Archive for Beginner’s Tips
How to Become a Photographer
Posted by: | CommentsAre you ready to turn an interest into a passion, a hobby into a career? Photography is about accurately recording reflected light. Record an image properly, use interesting composition, and tell a story using a camera–that is photography.
What kind of photographer do you want to be?
Knowing what style of photography you like best is probably the first choice you will make. Different types of photography require different kinds of equipment and knowledge. A few areas of emphasis are landscape, portrait, wildlife, commercial, industrial, photojournalism, wedding, fashion, sports, documentary, events, architectural, and stock photography, just to name a few.
What kind of photography education will you choose?
Education in the area of your interest can be found in a variety of magazines, schools, and associations.
Dig into print and digital magazines.
You will find many magazines at your local bookstore. The magazines geared toward professionals will probably not be found on the magazine rack.
The Professional Photographer by Professional Photographers of America www.PPA.com is a terrific magazine included in a PPA membership.
Rangefinder, The Magazine for Professional Photographers has a free subscription for applications meeting the qualification criteria for the magazine. AfterCapture is also part of the family of magazines and I am just guessing it is automatically available with signing up for RangeFinder, mine is.
Photoshop User http://www.photoshopuser.com/ is a magazine that comes with a membership to NAPP, National Association of Photoshop Professionals.
Schools. Many local community colleges offer credited photography classes or adult education as part of their curriculum.
If you are interested in a photography degree or certificate, there are accredited professional photography schools. Although there are many, I am personally aware of three.
Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa (where I went) is accredited with Professional Photographers of America. This is a two year Associate of Applied Arts degree. http://www.hawkeyecollege.edu/academics/programs/arts/professional-photography/default.aspx
Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, Massachusetts has a ten month program. http://hallmark.edu
Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California http://www.brooks.edu/
Mid-America Institute of Professional Photography http://maipp.com/ is also an affiliated school of the Professional Photographers of America held on theUniversity ofNorthern Iowa campus inCedar Falls,Iowa for one week each year. I have attended this program a number of times.
Before spending your money, I would suggest asking a working professional in the field of emphasis you are interested in for their recommendations.
Join professional photography associations that have conventions, seminars, and trade shows.
The educational opportunities as well as the networking opportunities are endless at a seminar, convention, or a trade show. This is a great way to jump start a career. I remember I got my first job leads from a well connected photography supply salesman. Start by asking around. Be prepared with a resume and/or business cards.
Professional Photographers of America www.PPA.com is the industry’s leading international organization. They have a yearly convention, trade show, a monthly printed and digital magazine, as well as other educational opportunities.
Each state also has an affiliate state organization of PPA as well. Contact PPA.com to locate your state association or Google “[your state] state photography association”.
Photo Marketing Association International, http://www.pmai.org
Wedding Photographers International at http://www.wppionline.com/
Photoshop User http://www.photoshopuser.com/ is the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) also has a print or digital magazine.
Join a Camera Club.
There are hundreds of camera clubs of all kinds. Many large companies host their own clubs. Camera clubs often hold contests, bring in speakers, and go on field trips. This is a very affordable option.
Watch tutorials.
You Tube has become a source for all kinds of informational videos.
Get on-line.
There is a multitude of on-line and home study courses, forums, and groups.
What kind of equipment do you need?
Purchase the best photography equipment you can afford. At the bare minimum you need a camera, a computer to down load your image files to, and software to manage those files. Adobe Photoshop is the industry’s leading software.
I can get you a started with some information about choosing cameras with my article “What Camera do I Buy” which is also free on my website at http://barbgordonphotocoach.com/blog/free-articles.
Getting to know a local camera equipment sales person you can trust for advice is a great idea since most of us can’t possibly keep up on all of the latest technology and brands.
Do you want to start a photography business?
Download my free report where I discuss nineteen important steps of starting a photography business. It is called “Making Photography More than a Hobby, planning for success before you take the leap”. You can get if for free on my website at http://barbgordonphotocoach.com/blog/free-articles. Sign up in the box on the right, you will also get my e-newsletter.
A professional photographer produces consistent results that people are happy to pay them for. Generally they make their living strictly from photography.
A professional would also purse excellence in lighting, exposure, color management, posing, composition, and presentation.
Run a profitable business then you are a professional photographer.
Of course experience and on the job training is the best teacher.
Get a job in any area of photography you can. That can be a stepping stone to where you want to go. You never know who you will meet that might have a job opening or know someone who does. Everyone in any profession learns new things at their job and experience is the best teacher.
Being an intern can lead to bigger things. It is an opportunity to learn more about a future possible employer and get a stong foot in the door. Internships do not always pay but the education is valuable and your dedication will be impressive.
Show your work to people.
If you put any work on-line, like Facebook, be sure to use small, low resolution file sizes. The images are less likely to be enjoyed in print if the print quality is poor. Be sure to put your name or studio name on the front of the image rather boldly as well.
Start building a portfolio.
Print your best images no smaller than 8×10 and mat them neatly with a neutral color. If you are going for a job interview, it is best to find out what that studio is looking for so you can tweak your portfolio to their preferences. Some may prefer to see prints and others want a DVD.
So get out there, take photographs and network!
Remember to sign up in the upper right corner for my free reports and weekly e-newsletter!
Are Your Events Running Smoothly?
Posted by: | CommentsMany of you do dances and proms. Do you have a system for that? Do you feel prepared or are you scrambling at the last minute?
My system starts with a file folder, backed up with electronic copies on my computer.
- The first step is making sure I have a team to assist me. I don’t have employees right now so I call the ones I used to have to help out at this event.
- My checklist of things that I need to take to the Prom which you will read below.
- My original order form that I need to make copies of.
- Extra copies of last year’s forms we did not need. Provided there are no price changes, then I am good to go.
My dance checklist is similar to my Camera bag for going on location checklist which you can find in my “Photography Studio Must Haves” available at http://barbgordonphotocoach.com/blog/products/musthaves
Here is my list I will need for dance night:
Photo session notes with contact names and cell phone numbers and my location.
My camera bag will include: Camera, Lenses, Digital media: Compact Flash Cards, Batteries, Grey card, Business cards
The accessory bag will have: Camera battery charger, Flash meter, Radio slaves: both parts and their cords, Back up synch cord: In case the radio slaves quit working. Extra batteries, On camera style flash unit: As a backup. Lens cleaner.
Lighting: Flash unit and cords, Softbox, Light stand, Reflectors
Supply bag for all of the non-camera gear: On location light stands, Collapsible soft box, Small background light stand, Flash umbrellas, Three prong adapters: For older homes and buildings with only two prong outlets.Binder clips, Background clamps, Duct tape, Extension cords, Power strip
Taking a background: Pole system, Background, Clamps
Event/Dance supplies: Change: If collecting money at the event (get the day before). Order forms: Prepare the week before. Pens, Calculator, Business cards, Bank bag: To carry all of the above in.
Be sure to give a last call for your photography services so you get everyone photographed who wants to be! This should eliminate the stress of being asked for a photograph as soon as you get your first light packed away.
Five Tips for Working with Outdoor Light
Posted by: | CommentsPhotography is all about recording reflected light. Many beginners and amateurs are not yet familiar with how to see light and know what to look for yet. It can be quite a challenge to find locations that are suitable for outdoor portraits but there are some things you can use to your advantage. Here are five getting started tips:
- Photograph in the shade. Raccoon eyes, squinting eyes, deep dark shadows, and images with no catch lights in the eyes do not make a pleasing portrait. Place your subject in the shade with open sky as your main light source. This takes practice and deliberate study to find this kind of light. Going deep into the woods in too thick of shade is not going to give you a nice lighting pattern. By staying closer to the edge of the shade you will have great light coming from open sky.
- Photograph late or early in the day. This is often referred to as “Sweet Light”. An hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset is really beautiful light. The light is more even light and shadows are long and soft.
- Use a reflector. Reflectors work great to fill shadows and give a little kick of sparkle in the subject’s eyes. I personally use the gold side the most.
- Use a fill flash. When working in brighter conditions or wanting to include dramatic sky in your portrait images a fill flash is required to balance the lighting conditions for a proper exposure.
- Watch for color reflections. Color from items like green trees and red paint on a building, for example, will reflect into a person’s skin tone and shadows. This is not a desired outcome and will look unnatural. Be careful how close you are to strong color reflections. You can also correct minor color shifts in the artwork stage of your final image.
Of course you still must meter correctly, white balance, and process your files. But the more you get right in your camera first the easier the rest of the process is.
New Product: Beyond the Photography Instruction Manual
Posted by: | Comments
Beyond the Photography Instruction Manual – Get professional results using the manual settings on your camera.
Have you ever taken a picture that did not turn out? Do you know what went wrong? Do you want to know how to fix it?
This is the perfect beginner’s collection! This guide, along with four other articles, helps you get comfortable with the manual settings and features of your camera so you can take the pictures you want and get the results you desire.
Are you having trouble getting the right exposure while photographing in the snow? Can’t get the photo of the spider web glistening with dew to turn out?
Get your Images in Focus
Posted by: | CommentsKeep it Sharp!
In order to have sharp images when you are hand holding the camera, the longer the focal length of the lens you use, the faster the shutter speed should be. A very basic definition of focal length is how much magnification a lens provides.
The focal length of the lens you select also will affect the look of your photograph. A standard 50mm lens sees a field of view like your eye does. A wider angle lens, less than 50mm, is going to see a wider view that your own eye can normally see by pushing the scenery visually away from you. This is helpful when you want to record scenery, a great lens to use for vacation photos. A telephoto lens, over 50mm, is going to have a tighter view and it brings things visually closer to you.
A one to one ratio over the focal length is a good general rule of thumb. This is reciprocal (opposite) of the lens focal length. For example, for a 300mm lens, a shutter speed of 1/300 is recommended to eliminate blur. For a 200mm lens use 1/200, and for a standard 50mm lens, a shutter speed of 1/50 should be as slow as you should go.
Even though many lenses are equipped with an image stabilizer function, this guideline is still important.
A tripod is also recommended when using a slower shutter speeds than you can adequately hand hold.
Shutter Speed: How it works
Posted by: | CommentsThe shutter speed is how long the image sensor (or film) is exposed or is receiving light. This is measured in fractions of a second.
On manual film cameras the speed increments are: 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000 (maybe higher). Each step is double the amount of light or half of the amount of light. For example, 1/250 of a second is twice as fast as 1/125 of a second. You will be letting half as much light reach the sensor at 1/250 of a second than 1/125 of a second. 1/60 is slower than 1/125, so it lets in twice as much light.
On film cameras the shutter is a curtain with a gap in it that runs across in front of the film plane. You can see it happen if you take your lens off, set your shutter to a really slow setting like ¼ of a second and “shoot” a picture while looking into the guts of the camera body.
Digital cameras allow you to shoot at many more speeds. An average digital camera can have 1/4000 as its top speed. The increments are ¼, 1/6, 1/8, 1/10, 1/13, 1/15, 1/20, 1/25, 1/30, 1/40, 1/50, 1/60 and on up the scale. There are more speeds available with digital cameras. They have two speeds, placed in thirds, in between the old film cameras full stop (and half stop) capabilities. So now every step in between is changing the setting by one-third of a second. I know! I am trying to keep it simple!
Remember from the aperture discussion last week that the aperture steps are also in thirds on digital cameras so they work proportionally together. The right combination of shutter speed and aperture will yield a correct exposure.
If you Google digital image sensors, you can see pictures of what they look like. No longer are there moving parts to see as it is now a digital chip.
How would you decide what shutter speed you want to use when taking an image? One thing to consider is what kind of action or motion you are attempting to capture. If freezing the action of a baseball pitcher is important, you need a pretty fast shutter speed to record that action the way you want. That would be 1/1000 or even higher. Experience and practice will show you exactly what speeds will stop how much action.
You can use a slower shutter speed to photograph a flower in the garden on a still day or an object that does not move.
For a correct exposure, the balancing act of which shutter speed works with the aperture you have selected or what aperture works with the shutter speed you have selected. This series of decisions depends upon what your priority is for the picture and the final outcome you desire. Sometimes the shutter speed is the important number to pick first, sometimes the aperture is more important if you want a certain amount of depth of field.
Get out your camera and go practice! The awesome thing about digital is that it does not cost anything to shoot and see how you are doing, so go crazy.
About Barb
Barb Gordon, of www.BarbGordonPhotoCoach.com, is a Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer with the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) to which she has belonged since 1984. She is a nationally published and award winning photographer, entrepreneur, speaker, and author including being published in the prestigious PPA Loan Collection 2006, PPA Showcase 2003, twice named Iowa’s Top Ten Photographer of the Year, and 2010 Iowa’s Master Photographer of the Year
Aperture-How does it work?
Posted by: | CommentsAlthough automatic and program settings on today’s cameras are quite remarkable, there are many images that cannot be photographed well using strictly automatic. If you want to be able to capture an image the way you visualize it, you will need to master the manual settings of your camera.
Exposure is controlled by coordinating the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings. You will make decisions on each of these three options for every image to control the desired outcome for your photograph. These three settings used correctly together create a properly exposed file that produces a proper photographic print.
The aperture, or f-stop, is an expanding and contracting mechanism that changes the size of the opening that allows light to reach your film or digital image sensor through the lens. I think of the aperture as being similar to the iris of your eye. It gets larger and smaller like the iris of your eye does as you move from darker to lighter and lighter to darker conditions.
It is kind of hard to take a picture of an aperture in a lens so I made this graphic, to the left, to give you an idea what an aperture looks like. The six sections move to make the opening larger and smaller.
The human eye can distinguish about 16 stops of light. A digital camera can record only four or five stops really well. This is why we are so often under whelmed with the results we get. This is why it is so difficult to photograph a landscape scene that has a good exposure of the sky and good exposure of other parts of a scene, like dark green grass and trees, at the same time.
This is why a professional learns to control light. A smaller aperture with a high f-number like f16 lets less light in the lens as the rays of light are directed through a smaller opening. A greater depth of field is also created. A larger aperture with a smaller f-number like f4 lets in more light through a larger opening but the image will have less depth of field.
The common numbers used on film camera lenses are full stops. They are f1.4, f2, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22, f32, f64. Each step is double (or half) the amount of light with f1.4 letting in the most light and f64 letting in the least amount of light. For example f16 lets in twice as much light as f22. Similarly, f4 is half the amount of light as f2.8.
Now we are working with 1/3 stops in digital cameras. They are f3.5, f4, f4.5, f5, f5.6, f6.3, f7.1, f8, f9, f10, f11, f13, f14, f16, f18, f20, f22 and so on. Each step is one third the amount of light entering the lens. It is still a full stop or double the amount of light from f11 to f8 but there are now two more options at 1/3 increments in between to work with.
It will take some practice and time to understand this, so don’t give up. At some point it will be second nature to you if you keep working with it!
Placing the Horizon Line
Posted by: | CommentsTwelve Elements of Composition
Tips for Remarkable Photographs
Part 3-Where to put the horizon line
Now that we have talked about centering and rule of thirds, you will find that a centered horizon line is not very inspiring either. Placing the horizon line on the upper third or lower third of the composition, it will make the image more interesting. If you have a person in the photo you will want to avoid having the line of the horizon intersect through their head.
In addition to the actual horizon line in the lower third of the image, I also wanted the sun, which is the center of interest, to be in the lower third as well so it was not in the center. I was on a beautiful beach in Maui, Hawaii.
The Rule of Thirds
Posted by: | CommentsTwelve Elements of Composition
Tips for Remarkable Photographs
Part 2-The Rule of Thirds or The Intersection of Thirds
This is my most used technique to create emphasis and interest. Almost every image I take has this compositional element to it.
The flower is in the right third and the lower third at the same time. This adds more interest than centering. I added the grid lines to demonstrate dividing an image up into horizontal and vertical thirds creating nine squares. Where the lines intersect are the strongest areas of subject placement.
How do you know what third to use? The lady in our next example is looking off in the distance to our left. In order to give her room to view we want to leave space for her on the left. If she was looking to the right I would reverse that and give her viewing room to the right.
When centering the above subject, she looks trapped. There is nothing to her back that is interesting and necessary to the story. When we recompose the image and she is moved to the right third, she has room to look outward. The element of space and the location itself with cool windows adds interest. If this was an advertisement for hair products, I probably would not crop out a lock of her hair, but since the attention is supposed to go to her face, I prefer placing her to the right at the 1/3 position.
This is Galet, a resident jewelry design artist I met at the Grand Wailea Hotel in Maui. I was so fascinated by her and her great hair, I really wanted to photograph her. The location adds to the story and part of my memories as it is the hotel where she displays her art, where I stayed while on vacation there, and where I met her. (Had I been able to get her in long sleeves to eliminate some of the skin distraction, I most certainly would have!)
Likewise, a moving subject, like a sports action photo, the subject won’t look quite right in the center of the image. It is not only for the balance of the image but to give the subject space to move, to throw the ball, to run, in the image.
Sometimes empty space is lonely isolation and the space is vital to the story.
Open space can also help emphasize scale of a subject or tell the importance of the subject’s story. Having other items in the photograph will also help with scale. This is particular good with children. You can see how tall they are getting when there are objects to compare their size to.
About Barb
Barb Gordon, of www.BarbGordonPhotoCoach.com, is a Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer with the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) to which she has belonged since 1984. She is a nationally published and award winning photographer, entrepreneur, speaker, and author including being published in the prestigious PPA Loan Collection 2006, PPA Showcase 2003, twice named Iowa’s Top Ten Photographer of the Year, and 2010 Iowa’s Master Photographer of the Year.
Proper Exposure is Critical for good Print Quality
Posted by: | CommentsBeginner’s Photography Tip #8: Exposure
This is a big in-depth topic as it has so many variables. One change you can make is to be aware that the exposure will be difficult when photographing very light and very dark items at the same time. The large amount of contrast is difficult to record well.
That is why I prefer overcast days, big clouds over the sun in a bright sky, or working in complete shade. If you can place your subject in the shade, so they can have their eyes open and not have a really bright sky or hot spot behind them, that will look much nicer than out in full sun with harsh shadows and squinty eyes.
I am also assuming that you are using automatic settings at this point. In the future, we will cover more details on the settings of the camera and how to use them. I will also be having more advanced articles on exposure, metering, and histograms.
The type of scene to avoid for the beginner is like this image on the left. Notice the reflection off of the metal roof, the bright spots on the grass and the very black horse head that has no detail? Not the best place to photograph at four in the afternoon. One remedy would be to go out at almost sunset or sunrise when the shadows are long and the light is softer. We call that “sweet light.” Other solutions (that would be easier if it wasn’t a prey animal we were dealing with) would be a more evenly shaded area, adding reflection or extra lighting.
Go out and shoot!
With practice, these eight tips will become easier to do in your everyday photography. Eventually, these steps will become practically automatic, and you won’t have to try to remember them. You will start to look like a pro! Then you can move on to other techniques and acquire more skills.
If you liked this eight part series on “Everyday Images Made Extraordinary”, you will also enjoy my other success based products, articles, and training materials to help you elevate your photography, people and business skills. Check out the Barb Gordon Photo Coach Protege Clubs at http://barbgordonphotocoach.com/blog/the-protege-clubs
About Barb
Barb Gordon, of www.BarbGordonPhotoCoach.com, is a Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer with the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) to which she has belonged since 1984. She is a nationally published and award winning photographer, entrepreneur, speaker, and author including being published in the prestigious PPA Loan Collection 2006, PPA Showcase 2003, twice named Iowa’s Top Ten Photographer of the Year, and 2010 Iowa’s Master Photographer of the Year.
When not working, she enjoys life on a new farm raising organic chickens, gardening, and playing with the horses, cats, and dogs.
Go out and shoot!
With practice, these eight tips will become easier to do in your everyday photography. Eventually, these steps will become practically automatic, and you won’t have to try to remember them. You will start to look like a pro! Then you can move on to other techniques and acquire more skills.
If you liked today’s Special Report on “Everyday Images Made Extraordinary”, you will also enjoy my other success based products, articles, and training materials to help you elevate your photography, people and business skills.
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