Chris Corradino Photography

Save Your Skies with Hitech Filters

Chris Corradino — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:03:12 +0000

Discovering neutral density grad filters was an "a-ha" moment in my photography career. Without them, it was nearly impossible to fulfill my vision of a well exposed foreground coupled with a dark, dramatic sky. After a great deal of research, I found a company that offered durable filters that wouldn't scratch, were truly neutral without creating a color cast, and were reasonably priced. After deciding, I've never gone back, exclusively working with Hitech filters. My first set withstood nearly 7 years of heavy use, and I recently picked up a second set along with the filter pouch.

Today, I'm thrilled to be named a "Featured Artist" on their website. Check it out below:

See for yourself why I've been calling these "the most important filters in your bag". To get started, I would highly recommend this versatile kit. It contains three filters in various strengths, each designed to balance your exposure between a bright sky and dark foreground. For more info on finding the right filters for your specific needs, check out this helpful page.

Peaks of Light, Canadian Rockies

Chris Corradino — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:03:38 +0000

At sunset, I work with a flurry of excitement as the blue skies give way to pastel hues, and the mountain peaks turn a fiery orange with alpenglow. To balance the composition, the lone rock in the foreground rests in the calm waters of a cold alpine lake. After this final frame, the last of the sun disappears, and night takes hold.

Jones Beach Airshow App

Chris Corradino — Sat, 18 May 2013 11:28:36 +0000

There is a new app specifically for aviation enthusiasts watching the 2013 Jones Beach Airshow. Some of the useful features include:

- Full access to a live and interactive order of performers

- Live Air Show announcer coverage provided by WHLI

and the one I'm most excited about: Live aircraft to tower communications from Republic Airport provided by LiveATC.net

The app is free and can be downloaded for iOS or Android here.

More Coffee

Chris Corradino — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:47:26 +0000

The 70-200mm continues to open up new vantage points that are so different from any perspective I would have found with the wide angle lens. I came across this terrific billboard near Times Square and watched from across the street as commuters hurried through.

Note the sign "No Standing". It's little details like this that you don't necessarily see at the time of the capture, but upon image review, it's a pleasant surprise.

If you are interested in street photography, I would encourage you to read a recent New York Times piece on Garry Winogrand who stalked the streets of NY for many years, accumulating nearly 800,000 photos before his death in 1984. The author talks of the ways Winogrand captured "those split-second moments when happenstance, human nature and optics might collide and make for a good picture."

Read the full article here.

Tuesday's Special

Chris Corradino — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:08:51 +0000

It was early in the morning, long before the lunch crowds shuffle in. I guess it's possible that this truck's location was just a coincidence. Still, just to play it safe, I would likely skip the salad bar today.

The 4 Most Important File Formats and How to Use Them

Chris Corradino — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:01:43 +0000

There is an ongoing debate among many photographers. What’s the preferred file type, RAW, DNG, TIFF, or JPEG? If you break the process down into 4 areas, each one of these files has a valid, useful purpose.

1) Capture Mode:

Shooting in RAW allows a photographer to capture more detail than if they were to shoot in JPEG. The RAW capture format also provides photographers with more control over the image in the digital darkroom. The ability to change the white balance on a RAW file can make an immediate impact on the overall look of the photo. For instance, by choosing a white balance setting of cloudy, or shady, your photo will take on a warmer tone. If your indoor pictures have a yellow color cast, simply select the Tungsten White Balance preset. Since RAW files do capture so much detail, they will take up more space on your memory card, and hard drive. For example, a 10 megapixel camera with a 4 GB Compact Flash card can hold about 135 RAW files in comparison to 420 JPEG/FINE images. If you decide to shoot RAW, you will want to pick up a few extra memory cards. If you would prefer to shoot in JPEG, be sure to have it set to the highest quality setting. Your camera manual will detail how to do this.

2) For Archival Purposes:

The DNG format was recently created by Adobe in an effort to unify the various RAW formats created by different camera manufactures. For example, Canon’s RAW files are known as .CRW, and Nikon’s are .NEF. Many photographers feel this can potentially become problematic in the long term. They argued that their RAW files may not be future proof in newer software applications. Programs like Adobe Lightroom have an option to backup your RAW files as .DNG. If you want to protect your digital negatives (RAW files) for many years to come, DNG is well worth the effort.

3) For Making Prints:

For those special images that you want to print and display, the preferred file format is TIFF. By saving your completed image as a TIFF, you are using a lossless file which is capable of producing high quality enlargements. JPEG is a compressed file which can degrade image quality slightly. While this may not be noticeable on the computer screen, it will likely show on large prints. By starting with a RAW file, and converting to a TIFF, you are not compressing the file, or losing data. For prints, TIFFS should be saved at 300DPI.

4) For Email and Web Posting:

JPEG is the recommended format for sharing images on the web, or by email. Here are some guidelines to help prepare your files for the web:

Start by opening an image in Photoshop.

Select "Image" from the menu bar, and then select "Image Size".

You will get a pop up box to enter your desired image dimensions.

You can set this by pixel size, or by actual inches. For this example, let's use inches.

Set the image size to 5x7 or 4x6.

Make sure the Resolution is set at 72 DPI. This is ideal for web viewing.

Hit "OK".

Next, go to FILE, and select "SAVE FOR WEB".

Set the quality to "60", and be sure that the box marked "Optimized" is checked.

Hit Save, and rename the file, (for example, if your original file was "beach", name it beachforweb). Your original file will remain unmodified, and you will have a second file ready for the web.

You can also do this in Lightroom 4, which is detailed in this video.

Happy Mother's Day

Chris Corradino — Sat, 11 May 2013 10:50:44 +0000

To all the wonderful women out there who patiently guide children into adults, I thank you, Whether you view it as a job, a responsibility, a labor of love, it has to be one of the most challenging things to accomplish. As my Mom will tell you, I was a "handful". Yet despite my rebellious periods, and those days where we just didn't see eye to eye, she tirelessly provided the love and support I needed to grow up. Happy Mother's Day!

Walking With Purpose

Chris Corradino — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:46:07 +0000

Many of the photos I post here show the gritty aspects of NY. Often, I'm hustling through the streets, walking with purpose, shooting from the hip to reveal the human condition here in Manhattan. The truth is, the darker sides of the city are more evident, with homeless and struggling folks on nearly every corner. Still, it's not all bad, as there are amazing acts of kindness happening all around us each day.

On this particular morning, I came to a complete stop and chose to capture a positive note that caught my eye. I imagined the maker drawing out each letter in chalk despite the suspicious eyes of passerbys, security cameras, cops, etc. It was a timely message from someone who understood that we all could use more uplifting energy in this world. Through my camera, I was able to connect with these intentions, and am happy to share it here with you. Using a wide angle lens, I knelt down on a busy corner of Times Square, and captured this frame as pedestrians hurried past.

I know there are more signs like this if only I remain open to seeing them. Are there parts of your hometown that show the bright side of the human spirit? If so, please do share over on the Facebook page.

Sounds of the City at 200mm

Chris Corradino — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:11:25 +0000

I gave my wide angle lens a rest and decided to try some street photography with a telephoto lens, the 70-200mm f2.8. With a wide angle lens, you feel as if you are part of the situation since you are so close to your subject. This can make everything seems more intimate. The telephoto lens allows for a feeling of separation, and you are merely a spectator watching from afar. It's quite a different style of shooting as the lens is pretty big, heavy, and definitely makes it hard to blend in, or go unnoticed. The extra focal length however makes it a powerful tool for people watching. I plan to explore this perspective further in the coming days.

An angry traffic cop hollers at a bus driver near Times Square.

A man uses the ledge of the Sephora makeup store to strum out a tune as commuters hurry by.

Thanks for a Great Central Park Workshop!

Chris Corradino — Sun, 05 May 2013 11:35:15 +0000

A big thanks to all who joined me in Central Park last night. We had great weather and terrific light, making for perfect educational photo opportunities. Some of the topics covered were, pushing the histogram without losing data, creative white balance, neutral density filters, working in Live View while manually focusing, breaking rules of exposure and composition, and working with very long 30" exposures. Special thanks to Sue for capturing these shots of the group at work. We had a great time, and look forward to the next one. For more on upcoming workshops, check my page here.

Captured with the in-camera HDR feature on the Canon 6D.

Using Flare to Your Advantage

Chris Corradino — Sat, 04 May 2013 11:15:16 +0000

I don't use a lens shade, ever. I own a few but they take up precious space in my bag, and also add weight. Remember, every ounce adds up, so each piece of gear needs to have a real purpose. The shade ultimately is designed to block flare from getting into the lens while shooting into the sun. I actually don't mind flare so much, but in a pinch, you can just put your hand on top of the lens to block it. That's what I did for this shot, while laying on my belly shooting up with a 17mm lens. I loved the way the sun created an appearance of illumination inside the tulip, but didn't want to see the actual sun beams. The camera (6d) was on a tripod, manually focused in Live View mode, and I placed my hand above the lens to block the flare for the shot below. I also used a circular polarizer to deepen the blues and bring our the vibrance of the foliage.

White Balance Made Easy

Chris Corradino — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

By adjusting the White Balance settings on your camera, you can make a dramatic impact on your scenic photography. One helpful way to think of this setting is to visualize a Painter mixing various colors on an easel. With photography, the temperature of the image can appear bluish, neutral or warm based on the chosen WB. For outdoor images, there are just three presets I recommend working with. Let's explore each with a series of photos from Bryant Park. Each frame was taken with the same exact exposure. Only the White Balance has changed.

AUTO WB

Cloudy WB

Shade WB

Auto White Balance: This preset has more blue mixed in, making the photo appear to have a cooler tone to it. If you never wanted to explore beyond Auto White Balance, it would serve you well for most outdoor photography as it's a fairly accurate representation of the scene. Still, it can be a bit too neutral, and lacking in vibrancy and pop! The next two options offer photographers more control.

Setting: Auto White Balance

Cloudy White Balance: This is perhaps my favorite WB setting as it retains an accurate representation of the color temperature while adding a hint of warmth to the scene. With the "Cloudy" preset, there is more yellow being added to the mix. This is very effective at adding brilliance to bold colors, and making objects in the shade appear less blue. Greens also become more vibrant, making it an ideal choice from sunrise to mid-afternoon, through sunset.

Setting: Cloudy White Balance

Shade White Balance: Thinking back to the painter at the easel, the blend not only contains yellow, but orange as well. With this preset, it is very easy to overdo the effect, making a photo look quite unnatural and simply too warm. If your scene already has brilliant colors, you may be better off with the "Cloudy" preset. However, landscapes with subtle touches of color can be beautifully enhanced with the "Shade" setting.

Setting: Shade White Balance

By exploring these three options, you will find that each has their own valid purpose. Based on your own artistic preferences, you may choose to utilize one more than the others. If I was to go back and check the majority of my landscape images, the "Cloudy" preset would prove to be the most heavily used. Still, some of my favorite landscapes were taken in Auto, or Shade. Explore each to see what works best for you.

Explore the Hidden Caribbean

Chris Corradino — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:01:00 +0000

I'm so excited to announce three amazing photo workshops coming in the Winter of 2013/2014. Each journey is one week long, and promises to be a great adventure with boundless photo opportunities. Highlights include:

Hiking and bird-watching in the unspoiled and sparsely populated green hills of Jost Van Dyke.
Explore Sage Mountain National Park for a hike through the rain forest. Mount Sage rises more than 1,700 feet, the highest point in the British Virgin Islands.

Visit Peter Island, a lush small island, most of which is privately owned, that offers hiking paths and pristine beaches for swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking.

Gorda Peak National Park, a nature preserve, where trails lead to the summit offering spectacular vistas of the surrounding islands.

Norman Island, reputed to be Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Yorktown will anchor at The Caves, an outstanding swimming and snorkeling area, with crystal-clear water, colorful corals, and other marine life.

Two-thirds of St. John is a protected national park, and during our visit we will have the opportunity to explore this verdant and welcoming island, including the Virgin Islands National Park, with its hiking trails and miles of shoreline and reefs. The park is home to a variety of flora and fauna, and historic buildings and sites, such as the Annaberg Sugar Mill ruins. During your visit, also learn about the Taino, the ancient inhabitants of the island.

Excursion to St. Thomas' historic landmarks, including the Estate St. Peter Greathouse & Botanical Gardens, with its 500 varieties of plants. Nestled high on St. Thomas’s peaks, Estate St. Peter offers wonderful views.

Program Dates:
12/20/2013 - 12/27/2013
12/27/2013 - 1/3/2014
1/3/2014 - 1/10/2014

I hope you can join me as this promises to be an unforgettable adventure.

View the entire catalog here.

REGISTER HERE

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You Pave Paradise

Chris Corradino — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:32:11 +0000

As much as I love New York, there are times I just want to escape the lawn pesticides, the idling engines, the planes crisscrossing to and from three major airports, and the crush of traffic surrounding the mega shopping malls. I'm looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly at my own home which is just outside of the city itself. We compost, grow our own vegetables and herbs, and recycle glass, plastic, aluminum, and paper. I still feel I could do more, and am seeking more organic methods of lawn care, and insect control. I understand these issues are not isolated to my town but to every home in America. What are some of the things you do to make a positive impact on your local environment? Let me know over on the Facebook page.

Armed with a Small Camera, or a Big Stick

Chris Corradino — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:45:11 +0000

The cops took exception to something this man said and confronted him. They asked "Whattya think you can just say anything you want?" The guy felt threatened, and pulled out a point and shoot camera to start photographing the officers. "Yeah, it's a free country" he says, snapping their badges. Sensing a crowd gathering, and the cameras pointed in their direction, they decided to get back in their car, and leave the man be. Oddly enough, they all politely wished each other "a nice day" before going separate ways.

While most everyone has some kind of camera with them these days, there are of course, the rare exceptions who walk to the beat of a different drum.

Shooting from the Ground

Chris Corradino — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:49:01 +0000

The daffodils are giving way to the beautiful tulips which line many garden beds around the city. In Columbus Circle, I got down very low to accentuate the feeling of the blooms stretching towards the globe near Trump Tower. (lower left) With a wide angle lens (17mm), I also used a smaller aperture to keep things sharp from near to far (f11).

A low vantage point was also used to catch the lone daffodil which grew just a few inches above the rest. (lower right) This was done with a very shallow aperture of f2.8, and a 100mm macro lens manually focused in Live View. For more tips on that, check here.

The way the light and shadows mingled helped to reveal the interesting patterns and character of this old footbridge in Central Park.

When exploring a scene and "zooming with your feet", don't forget to get down and check the vantage point from a bug's point of view.

Photography Without Gravity

Chris Corradino — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:35:57 +0000

In this terrific video you'll see Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield shoot amazing photos of Earth from the International Space Station using a Nikon DSLR and a 400mm lens. The photos are unreal, but what's even more interesting is the technical instruction he offers on how he gets the best results. Also, it's surreal to see him drop the camera, and watch as it just floats there unharmed. No tripod needed!

Dog Days of Spring

Chris Corradino — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:29:47 +0000

For two weekends each year, once in Spring, the other in Fall, Old Westbury Gardens opens their beautiful grounds to our four legged friends with an event called "Dog Days". If you live in the Metro NY area, I highly recommend marking your calendar for the next one as it is truly a wonderful day.

The grounds are expansive enough to take a quiet leisurely stroll, or a vigorous hike, and vendors set up booths of unique pet merchandise. They even have adoption agencies with dogs who need a good home.

After several hours of hiking and exploring, Miles and Opal were totally worn out. I found a patch of wildflowers and decided to take their portraits with the 6D and 85mm f1.8. Ever curious, Miles decided to lay down next to me and Sue caught the moment with her iPhone (above). For more info on the Gardens, visit their website here.

Opal lounging in the wildflowers.

Miles is always on alert, even at rest.

A Foggy Day in Oceanside

Chris Corradino — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:35:06 +0000

A foggy day in Oceanside made for a unique experience at the Marine and Nature Study Area. Visibility was less than 50 feet at times, and despite the sun trying to burn through, the mist was too dense and lingered most of the morning. Having photographed here on several days with blue skies, I welcomed the different conditions and sought to capture a few images that represented the experience.

Superstorm Sandy destroyed several of the aged wooded pathways in the park, most of which have been replaced with stronger composite materials. The little footbridge still remains, though crossing over the broken planks would likely not be safe. Shrouded in dense fog, the scene took on a much more interesting mood, and I used a 400mm to frame a tight composition with the little stream leading the eye through the frame. I tend to expose fog closer towards white to accurately capture the way it looks in reality. This is the way my eyes saw it, devoid of contrast.

This area is known for it's abundance of birds and this day was no exception. I almost missed it, but did catch a glance of an Osprey perched in a field, scanning for potential prey. It was approximately 100 yards away and I used the 400mm on the 40D to take advantage of the 1.6x crop factor, making it an effective 640mm.

This beautiful Great Egret was fishing but not having much luck. This frame was caught with a shutter of about 1/1000 as the fog dissipated. White birds are something I choose to expose more towards the +2 on my meter while watching the histogram to make sure I protect the highlights.

I look forward to returning to Oceanside several more time this Spring as more birds migrate through the area. For more info on the park, check their site.

Finding Peace

Chris Corradino — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 11:09:39 +0000

The scarf and gloves were back on, but the flowers were blooming beautifully in and around Central Park. I was shooting very wide with the 17-40mm and found some peaceful scenes to focus on. It's amazing how secluded the park can feel despite being surrounded by the never-ending stream of cabs, pedestrians, tourists, and commuters. Winter is most definitely behind us, but its familiar bite still blows through the air.

No matter where you live, I believe we all are breathing a sigh of relief now that the Boston bombers are no longer on the loose. The Red Sox may be the Yankees arch rival, but we are all Americans.

The role photography played in the investigation is absolutely a testament to the power of image capture. One of the most detailed photographs the FBI had of suspect #2 actually came from an iPhone.

My hope is that law enforcement officials will now become more accepting of photographers rather than suspicious.

The camera is a powerful tool that can reveal the truth, and bring about peace and change by offering a deeper understanding of the world and its people. Here's to a safe journey.