It WILL tell your story.
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ip #2
#21
Cropping for Impact.
With the technology resident in modern DSLRs in terms of resolution, effective cropping does not (in most cases)
diminish or degrade the quality and the impact of final product. Composition [of the finally cropped] image i.e. the
rule of 1/3, leading lines, etc., is of paramount importance in this regard.
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ip #22
Depth of Field and the Aperture. (Sounds like a bad Novel).
All lenses possess an optical aberration – an invisible field that extends from absolute clarity to a complete mess.
But that mess is good! “What the hell is he talking about?” If your depth of field is narrow (or shallow), about the
focal length (i.e. the point at which your subject is clearly in focus), all other detail behind that point and in front of
that point fades into obscurity. The distance from blur to clear to blur is your depth of field (in layman’s terms!)
It makes for flattering portraits as the subject is in focus and that is all that matters. Narrow depths of field have a
wide aperture settings from about F/3.5 to F5.6.
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Conversely, a wide depth of field or narrow aperture (from say, F9 to F22 allowing in little light) will have all aspects
in your scene captured. Thus making them great for Landscapes. There are no blurring and the invisible depth of
field i.e. the distance from blur to clear to blur, does not exist. In fact it approaches infinity.
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ip #23
Devil is in the Detail.
On assignment, one is remunerated to focus on the delivery of the standard and traditional photos e.g. the bride
and groom, the removal of the garter, the cutting of the wedding cake etc. at your typical wedding celebration. This
is all good and well, but an astute photographer arrives early before the arrival of the guests (and, or stays behind
after everyone’s left barring a few inebriated middle-aged uncles) to capture elements overlooked.
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Items such as the Invitation, the mementoes, the flower & cutlery arrangements, the Bible passages, their Vows,
etc.
You need to ‘see’ everything in its ‘captured/photographed’ state.
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ip #24
Evaluative, Honeycomb, Matrix and other Puzzling Metering Settings.
When you cannot determine the appropriate exposure for a particular scene or there simply isn’t time to do so,
employing the camera’s built-in metering firmware is the next best thing. The camera has stored in its memory a
database of similar 1,000 scenes and their associated metering parameters. Terms such as Honeycomb,
Evaluative, Matrix, etc. are all synonyms of the same metering protocol.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #25
Exposure Lock[ing] the Reading.
Often different parts of the same scene may be illuminated differently. In order to capture the correct exposure
consistently throughout the scene, the AE Lock button must be employed. Typically, you will sample a 15% Grey
area or interesting segment of the scene, lock the exposure settings with the AE Lock function and recompose the
shot with these settings.
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ip #26
Exposure Value or EV Explained.
Once an exposure setting has been decided upon, the EV value can increase or decrease (i.e. doubling or halving
the amount of light taken in) in order to ‘tweak’ (not Tweet) the final exposure. Notwithstanding all of this, my
brother once said to me, “Forget everything about shutter speed, aperture etc., just adjust EV and the ISO and it
can make all the difference as far as exposure is concerned.” I am a bit of a sceptic, but you give it a try and let me
know!
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ip #27
Fans - Don’t forget about them!
We can become engrossed in capturing the event. However, by turning around (literally) and looking at the fans, a
whole new untapped world of photographic opportunities is unveiled. Their passion, exuberant colours, decadent
behaviour, waves of emotion(s) and their total immersion in the game, are all worthy of recording.
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ip #28
#28
Fill Flash at High Noon and dealing with other Shadowy Characters.
At about noon, the sun is directly overhead and this creates nasty shadows in your subjects’ faces. One way of
eliminating this (besides finding a shady spot outside of the sun) is by firing your flash by setting its Fill Flash to
“ON”. This removes these shadows and gently “fills in” the subject’s face instead. (Seems very odd to see a flash
being fired in broad daylight. Now you know why.)
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #29
#29
Filters: UV & Polariser – unintended uses.
Besides providing the light filtering properties i.e. minimizing washed out skies, the mounting of a UV/Polariser can
also protect your more expensive lens from scratches and knocks. It serves as a bit of an insurance call as well.
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ip #3
#30
Fireworks and the Bulb Setting.
These pictures are always spectacular and should give you the feeling of being there. Making you feel like a kid
again! Set your Shutter Speed to BULB, focus (which can be difficult – focus manually and set your aperture to a
wide Landscape F-value) on where the show will be taking place and fire. The slow BULB setting will trail the path
of the fireworks. Camera must be on a tripod for stunning results.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #31
#31
Flash you flashlights at Night.
Movements of the camera (camera shake) and, or movement of the scene are the biggest obstacles for night-time
photography given the paucity of incident light. Secondly, the use of a flash is not always practical as this typically
only lights up the foreground up to about 10 meters (max) leaving your background hopelessly underexposed. To
deal with this, you can set your camera to Night Scene Mode which addresses the Aperture, ISO and Shutter
Speed automatically as well as slowing down the timing of your flash i.e. Slow Sync Flash. The alternate is to use
P- (or Program) or Manual modes. The use of a tripod is highly recommended.
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ip #32
#32
Flower Arrangements.
It is ideal to get as close to the source (the flowers) as possible; similar to taking a Macro photograph. Use a wide
aperture lens in order to reduce the depth of field and to soften (but not entirely blur) the surround subjects (i.e.
vase, leaves, other flowers in the bouquet, etc.) In addition, you may want to manually focus on the flower(s) and
not let the camera decide on the central theme automatically. Hint: If you taking a picture of an individual flower, I
usually insert a coloured or white backdrop behind it, apply the principles above, yielding a simple and uncluttered
picture. Try it!
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #33
#33
Focus Lock.
By depressing the Shutter Button half way down, you can lock the focus (or focal length) on the subject of interest
(i.e. defocusing everything else around it.) This focal length is temporarily retained (whilst you keeping the Shutter
Button down half way) and by depressing it all the way, the image is captured with the desired effect. A long
telephoto 200mm to 300mm lens is recommended.
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ip #34
#34
Food made Yummy?
Use your Macro setting to capture all its juicy textures but watch your saturation (and White Balance) specifically.
Remove distracting backgrounds with a very narrow depth of field. Presentation and simplistic “plating up” of the
meal in a manner that is palatable is half the battle won.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #35
#35
F-Stop, not F&%$king Stop, Build up.
To improve the exposure of a [dark] captured scene, the exposure parameters are increased by one-stop. One
stop equates to the doubling of light taken in by the camera. So for example, changing your shutter speed from
1/200 to 1/125 (one-stop change) implies a doubling of the light. Every time a setting is changed i.e. shutter speed,
aperture, ISO number, EV value, etc. the amount of light taken in is doubled or halved depending on the direction
of the setting. (For those that are more technically minded, you may want to Google® “Inverse Reciprocity”.)
F-stop build-up is a means of sequentially finding the right exposure reading. Other more effective tools include
Spot Metering and the use of Grey Cards. The diagram below by Max Johnson© (taken from Flickr®) clearly
illustrates all the factors that can influences once final exposure:
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ip #36
#36
Fun! That’s what it’s all about!
This is my passion (photography, that is) and I am sure it is yours and, if not, I sincerely hope after reading my ebook, it will become yours. Accept criticism gracefully, read a lot, subscribe to blogs and hobbyist clubs, join your
local photographic society but above all, enjoy your sport. Have fun and let your photography reflect your vibrant
personality.
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ip #37
Getting the Background right.
Avoid clutter. Use an appropriate aperture setting. Experiment with centre-weighted or matrix metering. And be
cautious of unwanted objects in the scene e.g. a sign post, a soft drink can, etc. Visualise your scene through the
camera’s eye-piece (looking for imperfections in the background) and recompose if necessary.
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ip #38
GIMP® (or GNU Image Manipulation Program)®
Thank God for Open Source Software (OSS)! GIMP® can be freely downloaded and in my humble opinion, is
certainly one of the best free image manipulation pieces of software.
Given the complexity of this resource, the learning curve can be quite steep and it does take a while to become
fairly proficient with its functionality. However, once again, the Internet has come to rescue. Google® download
“Grokking the GIMP®” for assistance and help on GIMP®
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ip #39
Glaring dealt with the Lens Hood.
To avoid glaring caused by the sun (particularly at dawn and dusk when the sun is at fairly low angle,) the use of a
lens hood does make a difference to image clarity and detail. It eliminates most of the excessive light (unless you
may want this in your project to capture “the being there on site”). The hood also protects your retina from harmful
irradiation. (HINT: The use of HDR post-processing can create dramatic sun baked images.)
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #40
Going down… Huh? Unique angles.
Include the nearest foreground (from as low as possible), the ground and capturing a very distant object is similar
to the Leading Lines composition technique. It causes the viewer to follow all the objects in the photograph: From
the foreground to the distant background. You may also play with depth of field and focus lock to get different
effects.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #4
#41
Great Resources on the Internet.
Below is a list of really useful sites relating to photography and related freeware. It is no particular order of
importance. I have also not described them in any detail. New e-Book in the making? Watch this space!
http://www.flauntr.com/
http://www.photoradar.com/
http://osp.wikidot.com/
http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/galleries/best-photography-websites/
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/
http://www.start3d.com/en/
http://www.photofunia.com/
http://digital-photography-school.com/
http://photoshopnews.com/
http://photo.net/
http://www.pdnonline.com/
http://www.photoworkshop.com/
http://shutterbug.com/
http://www.photocompetitions.com/
http://blog.burrard-lucas.com/
http://www.photoclubalpha.com/
http://labs.ideeinc.com/multicolr/
http://hdr-club.deviantart.com/
http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/
http://www.webshots.com/
http://www.digicamhelp.com/
http://www.epassportphoto.com/
http://www.wix.com/photographer/
http://photographerstoolkit.com/
http://www.redbubble.com/
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http://www.techsupportalert.com/
http://www.best-freeware.com/
http://www.osalt.com/
http://whdb.com/2008/the-top-50-proprietary-programs-that-drive-you-crazy-and-their-open-source-alternatives/
http://www.filehippo.com/
http://www.smashingapps.com/2009/11/26/15-most-popular-free-software-i-am-thankful-for.html
http://www.lynda.com/
http://animoto.com/
http://www.photo-freeware.net/
http://www.thefreesite.com/
http://www.digicamhelp.com/processing-photos/basic-editing/free-software/
http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/
http://www.hackosis.com/top-20-free-linux-multimedia-applications/
http://www.1001freefonts.com/
http://manual.gimp.org/
http://www.techzilo.com/gimp-plugins/
http://meetthegimp.org/
http://www.sxc.hu/
http://sixrevisions.com/graphics-design/gimp_video_tutorials/
http://www.blockposters.com/
http://www.pdf-search-engine.com/
http://www.lulu.com/uk/
www.myebook.com
http://www.booksonboard.com/
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/
“A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin;
what else does a man need to be happy?”
happy?”
- Albert Einstein
... and perhaps, my camera as well, will do just nicely Albert.
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ip #42
#42
Grey 15% Card explained.
The firmware (build in software
and operating software of your
camera) always attempts to
calibrate itself between its
absolute white point of reference
and its absolute black point of
reference.
In doing so, it calculates all the
intermediate continuum of colour
tonal ranges between these two
points. When it fails to do this it, it
resorts to averaging every colour
its sensor registers to a tonal
value of about 15% grey! (Or
about 115, 115, 115 in Adobe®).
Therefore, for shots with difficult
tonal extremes (i.e. extreme
white
and
extreme
black
composition), locking in the
camera’s exposure with the use
of a Grey Card (as shown) greatly
assists in capturing the scene’s
true tonal composition.
The camera’s exposure values
are locked in with the use of its
AE Lock button. Once “locked in”
[on the Grey Card], the scene is
recomposed and taken.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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T
ip #43
Group Composition Basics.
There are no fixed rules with regard to the composition of groups. It is your interpretation of how you define your
group. Generally, I start with the central [important] person/couple and then build the group around and to the side
of this person/people. I also look for symmetry and the balancing of heights, colour, etc. The use of a wide angle
lens is a nice to have for shots like this. But, once again, I may choose to do the group al fresco and let spontaneity
determine the group’s structure. Watch out too for the lay of the land to prevent skew perspectives.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #44
HDR Photos explained.
This is the latest craze in photography. Cameras are even coming out with on-board HDR (High Dynamic Range)
processing. HDR allows for the merging of differently exposed photographs into one composition. It mimics the
real-life processing by the human eye/brain apparatus. I use Qtpfs® freeware to produce my images.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #45
Height of the Subject vs the Photographer.
When you looking down on the subject, the resultant image appears to be subservient. The converse is also true:
when you looking up and shooting the subject, the final image portrays the subject as dominant and superior.
There are creative effects that can be explored. For example, the use of a Fish-eye lens caricatures and
disproportions the subject. I, however, prefer to shoot at eye-level (even when photographing children) as it’s a
neutral and unthreatening portrayal.
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ip #46
High Key Photography.
High Key images refer to photographs with a significant proportion (or distribution) of its pixels (points of light) in
the high light (whites) tonal range. Almost to the point of flooding the entire image. To enhance its artistic appeal, I
usually soften the image with a GIMP® filter, increase the contrast and add in some noise (if necessary.) This
gives the final (often Black and White) image a more lithographic or infra-red disposition. Very nice.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #47
Histogram clearly exposed.
The Histogram is a plot of pixels per tonal value: from black on the left to white on the right. (A crazy memory tip
from a black man: “White and the Far Right.”) The left (of the histogram) is often referred to as Low Lights and the
right as High Lights. The middle of the histogram as the Midtones. The midtones closely approximate the 15% grey
sought after in order to get the White Balance right.
Use your histogram to view whether your shot has been exposed properly or not. Attempt to get a flattened bellshaped curve for most applications i.e. scenes that possess a good distribution of the full tonal range i.e. from
perfect black to perfect white. Finally, an important tip: Always expose for Highlights because you do not want to
lose this detail i.e. being washed out. And as far as low-key items are concerned, these can be brought out by
post-processing.
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ip #48
Indoor Shots with your [Creative] Flash.
For candid day to day photography, the use of your built-in flash is acceptable (even if you do not have access to a
hotshoe flash.) I am not talking about special cases such as low light environments. They require particular
treatment. I am talking about the use of a flash for normal ambient lit environments. In these situations, a flash can
create a hardness of the subject, red-eye or even the complete “washing-out” of the detail. The treatment here is to
lower your EV value, increase your shutter speed and, or reduce your aperture setting (thereby reducing the
amount of light being taken in by your camera) or simply when faced with this flash created “washing out” situation,
is to lowering the Flash Compensation setting such that the intensity generated by the flash is reduced.
(Remember to reset it afterwards.)
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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T
ip #49
ISO Setting for great low-light photography.
This is a remnant of the past when photographic films were rated according to their chemical sensitivity to light. A
high ISO rating (fast film in the days of old) is more sensitive to light and is hence ideally suited for low light
situations. Conversely, a low ISO setting, although less sensitive to light, produces a richer, fuller quality image
with more detail and less noise. Caution: High ISO settings characteristically have more noise – it’s an unfortunate
trade off. Use your tripod to reduce the generation of noise.
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ip #5
#50
Kids should be Seen (at their Level).
These loveable creatures (and I am
trying to be kind here) are human (sic)
and need to be portrayed and
respected as such.
(I have two beautiful sons and I love
them to bits!) Attempt to capture them
in THEIR element.
Your height relative to the [little] subject
is important. Too high and peering
down, appears to be condescending,
overpowering and illustrating that you
are not really at their level. Too low
(relative) to the child has the reverse
effect.
Position yourself at eye-level.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #51
#51
Know your Camera is Step One.
Inside the sanctuary of my camera bag is its Manual! It is always next to my camera (which is always at hand to
capture the unexpected). Get to know your tool. Take time out to familiarize yourself with every aspect of it i.e. its
look and feel, menu options, functions, dials, modes, key buttons, etc. Changing of metering modes, ISO settings,
etc. must become second nature. In fact, you should be able to do so in the dark (if necessary, like a classic
‘hitman’.) The more au fait you are with tool(s), the more confidence you inspire in your subject and, or client.
Apart from knowing the camera, you must also become familiar with its (and its accessories’) limitations. In
addition, you need to become well-heeled with regard to some of the special techniques such as panning, spot
metering, exposure and focus locking. And its limitations. All described in this e-book. (Hint: With regard to the
“Camera Manual”… I would not nonchalantly stop an assignment to go and read up… It’s just not ‘Ayoba*’!)
*Ayoba – a colloquial South Africa term for “Cool!”
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ip #52
#52
Landscaping and Aperture (Wide Depth of Field).
To achieve an expansive view of a great rolling landscape, you need to set your camera mode to Landscape or
adjust the Aperture priority to a high F-number i.e. a wide aperture e.g. F/5.6 to F/11. It will capture the entire scope
of the landscape, as well as, fore- and background clearly. Monitor your exposure, however.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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T
ip #53
#53
LCD Screen Setting – The bane of Proper Exposure.
The camera’s LCD screen is defaulted to display brightly coloured and well lit previews. (I used the term ‘well lit’
specifically and not ‘well exposed’ – you’ll understand in a minute.) Often, to your dismay, this well lit image is in
direct contrast to the final JPG print displayed on your PC. The output tends to be dull and severely underexposed.
One simple tip is to set your camera’s LCD Screen setting to its lowest or near-lowest arbitrary brightness setting.
This makes the previews appear dull and underexposed thereby reminding you that your exposure needs to be
correct in order to ensure good final JPGs at the end! It also forces one to rely on the learned techniques for taking
great photographs and to revisit the Histogram from time to time.
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ip #54
#54
Leading Lines: Follow my eyes.
The human eye instinctively follows lines from one end to the next. Therefore ensure that your photographs are
composed with this in mind. It makes for an interesting composition.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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T
ip #55
#55
Low Key Photography.
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This is the opposite of High Key imagery. The recorded image has an usually high distribution of low lights (blacks)
in it. This works very well for dramatic, highly contrasted, Black and White depictions.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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T
ip #56
#56
Macro & Close-up Photography.
A prerequisite is a tripod and narrow depth of field or alternatively (he says reluctantly) use the camera’s Macro
mode. Ideally, to minimize camera shake (very noticeable at high magnification), you should also employ the
camera’s built in automatic shutter or remote shutter release function.
Secondly Macro photography is not a rush job! Take your time to focus manually so that the final image is crisp
and detailed. (Hint: Place a natural monotone and appropriate backdrop behind your subject to further emphasize
it and to simplify it by removing any clutter.
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For example, I often place a matt green cardboard behind a bright yellow or white flower and it places the focus
squarely on the flower.) If necessary, shoot in RAW and use a Grey Card to get the White Balance correct. I also
like illuminating my subjects with natural light. Once you’ve mastered all the technical stuff, I would spend my time
on composition and appropriateness of the subject. This is by far the most complex to master.
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ip #57
#57
Merging differently Exposed photos.
Manually merging differently exposed images is fast become a relic of the past. With the advert of HDR software
and now, even on-board camera HDR processing e.g. with the Sony Alpha 500 and 550 series, implies that this
methodology is fast fading. However, there are still occasions where merging does become necessary. For
example, you may want to only merge certain elements of a photograph and not the whole picture. For example,
an area that is over exposed in the photograph such as a cloudy sky or back lit window. Techniques such as
Selection, Cloning and Masking could be employed to deal with these faults. All resident in GIMP®.
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ip #58
#58
Motion and Busyness recorded for Impact.
Sometimes freezing a scene with a fast shutter speed or pop-up flash is not appropriate. Yes, everything in the
scene will be captured, but the “character” will be lost. The movement, the busyness, the hustle and bustle is gone
and this is what you are ultimately after. This ambiance can be captured with a slow shutter speed. What you will
be left with is not camera shake but a deliberate attempt at capturing the ambiance and a feeling of being there.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #59
#59
ND Filters and Washouts.
For scenes with a wide difference in tonal range e.g. shooting a close up beach scene, the sky may be completely
wash out and not resemble reality. It may also lack details such as clouds, etc. Using a Neutral Density (ND) or
Polariser Filter will assist greatly in this regard. Other alternate strategies may include merging multiple exposed
photos or dabbling in HDR post-processing.
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ip #6
#60
Never leave home without it!
Not my maxed out credit card… but my camera! I have often kicked myself when I slip out only to discover a great
sunrise, beautiful woman or news worthy event only to realize that I did not bring my DSLR along. The picture
above is not a great shot, but mine was the only one capturing a car burning one morning in peak hour traffic. It
was also the only picture that appeared in the local press later that day! Photographer’s Motto: “Never leave home
without it.”
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ip #61
#61
Night Shots that are Sharp and Clear.
Night Shots can be taken with in all the modes if need be. But to achieve great results, the denominator is exposing
your composition with a wide (or widest you’ve got) aperture, a show shutter speed and high ISO number setting.
The cherry on the top is to engage your image stabilization function and to make use of a sturdy tripod.
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #62
#62
No movement please - Auto-timing and the Tripod.
To eliminate camera shake you may do the following:
(1) Use a tripod,
(2) Switch on your camera’s Noise Reduction facility,
(3) Use the camera’s auto-timing drive mode,
(4) Or Remote Release and finally,
(5) Increase Shutter Speed and, or ISO setting.
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ip #63
#63
Nudes.
I would tell my models, “…if it doesn’t feel right, then it aint gonna work…” And if they comfortable and relaxed then
their confidence is reflected in the image. The secret to nudity is to appeal to the senses. The image must reflect
sensuality, femininity and provoke sexuality but must never be blatantly erotic. It must tease and flirt with the
audience. To do this, always put your models at ease (especially if they new to this genre). Ensure that they have a
private area to change. Use light and make-up appropriately. Creatively “cover-up” parts that do not work.
A large mirror behind the photographer may also assist your model to adjust her pose in order to get her best side
showing. Use cropping, if necessary, to emphasis certain body parts e.g. the belly-button. And finally, work at their
pace and for goodness sake, turn on the heater (if its winter).
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The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series®
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ip #64
#64
P Mode - The Start of taking Control of your DSLR.
P- or Program Mode is the first step up from the “Point-and-Shoot” genre. It is also the step up from your DSLR’s
AUTO mode. The P-Mode is very forgiving and it allows you to accept the camera’s best guess in AUTO and then
affords you the luxury of change one or all the parameters (whilst keeping other things equal aka ceterus parabus.)
In a nutshell, the P-Mode is your DSLR’s AUTO mode with your user-defined changes e.g. ISO, flash-on/off, etc.
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ip #65
#65
Panning is a Skill that starts to Showcase your ability.
The secret to panning is to reduce the shutter speed and allow the camera to follow and track the subject’s
movement. Speed of the subject and your distance from the subject is very important. Typically, I use shutter
speeds of between 1/10 and 1/40th depending on the speed and distance of from the camera.
Caution: A too slow shutter speed may lead to a photo that is over-exposed. Likewise, a too fast shutter speed may
diminish the intended impact. So it’s really a ‘trial & error’ situation.
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ip #66
#66
Panoramas that impress.
Fundamental to a great panorama are the following:
(a) A great [physical view] panorama,
(b) Consistent exposure across and in each of the sub-photographs making up the final panorama using
the camera’s AE Lock function and,
(c) An overlap of at least 30% to ensure effective stitching.
Another hint is to shoot each sub-photograph in Portrait (i.e. turning the camera on its side). This makes cropping
the final image a lot more efficient.
Finally, I must admit that I am addicted to Microsoft’s ICE® stitching program to do all my panorama stitching. It’s
simple to use and the results are spectacular. However, a special mention must go to the pioneer of this
technology Matthew Brown of the University of British Columbia who developed the world's first fully automatic 2D
image stitching program, Autostitch®, a number of years ago. It still works like a charm! Thanks Matt.
Given the size of the example panoramas, they extend over more than one page. Hope you like them?!
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Our famous and beautiful mountain (a national heritage site), Table Mountain, Cape Town; contrasting what was
once, District Six in the foreground.
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Toyota 2007 Rally above, and above that, Table Mountain and preceding that, Sea Point in Cape Town as well, (a
little suburb adjacent to the V&A Waterfront) and my very first panorama, Marda Plata in Argentina.
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ip #67
#67
Pets.
Two tips here:
(1) Capture them in their element i.e. playing, frolicking, running, etc. or,
(2) Capture them to solicit an innate emotion i.e. as cute, exuding warmth and love. Puppies and little
kittens are great at this. Or, in all the regal pedigreed stature like with Atlas von Kaapstadt shown here
below.
Eye level, or as close to this as possible, is key.
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Tip
Tip #68
#68
Photo of Photo Techniques.
Taking a photo of a photo or painting can result in a final image that may even be better than the original. Particular
if the original has been faded, discoloured and, or stained. Take the photograph at an angle so that your flash is
not reflected back into your camera’s sensor. The resultant, skew image can be straightened in post-production.
The white balance, coffee stains, saturation, etc. can be re-processed as well.
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ip #69
#69
Portraits - It’s in the eyes!
Focus on the Eyes!
It’s the window to the soul!
Use a narrow depth of field lens
which will effectively blur away
the background. And use (if
indoors) the Bouncing Light
hotshoe technique for flattering
portraits.
Optional: Tripod and Centreweighted
metering,
but
experiment.
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T
ip #7
#70
Positioning yourself for that Shot.
At a school concert or awards ceremony, on entering the hall (so come early), I immediately head for the front, or
as close to the action as possible. It is almost instinctive! I also become like a plant, “phototropic” – I seek and scout
out all the light sources i.e. incoming streams of natural light, spot/key lights, windows, etc. and always position
myself such that I am almost never “shooting into a light source”.
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Secondly, I immediately take a number of test shots and preview them for quality, white balance, noise, etc. using
the camera’s P- or Program Mode. Thereafter, I start adjusting my exposure settings for the event.
Finally, I chose a location (if I am not already seated at this spot) that if I set up my tripod, passing traffic will not be
tripping over it (and destroy my equipment! Bastards! Or, sorry, “…trip and hurt themselves…”
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T
ip #71
#71
Post-processing, like post Apartheid… its, or we are, free.
I use GIMP® for 95% of my post-processing. There are other (questionably better) software on the market, but
GIMP® is free! Yeah! Notwithstanding the economics associated with GIMP®, it is also quite adequate and meets
most of my post-processing requirements. Do not feel guilty about using manipulating your photographs – we all do
it. It has become part of the photographic landscape. And all photographs require some kind of post processing. It
could be cropping, enhancing the exposure or improving the contrast. GIMP® does it all.
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Familiarize yourself with the basics and experiment with the easy to use filters and soon you will be using this great
piece of software in no time.
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T
ip #72
#72
Raw Quality Mode - Getting the wrong White Balance right.
The RAW Mode is equivalent to the traditional film negatives of old. RAW Mode captures the entire scene’s
information as digital data in an uncompressed or unprocessed form. (As opposed to JPG Standard or Fine modes
which processes the image on-camera.) The RAW Mode thus allows for a greater flexibility wrt producing the final
image.
Parameters such as White Balance, Saturation, Contrast, etc. can now all be manipulated off-camera and on your
desktop thereby taking away control from the camera’s on-board/in-house processor. It is my preferred format,
particularly for events that are not repeatable such as weddings.
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To reduce the work-flow of your assignment as well, you may also consider shooting in both JPG and RAW but this
reduces your camera’s operating speed and chows up memory – but a good call nevertheless.
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T
ip #73
#73
Re-composing - Excuse me?!
To re-compose basically means to move the camera in order to make the image more aesthetically pleasing.
Typically, I spot meter a portion of the scene representing a characteristic midtone and focus lock on the key
subject or theme. Once done, the camera is swiveled or re-angled and the shot re-composed with these key
parameters and the shutter button is then fully depressed. Once again the principles of composition i.e. "Rule of
Thirds", space, leading lines, depth of field etc. all come into play in the final shot.
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ip #74
#74
Reflections.
Reflections are like visible images of memories stored deep within our sub-conscious. When we look at
photographs like this, it conjures up cognitive thoughts of something that we have experience previously. To do the
shot requires a still night, a lake or dam (naturally), correct positioning [very important] and then all the techniques I
have described elsewhere in the book e.g. slow shutter speed, wide aperture, etc. applies.
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T
ip #75
#75
Rule of Thirds - Sounds like Math!?
Breaking up your composition into an imaginary 3 by 3 matrix and positioning the element of interest (or subject) in
sector that is not central i.e. in any of the top left, top right, bottom left and bottom right segments of your 3x3
matrix. This makes your photograph pleasing on the eye and interesting to look at.
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ip #76
#76
Scanning a Document.
In the absence of a scanner (or where a scanner is not practical), I often photograph a document in the highest
possible resolution (also preferably in RAW). I then straighten its perspective in GIMP®, adjust the levels (which in
most cases results in a beautiful clean white printed page) or transform it to a pure black and white print (if its text
only) using GIMP’s® Threshold function.
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ip #77
#77
Scrap Yards and other Junk areas made good!
Scrap Yards offer you a host of contrasts – colours, textures, aging equipment, mechanical devices, etc. These can
serve as interesting backgrounds and backdrops to assignments such as weddings. The scrap yards also make
great HDR photographs. Ensure you include the skyline and clouds.
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T
ip #78
#78
Self Portraits and other Narcissistic Personality traits.
To be honest, I prefer to be on
“this side of the camera!”
Self portraits require practise and
a level tripod. You may also want
to put a large mirror on the “other
side” to view yourself.
And finally, employ the camera’s
remote focusing and shutter if
need be.
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ip #79
#79
Seperating Bride and Groom at Weddings - Huh?
This is an “ironic” pose of contradictions: This is a pose of two people that ought to be together? It does not sit well
with our psychology of relationships and therefore makes for an interesting photo. It certainly can employ all the
elements of composition and has the potential to be a great panorama.
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ip #8
#80
Sex in… or is it, …and the City at Night?
To master this tip is not technically difficult. All the basics described elsewhere in this e-book would apply i.e. wide
aperture, slow shutter speed, high ISO, tripod, etc. You are concentrating on composition here and ensuring the
shot captures the latent vibrancy of the city.
Often this scene is completely different compared to a daytime setting. Your levels, (and white balance), is another
area that requires attention. You want to achieve the solid blacks (noise free hopefully) with a contrasting (and
splattering) of multi-coloured neon/tungsten lights. The use of a flash is almost never advised. You may also
include trailing lights in the scene as well.
Hint: Always have someone accompany you at night to watch your back and equipment.
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T
ip #81
#81
Shutter Priority.
This is the flip side of the same coin that reflects Aperture Priority. They work in unison i.e. a decrease in shutter
speed by one F-stop is equivalent to an increase in aperture setting by an [inversely proportional] (you guessed it)
one F-stop! The Shutter Priority and its applications appear quite frequently in this publication. Its uses are diverse
and extremely useful. In a nutshell, setting your DSLR to a Shutter Priority forces the camera to automatically
decide what the aperture and ISO values should be. Shutter Priority (along with Aperture Priority) is a setting that
semi-manually controls your camera.
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ip #82
#82
Silhouettes - adding a bit of Mystique.
This is the reverse of the Backlit correction technique. Here the exposure is locked using the AE function on the
background (i.e. the bight light source) using spot metering. The image is now re-composed (as before) and taken.
The greater the tonal range of the scene i.e. the difference in the range between the very white background and
the very dark foreground, the better and more crisp the silhouette will be. A difference of about 4 to 6 stops yields
the greatest effect.
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ip #83
#83
Skew Perspectives.
Often, without the aid of a tripod, a picture of an obviously vertical or horizontal structure looks unreal i.e. skew.
Sometimes it is a combination of the way your camera is being held and, or an uneven surface that you are on and,
or the urgency to get the shot. The Perspective, Shearing and Arbitrary Rotate functions in GIMP® will resolve this
effectively.
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ip #84
#84
Slow Boat? Slow Sync.
I use Slow Sync quite a lot especially in low lit environments where you not only want to illuminate the subject but
also the background. It achieves this clarity of fore- and background by slowing down the Shutter Speed. Shooting
indoors or using Night Scope increases the exposure with Slow Sync.
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T
ip #85
#85
Soft Box Flash and effective Diffusing.
A relatively inexpensive softbox accessory can be attached to the hotshoe flash. My one is made of inflatable PVC
plastic. (Inflated, it is an impressive 8 inches across.) Hence it is compact and fits simply in my camera bag. I
bought it on eBay for about $10 and it is designed to fit universally on any rectangular head hotshoe flash. This
necessary accessory diffuses light and is great for weddings. It just gently bathes the subjects in a softer light.
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T
ip #86
#86
Sonop, Sonsak! (Sunset & Sunrises and other Surprises).
Planning, preparation and timing are important. However, there are times when whilst travelling to or from work,
you may be presented with what is (in your humble opinion) the best God-given sunrise or sunset. Quick
composition is important (as time is rapidly running out!) Whip out the camera, change its mode to RAW (if it’s not
your default) and fire away. The white balance, saturation of reds. yellows and oranges can be fiddled with later off
camera.
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T
ip #87
#87
Space… the final frontier in Composition.
According to the rule of composition, the central subject(s) should always be running, driving, entering, into an
open space, not out of it. People need to read into or interpret (their perception) of what the photograph is saying.
Similar to the “Seperating the Wedded Couple” technique. It must get you thinking and hopefully talking about the
shot.
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ip #8
#88
Spot Metering wonders.
Nothing to do with dogs… but once you
au fait with this superb metering
technique, the world literally becomes
your oyster!
It is the one fundamental tool (to
paraphrase Michael Freeman) to get
your exposures right each time. And
certainly, one of the first steps to taking
total control of your DSLR.
Spot metering allows you to sample
about 2% of the scene in your view
finder i.e. that specific element that
requires your attention. The exposure
parameters can then be locked in with
the AE Lock function and effectively
expressed
across
the
whole
composition. This is a very effective
technique but does require a lot of
practice.
Use this when working with Grey cards,
back lit images, unevenly lit scenes, etc.
It is truly a great metering tool!
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ip #89
#89
Stitching of Photos.
Sometimes the scene requires the “stitching” of several overlapping photographs (to perhaps create a wider field of
view). Aim to overlap at least 30% of each photograph in order to get the best “stitching” effect and ensure that the
expose is locked with your AE Lock function.
See section on Panoramas as well.
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ip #90
#90
Street Photography.
Street photography is a skill that borders on the “hit and miss” philosophy. When positioned at the right spot viz.
the street/pub/mall, camera on tripod, the next person around the corner, or in the crowd is a complete mystery and
the results are equally surprising. These unrehearsed, al fresco depictions of human behaviour!
Street photography is like public voyeuring; you try to absorb and capture the behaviour of a complete stranger
with often fascinating results. A fast lens is recommended so that you have the ability to zoom into people from a
distance telescopically and reduce your focal length for nearby closer shots. Common courtesy may also be a
prerequisite if people blatantly refuse to be photographed. Respect their wishes.
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ip #91
#91
Taking a Photo of your Television Set and other poor Social skills.
“Why would you want to do this?” To take a relatively clear picture of a television image, you may need to slow
down your camera’s shutter speed in order to diminish the hazy effects of the TV’s scanning lines. It’s advisable,
as well, to place your camera on a tripod. This technique applies to cathode ray tube televisions and not LCD
televisions. To be honest, I have not bothered to establish whether the technique works on LCD’s or not? Next
edition – maybe?
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ip #92
#92
The 50mm Lens – The Wedding Singer.
Fixed focal length and fixed
(low) aperture would be
heaven sent! It is the kind of
mid-range lens that makes it
extremely versatile for most
application.
What makes it incredibly great
is its engineering and optics
i.e. fixed focal length and low
but fixed aperture value
typically in the F1.4 to F2.7
range.
The lens is very responsive,
delivers great narrow depth of
field shots and with this wide
aperture, photography in low
light conditions become a
breeze!
This lens, to me, is the perfect
“wedding” lens accessory.
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ip #93
#93
The Shot after the Shot!
This is a great technique when shooting groups. After the [posed] photograph has been taken, people tend to be
more relaxed, start chatting/gossiping and laughing completely oblivious that you have captured them in a more
candid demeanor. Always take a second shot after the first for great and unexpected results.
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ip #94
#94
Trailing Lights made easy.
This is done with a slower shutter speed and no flash! Any of the DSLR modes can be used. Artistic composition
here is perhaps more important than technique. So take some time to capture a scene that is thought provoking.
Leading Lines can also be incorporated in the shot. A tripod is essential.
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ip #9
#95
Wedding Blues.
I will be publishing an e-book on this topic in due course and it will cover every aspect in simple to understand
English. Ten key points though:
(1) Prepare and scout out the venue(s).
(2) Discuss the couple’s expectations.
(3) Change cameras not lenses whilst on assignment.
(4) Have back up batteries and clear memory cards.
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(5) Have a second back up assistant that will give you the ‘converse’ (different perspective shots).
(6) Shoot in RAW.
(7) Be alert for unexpected candid shot opportunities.
(8) Look for tender emotional scenes – after all, this is a once in a lifetime (for most us, at least) event.
(9) Leave room for creativity e.g. B&W’s, HDRs, Sepia, etc. and,
(10) Take charge diplomatically of your project. Don’t be railroaded by guests or family members. You are
there to deliver on your client’s request. Solicit a family member to assist with the politics.
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ip #96
#96
White Balance and other Far Right tendencies.
When I started out with DSLR photographs a couple of years ago, I asked a seasoned pro what the one tip he had
to get me going on “my bicycle” and he said, “… get your White Balance right…” Reflecting back, he was absolutely
right! It didn’t make sense to me at the time.
White Balance (WB) is about matching your camera’s interpretation of tones to the correct (real and visible) whites
and blacks in your scene. Every scene is different because every scene is illuminated differently by its specific
environmental light conditions. Modern DSLRs have a ‘built-in’ mapping system i.e. if you find your subject bathed
in Direct Sunlight, this setting is simply entered and the camera will get its ‘mapping’ done reasonably well. So, too,
for other environmental conditions such as the standards listed here: Cloudy, Fluorescent Lights, Tungsten, etc. In
addition, a Custom WB can also be employed if the conditions are difficult to analyse.
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Alternatively, the use of a Grey
Card can eliminate this dilemma
reasonably well. Or you can shoot
your scene using the WB
Bracketing function and this way
pick out the correct tonal mapping
after the shoot.
My preferred method, however, is
to shoot the scene in RAW mode
which allows you to quite
comfortably alter the WB off
camera.
The WB is not recorded in RAW
mode and essentially presents
itself as a ‘colour-in canvas’ for
completion on your PC.
Get the balance right… Depeche
Mode?!
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ip #97
#97
Z-Cards.
Z-cards are the model’s abridged portfolio. There are many templates on the Internet - most feature a broad range
of photographs as well as his/her vital statistics. Perhaps the finest selection and beautifully depicted and
presented Z-cards can be found on http://www.ivok.co.za , a local South African site that truly (and without a doubt)
captures the inner soul and beauty of their models. Like the one shown here courtesy of Ivok.
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ip #98
#98
Zoom Lenses and ISO Setting explained.
I usually use a polarizer on my telephoto lens because (a) They clarify the image particularly if there is excessive
moisture, smog/pollution in the air (and you shooting in excess of 250 meters from the subject) and (b) They
protect your [expensive] lens from scratches and nicks.
The polarizer reduces the incident light by about 1 or 2 F-stops (i.e. a reduction in light entering the camera). To
compensate for this, it is recommended that you ramp up your ISO number setting by a corresponding number of
stops.
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T
ip #99
#99
Zoom Trails.
This is achieved when the speed of changing your focal length is faster than the shutter speed, or very close to the
shutter speed. In English: You expose your image across the full focal range of your lens from say 70mm to
300mm by depressing the shutter button whilst at the same time zooming in or out of the subject. It does take
some practice to co-ordinate this i.e. to turn the lens zoom ring in one full smooth movement. The use of a tripod is
also recommended.
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T
ip #100
#100
Zzzzz…
Get your rest. Photography may be your passion, but you need to balance all aspects of your life. Sometimes it is
necessary to put the camera down and talk to the missus or play with kids. Find this balance, eat right, pray and
make time for the ones important to you and it will your passion even more meaningful.
*Hamba Kakuhle!
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My beautiful baby, Michelle.
*Hamba Khuhle! – Go well my friend in isiXhosa.
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R
egistered Trademarks
The Cape Town Best Seller e-Book Series® , Facebook®, Twitter®, GIMP® (or GNU Image Manipulation Program)®,
Blue Box®, Linux®, Microsoft®, Android®, Flickr®, Apple Mac®, Autostitch®, Adobe®, Google® and Qtpfs® are
all registered companies/trademarks/brands. If I have omitted anyone, or stepped on anyones’ toes, please accept
my apologies. If you intend to sue me for this oversight, then go and make love to yourself!
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I
NDEX
15%, 9, 60, 87, 102
2%, 183
3D Photography, 7, 12
50mm Lens, 11, 190
Action, 7, 14
Action Shots, 7, 14
AE Lock, 24, 60, 87, 135, 183, 184
Albert Einstein, 86
Anticipation, 7, 14
Apartheid, 10, 154
Aperture, 7, 8, 9, 19, 54, 69, 110, 173
Aperture Priority, 7, 19, 173
Arbitrary Rotate, 175
Assignments, 7, 21
Auto, 9, 14, 129
Autostitch, 135, 204
Ayoba, 109
B&W, 195
Background, 8, 79, 174
Backlit Subjects, 7, 24
Beach, 7, 29
Blue Box, 8, 47, 204
Bouncing Flash, 7, 33
Bracketing, 7, 35, 197
Bride, 10, 169
Buildings, 7, 36
Bulb, 8, 67
Candid Shots, 7, 39
Candle, 7, 41
Cape Town, 2, 4, 6, 29, 141, 143, 204
Cars, 8, 43
Chromodek, 8, 47
Churches, 8, 48
Cloning, 120
Clutter, 8, 50
Composition, 8, 9, 10, 50, 52, 89, 182
Contrast, 157
Custom WB, 196
Darren Rowse, 4
Detail, 8, 56
DSLR, 2, 4, 9, 19, 125, 132, 173, 183, 193, 196
EV, 8, 61, 77, 103
Evaluative, 8, 14, 24, 58
Exposure, 7, 8, 9, 35, 60, 61, 112
Exposure Value, 8, 61
Eye level, 144
Eyes, 148
F/, 54, 110
Fans, 8, 62
Fill Flash, 8, 64
Fireworks, 8, 67
Focus Lock, 8, 73
Food, 8, 75
F-Stop, 8, 77
Fun, 8, 78
Gary Player, 5
Great Resources, 9, 85
Grey Card, 77, 87, 119, 197
Grokking, 80
Groom, 10, 169
Hamba Khuhle, 202, 203
HDR, 2, 7, 9, 31, 81, 93, 120, 124, 166
Height, 9, 99
High Dynamic Range, 2, 93
High Key, 9, 100, 116
Highlights, 102
Histogram, 9, 102, 112
Ian Bradshaw, 4
ICE, 135
Indoor, 9, 103
Internet, 9, 80, 85, 198
ISO, 9, 11, 15, 19, 61, 69, 77, 105, 109, 126, 129,
132, 170, 173, 199
Kids, 9, 106
Landscapes, 55
Leading Lines, 9, 83, 113, 193
Lens Hood, 8, 81
Lock, 8, 24, 60, 73, 87, 183, 184
Low Key, 9, 115
Low Light, 102
Macro, 9, 71, 75, 118
Masking, 120
Matrix, 8, 58
Matthew Brown, 135
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Merging, 9, 120
Michael Freeman, 2, 4, 183
Michael Paulse, 2
Midtones, 102
Motion, 9, 121
Narrow, 54
ND Filters, 9, 124
Neutral Density, 124
Night, 8, 9, 10, 69, 126, 170, 176
Noise, 129
Noise Reduction, 129
Nudes, 9, 130
Open Source Software, 80
P-, 14, 69, 132, 152
Panning, 9, 133
Panoramas, 10, 135, 184
Perspectives, 10, 175
Pets, 10, 144
Plan C, 47
Polariser, 8, 66, 124
Portraits, 7, 10, 31, 33, 148, 168
Post-processing, 10, 154
Program Mode, 14, 132, 152
Qtpfs, 93, 204
RAW, 2, 22, 35, 119, 157, 158, 165, 180, 195, 197
Reciprocity, 77
Re-composing, 10, 159
Reflections, 10, 160
Registered Trademarks, 11, 204
Remote, 129
Rugby, 6
Saturation, 157
Scanning, 10, 165
Scrap Yards, 10, 166
Selection, 47, 120
Self Portraits, 10, 168
Sex, 10, 170
Shearing, 175
Shot List, 22
Shutter, 10, 19, 67, 69, 73, 129, 173, 176
Shutter Priority, 10, 19, 173
Silhouettes, 10, 174
Skew, 10, 175
Slow Sync, 10, 69, 176
Soft Box, 10, 178
Sony, 12, 26, 120
Sony Alpha, 26, 120
Space, 10, 182
Speed, 67, 69, 129, 133, 176
Spot, 10, 24, 77, 174, 183
Stitching, 10, 184
Stop, 8, 77
Street Photography, 10, 185
Studio, 7, 27, 28
Subject, 9, 99
Sunset, 10, 180
Television, 11, 189
Threshold, 165
Trailing Lights, 11, 193
Tripod, 9, 129, 148
Washouts, 9, 124
WB, 196, 197
Wedding, 11, 22, 190, 194
White Balance, 10, 11, 75, 102, 119, 157, 196
Wireless Flash, 7, 12
Z-Cards, 11, 198
Zoom Lens, 11, 199
Zoom Trails, 11, 201
Zzzzz, 11, 202
---The End ---
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