I bet you thought I was going to forget about Photo Friday...well I confess, it was a close call. In the absence of a question to answer this week, I thought I would tell you about the new camera strap I got at the store a little while ago. It's called a Black Rapid RS-7. You can check out the website here:
http://www.blackrapid.com/
The great thing about the RS-7 is that it's styled for a woman's build and fits so nicely across your body. The camera hangs down on your hip and it's out of the way and there is no strain on your neck. You can just pull it up to snap your photo. I just love mine, and I know if you're in the store, Lynette would be happy to show off hers too and how awesome they fit :) They are a bit more expensive than your average strap but I think it's definitely worth the cost.
Have a great weekend - looks like we can more practice shooting in the snow...! And fire those questions in about anything photography-related and I would love to answer them for you.
Showing posts with label photo fridays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photo fridays. Show all posts
Friday, April 15, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Sparkly eyes on Photo Friday
hello all. I'd like to talk about sparkly eyes today... and how to make the subjects in your photos appear to have them. No photoshop involved, just positioning again. Photography is all about light, and once you decide that you really want to know your camera and more about photography, you will find yourself noticing light and appreciating it in a whole new way.
Where was I? Oh yes - I want to tell you about 'catchlights', which refers to capturing light in the eyes of your subject so that they appear to sparkle. The simply way to do this is to position your subject near an ample source of light, but not putting them directly in it. Indoors, this would be a near a window, but out of the direct sun, and outdoors, this would be called 'open shade'. You need to see an example -
here is another boy-o of mine, hanging out in the living room, not near a window:
a nice photo, but his eyes are a dark chocolate brown, and here they appear black.
Now, I positioned him in the light of a large partially shaded south window:
(sorry for the expression - he's not enjoying being 'positioned by the window').
Here he is after being offered a bribe:
If you click on these photos, you can see them in a larger window, and then you can even see my reflected silhouette in the iris of his eye. The light reflected from the window make his eyes look sparkly and give them lots of depth.
Because it's snow/slush/mess outside, I am not going out there to get some examples today...but they will come. Happy Friday, and enjoy what is left of spring break!
Where was I? Oh yes - I want to tell you about 'catchlights', which refers to capturing light in the eyes of your subject so that they appear to sparkle. The simply way to do this is to position your subject near an ample source of light, but not putting them directly in it. Indoors, this would be a near a window, but out of the direct sun, and outdoors, this would be called 'open shade'. You need to see an example -
here is another boy-o of mine, hanging out in the living room, not near a window:
a nice photo, but his eyes are a dark chocolate brown, and here they appear black.
Now, I positioned him in the light of a large partially shaded south window:
(sorry for the expression - he's not enjoying being 'positioned by the window').
Here he is after being offered a bribe:
If you click on these photos, you can see them in a larger window, and then you can even see my reflected silhouette in the iris of his eye. The light reflected from the window make his eyes look sparkly and give them lots of depth.
Because it's snow/slush/mess outside, I am not going out there to get some examples today...but they will come. Happy Friday, and enjoy what is left of spring break!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Photo Friday - a new perspective.
Hey scrappy girls...i want to talk to you today about something super simple that will make a HUGE difference in your photos - and you don't need to know a darn thing about your camera. All you have to do is stay in 'auto' and MOVE YOUR BODY. Let me give you an example, with my hungry little son as the model:
here's a regular old run-of-the-mill shot - Simon having a snack of strawberries:
Now, all I did was crouch down. staying in the very same place, and zoomed in a little:
It has a totally different look and feel to it! And all I did was move my body a bit for a new perspective. It's much more "belonging to the moment" than just "observing the moment".
So then, there was a chair right beside me, so I stood on it:
and you get an observation-like photo, but because it's more directly overhead, it gives you a little something different than the run of the mill. It's kind of artsy. {My kids are very used to my acrobatics when I have camera in hand. If your child seems startled that you are climbing to the top of their jungle gym this summer to get the shot, just keep it up, and they eventually won't notice.}
So then, I fill the frame again with my handsome subject, waiting for an expression that shows how much he is enjoying those strawberries in March:
And then, for one last shot, I tilted my camera waaaaay over:
and get an ordinary shot, made a little more interesting because of the big angle. Angles are very fun, and very easy, and most of us forget that it's an option. I encourage you to play with angles when you're taking shots for a whole new perspective on your subject. Plus, your grandparents (parents?) will look at an angled shot and say "Oh sweetheart...this one IS CROOKED!!!!" I always enjoy that one.
Easy, right? If you remember one thing from this post, just remember to get down low, and you will be not only look like a pro, but you will be instantly impressed with your photos. Have a great weekend! {SPRING BREAK IS HERE!!}
here's a regular old run-of-the-mill shot - Simon having a snack of strawberries:
Now, all I did was crouch down. staying in the very same place, and zoomed in a little:
It has a totally different look and feel to it! And all I did was move my body a bit for a new perspective. It's much more "belonging to the moment" than just "observing the moment".
So then, there was a chair right beside me, so I stood on it:
and you get an observation-like photo, but because it's more directly overhead, it gives you a little something different than the run of the mill. It's kind of artsy. {My kids are very used to my acrobatics when I have camera in hand. If your child seems startled that you are climbing to the top of their jungle gym this summer to get the shot, just keep it up, and they eventually won't notice.}
So then, I fill the frame again with my handsome subject, waiting for an expression that shows how much he is enjoying those strawberries in March:
And then, for one last shot, I tilted my camera waaaaay over:
and get an ordinary shot, made a little more interesting because of the big angle. Angles are very fun, and very easy, and most of us forget that it's an option. I encourage you to play with angles when you're taking shots for a whole new perspective on your subject. Plus, your grandparents (parents?) will look at an angled shot and say "Oh sweetheart...this one IS CROOKED!!!!" I always enjoy that one.
Easy, right? If you remember one thing from this post, just remember to get down low, and you will be not only look like a pro, but you will be instantly impressed with your photos. Have a great weekend! {SPRING BREAK IS HERE!!}
Friday, February 25, 2011
Photo Friday!
Ok, so here is today's question.
Is there is a quick and simple process to remember in order to shoot the sort of photos that I see on your blog where the subject is in focus and the background blurred?
The simple answer here is to set your DSLR on the Av, or aperture mode, and set it to the smallest f/number that you can. The aperture in your lens acts much like the pupil in your eye - it opens and closes to let a little or a lot of light in. When the f/number is LOW, the aperture is opened wider, to let more light in, and therefore the subject is in focus and the background is blurry. If you set your camera to the Av mode, you can control aperture and the camera will look after your shutter speed for you.
Here are three photos of Ahsoka taken at three different aperture settings. I put a jar of marbles behind her so that you can see how the depth of field (the amount of blur) changes with different aperture settings:
f/1.8 1/100 ISO 400
f/4.5 1/80 ISO 640
f/9.0 1/50 ISO 800
Do you see as the f/number gets larger, the marbles come into focus more and more? The aperture in the lens is closing and bringing more of the whole photo into focus.
Try playing around with the Av mode on your cameras, in an environment with lots of light, and review your results. Good luck!
Is there is a quick and simple process to remember in order to shoot the sort of photos that I see on your blog where the subject is in focus and the background blurred?
The simple answer here is to set your DSLR on the Av, or aperture mode, and set it to the smallest f/number that you can. The aperture in your lens acts much like the pupil in your eye - it opens and closes to let a little or a lot of light in. When the f/number is LOW, the aperture is opened wider, to let more light in, and therefore the subject is in focus and the background is blurry. If you set your camera to the Av mode, you can control aperture and the camera will look after your shutter speed for you.
Here are three photos of Ahsoka taken at three different aperture settings. I put a jar of marbles behind her so that you can see how the depth of field (the amount of blur) changes with different aperture settings:
f/1.8 1/100 ISO 400
f/4.5 1/80 ISO 640
f/9.0 1/50 ISO 800
Do you see as the f/number gets larger, the marbles come into focus more and more? The aperture in the lens is closing and bringing more of the whole photo into focus.
Try playing around with the Av mode on your cameras, in an environment with lots of light, and review your results. Good luck!
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