Digital Photography

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 04:38:00 -0800

How to Photograph Flowers -- Part I

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:19:00 -0800

How to Photograph Flowers -- Part I

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

www.ronbigelow.com

There are few subjects that draw photographers as much as flowers. Why shouldn’t it be so? After all, flowers seem to offer the photographer so much: striking hues, graceful curves, and dramatic color contrast. It’s no wonder that so many people photograph flowers.
Furthermore, it all seems so easy – just point the camera at one of the beautiful blooms and release the shutter. Unfortunately, the images that result often do not depict the beauty that the eye perceived. The reality is that it is easy to get a picture of a flower; it is not so easy to create an image that portrays the elegance, beauty, and intricate detail that the flower displays.
Like any other area of photography, creating flower images that rise above the ordinary requires knowledge and skill. However, once mastered, the knowledge and skill will lead to dramatic flower images.
This three part article series covers both the technical and artistic aspects of flower photography. Part I of the series covers the technical aspects while Part II and Part III cover the artistic. Now, one might be tempted to think of the technical aspects as boring and want to bypass them in order to go straight to the fun, artistic stuff. This would be a mistake. The technical aspects form the foundation for the artistic work. Without a firm understanding of the basics of equipment; light; white balance; exposure; and wind, the artistic efforts are likely to result in disappointing flower images.
So, in order to create powerful flower images, one must first become a skilled technician (Part I), then, a creative artist (Part II and Part III).

Equipment

In addition to a good camera, several pieces of equipment will make photographing flowers more enjoyable and successful.
Tripod: A tripod is essential for flower photography. Often, the light during flower photography is fairly low. This occurs for a couple of reasons. First, flowers are often found in areas of shade (such as the forest). Second, low light levels (such as an overcast sky) often produce the best flower images. Consequently, slower shutter speeds are often required to compensate for the low light levels. In addition, for closer flower shots, smaller apertures will be required (unless a very shallow depth of field is desired). The smaller apertures will require slower shutter speeds. A tripod will allow the use of slower shutter speeds without the blurring that will occur if the camera is hand held (blurring due to wind will be covered later).

Figure 1: Tripod with Legs Spread out

Since most flowers are fairly low to the ground, it is essential that the tripod allow the camera to get very low. There are a couple of ways that this can be done. Some tripods have legs that can be unlocked and spread out (see Figure 1).

Figure 2: Tripod with Center Column Reversed

Additionally, many tripods allow the center column to be reversed (see Figure 2). Of course, the best situation is to own a tripod that can do both.
If much walking or hiking is expected, the tripod weight will become an issue. This results in a problem. Heavy tripods are sturdy, but they are tiring to carry around all day. Light tripods are easy to carry, but many are not very steady. One solution is to use a carbon fiber tripod. Carbon fiber tripods are both sturdy and fairly light weight. The down side is the cost. Carbon fiber tripods are much more expensive than aluminum tripods.
Last, it is preferable to use a tripod that has three section legs. Four section legs allow the tripod to be collapsed to a shorter length, but they are less sturdy than three section legs.

Figure 3: Tripod Head

Tripod Head: Most nature photographers prefer ballheads. It is preferable that the ballhead have panning ability. Also, the ballhead should have one knob for locking down the head and another knob for adjusting the head tension Figure 3).
Of course, the ballhead needs to be sturdy enough to support the weight of the camera and lens. This is particularly true when a longer lens is used.

Lenses: To make the most of a flower excursion, a few lenses will be needed. To capture a field of flowers, a wide angle lens will be needed. A normal lens will be required for those times when a smaller group of flowers are being photographed. Telephoto lenses can be used when it is necessary to compress distances (e.g., to make flowers appear close together). Of course, an alternative is to use a zoom lens that covers all the focal lengths that might be required.
However, sooner or later, most serious flower photographers want to move in close. This requires some special equipment. Four of the most common approaches to photographing close-up are:

Close-up lens
Extension tube
Teleconverter
Macro lens

A close-up lens looks more like a filter than a lens. It screws on the front of a regular lens and allows the lens to focus closer. The advantages of a close-up lens are that it is inexpensive, is small and light weight, and does not reduce the amount of light that reaches the lens. The disadvantage of a close up lens is that a close-up lens generally has lower optical quality than a high grade lens. Therefore, the use of a close-up lens will likely degrade image quality somewhat.
An extension tube fits between the lens and the camera body. An extension tube is essentially a hollow tube that contains no lens elements. An extension tube moves the lens farther from the sensor; this allows the lens to focus closer. The advantages of an extension tube are that it is inexpensive, is small and light weight, and will not degrade image quality. The disadvantage of an extension tube is that it will decrease the amount of light that reaches the sensor.
A teleconverter is similar to an extension tube in that it fits between the lens and the camera. However, a teleconverter does contain lens elements. A teleconvertor increases the focal length of a lens, but it does not change the minimum focus distance. This results in an increase in magnification. The advantages of a teleconverter are that it is less expensive than a lens (but more expensive than a close-up lens or an extension tube), is relatively small and light weight, and causes little or no image degradation (at least the high quality ones don’t). The downside is that a teleconverter will decrease the amount of light that reaches the sensor (usually resulting in a one or two stop light lose).

Figure 4: Macro Lens

While close-up lenses, extension tubes, and teleconverters get the job done, the gold standard for close-up work is the macro lens (see Figure 4). A macro lens is a highly corrected lens that is designed to focus very close to the subject. Many macro lenses create a life size (1:1) image on the sensor. However, some specialty macro lenses can focus even closer. The advantage of a macro lens is the very high quality images that it creates. The disadvantages are that a macro lens is larger and heavier than the previously covered options. In addition, a macro lens is generally expensive (a good macro lens can easily cost over $1,000).
One thing to keep in mind when considering a macro lens is that a macro lens around 150mm to 200mm is generally preferred to a shorter macro lens for two reasons. First, a longer macro lens provides more working distance between the lens and the subject. This is particularly important if subjects, such as shy bugs, will be photographed in addition to flowers. Second, a longer macro lens has a shallower depth of field which makes it easier to blur the background so that the background does not distract from the subject.
Shutter Release: Just because a camera is on a tripod doesn't mean that the camera will be steady. The simple act of releasing the shutter can cause vibrations that will cause a loss of sharpness. One problem is that pressing the shutter almost ensures that a certain amount of vibration will be transmitted to the camera. The solution is simple. The shutter needs to be released without the photographer touching the camera at the time of the shutter release.

Figure 5: Remote Switch

The answer is to use a remote switch to release the shutter. A remote switch is a device that allows a photographer to release the shutter, by using a hand held device, without the photographer's hand directly touching the camera. This device triggers the camera shutter by mechanical or electrical means. Some shutter releases attach directly to the camera through a cable. Other devices are wireless and trigger the shutter through the use of electromagnetic waves. Figure 5 shows a remote switch attached to a camera. Remote switches run the gamut from basic, inexpensive units that provide only for the remote release of the shutter to more advanced, expensive units that have electronic functionality that provides for more sophisticated control of the camera.

Polarizer: A polarizer can improve flower images in a couple of ways. First, polarizers can help reduce glare. Second, polarizers can improve the saturation of the flowers and the surrounding environment.

Figure 6: Reflector

Reflector: Small, collapsible reflectors (see Figure 6) are great for reflecting some extra light onto flowers (especially the undersides of the flowers). These reflectors generally come in white, silver, gold, or a combination of these colors. White reflectors reflect a soft light of relatively low intensity. Silver reflectors reflect the brightest, coldest, harshest light. Gold reflectors warm up the light. Reflectors that have a combination of silver and gold reflect a good amount of warm toned light.

Figure 7: Diffuser

Diffuser: A collapsible diffuser looks very much like a reflector (see Figure 7). The difference is that a diffuser allows a portion of the light to pass through. The light is diffused in the process resulting in a much softer light. This is especially important for those times when the flowers are in direct sunlight.

Light

One of the most important factors in creating great flower images is the light. Without the proper lighting conditions, it will be very difficult to get impressive looking flower shots.
Light has four main properties:

Quality
Color
Saturation
Direction

Figure 8: Flower Shot in Soft Light

Figure 8 shows a flower that was photographed in soft light. It can be seen that the tonal transitions are gentle and pleasing.
Hard light is a very direct, harsh, and often unflattering light. Hard light has a very high contrast, and the transitions between light and shadow are usually rather abrupt.
Hard light often lacks shadow detail. This lack of shadow detail is related to the large dynamic range of hard light. In hard light conditions, either the highlights or shadows may lose detail when photographed.

Figure 9: Flower Shot in Hard Light

Hard light generally creates a stark or severe feeling. This can work to the detriment of the flower photographer. A beautiful flower shot in hard light conditions will, likely, not look very attractive. Part of this is due to the harsh contrast. Another factor is that hard light tends to desaturate colors. So, a flower shot in hard light will have washed out colors. This is demonstrated in Figure 9 that shows a flower shot in hard light. As can be seen, the shadows are harsh and the color desaturated.
By now, it should be obvious that soft light is highly desirable for most flower photography.

Color: Visible light is composed of a mixture of colors. Neutral light is composed of an equal amount of each of these colors. However, light is not always neutral. Often, the color balance of the light has been altered. Most frequently, this occurs because one or more of the colors have been, at least partially, filtered out of the light. When this happens, the color of the light changes. Because of this, the light is constantly changing color all day long, and this affects the color balance of images that are taken.
This is an issue because color affects the mood of an image. Consequently, the color of the light that illuminates a scene will impact the mood of the image and its ability to impart what the photographer wanted to communicate to the viewer of the image. This works to great advantage for the knowledgeable photographer that uses knowledge of light color to capture images where the color of the light is in harmony with the mood that the photographer wishes to create in the image. Conversely, the light often works to the detriment of the less knowledgeable photographer to contradict the mood that was intended.
Luckily, the color of light can be simplified down to three basic categories of color: neutral light (no strong hue), warm light (tinted with yellow, orange, and red), and cool light (tinted with blue). We can simplify color down to these three categories because each of these categories has a different effect on how people respond to an image.
Neutral light, which has no strong hue, is best used when a photographer wants the natural color of the objects to shine forth. Neutral light is found away from both ends of the day (neither in very early morning nor in late afternoon). Light from a direct, overhead sun on a clear day may have a fairly neutral color.
Photographers that wish to use neutral light need to beware of certain conditions. Heavy cloud cover will likely shift the color of the light toward blue. Also, shadows generally have a bluish hue. Light that is filtered or reflected in any way may pick up a hue. For instance, a photographer standing in a forest will, likely, find that the light has picked up a green hue from the leaves overhead. A photographer in a canyon with light reflected off the canyon walls will likely find that the light has picked up a color from the walls (probably a warm tone).
Warm light is good for creating inviting, dreamy moods in an image. People tend to associate warm light with feelings of comfort, friendship, and romance. Warm light is best found just after sunrise or just before sunset.

Cool light is good for creating feelings of calm or cold. People tend to think of deep, calm lakes as being blue. A calm sky is usually blue. On the other hand, people also associate blue with cold: ice may have a blue hue as does the light of an early, winter morning.
Cool light can often be found in the time between the first light of day and sunrise as well as between sunset and darkness. These twilight times often cast a soft, dim, bluish light over the terrain. Blue light can also be found under cloudy skies and in shadows.
For the photographer, the issue becomes one of matching the color of the light to the mood that the photographer wishes to create.

Figure 10: Saturated Colors

Saturation: The next aspect of color that is important to the photographer is saturation. From the photographer's point of view, saturation refers to the intensity of the color. A color that is very vivid is a saturated color (see Figure 10).

Figure 11: Unsaturated Colors

Colors that appear dull or washed out are unsaturated colors (see Figure 11). From a technical viewpoint, saturation refers to how much white light is mixed in with the color. Saturated colors contain very little white light. That is why they are very vivid. Unsaturated colors have been diluted by the addition of white light.
Since color affects the mood and impact of an image, saturation becomes important. Often, photographers want rich, saturated colors. Therefore, photographers need to understand what factors can be used to control saturation.
One of the biggest factors that affects saturation is the time of day. Early morning and late afternoon generally provide more saturated colors than mid-day.
A polarizer filter is another way that can be used, in many situations, to increase the saturation of colors. Part of the light that dilutes saturation is polarized light. A polarizer can reduce the amount of polarized light and improve the saturation of the colors. However, a polarizer is not equally effective under all circumstances. A polarizer has the greatest affect when the camera is pointed at right angles (perpendicular) to the direction of the sunlight.

Direction: The last characteristic of light is direction. Specifically, it is the direction of the light with respect to the direction of the line from the camera to the object being photographed. There are three primary directions of light: front, side, and back. Each of these directions of light has its own characteristics and has an impact on the mood that an image projects.
Frontlight hits images head on (from the front or overhead). It is less used in good flower photography and more frequently used in bad. Frontlighting is often found mid day. At that time, the sun is overhead and tends to hit objects in a rather direct manner.
Sidelight is low angle light that hits objects from the side. It can be a very dramatic light.

Sidelight is great for those times when a photographer wants to emphasize texture or shape. Sidelight also has an interesting affect on shadows; it causes the shadows to become very long. In some cases, these elongated shadows can be used to add drama or emphasize a flower's shape. In other cases, the shadows themselves become the center of interest.
Sidelight occurs when the sun is low on the horizon. This means that photographers can take advantage of sidelight early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Figure 12 shows an example of sidelight.

Figure 12: Sidelight

Backlight hits objects from behind so that the light is shining toward the camera lens.

Figure 13: Backlighting

Figure 13 shows an example of a backlit image. In this case, the photographer chose an object of interest that was translucent. Part of the light was able to penetrate the leaf. This produced a leaf that seems to glow from within. This light accentuated both the veins of the leaf and the contrasting colors.
Backlighting is great for creating images with a touch of the dramatic. In the case of silhouettes, form often takes on more importance than detail.
Like sidelight, backlight usually occurs when the sun is low on the horizon, but backlight has the additional restriction that the light must be shining toward the camera. This can cause a couple of problems for photographers. First, light shining into the lens can create flair. This occurs when some of the light bounces around between the lens or filter elements. If the camera has a filter on it, removing the filter may reduce the flair. Second, the large dynamic range of backlit scenes may prevent the photographer from capturing detail in parts of the scene where detail is desired. In this case, the photographer may resort to one of the many methods used to handle large dynamic ranges (e.g., fill flash or digital blending of images taken at different exposures).
Okay, so how can all this information about light be put together? Probably, the best way is to look at some different types of light
Overcast Light: Overcast light is great for flower photography.

Quality: The light is very soft.
Color: The light will tend to be blue. This is great when photographing bluish flowers. It is a problem when photographing warm toned flowers. When shooting warm toned flowers in overcast light, a white balance preset or manual white balance will need to be used in order to prevent a bluish color cast in the image.
Saturation: The saturation should be excellent.
Direction: The light seems to come from everywhere, so there is no real directionality.

Just after Sunrise or Just before Sunset: This light often tends to be very good for warm toned flowers.

Quality: The light is very soft.
Color: The light will tend to be warm toned. This is great when photographing warm toned flowers. It is a problem when photographing cool toned flowers. When shooting cool toned flowers at this time, a white balance preset or manual white balance will need to be used in order to prevent a warm color cast in the image.
Saturation: The saturation should be excellent.
Direction: The light will cast gentle shadows that emphasis texture.

Mid-Day, Direct Light: This light is horrible for flower photography. This light should be used only if a diffuser is being used to soften the light.

Quality: The light is very hard.
Color: The color of the light can vary from neutral to somewhat blue.
Saturation: Very poor saturation.
Direction: The direction varies from overhead to off to an angle. In any case, texture is minimized with this light.

In summary, the best light for flower photography occurs in overcast conditions, just after sunrise, or just before sunset.

White Balance

Photography is basically painting with light. The film or sensor is the canvas, the camera is the brush, and light is the paint. However, as covered above, the light that a photographer paints with often has a color to it. Film and sensor capture this color which then affects the quality and mood of the image.
To create an image that accurately depicts what a photographer intended, the photographer must be aware of the color of light and must make adjustments when necessary. The subject of the color of light, and the techniques of dealing with it, are referred to as white balance.
To manage the color of light, photographers have three options:

Auto white balance
Preset white balance
Custom/manual white balance

With auto white balance, the camera attempts to determine the color of the light and automatically adjust for that color. Many people just leave the camera set to auto white balance all the time. This is certainly the easiest option. Auto white balance works reasonably well under the following conditions:

The application does not require absolute maximum color accuracy
There is not a preponderance of one color in the scene being photographed
The photographer wants adjustments made for the color temperature of the light

Unfortunately, auto white balance is a very poor choice for flower photography. One of the main reasons that photographers photograph flowers is to capture the beautiful colors. So, the last thing that a flower photographer wants is poor color accuracy. Furthermore, flower images generally have a strong preponderance of one or two colors. This will tend to exacerbate the problem and cause further color accuracy problems. Last, if a photographer is shooting just after sunrise or before sunset, auto white balance will tend to remove the warm tones of the light. This will desaturate warm toned flowers.
With preset white balance, the color temperature is assigned by a photographer, prior to a shot being taken, by selecting one of the preset white balance options. Many cameras have multiple preset white balance options. For instance, a camera may have settings for bright sunny outdoors, cloudy outdoors, shady outdoors, tungsten, fluorescent, and flash. Preset white balance works well when:

The application does not require absolute maximum color accuracy
The light source matches one of the preset white balance options

One advantage of preset white balance is that it is not fooled if there is a lot of one color in the scene. So, an orange poppy will not cause problems with the white balance when the proper preset is used. However, using a preset white balance is not the most accurate method of handling white balance. This is because the light might not perfectly match the preset. In other words, the light of a sunny day might not perfectly match the color of the sunny outdoors preset on the camera.
Rather than make assumptions about the color temperature of light (auto white balance) or fixing the color temperature at a given value (preset white balance), custom white balance actually uses the camera to measure the color of the light hitting the sensor. To measure the color of the light, a photographer must use a neutral gray or white object to establish the white balance. Typically, a photographer will photograph a gray card, or similar object, and use that to establish the white balance.
The advantage of the custom white balance is that it accurately records the color of objects as they would appear if the objects were photographed in neutral light. Furthermore, custom white balance sets the white balance much more accurately than either the auto white balance or the preset white balances. Therefore, custom white balance is the best option when:

Maximum color accuracy is required
The photographer wants the colors in the image to appear as they would under neutral light

It was just mentioned that one of the advantages of custom white balance is that it accurately records the color of objects as they would appear if the objects were photographed in neutral light. On the other hand, this is also one of the disadvantages of custom white balance. In other words, accurate color according to how the colors would appear in neutral light can be either a good or a bad thing. For instance, custom white balance is generally the best choice when photographing warm toned flowers in overcast light as the custom white balance will remove the blue cast of the light. However, when photographing warm toned flowers just after sunrise or before sunset the warm tone of the light greatly enhances the color of the flowers. In this case, a custom white balance should not be used as it will desaturate the warm toned flowers. A better choice would be to use a daylight preset white balance.

Exposure

There are many ways to determine proper exposure. However, it is beyond the scope of this article to cover the various methods. On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that flowers can often fool a camera’s exposure meter. For instance, a white flower can fool the camera into thinking that there is more light than there really is -- resulting in an underexposed image. Thus, whatever method is used to determine the exposure, a test shot should be taken and the histogram on the camera screen checked to ensure that the exposure was really accurate.

Wind

Wind is a perpetual problem for flower photography. Nevertheless, there are ways to minimize the wind’s affect.

The wind is generally calmer in the early morning. Thus, early morning shoots will tend to produce less wind problems than later in the day.
The ISO can be increased or a wider aperture used in order to allow a faster shutter speed.
An obstacle, such as a camera bag, can be placed such that it blocks the wind.
The stem of the flower can be tied or gently fixed to something stationary.
Simply wait for a break in the wind; then, take the shot. Repeat this procedure many times. One of the advantages of digital photography is that there is no cost for taking lots of images. If many images are taken, at least one of them is bound to be sharp.

How to Photograph Flowers -- Part

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:19:00 -0800

How to Photograph Flowers -- Part II

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

www.ronbigelow.com

Now that the technical aspects of flower photography have been mastered, it is time to delve into the artistic side.

Pristine with Character

Suppose that a chef wanted to create a great meal for a special guest. How successful would he be if he started out with poor ingredients? If his vegetables were not fresh and the bread was moldy, it would be pretty much impossible to create an enticing gourmet meal. For a great meal, it is imperative that the chef start with the proper components.
It is no different with flower photography. In order to create great flower images, one must start with the proper components. In this case, the proper components are the flowers. However, not just any flower will do. The flowers must meet two criteria. The first criterion is that the flowers must be in pristine condition. This means that the flowers must be physically perfect. Flowers that are not perfectly fresh, have marks, or have been partially eaten by bugs should not be used.

Figure 1: Flower not in Pristine Condition

Figure 1 illustrates this point. At first, this flower might seem like a good choice for a flower image. Nonetheless, a closer examination of the flower shows the flower has aged. The tip of the top pedal has started to dry up.

Figure 2: Close-up of Dried Up Portion of Flower

This can be seen in the close-up crop in Figure 2. Thus, this flower is not acceptable for flower photography

Having a pristine flower is a start, but it is not enough, by itself, to guarantee a great flower image. Thus, the second criterion is that the flower must have character. Now, character is a bit hard to define. Perhaps, the best way to describe character is that it is something that grabs one’s attention.

Figure 3: Flower with no Character

Figures 3 and 4 demonstrate this concept. Figure 3 shows a flower. Now, the flower might be nice to look at, but it is kind of ordinary. There is nothing about this flower that particularly grabs one’s attention.

Figure 4: Flower with Character

Figure 4 also shows a flower. However, this flower has some character. It is much more likely to grab a person’s attention than the previous flower. Thus, this flower would make a much better subject for a flower image.

Center of Interest

Figure 5: Center of Interest

Most good flower images have a strong center of interest (COI). The COI is the thing that grabs the attention of the viewer. This can be seen in Figure 5. The bug on the flower clearly demands the viewer’s attention. Clearly, the bug is the COI in this image.
This image also demonstrates a couple of important points about the COI. First, the COI is the object around which the rest of the image revolves. What this means is that the purpose of the rest of the image is to support and enhance the COI. This is clearly seen in Figure 5. The yellow color of the flower strongly contrasts with the green color of the insect which helps the insect to stand out. In addition, the center of the flower provides a simple pattern that contrasts with the lines of the insect which further makes the insect prominent in the image. Clearly, the rest of the image serves to bring attention to the insect and make if the most important part of the image.
The second point is that the viewer’s attention is constantly drawn back to the COI. As one views Figure 5, one will usually first notice the insect. After viewing the insect, the viewer’s eye will tend to examine the rest of the flower. However, the viewer’s eye will repeatedly return to the insect. This shows that the COI not only grabs the viewer’s attention, it also serves as a comfortable resting place for the viewer’s attention. This is a very important point because, without a strong COI, the viewer’s attention randomly roams around the image looking for something of interest; finding nothing, the viewer quickly looses interest in the image.

Figure 6: Subtle Center of Interest

Sometimes, the COI is fairly obvious such as with the insect in Figure 5. However, at other times, the COI can be more subtle. This is show in Figure 6.
At first, one might think that there is no COI in this image. However, after viewing the image for a little while, it becomes obvious that the viewer’s attention keeps coming back to the graceful curve of the pedal that works its way to the top of the image. Furthermore, the rest of the image supports this curve. The portion of the image directly behind the curved pedal provides a dark blue contrast to the light tone of the curved pedal. The bright yellow on the lower pedal serves as a leading line that leads the eye into the curved pedal. It becomes obvious that the curved pedal is the COI of this image. Consequently, while the COI of this image may be more subtle, the image still has a good COI.

Composition

Composition consists of how the objects in an image are arranged with respect to each other. Now, there are many components of composition. A comprehensive coverage of the components of composition is beyond the scope of this article series. However, two basic aspects of composition will be covered:

Rule of thirds
Golden triangle

Figure 7: Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds states that an image should be divided into thirds both vertically and horizontally. The COI should be placed at one of the intersections of the dividing lines. Figure 7 demonstrates application of the rule of thirds. The COI, the flower, is placed at the intersection of the red, dividing lines.

Figure 8: Golden Triangle

An alternative approach is the golden triangle. Figure 8 demonstrates the golden triangle. When using the golden triangle, a diagonal is drawn from one corner of the image to the opposing corner. Then, lines are drawn from the other two corners such that they intersect perpendicularly with the first diagonal. The COI is placed near one of the intersections of these lines.
Application of the rule of thirds or golden triangle helps make an image more dynamic and balanced. In fact, research has shown that people’s eyes tend to gravitate to the areas of an image located at the intersections of the dividing lines of the rule of thirds and golden triangle. In contrast, placing the COI at the dead center of the image can make the image have a very static feel. Placing the image at other locations can often make the image appear unbalanced.
That said, these rules are not absolutes. There are times when the rules should be broken. However, when the rules are broken, it should be because breaking the rules strengthens the image.

SGD

Each person has her own style when shooting flowers. I have developed a style that I call SGD: simple, graceful, and dynamic. These are essentially the goals for which I strive when setting up a flower shot. These goals are defined as follows:

Simple: To create a simple composition that directs the attention to the COI and eliminates all distracting detail that does not support the COI.
Graceful: To use compositional elements that emphasize the grace or elegance of the flower.
Dynamic: To use compositional elements that strongly attract and hold the attention of the viewer.

Each of these three goals is addressed by specific techniques.

Simple

Simple Definition: To create a simple composition that directs the attention to the COI and eliminates all distracting detail that does not support the COI.
The simple goal is addressed with five techniques:

Subtraction
Move in close
Selective focus
Blurred background
Contrasting background

Subtraction: Perhaps, the best way to describe subtraction is by a story about Michelangelo. Supposedly, when Michelangelo was asked how he had made the magnificent statue of David, he replied, “I just removed everything that wasn’t David”.
Similarly, when applied to flower photography, the art of subtraction involves removing everything that does not support the COI. Why is this so important? Any element of a flower image that does not support the COI will distract the viewer’s attention from the COI to weaker elements of the image or may even lead the viewer’s eye out of the image entirely. This results in a weak image and is obviously undesirable.

Figure 9: Distracting Detail

This concept is shown in Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 shows a field of wildflowers. While the wildflowers are beautiful, there is a lot of distracting detail: mountains, a dead tree, and bushes. The viewer’s eye has a hard time determining what is of importance.

Figure 10: Simple

Figure 10 shows the same field of flowers except the simple concept was applied. A COI was identified, the white flower. Then, everything that did not support the COI was eliminated. The only things that were left are the other flowers that provide a contrast for the white flower and make it stand out.

Move in Close: Moving in close helps to make the COI larger and more dominant, and it also removes unnecessary detail along the edges of the image.

Figure 11: Moving in Close

Figure 11 shows this concept applied to a rose. The COI of this image is the center of the rose. By moving in close, the center of the rose is much bigger and more dominant than would have been the case if the camera had been farther away. The only details that are left are the curves of the petals that provide a shape contrast to the diagonal lines of the center.

Selective Focus: Selective focus uses a very narrow depth of field such that the COI is in focus, but everything else is out of focus. The result is that the viewer’s eye is naturally directed to the COI.

Figure 12: Selective Focus

Figure 12 shows the selective focus concept. A very narrow depth of field was used so that everything but the tip of the leaf was left out of focus. This removed any distracting detail and draws the viewer’s attention directly to the tip of the leaf.

Blurred Background: This technique is similar to selective focus. The difference is that only the background is blurred with this technique. Once the background is blurred, any background detail is eliminated. Then, the COI naturally stands out.

Figure 13: Blurred Background

Figure 13 shows an application of a blurred background. As can be seen, the entire flower is in focus, but the background is not.

Contrasting Background: The contrasting background technique minimizes the background detail and strengthens the COI by utilizing a background that contrasts with the flower. The contrast can be of tone, color, or pattern.

Figure 14: Contrasting Background

Figure 14 shows a flower image with a contrasting background. With this image, the contrast is one of tone. The dark background really makes the flower stand out.

Graceful

Graceful Definition: To use compositional elements that emphasize the grace or elegance of the flower.
The nature of flowers is one of grace and beauty. Much of this comes from the lines and curves of the flowers. So, the intent here is to use the lines and curves of the flowers to help communicate that grace to the viewer of an image.
The graceful goal is addressed with two techniques:

Leading lines
Curves

Leading Lines: This is a very powerful technique. Leading lines actually do two things simultaneously. They strongly direct the viewer’s eye to the COI, and they emphasis the graceful nature of the flower in an image.

Figure 15: Leading Lines

Figure 15 shows an image that uses leading lines. This image actually has two different sets of leading lines. First, the dominant leading lines are the bright yellow lines that lead directly to the COI at the center of the flower. The second set of leading lines is formed by the edges of the flower petals that also lead to the COI.
These leading lines function as mentioned. They lead the viewer’s eye to the COI, and they also exhibit the graceful nature of this flower.

Curves: Curves sole function is to display the graceful nature of flowers. They do not point to the COI like leading lines.

Figure 16: Curves

Figure 16 illustrates the use of curves. There are several green curves receding into the background. These curves display the elegant shape of the leaves, but they do not lead to any specific point in the image.

Dynamic

Dynamic Definition: To use compositional elements that strongly attract and hold the attention of the viewer.
The dynamic goal is addressed with three techniques:

Saturated colors
Contrasting colors
Contrasting lines

Saturated Colors: Color is probably the strongest reason that people are attracted to flowers. The more saturated the color, the more dynamic the flowers appear to us and the more we are drawn to the flowers. So, it is not surprising that using saturated colors would be a technique that increases the dynamic nature of flower images.

Figure 17: Saturated Colors

Figure 17 shows an image that derives its dynamic nature from the use of saturated color.
Of course, the question of how to capture saturated colors now becomes very important. There are two primary answers to this question. First, the right flower must be found. Second, the flower must be shot in the correct light.
This flower was shot during a break in a rainstorm. As covered in the section on light in Part I of this series, overcast skies enhance color saturation .Thus, the heavily overcast sky enhanced the colors of this flower and made the image possible. Had this flower been shot in bright sunlight, the image would not have been very successful.

Contrasting Colors: Our attention is strongly drawn to color contrast. Furthermore, this is not just a psychological phenomenon. It is actually build into our sensory/perceptual systems. In other words, from a nervous system point of view, we are hard wired to respond to color contrast. As photographers, we can use this to our advantage by seeking out subjects of high color contrast and photographing them in such a way as to emphasize the color contrast.

Figure 18: Color Contrast

Figure 18 depends on color contrast for much of its impact. When setting up this shot, a search was performed to find a flower that would allow the camera to be situated such that the background was the solid, luminous green of the spring vegetation. This provided the necessary color contrast that makes the flower stand out from its background.
Had a different position been chosen such that the background of the image was the brown rock wall from which this flower grew, the image would have lost most of its impact.

Contrasting Lines: Contrasting lines can also add a dynamic touch to a flower image.

Figure 19: Contrasting Lines

Figure 19 illustrates the use of contrasting lines. Actually, this image uses both contrasting colors and contrasting lines. This serves to make the COI, the flower stalk, stand out from the background.

Wrapping Up the SGD Approach

Now, in demonstrating this approach, one image was shown for each technique, and an explanation of how the technique improved the image was presented. However, when out in the field, multiple techniques can be used with a single shot.

Figure 20: Multiple Techniques

This can be seen in the Tiger Lilly image shown in Figure 18. This image is shown again in Figure 20. When first shown, this image was used to show how color contrast can enhance an image. On the other hand, multiple techniques were used with this image.
Simple: Subtraction was used with this image to eliminate all distracting detail. Moving in close and using a contrasting background were also used.
Graceful: The stem of the flower serves as a powerful leading line that leads to the COI. In addition, the petals serve as curves that display the graceful nature of the flower.
Dynamic: In addition to contrasting colors, saturated colors were used.
In short, this image used most of the techniques presented in this article. In general, the more techniques that are used with an image, the more likely that the image will be successful.

Photography Ideas: Negative Space

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:17:00 -0800

Photography Ideas: Negative Space

Are you searching for a few photography ideas for a photography project? As long as you will be investing some time on a photo project, why not pick a project that develops your photography skills. Not surprisingly, there are many skills from which to choose. One skill that will help you develop your photography abilities, negative space, is presented in this post.
Negative space is a compositional method that can be used to produce eye-catching photos. Therefore, let’s take a look at the technique?
Using Negative Space
At a fundamental level, any image can be broken down into three components
Frame: The border that defines the perimeters of the image.
Positive Space: The positive space is the subject of the image. This is normally the item on which the camera is focused.
Negative Space: The negative space is the rest of the image. It is located between the positive space and the frame.
Any photograph is formed, in varying proportions, of the frame, positive space, and negative space. In order to create impressive images, it is necessary to manage these components.
When composing photos, some people tend to think mostly in terms of the positive space. Put simply, they think primarily about the main subject of the photo. Little thought is put into the negative space. It is treated almost as an unimportant part of the photo. This is not the best way to compose an image! This is because, if managed properly, the negative space can do a couple of important things.
First: The negative space can function to define the positive space.
Second: The negative space can surround the positive space in a way that can make it more conspicuous.
So, exactly how can the negative space help to define the positive space? Basically, the negative space supplies additional detail that improves the story of the positive space. Consider the following example. An image might display a blooming plant. However, we may not understand a lot about the plant (e.g., such as where the plant is located). Where is this subject located? Maybe, it is situated in a garden. On the other hand, maybe not. The positive space of the photo can only be better defined with additional details. If the photographer were to show some of the terrain around the positive space, this would create some negative space that would certainly help to much better define the positive space.
Now, there is one extremely important point that should be remembered. The positive space should never be overpowered by the negative space. For this example, the photographer might render the negative space somewhat out of focus so that it becomes subservient to the positive space.
The main issue to keep in mind is that the function of the negative space is to help support the positive space rather than to compete with it. This acts to strengthen the image.
Making the positive space stick out is the other way that the negative space helps to strengthen images. This is due to the fact the negative space can help to control the eye of a viewer. This is accomplished because the negative space guides the attention toward the positive space. Obviously, all unproductive detail must be removed from the negative space in order to make it effective at focusing the attention. Otherwise, the viewer’s attention will be on the distracting detail.
In short, both spaces need to be taken into consideration when figuring out how to best compose an image. In simple terms, photographers need to pay as much attention to the negative space as they do the positive space.
The Photography Project
So, are you geared up to create a photography project? For this project, you should concentrate on capturing images that have carefully thought out negative spaces.

Photography Ideas: Triangles and Composition

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:16:00 -0800

Photography Ideas: Triangles and Composition

One great way to grow your photography proficiency is to begin a photography project. Most likely, you will want to choose an idea that can serve as the basis for the project. The use of triangles as a compositional technique is one idea that you may want to try.
Triangles and Composition
There are numerous compositional techniques that a photographer can select. Whenever there are numerous objects in an image, the use of triangles is very effective as a composition technique. The technique requires composing an image in such a way that three or more objects form a triangle.
Three objects are required to form the points of the triangle. The sides of the triangle are formed by imaginary, diagonal lines that join the triangle points. Whenever objects are placed in this fashion, they create a very dynamic composition. A viewer’s attention will tend to journey back and forth over the diagonal lines from one triangle point to another. If there are more than three objects in the image, the additional objects will need to lie along the diagonal lines.
There are a couple of ways that triangles can be used: single center of interest and multiple centers of interest.
Many successful photographs have a single center of interest. In cases like this, one of the objects that resides at a point on the triangle will function as the center of interest. Of course, the other points on the triangle likewise have a function. They serve to strengthen the center of interest. Now, it is crucial that the other objects be subservient to the center of interest. This can be done in many ways. For example, these objects may have a decreased sharpness, saturation, or contrast.
Obviously, there are occasions when there are several objects in an image, and all of the objects are equally important. This is frequently the situation in group portraits.
In the case where there are multiple objects of equal importance, the result is that there are actually multiple centers of interest. When an image is composed with multiple centers of interest, it is important to set up the image to ensure that all the objects have an equal weight or presence in the image. Another way to say this is that no single object should be allowed to dominate the image. This approach is often utilized by photographers that take group portraits. The photographer arranges the heads of the group members in a triangle. Now, each of the group members is of equal importance. So, each individual should be given equal weight in the image.
Triangles have another function. They serve to set the mood in an image. Triangles with the base towards the bottom and the apex at the top are inclined to produce a feeling of stability. A more dynamic image results when the base is placed across the top or side of an image.
Launching Your Photography Project
The purpose of this project is to make a portfolio of photos which use triangles for the composition. You might want to create a portfolio composed of images of different subject matter such as buildings, landscapes, and people.

Photography ideas: Center of Interest

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:16:00 -0800

Photography ideas: Center of Interest

As photographers, we all like to create images that grab people’s attention. The question becomes, “What are the characteristics of these types of images?” Once we know these characteristics, we can use them to capture strong images.
Emotion
One of the most important characteristics of strong images is that they communicate an emotion to the viewer. For example, the image of a firefighter saving the life of a young child, an image of a beautiful sunset over a tropical island, and an image of a war torn village all communicate strong emotion that rivets our attention on the image.
Communicate
That being the case, the next question becomes, “How can we communicate emotion in an image?” Well, one of the best ways to communicate emotion is to create an image that has a strong center of interest. The center of interest is the most important object in an image. It is the object that, when properly composed, draws the attention of viewers.
Being the most important part of an image, the main role of the center of interest is to communicate the emotion in an image. Thus, the stronger the center of interest, the stronger the emotion and the image will be.
Creating Strength
So, the last question becomes, “How can we create a strong center of interest?” Five of the best ways to do this are: identifying emotion, single center, brightness, color, and contrast.
Identifying Emotion: Of course, the most important thing is that the center of interest must personify the emotion that the image is to communicate. As an example, if it is desired to communicate the emotion of the love of a parent for a young child, the center of interest could be a mother tightly holding an infant. In other words, you must first identify the emotion that you wish to communicate. Then, you must find a scene, object, or person that personifies that emotion and make it the center of interest.
Single Center: For most images, it is generally best to have only a single center of interest. This helps to focus a viewer’s attention. If there is more than one center of interest, the viewer’s attention is split. In many cases, this can weaken an image.
Brightness: Great, you now have a single center of interest that personifies an emotion. The important thing now is to make it stand out. An excellent way to do this is by managing the brightness in an image. The eyes are drawn to the brightest part of an image. By making the center of interest the brightest spot in an image, it will naturally draw and hold a viewer’s attention. As an example, the mother and infant previously mentioned could be well lit, but the rest of the image could quickly fall into shadow.
Color: Another way to make the center of interest stand out is to make sure that it contains saturated color. Since saturated color naturally draws the attention of viewers, saturated color can strengthen a center of interest. Another way this can be done is to create a center of interest composed primarily of one color, and surround it with a background of a contrasting color.
Contrast: Like brightness and color, contrast also captures the attention of viewers. With this approach, the center of interest should be high contrast. The rest of the image should be moderate to low contrast. With this method, viewers will naturally be drawn to the high contrast center of interest.
Photography Project
So, why not start a project centered on creating images with strong centers of interest. The goal of this project would be to create images where each image has a single center of interest that communicates an emotion. Then, use brightness, color, and contrast to strengthen the image.
Summary
If you would like to check out several additional photography ideas, just click Creative Photography Ideas

Filed in: Types of Photography | rbigelow | July 26, 2010 | Comments (16)

Photography Ideas: Color

Color is a very good place to start to improve images because color grabs people’s attention. For instance, a couple of the most popular photographic subjects are sunsets and flowers, and the primary reason that people like sunset and flower images is because of the color. Thus, the utilization of color is one of the most effective means of creating impact in images. However, to use color effectively, one must understand a little about color.
There are three aspects of color that can be used to create dramatic images: hue, saturation, and contrast.
Hue: Hue is what we normally think of as color (technically, hue is determined by the wavelength of the light).
One of the biggest reasons that hue has such a large impact on photography is that our visual system has different degrees of sensitivity to different hues. With respect to the three primary colors (red, green, and blue), the human visual system is most sensitive to red, is moderately sensitively to green, and is much less sensitive to blue (approximately two thirds of the eyes’ color detecting cones detect red, one third detect green, and only one percent detect blue). As a result, images with a lot of red (or related colors such as orange) tend to really grab people’s attention. So, one way to create eye-catching images is to start with subjects that contain these colors.
However, there is more to hue than just its affect on the human perceptual system. Hue also has an emotional impact. In many situations, the warm colors (e.g., red, orange, and yellow) bring feelings of comfort. The red glow of a fireplace, a gorgeous orange sunset, and a beautiful yellow flower are all examples of the comforting affect of the warm colors. However, in some instances, red can bring feelings of alarm or excitement (that is why stop signs, stop lights, and fire trucks are painted red). Green often brings feeling of newness or freshness (as in a lush, green, springtime meadow). Blue tends to create feelings of calm as in a peaceful ocean as dusk approaches.
So, what does this mean for a photographer? Basically, it means that the predominant hues in an image should be selected carefully to match the mood of the image. As an example, the proper use of green could enhance the mood of a landscape, but it might detract from the mood of a romantic image.
Saturation: Saturation refers to the “pureness” of a color. For instance, a saturated red is perceived as a very intense red while a less saturated red is perceived as a diluted or washed out red. Saturation is important because it helps determine the strength of response a person has to a color. Highly saturated colors create strong reactions in the human perceptual system while poorly saturated colors create a much weaker reaction. From a photographer’s perspective, this means that saturated colors will create a stronger reaction to our images.
Contrast: Color contrast refers to using two or more colors that are different enough that they contrast. Using color contrast is one of the most effective ways to create powerful images as the human visual system is highly stimulated by contrasting colors (in other words, our visual system is set up to respond to contrasting color). So, why not use this to create great images by looking for subjects that have contrasting color.
Photography Project:
Your assignment is to create a portfolio of images that uses color to draw the attention of viewers. Use your knowledge of how hue, saturation, and color contrast can be used to enhance images.
In Summary
If you would like to check out several additional photography ideas, just click Creative Photography Ideas.

Infinite Depth of Field

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:15:00 -0800

Infinite Depth of Field

Depth of field (DOF) is a very important issue in photography. In many cases, a very large DOF is desired. For instance, this is often the case in landscape photography.
However, this immediately causes technical problems. The usual solution is to stop the lens down to its smallest aperture. This maximizes the DOF, but the small aperture also significantly degrades the quality of the image due to diffraction.
Wouldn’t it be nice if it were possible to get an extended DOF without any lose of image quality? Well, with a little bit of planning, an infinite DOF is possible. The trick here is that several shots of the subject are taken (preferably with the camera on a tripod). Each shot is focused at a different distance. That way, every point in the scene is in sharp focus in at least one of the images. This can all be done at apertures that suffer little image degradation due to diffraction (the middle apertures for most lenses). When using this technique, it is important to lock down the exposure and white balance so that they are the same for every shot.
At first, it might appear that it would be difficult putting all those images together, carefully aligning the images, figuring out which image is sharpest for each point in the scene, and creating a final image. Actually, this is a very simple workflow. Photoshop will do almost all of the hard work.
The Process
The process of combining the images in Photoshop is a six step process.
1. Each image is opened in Photoshop (if using a raw converter, each image must be processed in exactly the same way).
2. All of the images are moved into the same file. This can be done by dragging and dropping the images into one of the open files. The result is a single file with each of the images as a separate layer.
3. Next, it is necessary to make sure that all of the images are perfectly aligned. If the images were shot on a tripod, it might be tempting to think that the images are already aligned. However, this might not be the case (especially if the camera was touched for manual focusing). Luckily, Photoshop can align the images. To do this, the layers are selected by pressing Control+Alt+a on a PC or Command+Option+a on a Mac. Then, the layers are aligned by choosing Edit/Auto-Align Layers (the Auto option is used).
4. The images are now ready to be blended. In this step, Photoshop will analyze the layers to determine which layer is sharpest at each point in the image and will create masks for each layer based on the analysis. With the layers still selected, choose Edit/Auto-Blend Layers and choose Stack Images. It is also suggested that Seamless Tones and Colors be left unchecked. Yes, it does sound like a really good thing to check. However, if this box is checked, Photoshop will try to match the colors of the layers on an area by area basis determined by the masks that get created. In other words, areas that are not masked out get affected but the other areas are not affected. This may create localized color shifts that may cause color problems later. So, it is best to leave the box unchecked.
5. After the blending, there may be a bit of white along some of the edges that is a result of aligning the images. Consequently, the next step is to crop the image. This can be done by fitting the image on the screen by pressing Control+0 on a PC or Command+0 on a Mack, drawing a rectangle around the image with the Crop tool, and hitting the Enter key.
6. The last step is the cleanup. This is necessary because, while the Photoshop blending is pretty good, it is not perfect. There may be a few places where the image detail was not taken from the sharpest image. When this is the case, the best way to clean up any problems is to identify the layer with the sharpest detail in the problem area. Then, paint white on the mask of this layer in the problem area. It will also be necessary to paint black in the problem area on the masks of all of the higher layers. One other point is that it is usually easiest to determine which layer has the sharpest detail for a problem area by first disabling all of the layer masks. Then, the layers can be clicked off and on until the sharpest layer is found.
There are a few caveats with this technique. Obviously, the technique can only be used with objects that are not moving. Also, the camera will need to be manually focused for each of the multiple shots. The last caveat is that it is better to take several shots, each with the focus point moved only slightly from the previous shot, rather than take only a few shots with significantly different focus points. This will guarantee that there will be no out of focus points in the final image.

Photography Ideas

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:12:00 -0800

Photography Ideas

Part 2

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Part 2 of this two part series will present six more photography ideas that can be used as the basis for photography projects.

Balance

Figure 1: Balance

Often, photographers seek to create images that are balanced. In this sense, a balanced image is one that is harmonious. It tends to create a comfortable feeling. Now, there are many ways to create balance in an image. Three ways that we will look at are composition, color, and tonal contrast.
Composition: For balanced images, the goal is to create images where the images do not have any unusual, visual weights. In other words, no one part of an image feels visually heavier than any other part.
There are a couple of ways to do this. One way is to create symmetrical images. These images look similar on the left and right sides (or on the top and bottom). Since the sides are so similar, they have equal visual weights.
Another way is to follow a rule of composition such as the rule of thirds. Such composition rules tend to create balanced images. In this case, the images are not necessarily symmetrical. However, there is a nonsymmetrical balance. While this is not an easy term to define, perhaps the best way to think of it is that the image has a comfortable feel to it -- no one part of the image feels visually heavy.
Color: In a balanced image, the colors are harmonious. In other words, they do not clash. Colors that contrast strongly are to be avoided.
Tonal Contrast: In a balanced image, the contrast must be managed. That is not to say that there will not be any high contrast areas. There very well may be, but the high contrast areas will be deliberately placed to draw attention to the center of interest. Other high contrast areas will be avoided.
Photography Project: This assignment requires you to use composition, color, and tonal contrast to create a portfolio of balanced images.

Tension

Figure 2: Tension

It is not always desirable to create harmonious images. In fact, it is sometimes desired to deliberately create tension in an image. There are many ways that tension can be created. Three of the most popular are: curves, tonal contrast, and unequal visual weight. Curves: One of the most effective ways to create tension is through the use of curves. Curves create tension by causing the viewer's attention to constantly jump from one part of an image to another -- never resting at any one point in an image. One way that curves can achieve this end is to have two or more diagonal curves that point in different directions. The viewer's eyes will first follow one diagonal, then, the other. Another way to create tension with curves is to use multiple, jagged curves that run in many different directions. When done properly, this can create not only a visual tension but also an uncomfortable mood that adds to the tension.
Tonal Contrast: Harsh tonal contrast can add to the sense of tension. This is particularly true if there is more than one area of high contrast in an image. The viewer's eyes jump from one area of high contrast to another. This, again, creates constant eye movement -- which generates tension.
Visual Weight: Deliberately creating an image that is visually unbalanced also creates tension. In this case, one part of an image seems heavier that the rest of the image. The viewer's eyes roam around trying to find balance, but they never find it.
Photography Project: Your goal in this project is to use curves, tonal contrast, and visual weight to create a portfolio of images that exhibit a sense of tension.

Framing

Figure 3: Framing

Placing a frame around the center of interest of an image can be a very effective way of improving an image. The frame serves to help define the center of interest, add depth to an image, and lead the viewer's eye.
Define: When used properly, the frame provides details that help to define the center of interest. Essentially, the frame puts the center of interest into context by showing some of the environment in which the center of interest exists.
Depth: The frame provides a foreground that adds depth to an image.
Lead: The frame also serves to lead the viewer's eye to the center of interest. The frame essentially focuses the attention.

Photography Project: Capture a number of images using frames.

Color in Black and White

Figure 4: Color in Black and White

This technique involves creating an image where the center of interest is in color. Everything else is in black and white. The goal of this technique is to focus the attention on the center of interest.
This technique is done in an image editing program such as Photoshop. There are a number of ways that the technique can be carried out. One way that works well is as follows.
1. Open the image in the image editing program. The original image will be placed on the Background layer.
2. Create a second layer above the Background layer. Fill this layer with neutral gray. Name this the Gray layer.
3. Create a selection that selects everything except the center of interest. Use this selection to create a mask on the Gray layer that hides the center of interest.
4. Set the Blend mode of the Gray layer to Saturation.
Photography Project: The goal of this project is to create a group of images where the center of interest is in color while everything else is in black and white. One nice thing about this project is that you do not need to go take any new images. You can use images that are already in your collection.

Chiaroscuro

Figure 5: Chiarscuro

Chiaroscuro is a style of image that is specifically designed to create a dramatic modeling of a subject through the combination of high contrast and low key.
High Contrast: The light is positioned such that only certain parts of the subject are illuminated. The rest of the image falls quickly into shadow. Specifically, the center of interest is illuminated; the rest of the image is not. This does four things. First, it draws attention to the center of interest. Second, it removes any distracting detail from the rest of the image. Third, it tends to create a feeling of depth in an image. Fourth, it creates a very dramatic image because of the high tonal contrast.
Low Key: Low key means that the majority of the image is composed of dark tones. With chiaroscuro, since only the center of interest is well lit, most of the image is composed of dark tones. The low key nature of chiaroscuro tends to create a moody image.
Mood: From the two paragraphs above, it can be seen that the chiaroscuro technique is generally used to create dramatic, moody images.
Lighting: Two types of lighting can be used to create chiaroscuro images: natural light and flash. Creating chiaroscuro images outdoors, with natural light, can be a bit challenging. The most common way to do this is to shoot on a cloudy day and hope for a break in the clouds that allows a shaft of light through that illuminates your subject. When shooting chiaroscuro indoors, the light from a single window can be used to light a subject.
Shooting chiaroscuro with flash is much easier. Barn doors (or other objects that can be used to block or focus the light) can be used.
Photography Project: For this project, you will seek to create chiaroscuro images. This project will require you to pay close attention to the light and how it falls on the objects you are photographing.

Reflections

Figure 6: Reflections

Reflections provide a great opportunity for creating images. Most reflection shots will be from either glass or water.
Glass: Reflections on glass will be found mostly in buildings. So, these types of shots will be located primarily in cities or suburban areas. Focusing can become an issue with reflections on glass. The issue is whether the image is all about the reflection or about a subject that can be seen through the window with the reflection simply superimposed over the subject. Thus, special care must be taken to ensure that the camera is focusing on the proper object.
Water: Photographing water reflections is a lot of fun. These types of opportunities often result in abstract images with the reflection providing a rather distorted interpretation of the objects that surround the body of water.
In order to create water reflections, a body of water that is not too disturbed will need to be located (if the water surface is too disturbed, the reflected objects will not be recognizable). Next, the body of water will need to be surrounded by one or more objects that reflect in the water. Objects that are brightly colored often work well. For example, flowers along a slow moving stream can produce colorful reflections.
The shutter speed must be carefully chosen as it determines how the reflection will appear in the image. Longer shutter speeds will produce more accurate reflections (i.e., they look a lot like the original objects) because they smooth out the disturbances in the water. Shorter shutter speeds create more abstract reflections as the disturbances in the water are frozen in place.
Photography Project: Reflections are the goal of this project. Try creating reflection images with both glass and water.

Photography Ideas

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:11:00 -0800

Photography Ideas

Part 1

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

If you find yourself reading this article, it is likely that you are looking for photography ideas for some photo projects. You might be thinking along the lines of something like a photo scrapbook, picture a day, or nature project. While these are all worthwhile projects, this article takes a different approach. As long as you are going to be spending some time on a photo project, why not select a project that develops your photography skills? That way, you will complete the project a better photographer than when you started.

Thus, this article series presents twelve photography ideas. Each idea is a photography skill and can be used as the basis for a photography project. The recommendation is that you select one of the skills and spend a specific period of time utilizing that skill to capture images. Essentially, your photo project will be to develop a portfolio of images centered on that specific skill. Once you have mastered a skill, you can move on to another skill and develop a portfolio around that skill.

With this approach, you should end up with some impressive portfolios and an enhanced skill set. The skills that will be covered are:

Color

Tonal Contrast

Triangles

Negative Space

Mood

Low Light

Balance

Tension

Frames

Color in Black and White

Chiaroscuro

Reflections

Color

Figure 1: Color

Color is a very good place to start because color grabs people's attention. For instance, a couple of the most popular photographic subjects are sunsets and flowers, and the primary reason that people like sunset and flower images is because of the color. Thus, the utilization of color is one of the most effective means of creating impact in images. However, to use color effectively, one must understand a little about color.
There are three aspects of color that can be used to create dramatic images: hue, saturation, and contrast.
Hue: Hue is what we normally think of as color (technically, hue is determined by the wavelength of the light).

One of the biggest reasons that hue has such a large impact on photography is that our visual system has different degrees of sensitivity to different hues. With respect to the three primary colors (red, green, and blue), the human visual system is most sensitive to red, is moderately sensitively to green, and is much less sensitive to blue (approximately two thirds of the eyes' color detecting cones detect red, one third detect green, and only one percent detect blue). As a result, images with a lot of red (or related colors such as orange) tend to really grab people's attention. So, one way to create eye-catching images is to start with subjects that contain these colors.
However, there is more to hue than just its affect on the human perceptual system. Hue also has an emotional impact. In many situations, the warm colors (e.g., red, orange, and yellow) bring feelings of comfort. The red glow of a fireplace, a gorgeous orange sunset, and a beautiful yellow flower are all examples of the comforting affect of the warm colors. However, in some instances, red can bring feelings of alarm or excitement (that is why stop signs, stop lights, and fire trucks are painted red). Green often brings feeling of newness or freshness (as in a lush, green, springtime meadow). Blue tends to create feelings of calm as in a peaceful ocean as dusk approaches.
So, what does this mean for a photographer? Basically, it means that the predominant hues in an image should be selected carefully to match the mood of the image. As an example, the proper use of green could enhance the mood of a landscape, but it might detract from the mood of a romantic image.
Saturation: Saturation refers to the "pureness" of a color. For instance, a saturated red is perceived as a very intense red while a less saturated red is perceived as a diluted or washed out red. Saturation is important because it helps determine the strength of response a person has to a color. Highly saturated colors create strong reactions in the human perceptual system while poorly saturated colors create a much weaker reaction. From a photographer's perspective, this means that saturated colors will create a stronger reaction to our images.
Contrast: Color contrast refers to using two or more colors that are different enough that they contrast. Using color contrast is one of the most effective ways to create powerful images as the human visual system is highly stimulated by contrasting colors (in other words, our visual system is set up to respond to contrasting color). So, why not use this to create great images by looking for subjects that have contrasting color.
Photography Project: Your assignment is to create a portfolio of images that uses color to draw the attention of viewers. Use your knowledge of how hue, saturation, and color contrast can be used to enhance images.

Tonal Contrast

Figure 2: Tonal Contrast

Along with color, one of the best ways to grab a viewer's attention is the use of tonal contrast. Specifically, it is the use of high tonal contrast that draws the attention. As with color contrast, tonal contrast stimulates the human visual system. In other words, the eyes and brain are programmed to take special notice of areas of high tonal contrast. This is a great opportunity for photographers as we can use the way the human visual system has been set up to our advantage. This is done by including high contrast objects in our images.
Now, just including high contrast objects in an image is not enough. The contrast must be managed. What that means is that the contrast must be placed in the proper areas of an image. In most cases, this can be achieved by following two rules:

Make the positive space high contrast.
Make sure that no other areas of the image are high contrast.

When the positive space is high contrast, a viewer's eyes will quickly be draw to the positive space. The high contrast at the positive space will also serve to help keep the attention on the positive space. The reason that it is generally a good idea to have no other high contrast objects in an image is that any other high contrast objects will tend to draw the attention away from the positive space. This generally weakens an image.

Of course, all rules can be broken at times. Sometimes, having two areas of high contrast can create an intentional tension in an image. The viewer's attention will bounce back and forth between the areas of contrast -- causing the tension. This can work well, but only if you specifically design the image to create this tension. Photography Project: Your assignment is to create a portfolio of images that uses tonal contrast to create powerful images. The main goal of this exercise is to manage the contrast in the images -- specifically placing the contrast where it will have maximum impact.

Triangles

Figure 3: Triangles

There are many compositional techniques in photography. One that works very well when there are multiple objects in an image is the use of triangles. The technique involves composing an image in such a way that three or more objects form a triangle.
Three objects are needed to form the points of the triangle. Imaginary, diagonal lines then connect the three points. This configuration creates a very dynamic image. A viewer's eyes will tend to travel back and forth along the diagonal lines from one triangle point to another. If there are more than three objects in the image, the additional objects need to lie along the diagonal lines.
The objects should either be similar (e.g., several flowers) or related in some way (e.g., different types of equipment in a machine shop).
There are a couple of ways that triangles can be used: single positive space and multiple centers of interest.
Many successful images have a single positive space. In this case, one of the objects that resides at a point on the triangle will function as the positive space. The other objects on the triangle will serve to support and enhance the positive space. These other points can be made subservient to the positive space in various ways such as reducing their sharpness, contrast, color saturation, or size.
When multiple centers of interest are used, all of the objects on the triangle should be of equal importance in the image. One example of this use of triangles is a family, group portrait where the heads of the family members are arranged into a triangle. Each family member's head is of equal importance and should be given equal weight in the portrait.
Photography Project: For this project, your goal is to produce a group of photos that use triangles as their main compositional element. You might want to consider trying the technique with a variety of subjects (e.g., people, nature, city structures, and household objects).

Negative Space

Figure 4: Negative Space

Any image consists of three components:

Frame: The border that defines the edges of the image.
Positive space: The subject of the image.
Negative space: The space between the positive space and the frame.

When composing images, many people tend to think primarily in terms of the positive space. In other words, they think primarily about the main subject of the image. The area surrounding the positive space, the negative space, ends up being whatever happened to be there at the time the image was taken. This is a mistake! When properly utilized, the negative space can serve two very important functions:

The negative space can serve to define the positive space.
The negative space can make the positive space stand out.

The negative space can serve to help define the positive space by providing detail about the positive space. For example, a close-up of a waterfall may show the beauty of the falling water, but it may not show any hint of the environment in which the waterfall exists. Is the waterfall in a crowded, urban park or in a forest? We can not tell from the close-up. However, if the camera is backed up to show the waterfall surrounded by the negative space of a lush, misty rainforest, that negative space provides much detail that helps to define the waterfall.
However, when using the negative space in this manner, it is important that the negative space not overwhelm the positive space. For instance, in this example, the rainforest might be rendered slightly out of focus so that it doesn’t compete with the waterfall.
The negative space can also help to make the positive space stand out. This is because the negative space can help to control the eye of a viewer. When used in this manner, the negative space is often fairly devoid of detail (this removes any distracting detail from the negative space). In addition, the negative space often contrasts in color or tone with the positive space. This helps to focus the viewer's attention on the positive space -- thus, making it stand out.
Consequently, to create powerful images, photographers need to consider the negative space when composing images. The negative space needs to be deliberately designed to either help define the positive space or to make the positive space stand out.
Photography Project: Creating a portfolio of images that have well designed negative spaces is the goal of this project. For each image, the negative space should be carefully designed into the composition.

Mood

Figure 5: Mood

The use of mood in an image can be a very powerful tool. Mood helps an image communicate an emotion. This helps to draw a viewer into an image. There are many ways to create mood in an image. Two of the most popular are light and weather.
Light: Light has a very powerful effect on the mood of an image. Different kinds of light will create different moods. Light that occurs in the middle of the day generally creates a very harsh mood. This is because mid-day light has a very high contrast and desaturates colors. This type of light might work well with a scene of an abandoned ghost town in the middle of the desert. The mid-day light would help to emphasize the harsh environment in which the town existed.

On the other hand, photographers often want to create a more inviting mood. For this, light that occurs during the magic hour (the half hour after sunrise and the half hour before sunset) is excellent. This light is generally diffuse and saturated. This can be used to create a warm or romantic feel to an image.
Weather: Weather is another excellent way to create mood. Specifically, inclement weather is one of the best ways to create mood. That's right, when your friends are inside because of the bad weather, you may want to grab your camera and head outdoors. The beginning and end of storms is an ideal time to capture moody images. The dramatic clouds and diffuse light work very well for this purpose. Also, misty or foggy days can be used to create images with a mystique.
Whether using light or weather to create mood, the most important thing is to first determine exactly what mood you want an image to convey. Then, carefully select the light and weather to create the proper mood. This may require some advanced planning. You may need to create an idea in your mind of what you would like to create (this is referred to as previsualization). Then, you will need to wait for the proper conditions to capture the image.
Photography Project: Use light and weather to create a portfolio with images that are characterized by mood.

Low Light

Figure 6: Low Light

When the sun goes down, many photographers pack up their camera equipment and head home. Experienced photographers know better. Some terrific shots can be captured after the sun has crossed the horizon. There are many such opportunities. A couple of the most popular involve shooting by moonlight and long exposures.
Moonlight: The moon casts a soft, gentle light over the earth during a full moon. This can create some great images. If the moon is to be in the image, the shot will most likely need to be taken slightly after the moon rises or shortly before it sets. This will place the moon just over the horizon. For these types of shots, it is necessary to set the exposure to keep detail in the moon. Otherwise, the moon becomes just a white blob. Another alternative is to set the camera on a tripod and take two exposures. One exposure is set to keep detail in the moon. The other exposure is set to keep detail in the rest of the image. The two exposures can then be combined during image editing.
Long Exposures: Long exposures can also be used in low light situations. Of course, long exposures let more light into the camera allowing images in low light. However, long exposures can be used for more than that. They can be used for creative control. For instance, long exposures can be used to blur motion. One example is using long exposures for beach shots. The wave motion will be blurred giving the impression that the waves have formed a sort of cloud that envelopes the coast. Similarly, long exposures can be used to blur traffic. This produces a blurred stream of the headlights and tail lights of cars that travel along the roads.
The use of long exposures is limited only by your imagination.
Photography Project: This project focuses on low light situations. The goal is to use your imagination to identify and capture images that have been shot after the sun goes down.

Previsualization -- Part II

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:11:00 -0800

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

In Part I of this series, the art of previsualizing an image before taking a shot was covered. As presented in Part I, a photographer would, likely, be standing at a scene previsualizing how the processing of an image of the scene would be handled and how the image would look when it was printed. However, previsualization can be taken to a higher level. In the next step of previsualization, a photographer previsualizes how a scene will appear at some future point in time while under a different set of conditions. This is the second of three levels of previsualization (the third level will be covered in Part III of this series). This is important because photographers often find great photo opportunities under conditions that are not ideal for photography at the time the opportunities are discovered. For instance, the light might not be very good, or the weather may be bad. Whatever the cause of the poor photographic conditions, the photographer must be able to previsualize what the subject would look like under ideal photographic conditions. Only then can the photographer decide if it is worth coming back for a shooting session at a more appropriate time.
Figures 1 to 3 illustrate this concept. Figures 1 and 2 show a desert scene during the day. At this time, the subject certainly doesn't look very appealing. The light is very harsh, the colors are heavily desaturated, and the composition is very bad. One might be tempted to walk right past this scene and continue looking for more promising photo opportunities. However, that would be a mistake. If the scene is previsualized, a photographer could see the scene under a different set of circumstances and with a better composition. For instance, a photographer might previsualize the scene during the magic hour, with a rising moon, and from a much better viewpoint. In fact, that is exactly what was done. The result can be seen in Figure 3.

Figure 1: Desert Subject during Day

Figure 2: Desert Subject during Day

As can be seen in Figure 3, the use of previsualization to previsualize the subject matter at a different time and under a different set of conditions resulted in an image that is far superior to what was seen at the time the subject was first encountered.

Figure 3: Result of Previsualization

What to Previsualize

While all of the information covered in Part I of this series still applies when previsualization is used to previsualize a subject at a different time and under a different set of conditions, there are some items to which one must pay particular attention:

Composition
Light
Shadows
Weather
Wind

Composition

The first item that must be previsualized is the composition. This is very important. Without a strong composition, no photographic subject will make a dynamic image. However, when previsualizing the composition, two problems often occur. The first problem is that it may be difficult to find a view point that will allow one to create the composition that one previsualized. In other words, it may be easy to see a beautiful image in one's head, but it may be very difficult to find a position that will allow that image to be actually created. This was an issue with the image above. The tall rock formation looked like it might make a very good image, and I quickly saw an image, in my mind, of how I would like the final image to appear. However, it took some hiking and evaluation of various viewpoints before it was decided that one of the viewpoints would allow me to create the image that I had previsualized.
The second problem that can occur arises because there is a strong interdependence between the composition and the light. A great composition can only reach its full potential if the right light is achieved. A great composition becomes useless if the composition falls into shadow, the light comes from the wrong direction, or the light has the wrong color. Thus, when evaluating a composition, one must also evaluate the anticipated light. So, the issue really becomes one of what a particular composition will look like under a specific set of lighting conditions. This leads directly to the next item: light

Light

Light has five components that must be previsualized:

Quality
Color
Saturation
Direction
Blockages

Quality: Light can be either soft or hard. Soft light is a very diffused and flattering light. Soft light has low contrast. The bright areas and shadow areas tend to blend together easily. The transitions between sunlight and shadow tend to be gradual. Hard light is a very direct, harsh, and often unflattering light. Hard light has a very high contrast, and the transitions between light and shadow are usually rather abrupt.
Color: Visible light is composed of a mixture of colors. Neutral light is composed of an equal amount of each of these colors. However, light is not always neutral. Often, the color balance of the light has been altered. Most frequently, this occurs because one or more of the colors have been, at least partially, filtered out of the light. When this happens, the color of the light changes. Because of this, the light is constantly changing color all day long, and this affects the color balance of images that are taken.
Saturation: The saturation of light changes throughout the day. Light usually has the highest saturation at the ends of the day and the least saturation during the middle of the day.
Direction: Anticipating and previsualizing the direction of the light is critical. Only when the direction of the light with respect to the subject is understood is it possible to predict how the light will interact with the subject.
Unfortunately, it is not always obvious where the sun will be at any particular time. After hiking for hours on serpentine trails through mountainous terrain, a photographer can lose any sense of direction. Since most good landscape photography is taken around sunrise or sunset, three pieces of information are required to resolve this dilemma:

The time the sun will rise or set
The point on the compass (in degrees) where the sun will sit at the time of sunrise or sunset
The direction of north

The first two pieces of information can be determined with a good GPS. The GPS will display the time the sun will rise or set and the position on the compass where the sun will reside at that time. Knowing the position on the compass where the sun will reside at photo time, a compass can be used to point to where the sun will be in relation to the subject at that time.
Blockage: The quality, color, and saturation of the light are partly determined by how high in the sky the sun is positioned. The higher in the sky that the sun is positioned, the harder, cooler, and less saturated the light. This becomes an issue because, often, objects block the sun when it is lower in the sky. For instance, mountains may block the sun as it drops toward the horizon. Thus, shadows cover the adjacent terrain. If this is the case, the photo session will have to occur before the sun drops below the mountains (assuming that the photographer doesn't want everything in shadow). This means that the scene can only be photographed while the sun is still fairly high in the sky. As already mentioned, this will result in a light that tends to be harder, cooler, and less saturated than if the sun was lower in the sky. Previsualizing the scene with these conditions will allow a photographer to determine if these lighting conditions will result in the image that is desired. If not, the photographer will know that is time to move on to better opportunities.

Shadows

The topic of shadows is related to the direction of the light as covered above. Until the direction of the light is known, it is impossible to know how the shadows will fall and how the shadows will define the subject.
Some photographers may tend to think of shadows as simply a lack of light. It would be easy to draw the conclusion that one need only focus on the light and let the shadows fall where they may. This would be a major mistake -- for light is nothing without shadows. Shadows are not simply dark masses that border the light. Rather, shadows are an entity as alive as the light. It is the shadows that shape the light, that draw attention to the light, and that integrate with the light to produce striking photographic opportunities. If we are to reach our full potential as photographers, we must think as much in terms of mastering the shadows as we do of mastering the light.
Thus, it is critical to previsualize the shadows. The shadows will have a very large impact on the mood of the image. Figure 3, above, is a perfect example. The large rock formation has two types of rock. The lower rock has horizontal lines running across it. The upper rock forms spires that have vertical lines. Long before the image was shot, it was realized that the vertical spires could add drama to the image due to their rugged form and jagged shape. However, the lower rock, with the horizontal lines, had more of a static feel. Therefore, when the image was previsualized, the shadows were seen as covering the lower rock in order to hide the detail of the horizontal lines and to create a tonal contrast with the spires. As can be seen in Figure 3, this is exactly how the image was captured. In short, determining how the shadows would fall was one of the most important parts of previsualizing the image in Figure 3.
Figure 4 is another example. Determining how the shadow would fall across the mountain (seen as a reflection in the beaver pond) was a very important part of previsualizing this image. At the time the area was being scouted, the pond was still in the direct light of the sun. This light was far too harsh to produce the desired image. In previsualizing the image, it was decided that the pond would be in the shadow of the northern mountains. This would help create a sense of calm that would be lacking if the pond was in direct light. On the other hand, it was determined that the reflected mountains would be partly in shadow and partly in the late afternoon sun to increase the dramatic effect by throwing the jagged edge of the shadow across the face of the mountain. In addition, the late afternoon light would hit the surface of the mountains at a low angle, thus, bringing out the texture and ruggedness of the mountains.
In addition, the issue of blockage, as covered above, was an issue when previsualizing this image. Ideally, it would have been great to have some alpenglow on the reflected mountains, but this was not possible due to blockage. By the time that the sun got low enough in the sky to produce alpenglow, the reflected mountains would be completely in the shadow of the northern mountains.

Figure 4: Previsualizing Shadows

Weather

Figure 5: Previsualizing Weather

Weather is a critical part of previsualization. Without the proper weather, it is often impossible to capture the appropriate mood. Figure 5 is an example. I had seen photos of this waterfall in different weather and lighting conditions. Based on these photos, I was able to previsualize this image a day or two before the hike to the location began. It was determined that this rainforest waterfall would have the desired mood only if it was photographed while the rainforest was wet. Therefore, I started out on an early morning hike in the middle of a rainstorm. After a couple of hours in the rain, a break in the rain occurred, and I was able to set up and capture the shot.
The important point here is that previsualization of the affect that the weather would have in creating a misty, lush environment was critical to the image. Thus, the rain was an essential part of creating this image.

Wind

Wind is another important factor that must be previsualized. The wind's affect on water and vegetation can have a major impact on one's ability to capture an image. For instance, wildflower shots become very difficult to capture in strong winds. Also, shots of lakes become difficult in the wind if a calm lake surface is desired.
Consequently, previsualizing and planning for wind conditions is critical for many images. For instance, if a previsualization requires calm wind, checking the weather report for wind conditions and shooting in the early morning when the wind is generally calmer would be a good idea.

Interpolation Revisited

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:11:00 -0800

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Back in 2005, I wrote a fairly extensive article series on interpolation. The series looked at several different methods of interpolation. The conclusion of the series was that, at 200% linear interpolation, there was not much difference between the interpolation methods. At larger interpolations, the best interpolation method often depended on the image.
A lot has happened with digital photography since that time. Camera sensors have increased in size and quality. Photo editing software has substantially improved. Printer resolution and gamuts have increased. Of course, interpolation methods and software have improved as well.
I began to wonder if the results of the testing that I had conducted in the previous interpolation article series were still valid. In short, it was time to do some new testing. Consequently, the purpose of this article is to review current interpolation methods by presenting the results of my testing.
This article is more constrained than the earlier article series for two reasons. First, the theoretical background for interpolation has already been covered in the prior article series. If you wish to understand the theory, please read the previous series, Interpolation. Second, the prior article series looked at 200%, 300%, and 400% linear interpolations. This article evaluates only 200% linear interpolations. The reason for this is that sensor sizes have increased to the point where it is unnecessary for most photographers to interpolate much more than 200% linearly. An image from an eight megapixel camera interpolated linearly 200% and printed at 300 PPI will create approximately a 16" x 24" inch print. Similarly, an image from a twenty-one megapixel camera will produce a 24" x 36" print. Most photographers do not need to print larger than this.

Interpolation Methods evaluated

Six interpolation methods were evaluated:

Bicubic
Bicubic Smoother
Stairstep
Genuine Fractals
Blow Up
PhotoZoom

The first two interpolations can be accessed through Photoshop's Image Size dialogue box. On the other hand, you will not find a Stairstep interpolation method in Photoshop. Rather, it is a procedure that is followed using Bicubic interpolation. With Stairstep interpolation, the interpolation is done in small increments using Bicubic interpolation. In other words, the interpolation is done in several small steps rather than one step as in traditional Bicubic interpolation. Generally, Stairstep interpolation is done in 10% increments (each interpolation is made 10% larger than the last) until the desired image size is reached. The immediate advantage of these interpolation methods is that they are free for anyone that already has Photoshop. The last three interpolation methods are found in interpolation software packages offered by other companies.

Interpolation Results

All of the interpolation methods were applied to three different images. Since the results were similar for each image, the results for only one image are presented here. Figure 1 shows the image that was used for the interpolations show here. Figures 2 -- 7 show a section from the image, at 100% view on the monitor, after it was interpolated and a moderate amount of sharpening was applied (the last image has a watermark since I used a trial version of PhotoZoom).

Figure 1: Rattlesnake Image

Figure 2: Bicubic

Figure 3: Bicubic Smoother

Figure 4: Stairstep

Figure 5: Genuine Fractals

Figure 6: Blow Up

Figure 7: PhotoZoom

Conclusion

If you have been staring at these images and thinking that you don't see much of a difference, you have already reached the conclusion of this evaluation. At 200% linear interpolation, with the exception of Bicubic which tended to be of lower quality, I did not see much of a difference between these various interpolation methods.
Now, please keep in mind that these images have lost some of their quality when they were prepared for the web. This reduces the differences between the images somewhat. The original, interpolated images do show small differences between the interpolation methods. However, in my opinion, the differences are minor (with the exception of Bicubic as previously mentioned), and it is often debatable as to which one looks the best. Furthermore, these differences are unlikely to be noticeable in a print. Basically, my conclusion is that, depending on the image, Stairstep or Bicubic Smoother interpolation did as well as the interpolation software packages at 200% linear interpolation. Notice that I indicated that this depended on the image. For some images, Stairstep did better than Bicubic Smoother. For other images, it was the other way around.
Now, does this mean that one should not purchase one of the interpolation software packages? Actually, no. These conclusions only hold at 200% linear interpolation. For larger interpolations, Genuine Fractals, Blow Up, and PhotoZoom (as well as other interpolation packages) may very well produce superior results. Furthermore, these packages have additional functionality beyond interpolation. If they meet your needs, they may be a good idea.

How to Create the Highest Quality Prints

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:10:00 -0800

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Photoshop CS4 Used in this Tutorial

The end goal for many photographers is the print. For many photographers, the print is the most satisfying way of experiencing an image. There is just something very gratifying about seeing one of your images as a beautiful print that everyone can enjoy.
Not only do many photographers enjoy making prints, they are making larger prints than ever before. When I first started shooting digitally, I made 8"x10" prints. I remember when I got my first printer that made 13"x19" prints. I thought that the prints were huge. Now, I make 24"x36" prints. Panorama prints can even be larger.
There can be no denying it. Large prints can be more effective in grabbing a viewer's attention and communicating the photographer's intent to the viewer than small prints. On the other hand, large prints also make weaknesses in an image much more obvious. Things such as a lack of sharpness, a poor mask, poor resolution, inferior editing technique, and a lack of printing skill that might go unnoticed in a small print will dramatically stand out in a large print.
Thus, as prints become larger, ones workflow and editing technique must dramatically improve. With that in mind, the purpose of this article is to cover those aspects of workflow that will maximize the quality of prints. It should be kept in mind that these methods often require more time than simpler methods. Thus, these methods are not necessarily for all prints. Rather, they are designed for those times when a very high quality print is desired. For instance, these methods would be appropriate for a large fine art print that is intended for display. They would be overkill for a 5"x7" print that will end up in the family photo album.

Start with Raw

When a chef wants to create a gourmet meal, he starts with the best ingredients. It would be foolish for a chef to attempt to create an epicurean delight by starting with inferior ingredients. Similarly, any photographer that wishes to create the highest quality prints possible needs to start with the best data. That means that the image should be shot in raw.
Shooting raw has many advantages over shooting JPGs. However, one of the biggest advantages has to do with the number of bits in an image. JPG files are eight bit. That means that there are eight bits of information for each of the three color channels (i.e., red, green, and blue). Those eight bits can produce 256 shades for each of the three color channels. On the other hand, raw files contain more bits. Currently, most of the DSLRs being released are fourteen bit. Thus, there are fourteen bits of information for each of the three color channels in a raw file. Once the image is converted, that works out to 16,384 shades for each of the channels. So, what does this mean in practical terms? Actually, there are several ramifications.
First, in some cases, color transitions are noticeably smoother. Since there are a lot more shades of each color with images that start as raw, adjacent colors are closer together than with JPG images. Thus, with raw, the transitions from one color to another are smoother because it entails many diminutive steps instead of a smaller number of larger steps as is the case with JPGs. Now, notice that this paragraph starts off by stating, "in some cases". Whether or not the differences in color transitions between raw and JPG are noticeable or not depend on a number of factors such as the tonal region (e.g., quarter tones vs. three quarter tones), amount of editing, and size of print).

Second, there will be more shadow detail with images that start as raw files. This has to do with the fact that camera sensors are linear. Now, getting into a technical discussion of sensor linearity is beyond the scope of this article. However, in short, sensor linearity means that the sensor places most of the bits in the lighter shades and far fewer bits in the shadows. Thus, the shadows simply do not have nearly as many bits, and therefore shades, as the highlights. This is particularly a problem for JPG images. Since JPG images do not have a lot of bits to begin with, and more of the bits are allocated to the lighter shades, there are relatively few bits available for the shadows. Thus, there are few shades in the shadows, and detail suffers. With raw, the situation is significantly different. While raw files also have fewer bits in the shadows, there are so many bits that the shadow detail doesn't suffer as much. In general, a file that starts as a fourteen bit raw file will have sixty-four times as many shades in the shadows than an eight bit JPG file.
Third, images that start as raw files hold up to editing better than JPG files. When files are edited, some shades are spread farther apart. Other shades are lost due to quantization error. What this means is that the distance between one shade and the next can become larger due to the editing. If the distance between the shades becomes large enough, the human eye will be able to see the difference between adjacent shades. When this happens, posterization results. This is often seen as banding across areas of little detail (such as a featureless sky). Since the shades in images that started as raw files are much closer together than the shades in JPG files, posterization is much less likely to occur than with JPG images.
Fourth, images that start as raw files are much more suitable for large color spaces than JPG images. Large color spaces include more colors. The shades in an image must be spread across the colors in a color space. The larger the color space, the farther apart the shades must be to cover the entire color space. This is not a problem for fourteen bit raw files. There are so many shades that the shades easily cover the larger color spaces. However, JPG files have a problem. To cover all of the color space with only eight bits, the shades must be spread farther apart. This makes posterization much more likely -- especially if a significant amount of image editing is used (remember, image editing can spread shades even farther apart).
There are other advantages to shooting raw. For those that are interested, the advantages of raw are covered in detail in my three part article series Why Raw.

Choose the Best Raw Converter for the Image

Most photographers convert their raw files with Camera Raw (see Figure 1). Most likely, this is because Camera Raw comes with Photoshop (the most popular image editing software).

Figure 1: Camera Raw

However, there are other raw converters. For instance, another raw converter option is DxO Optics Pro (See Figure 2).

Figure 2: DxO Optics Pro

The important point here is that different raw converters have different strengths and weaknesses. What this means is that one raw converter might do a better job, with a specific image, than a different raw converter. The trick is to match the raw converter with the requirements of an image.

This is demonstrated in Figures 3 and 4. These figures show a crop (at 100% view) from an image that has a problem with chromatic aberration. These figures show the image after it was converted with two different raw converters. The first raw conversion has a problem with the chromatic aberration. The second conversion shows no chromatic aberration. To be fair, the first raw converter does have controls that can be used to reduce the chromatic aberration. The problem is that the image has different colors of chromatic aberration in different areas of the image. Correcting one color of chromatic aberration caused the chromatic aberration of another color to become worse. Clearly, the second raw converter is preferable for this image. On the other hand, the first raw converter has been used with other images because it did a better conversion, with those images, than the second raw converter

Figure 3: Raw Converter #1

Figure 4: Raw Converter #2

The point should be clear, choosing a raw converter based on the requirements of an image produces superior image quality. To determine which raw converter is best for an image, the image can be converted with each raw converter. Then, an examination of the conversions will reveal which converter will work best.

Edit in the Raw Converter

As much of the editing as possible should be done in the raw converter. This is because edits in a raw converter do not degrade image detail. Conversely, edits in image editing programs, like Photoshop, do degrade image detail. The reason for this is that raw converters work with analogue data. On the other hand, tools within image editing programs work with digital data. The issue here is that edits with analogue data do not degrade image detail while edits with digital data do degrade detail due to quantization error (for a more detailed explanation, see Nondestructive Editing -- Part III).
This can be seen in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows an image histogram after the image was edited in a raw converter. The important point here is that the histogram is very smooth. This indicates that there has been no image degradation. Figure 6 shows the histogram after a similar edit was performed, on the same image, in Photoshop. The gaps and spikes clearly show that the image has been degraded after the edit was performed.

Figure 5: Edit with Raw Converter

Figure 6: Edit with Photoshop

The lesson should be obvious -- editing in a raw converter produces superior image quality.

Use Nondestructive Editing

There are two types of edits:

Destructive Edits: Destructive edits change the original image data.
Nondestructive Edits: Nondestructive edits do not change the original data.

For those edits that can not be performed in a raw converter, nondestructive editing should be used.
There are many types of nondestructive edits. Some of the more common are:

Separate image layers
Neutral layers
Adjustment layers
Smart Objects
Smart Object transformations
Smart Object Filters
Raw converter (which is a special case of nondestructive editing)

Nondestructive edits have three main advantages over destructive edits:

Preservation of the original data
Flexibility
Image Quality

For this article, the most important advantage is image quality. Now, there are a number of ways that nondestructive editing improves image quality. While the details of how nondestructive editing creates better image quality are beyond the scope of this article, the end result is that images that are edited with nondestructive edits will have less loss of image detail than images that are edited with destructive edits (for a more detailed investigation of nondestructive editing, see Nondestructive Editing).
Now, there is one point that needs to be addressed with respect to nondestructive editing. Many people think that nondestructive edits do not degrade image detail at all. This is incorrect. With the exception of raw converters, nondestructive edits do cause some image degradation. To better understand this, it is important to remember the definition of nondestructive edits: Nondestructive edits do not change the original data. The definition does not state that nondestructive edits do not degrade image detail. This is clearly demonstrated by referring back to Figure 6. This figure shows a histogram after an image was edited with an adjustment layer -- which is a nondestructive edit. The gaps and spikes in the histogram clearly show that some image degradation has occurred even thought the edit was nondestructive.
So, why use nondestructive edits if they produce some image degradation? The reason is that, while nondestructive edits do produce some image degradation, they produce less image degradation than destructive edits.
So, when editing images, these rules should be followed in order to produce the highest quality images:

Edit in a raw converter whenever possible since edits in a raw converter do not degrade image detail.
Edits that can not be performed in a raw converter should be done with nondestructive editing.
Destructive edits should be avoided at all costs since they create the greatest amount of image degradation.

Select the Best Interpolation Method

One of the last steps before printing is to interpolate the image to its final size. Now, there are many interpolation methods available. Photoshop has several methods. In addition, there are interpolation software packages that can be purchased that have additional interpolation algorithms (for a detailed evaluation of several interpolation methods, see Interpolation).
The main conclusion that I have drawn is that, for linear interpolations of around 200% or smaller, there is not a clear winner between Bicubic Smoother (a Photoshop method), stairstep interpolation (a method done in Photoshop using Bicubic), and the commercial interpolation methods that I have tested. What is obvious is that, for any specific image, one interpolation method may produce better results than another interpolation. Thus, in order to produce the best print quality for a specific image, it is necessary to select the interpolation method that best suits the requirements of that image. This is demonstrated in Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 7: Bicubic Smoother interpolation Works Best for this Image

Figure 7 shows an image that was originally interpolated using stairstep interpolation. However, this interpolation method resulted in halos around the very dark edges of the plant. Switching to Bicubic Smoother interpolation eliminated these halos and resulted in a significantly superior quality image.

Figure 8: Stairstep Interpolation Works Best for this Image

On the other hand, Figure 8 shows an image where the stairstep interpolation method produced superior results. The stairstep interpolation resulted in better image detail that required considerably less sharpening than when the Bicubic Smoother interpolation was used.
The only way to know which interpolation method will produce the best results for an image is to interpolate the image with different interpolation methods and see which one works best.
On a side note, for linear interpolations of around 200% or less, I use either Bicubic Smoother or stairstep interpolation since they can be done in Photoshop without the necessity of purchasing any additional software. In addition, they appear to me to produce results as good, at this interpolation level, as the methods that require the purchase of separate software.

Select the Best Printing Resolution

Figure 9: Image Size

One step that affects image quality that is often missed is optimizing the printing resolution. The printing resolution is the number of pixels per inch (PPI) at which an image will be printed. In Photoshop, this is set in the Image Size dialogue box (see Figure 9).
There are actually a number of factors that help determine which PPI will produce the best print for a particular image (for more information on printing resolution, see Optimizing Printing Resolution). Furthermore, a PPI that works best for one image may not be the best choice for another image. In other words, the printing resolution needs to be individually selected for each image. This can be seen be looking back at Figures 7 and 8. The image in Figure 7 printed best at 360 PPI while the image in Figure 8 printed best at 300 PPI even though both prints were made on the same printer.
What this means is that, for a particular image, separate prints need to be made, each at a different PPI, in order to determine which PPI will produce the best print. This means that multiple interpolations need to be made to produce the prints at the different PPI settings.
Once the prints are made, they can be examined to determine which PPI setting produces the best print.
Some points should be kept in mind when determining the best PPI setting for a print:

Generally, the lowest printing resolution that should be considered is somewhere between 180 and 200 PPI. Below this printing resolution, image quality tends to suffer.
In general, it rarely makes sense to use a printing resolution higher than 360 PPI.
This provides a range of printing resolutions that should be considered. A photographer might print copies of the image at 200, 250, 300, and 360 PPI.
It is not necessary to print the entire image. A section of the image that has good detail can be used to produce smaller prints for the evaluation. This saves paper and ink. For instance, for a 24"x36" print, a 6"x10" section can be used to produce the test prints.

Selecting a Good Printer

The last issue that needs to be dealt with is the selection of the printer. Obviously, the better the printer, the better the prints that can be made. Unfortunately, it is not so easy to just switch printers. A good inkjet printer can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
While good inkjet printers are costly, they affect image quality in two main ways:

Better printers produce prints with higher resolution.
Better printers have larger gamuts. Thus, they can reproduce more colors.

For many photographers, the color gamut of the printer is a major concern. Older generation printers have smaller gamuts. As a result, they are not capable of producing as many colors as later generation printers that use newer ink formulations with wider gamuts.
I ran into this issue with my printer. I was unhappy with the printer that I was using because it was incapable of printing some of the more saturated colors. As a result, I was not able to get satisfactory results with some of my images that had fairly saturated colors. This was particularly true for images that I had shot in the spring (with spring's saturated greens) and the fall (with autumn's saturated reds, oranges, and yellows). Several of these images were among my favorites. Yet, the prints looked lackluster due to the rather subdued colors that resulted with my printer.
After debating the issue for about a year, I finally purchased a new printer. The new printer can print most of the saturated colors that the old printer could not. In addition, the new printer has a host of other improved features that result in substantially improved image quality.

Now, I am not suggesting that everyone run out and buy a new printer. However, every photographer should be aware that the printer has a major impact on the quality of the final prints. If a photographer's printer is not up to standards, the quality of the prints it produces will be sub-optimal no matter how good the camera or workflow that was used to create the image.
In short, just as we buy new digital cameras as the technology evolves in order to produce higher quality images, we need to consider upgrading our printers every once in a while in order to get the superior image quality that the improved printer technology delivers.

Texture Photography -- Part 1

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:09:00 -0800

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Figure 1: Texture Photography

The point of any image is to draw the attention of the viewers. Now, there are many ways to do this. Some images depend on bold color. Other images utilize leading lines. Still others rely on dramatic scenery. However, an often overlooked method of capturing the viewers' attention is the use of texture. Thus, the purpose of this article is to cover the fundamentals of texture photography.
Of course, the first thing that needs to be done is to define texture photography. For the purposes of this article, texture photography is any imagery that depends, at least partly, for its impact on the texture of the objects in the image. Texture will be defined as the surface detail of an object. This detail can be composed of surface irregularities (such as the wood grain of an old plank) or of small forms on a surface (such as a mass of roots from an ancient tree).

Why Shoot Texture Photography

Perhaps, the first question that should be addressed is why shoot texture photography. The answer is quite simple. As photographers, we need to create images that have impact, and the proper utilization of texture can add impact to images. When used properly, texture can be just as powerful as bold color, leading lines, or dramatic scenery.
By adding the use of texture to our skill set, we expand our skills and become better photographers. Thus, texture becomes another tool that is available in our skill set that can be drawn on at any time.

Types of Texture Photography

There are three primary types of texture photography that will be covered in this article: detail, drama, and information.

Figure 2: Texture for Detail

Detail: With this type of texture photography, the detail in the surface of the object being photographed is the most important aspect of an image. The actual object is of lesser importance. When this technique is used, the image is often shot as a macro shot in order to move in very close to emphasize the detail or as a partial object shot where only a portion of the object is photographed (see Figure 2).
For a good detail image, it is important to select a proper subject. The best subjects will have either strong tonal or color contrast as the contrast enhances the detail of the texture. Without this contrast, the detail will not show very well, and the image will suffer as a result.
Another thing to pay attention too is the light. Often, the best light for this type of image is side light. Side light will bring out the detail in any uneven surface by casting shadows.

Figure 3: Texture for Drama

Drama: With this second approach to texture photography, the texture is used to add drama to an image (see Figure 3). Here, the texture is not necessarily the most important aspect of an image. Rather, it is one component of the image that serves to spice up the image.
Generally, the contrast or color of the texture serves to capture the viewer's attention. As is the case in Figure 3, the texture can also serve to direct the viewer's eye by the use of curves that the viewer's eye tends to naturally follow.
As was mentioned above for detail texture images, it is important to select subject matter that has tonal or color contrast. In addition, side light also tends to work well with drama texture images as it helps to bring out the texture -- thus enhancing the drama.
One more thing to look for in this type of image is that the texture must work in harmony with the overall image. For instance, the texture of some foreground rock may work harmoniously with the rest of an image of a large canyon. However, the texture of some old curtains (in the background) may not work well with an image of some fine, crystal glasses.

Figure 4: Texture for Information

Information: The third type of texture photography uses texture to help communicate information about an image. This can be seen in Figure 4. This is the window of the mortician's shop in an old ghost town. The old wood of the window frame, as well as the aged wood of the wagon (reflected in the window), clearly communicate that this is an old structure.
For information texture images, it is important to identify exactly what information the texture is to communicate and compose the image in such a way that the texture brings out the proper message.
One other important point is to make sure that the texture serves a subservient role in this type of image. In other words, the texture should help to enhance the center of interest of the image by adding information to the center of interest. The texture should not overwhelm the center of interest.

Composition

The general composition rules apply to texture photography just as they do other fields of photography (for a comprehensive article series on composition, see Advanced Composition). However, three aspects of composition tend to be particularly important in texture photography: contrast, curves, and patterns.

Figure 5: Composition -- Contrast within Texture

Contrast: Contrast comes in two forms: tonal contrast and color contrast. Either one works well for texture photography.
Now, there are a couple of ways that contrast can be used. The first way is within the texture itself. As already mentioned above, contrast enhances the detail in texture and makes it stand out. This can be seen in Figure 5. The color contrast of the white, yellow, brown, and green on the leaf makes the leaf detail more noticeable. In addition, the tonal contrast of the wood grain makes the texture of the wood stand out.

Figure 6: Composition -- Contrast with background

The other way that contrast can be used is to make an area of texture contrast with the background. This draws a viewer's attention to the area and makes it stand out. This is shown in Figure 6. In this image, the leaf sharply contrasts with the background. This draws the eye to the area of texture at the front of the leaf.

Curves: Texture can often take the form of curves. When this is the case, the curves tend to fall into one of two categories: leading curves and non-leading curves.

Figure 7: Leading Curves

Leading curves serve to lead a viewer's eye. Specifically, they lead the viewer's eye to the center of interest. This strengthens the center of interest. As a result, leading curves can be very successful in increasing the effectiveness of an image. The use of leading curves can be seen in Figure 7. The curves lead the eye to the bush (which serves as the center of interest in this image).

Figure 8: Non-Leading Curves

Non-leading curves do not lead a viewer's eye to the center of interest. Instead, they serve to add some type of feeling or information to an image. This is demonstrated in Figure 8. The curves do not lead anywhere. Instead, they serve to add a sense of the dramatic to the image.

When using curves, it is very important to be aware that curves add emotional content to an image by affecting the mood of the image. Vertical lines can communicate moods of: stability, peace, or power. Horizontal lines tend to communicate a feeling of permanence or lack of change. Diagonal lines are best at making an image more dynamic or communicating a sense of action (for a much more detailed coverage of the use of curves to communicate mood, please see Advanced Composition).

Figure 9: Vertical Curves

Consequently, it is very important to use curves that work in harmony with the rest of an image to communicate the main point of the image. For instance, Figure 9 shows the image of the ghost town again. Some of the strongest curves in this image (the lines/curves formed by the grain of the wood post at the right of the image) are vertical. They help to communicate a sense of stability in this image. In other words, this ghost town building has clearly been around a long time, and it isn't going to change much anytime in the near future. The vertical curves help to communicate this message.
On the other hand, had strong diagonal curves been used in the image, the curves would have added a sense of the dynamic to the image. This would have contradicted the rest of the image. The result would have been a weakened image.

Figure 10: Diagonal Curves

Figure 10 shows an example of an image that benefits from the use of diagonal curves. In this image, the diagonal curves help to communicate the graceful and dynamic nature of the sand dunes.

Patterns: Patterns are frequently very effective at catching people's attention. However, when used in photographs, simple patterns by themselves often don't hold the attention for very long. Therefore, it is necessary to be a little more sophisticated with the use of patterns when creating texture images. There are a couple of ways that patterns in textures can be made more effective: multiple patterns and breaking the pattern.

Figure 11: Multiple Patterns

When using multiple patterns, two or more patterns, that reinforce each other, are used. Figure 11 shows a use of multiple patterns. Here, the texture pattern of the center of the flower is matched with the texture pattern of the pedals.

Figure 12: Breaking the Pattern

The other option is to break the texture pattern. This is usually done by inserting an object into the pattern (see Figure 12). The inserted object should be carefully placed in such a manner that it enhances the composition. Often, following the rule of thirds (or a similar composition rule) in placing the object will give excellent results.

Texture Photography -- Part 2

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:09:00 -0800

Texture Photography -- Part 2

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Part 1 of this series covered the fundamentals of texture photography. Parts 2 and 3 will apply the concepts of texture photography to various subject matter.

Buildings

Figure 1: Building

Buildings are a rich source of opportunities for texture photography. This is especially true for old buildings.
When photographing buildings, there are a couple of ways to approach the subject: photographing part of the building or photographing the entire building.
When a part of a building is photographed, the camera is generally moved in close to isolate an interesting section of the building. So, it is necessary to start by identifying an interesting component of the building that will serve as the center of interest of the image. Most likely, this will be an object that has an interesting form. In addition, due to the camera being so close to the building, the texture will be a dominant characteristic of the image. Thus, it is critical that the texture also be interesting. Last, the light is important. Side light will usually be best as it will enhance the center of interest and the texture.
When an entire building is photographed, the situation changes. The texture will now be in a supporting role. It is still important to have good texture, but the shape and character of the building are the most important factors. Thus, it is crucial that the building be selected carefully and that the image be well composed.
As far as light is concerned, early morning or late afternoon light will tend to add personality to a building.
Last, the surrounding environment can be very important in this type of image. The environment can add information to an image that helps tell the story of the building.
Last, don't forget the sky. A colorless, featureless sky can ruin an otherwise interesting building shot. Look for either some clouds or some color that contrasts with the building to help make the building stand out.

Rock

Figure 2: Rock

Rock formations can be used to create great texture images. Of course, when selecting a rock formation for a texture image, the texture is going to be a primary concern. However, there are a few other things that should be considered: rock form, rock color, and curves.
The forms that are created by the various pieces of rock can help define the character of an image. For example, smooth rock will help to create a feeling of calm while jagged rock will create a feeling of tension or unease. So, the forms of the rock must work harmoniously with the rest of the image to create the emotion the photographer wishes to instill in a viewer.
The color of the rock can add richness to an image. So, if the rock has a strong color, it is usually best to capitalize on it. This can be done in a couple of ways. First, a polarizer can often be used to enhance the color. Second, the light for the image should be chosen carefully. This generally means that these types of images should either be shot during the magic hour (half hour after sunrise or half hour before sunset) or with reflected light. Either of these types of light will likely help to enhance the saturation of the rock.
Curves in rock can be used to add impact to an image. However, as mentioned in Part 1 of this article series, it is important to remember that curves add emotional content to an image (for more information, see Advanced Composition). For instance, graceful curves add a sense of elegance, horizontal curves create a feeling of stability, and jagged curves create an uncomfortable atmosphere. So, the curves must match the overall mood that the image is to project.
A couple of final points should be remembered. First, don't forget to consider having a strong center of interest to draw a viewer's attention. Second, if there is a background (such as a sky), it is usually best to choose a background that contrasts with the rock in order to accentuate the rock formation.

Logs

Figure 3: Log

Logs are one of the easiest objects to use for creating texture images. This is because they have two characteristics that lend themselves to texture photography: contrast and curves.
The first thing to look for when scouting out logs for texture photography is the contrast. It is necessary to start with a log that has enough contrast to grab a viewer's attention. This usually means that a log must have a grain that has contrast. The second thing to look for is a set of curves. These can be either leading or non-leading curves. The important thing is that the curves add to the image in some way.
An image of a log can frequently be enhanced by including something from the environment that surrounds the log. The most likely objects for this will be flowers or vegetation.
Often, side light works well to help emphasis the contrast in the grain. However, side light is not always necessary. This is particularly true if some drama can be added to an image in some other way. For instance, when old logs get wet, the wood can sometimes become darker and take on a more moody feel. This works great for texture photography. In addition, when objects (such as the flowers or vegetation already mentioned) contrast in tone or color with the wood, this may add all the drama that is needed.

Plants

Figure 4: Plants

Plants are great for texture photography because they are everywhere. That means that you don't need to travel someplace to get some great shots. All you have to do is visit your backyard.
There are so many characteristics of plants that can be used to create interesting texture images. Of course, the first thing to look for is good texture. This is usually pretty easy to find in a garden. However, you don't want to stop there. After some plants that have good texture have been found, you should look for other aspects of the plants that can be used to create an even better image.
One of the things for which one should look is any interesting curves. Often, this comes in the form of curves formed by the edges of leaves or curves that result from plant stems. The next thing that should be considered is color. Color demands a viewer's attention. Thus, the more saturated the color, the more interested people will likely be in an image. Even better than color is contrasting color. Contrasting color can really make an image come alive.
The best light for plant photography is usually a diffuse light. That means that great plant shots can be captured on overcast days or early/late in the day when the garden is in shadow.
The seasons play an important part in plant photography. Spring produces beautiful, lush greens. Autumn can produce stunning fall colors (depending on where you live). Unfortunately, summer and winter are less ideal for plant photography as the plants are less vibrant at that time.

Trees

Figure 5: Trees

Trees provide a rich variety of texture photography opportunities. Great texture images can be created from the leaves, bark, or roots. When using the leaves as texture photography subject matter, the guidelines pretty much follow those covered in the Plants section directly above. In other words, one should look for interesting curves, color, and color contrast. Furthermore, the best light is often produced by overcast conditions that create a soft, diffuse light.
The bark of trees often has great texture. Furthermore, the texture commonly forms an irregular pattern. This can create some great subject matter for texture photography. Of course, in this case, it is necessary to move in close enough to concentrate on the bark. However, there is one problem that can occur when photographing the bark. As mentioned in Part 1 of this series, while patterns can often capture a viewer's interest, simple patterns can sometimes fail to hold that interest for very long. Consequently, it is best to figure out a way to add some interest to the pattern. This is often fairly easy with tree bark. All that may be necessary is to break the pattern. This can be done by finding some irregularity in the bark (such as a knot).
With some trees, roots can be the most interesting part of the tree for texture photography. This is because of the interesting patterns that roots can form. The key here is to find a tree with exposed roots. These roots can form jagged, irregular curves that can add a sinister or menacing mood to an image. Side light may help to strengthen this mood. However, this sinister/menacing mood can sometimes be captured even with diffuse light.

Insects

Figure 6: Insects

Another opportunity for texture photography is to photograph insects. There are a couple of different ways that insects can be used for texture photography: macro shots and non-macro shots. Obviously, for macro shots, the camera must be moved in very close to the insect. This allows one to photography the texture of the insect. This texture can take many forms. For some insects, the texture can be almost grotesque as the insects appear as tiny monsters. For other insects, the texture can take on beautiful patterns. For instance, this is the case with butterfly's and some beetles.
For macro shots of insects, macro equipment will be needed. A detailed explanation of macro equipment and techniques is beyond the scope of this article. The only comment that will be made is that ordinary sunlight will likely not be sufficient for this type of photography. Some macro flash capability will be required.
However, a lack of macro equipment is no reason to miss out on insect photography. Great insect images can be captured without a macro lens. It is just necessary to back up a little bit. For non-macro insect shots, the best results can often be captured by showing the insects within their environment. In fact, for non-macro shots, most of the texture may come from the environment rather than the insects.
The best light for this type of image varies from one situation to another. So, it will be necessary to use a little bit of judgment to select the best light for each shot.

Texture Photography -- Part 3

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:08:00 -0800

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

This article will wind up this three part series on texture photography by applying the concepts of texture photography to three, additional types of subject matter.

Beach

For those that are lucky enough to live by the beach, there are many texture photography opportunities waiting. Three of the primary opportunities at the beach are: rock, driftwood, and sand.
Rock: Not all beaches have rock. Some are miles of smooth sand. However, when a beach does have rock, the rock often has very interesting texture. Some of the best photo opportunities can be found with rock that is submerged at high tide but uncovered at low tide. This type of rock is heavily worn by wave action. The softer parts of the rock have been eroded away while the harder rock is left.
The key is to find interesting patterns in the rock texture and emphasize that in the photos. The timing for this type of photography is bit of a pain. Obviously, these shots need to be taken at low tide. In addition, the sun should be low on the horizon in order to emphasize the rock texture. Consequently, it is necessary to check both the tide tables and the sun rising and setting times.
Driftwood: Driftwood can make some incredible images. The wood has a grain which has been eroded by the wave action. This can provide great texture. In addition, the wood will likely be wet which can further enhance the contrast of the texture.
As with much of texture photography, side light works well with driftwood. One of the nice things about driftwood is that it can be repositioned to take advantage of the sidelight.
Wet Sand: Due to wave action, the sand will have patterns. It is just a matter of finding some interesting ones. Usually, the best opportunities can be found at low tide. If the sand doesn't show any interesting patterns, just wait until after the next wave and look again.
Photographing the sand during a colorful sunset can add intense, saturated color to the sand for even better images.
While at the beach, don't make the mistake a photographer friend of mine made. He set his camera on a tripod and turned his back to the ocean for a few moments. When he turned back, he discovered his camera equipment had been washed into the ocean by an unexpectedly large wave.

Desert

Figure 2: Desert

When looking to capture texture images, the desert is a prime location. Texture can be found in the plants, animals, and rock of the desert.
Rock is probably the easiest to photograph. Rock with bands of alternating color works well as texture photography subject matter. This type of image is best shot in the late afternoon. However, if there are surrounding mountains, one can not shoot too late or the rock will be cast in shadow after the sun disappears behind the mountains. Consequently, the best light usually occurs when the sun sits just above the mountains. This will give the warmest light and the longest shadows.
Also, it is best to have a contrasting sky. Often, the deepest blues in the sky can be found opposite the direction of the sun. This is due to Mie scattering which adds white light to the sky (thus, desaturating the sky). The closer to the sun an area of sky is, the greater the Mie scattering.
One last point, don't forget to try a polarizer. A polarizer can often help to saturate the color of the rock and the sky. However, the affect of a polarizer varies depending on the angle of the lens with respect to the direction of the light. Polarizers are most effective when the lens is perpendicular with respect to the sunlight. This should be taken into account when positioning the camera for a shot.

Animals

Figure 3: Animals

Animals can also provide some texture photography opportunities. Often, the animal's fur, feathers, or scales provide the texture.
Wildlife photography is such a broad category of photography that it is difficult to give specifics for photographing animals -- especially in a short article. Instead, it is hoped that this will help you generate some of your own ideas for wildlife, texture images.

Abstract Photography

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:08:00 -0800

Abstract Photography

Part I

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Figure 1: Abstract Photography

Abstract photography can produce very dramatic images. It relies on our more primal sense of form, color, and curves than it does on detail. The problem is that most photographers tend to think in terms of detail when evaluating photographic opportunities. However, it takes a different way of looking at our world to perceive the abstract photography opportunities that surround us.

The purpose of this article is to investigate the techniques and subject matter opportunities of abstract photography. This is an in-depth, multi article series that will cover the following topics:

Definition

Why Abstract

Essentials

Composition

Art of Subtraction

Techniques

Flowers

DVD

Sand Dunes

Buildings

Rock

Around the House

Water

Abstract Photography Definition

There is no standard, universally accepted definition of abstract photography. Actually, it is not easy to create a clear-cut definition of an abstract concept. However, for the purposes of this article series, it is necessary to create a definition in order to put some boundaries around the topic. This makes it easier to determine what falls within the domain of the subject matter. Thus, for this article series, abstract photography will be defined as photography that:

Does not represent the subject in a literal way.
Communicates primarily through form, color, and curves rather than image detail.

This definition brings about a very important point. Since image detail takes a back seat to form, color, and curves, the brain's logical processes are more subdued when viewing abstract images. Instead, the reaction is much more instinctual. In essence, abstract photography communicates to the viewer primarily through the viewer's emotions. This plays to the photographer's benefit because humans' emotional systems are much more powerful than the logical systems.
Furthermore, the emphasis on form, color, and curves tends to elicit strong reactions from the human perceptual system. This is not just a psychological matter. It is actually hard wired into the human neurological and mental systems. For instance, the human visual system responds very strongly to certain colors and color contrast. In addition, certain parts of the brain are programmed to respond to curves and shapes.
This fits in perfectly with abstract photography. When done well, abstract photography can be very much in tune with the human perceptual, mental, and emotional systems. The end result can be very powerful images.
It is important to notice that the definition did not say that the subject matter had to be unrecognizable. It is true that, in some abstract images, the viewer can not tell what has been photographed. However, that is just one type of abstract image.

Why Abstract Photography

The question arises, "Why bother creating abstract images?" In other words, there are a lot of other photographic opportunities out there. Why would a photographer choose to create abstract images?
There are a couple of reasons. First, as just mentioned, abstract images can be very powerful. That in itself is all the justification that is needed. However, there is a second advantage. Abstract images can be created almost anywhere. What that means is that a photographer can create abstract images right at home and in the surrounding neighborhood. This is in contrast to other types of photography, such as landscape photography, where there is the cost in time and money to travel to specific locations to capture images.

Essentials

There are three essentials to abstract photography: form, color, and curves. It is paramount that an abstract photographer learns to think in these terms.

Figure 2: Form

Form: Form refers to the shape of the objects in an image. Form serves as the framework upon which an abstract image is created. Basically, form creates the core of an image while color and curves add enhancements. Therefore, it is crucial that an abstract image start off with good form. This is done by choosing objects that have pleasing, interesting, or dynamic shapes.
Now, it might be tempting to want a definition or list of what makes for good form. However, it must be remembered that abstract photography is an instinctual art form -- people react to it emotionally not logically. Thus, it is essential that form be approached in the same manner. It is necessary to find objects with forms that create an emotional reaction. When one looks at an object and immediately reacts, "Wow, look at that", a strong form has probably been found.

Figure 3: Color

Color: Color grabs the attention of the viewer and stimulates the viewer's perceptual system. Color not only grabs the viewer's attention, it also serves to hold the viewer's attention for an extended period of time. If the viewer's eyes do wander, the color tends to bring the attention back.
One way to use color is to use a saturated or intense color (see Figure 3).

Figure 4: Color Contrast

Another method of using color that can produce very dynamic images is to use contrasting color. This approach is shown in Figure 4. The composition of this image is extremely simple. The image depends almost entirely on the color and tonal contrast between the sun and the dark clouds for its impact.

Figure 5: Curves & Center of Interest

Curves: Curves add interest to an abstract image. They do this by controlling the movement of the viewer's eyes through an image. Now, there are a couple of ways that curves can be used in an image. The first way that curves can add interest to an image is to direct the viewer's attention to an image's center of interest. This is shown in Figure 5. In this image, the curves (i.e., the edges of the pedals) point toward the colored center of the flower (which is the center of interest in this image). These curves serve to direct the viewer's attention to the colored area. This strengthens the center of interest and creates a stronger image.

The second way that curves can add interest to an image is a bit more intangible. With this use of curves, the curves do not point at the center of interest. In fact, they do not point at anything in particular. Instead, the curves simply flow through the image in a graceful or dynamic way. How does this help the image? Even though the curves do not point toward any object, they still serve to control the viewer's eyes. When used properly, the viewer's eyes will roam back and forth along the curves. Thus, the viewer's attention has been captured.

Figure 6: Roaming Curves

This use of curves can be seen in Figure 6. In this image, the curves do not point toward any center of interest (in fact, the image has no center of interest). Rather, the lines function to lead the eyes throughout the image with no end point in sight. The viewer's eyes follow the edges of the leaf as well as the veins in the leaf only to find that one curve simply leads to another.
While this second use of curves works very well in abstract images, it should be used very cautiously in images that are not abstract. In non-abstract images, such use of curves is often distracting.

Composition

Composition consists of how the objects in an image are arranged with respect to each other. There are many approaches to composition. Carrying out a thorough review of the subject of composition is beyond the scope of this article. However, two aspects of composition, as they relate to abstract photography, will be covered.

Rule of thirds
No rules

Figure 7: Rule of Thirds

Rule of Thirds: The rule of thirds requires that an image be divided into thirds both vertically and horizontally. The center of interest should be located where the dividing lines cross. Figure 7 shows an example of the rule of thirds. As can be seen, the end of the flower stem is located where the rule of third lines intersect.

Figure 8: No Rules

No Rules: One of the great things about abstract photography is that it is not necessary to follow the rules. This is the case with composition. It is not always necessary to follow the rule of thirds, or any other composition rule, to create great abstract images. Figure 8 is an example of an image that does not follow the rules. As is obvious, this image does not have a center of interest and does not follow the rule of thirds.

Art of Subtraction

Earlier, it was stated that people tend to react to abstract photography on an instinctual or emotional level. Therefore, to create great abstract images, all one has to do is remove everything that does not, in some way, strengthen the viewer's emotional reaction. This is the art of subtraction.

Figure 9: Art of Subtraction -- Before

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate the art of subtraction. Figure 9 shows a cluttered image. One's first reaction might be to move on to a more promising location. On the other hand, a closer examination of the scene shows that it has all three essentials for a good abstract image.
Form: Many of the rocks in the image have interesting form.
Color: The rock is a saturated red.
Curves: There are many curves running through the image.
That is the good news. The bad news is that the scene has a ton of distracting detail. So, the goal becomes to keep form, color, and curves that can contribute to the creation of a good abstract image and remove everything else.

Figure 10: Art of Subtraction -- After

Figure 10 shows the scene after all the distracting detail has been removed. The image has isolated the important forms and accentuated them with the color and the curves.

Abstract Photography

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:07:00 -0800

Part 2

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Abstract Photography Techniques

Part II of this series focuses on abstract photography techniques. Now, while each technique will be demonstrated with a photo of some particular subject matter, each one of these techniques can be used with many different types of subject matter. The goal is to learn the techniques and then apply them to whatever is found that will create impressive abstract images.

Selective Focus

Figure 1: Selective Focus

Selective focus is one of the most common techniques used when creating abstract images. To apply this technique, a large aperture is used to create a very narrow depth of field. The camera is then focused on the center of interest of the image. Everything else will be out of focus.
When using selective focus, there are a couple of ways that the technique can be made more effective. First, the color of the background should be different than the center of interest. This will make the center of interest stand out. Second, curves can be used to help direct the viewer's attention to the center of interest. Both of these methods can be seen in Figure 1.

Light and Shadows

Figure 2: Light and Shadows

Using the interplay of light and shadows can create drama in an image. Some photographers tend to think only in terms of light. This is a mistake -- for light is nothing without shadows. Shadows are not simply a dark mass that borders the light. Rather, shadows are an entity as alive as the light. It is the shadows that shape the light, that draw attention to the light, and that integrate with the light to produce striking photographic opportunities. This is particularly true with abstract images.
When using this technique, the main purpose of the shadows is to enhance the forms in an image. Consequently, for this technique to be successful, it is necessary to start with very interesting or dramatic forms.
Another thing to keep in mind with this technique is that it usually works best when the shadows are fairly dark. This creates the contrast that adds drama to an image.

Lines

Figure 3: Lines

Lines can be very effectively used in abstract images. For this technique to be effective, the lines must be the dominant characteristic of the subject matter (see Figure 3). In a way, the lines almost become the center of interest.
The lines must be either graceful or dynamic. In addition, all of the lines must work in harmony. Simply having a bunch of haphazard lines running in every which direction will not work.
One last point is that, when using lines in this manner, it is usually best not to have overly strong, saturated, or contrasting colors in the image because this would detract from the lines and weaken the image.

Texture

Figure 4: Texture

A technique that is very similar to the use of lines is the use of texture. In fact, texture and lines are often used together (see Figure 4). To be used successfully, the texture must be one of the most dominant characteristics of the subject matter. Furthermore, the texture must work in harmony with any lines that are present.
As when using lines, it is usually best not to have overly strong, saturated, or contrasting colors in the image in order to avoid having the colors detract from the texture.

Blur

Figure 5: Blur

Deliberately blurring objects can create some interesting images. This technique works best with images that have a romantic or dreamy feel. Therefore, it is important to select the subject matter carefully.
There are a number of ways that the blurring can be done. There are special soft focus lenses that produce soft images. This is how Figure 5 was created. Soft focus filters attached to regular lenses can also be used. For the cost conscious, panty hose stretched over the front of a lens also works. Of course, the blur can always be added during image editing with Photoshop (or any other editing software).
As a last comment on this technique, deliberately blurred images often print best on matte paper. Matte paper produces a softer, gentler image than glossy or luster papers.

Zooming In

Figure 6: Zooming In

The zooming in technique requires a zoom lens. A long shutter speed is used, and the focal length of the zoom lens is changed during the exposure. Generally, the zoom is started at a wider angle and zoomed into a narrower angle. This produces the zoom effect seen in Figure 6.
There are a few important points with this technique. A tripod should be used. Otherwise, there will be blurring caused by camera movement during the exposure. A strong center of interest is required. Without a strong center of interest, the image just ends up being a blur of lines with nothing to grab the viewer's attention. There should be a contrast of tone or color between the center of interest and the background. This will make the center of interest stand out. Last, this is a trial and error technique. It requires many images to be shot in order to produce one outstanding image.

Partial Object

Figure 7: Partial Object

With the partial object technique, the entire object is not photographed. Rather, the image focuses on just a part of an object (see Figure 7). This technique depends heavily on form, color, and lines. The use of lines tends to be particularly important.

Photoshop Filters

Figure 8: Photoshop Filters

Abstract images can also be created during image editing. An easy way to do this is to use Photoshop's filters. Photoshop has many filters that can be found in the Filter menu. The key here is to try different filters until one is found that produces an interesting abstract image.
One thing to keep in mind is that abstract images created during editing often look best when printed on matte paper.

Abstract Photography

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:07:00 -0800

Part 3

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Abstract Photography Subject Matter

The last two articles in this series concentrate on various subject matter to which abstract photography techniques can be applied.

Flowers

Flowers are an excellent choice for abstract photography. The main strengths of flowers are the colors and the lines. Therefore, these should be emphasized when creating abstract flower images.

Figure 1: Strong Center of Interest

Flower abstracts tend to fall into two categories: images with a strong center of interest and images with either a weak center of interest or no center of interest at all. With flowers that have a strong center of interest, the lines of the flower (e.g., the edges of the pedals) can be used as leading lines to direct the viewer’s attention to the center of interest (see Figure 1). With flowers that have a weak center of interest (or no center of interest), the lines become the main attraction in the image. Thus, the lines must be composed in such a way that they are interesting and draw the viewer’s attention (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Weak Center of Interest

A primary technique for flower abstracts is the use of selective focus. This technique allows a photographer to crop out all distracting detail and to draw attention to the colors and lines that create the real value for the image

DVDs

The recording sides of DVDs have an interesting property. They create a spectrum of colors when light is shined on them. This creates fun, abstract photo opportunities.

Figure 3: DVD

One opportunity involves capturing the color as a pure abstract (see Figure 3). The colors tend to be bold and saturated. This makes for interesting color patterns. Another opportunity requires the DVD to be used as a base on which other objects are placed. Some objects, such as water drops, will pick up the color and reflect it (see Figure 4). With objects that do not reflect the colors, the DVD provides a very vibrant background.

Figure 4: DVD & Water Drops

Two factors will affect the colors that a DVD displays: the light source and the angle of the DVD with respect to the light and the camera. The best way to get a great shot with a DVD is to just play around with the light source and angle until the right combination is found.

Sand Dunes

Sand dunes are a lot of fun to photograph and are a natural for abstract photography. There are a couple of main types of sand dune abstracts: normal/wide angle shots and close-ups.

Figure 5: Sand Dunes

The normal to wide angle shots tend to focus on form (see Figure 5). With these images, both the forms and lighting are critical. The forms must be interesting and the light must serve to enhance the forms. Consequently, these types of sand dune shots often use side lighting. This means that the images need to be shot either early or late in the day when the sun is low on the horizon.

Figure 6: Sand Dunes

Close up shots usually emphasis either smaller forms or texture (see Figure 6). Just like normal/wide angle shots, Close-up shots often use side light. This augments the small forms or texture.

Buildings

Buildings provide a rich source of opportunities for abstract images. This is because they have a number of features that can lend themselves to an abstract interpretation:

Shapes
Lines
Patterns
Textures

Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of buildings is form. The overall structure of a building provides a form within which many sub-forms exist. When concentrating on form, usually, only part of a form is revealed in an abstract image. This is what gives the image it abstract quality and creates a bit of mystique.
Buildings have many prominent lines that can create abstract opportunities. For example, guardrails, edges of buildings, staircases, and hallways all have lines that can be shot from interesting angles to create abstracts images.

Figure 7: Broken Pattern with Building

Many buildings have interesting patterns. Even better is when the pattern is broken in some manner. This is the case in Figure 7 where the pattern of a house made of bottles is broken by the window frame.
Building textures provide the final abstract opportunity. This usually means that a close-up shot is required. Examples of texture abstract opportunities can be found in stucco, weathered boards, and worn cement.

Rock

It is almost impossible to walk through an area of rock formations and not find abstract photography opportunities. The two primary qualities that give rock its abstract feel are curves and color.
With most rock formations, curves run throughout the formations. It is just a matter of finding curves that catch the attention. Often, graceful curves work best. In addition, many rock formations have a strong color. In fact, some areas are famous for the color of their rock (southern Utah for example).
There are two approaches to capturing the color at its best. The first approach is to photograph just after sunrise or before sunset. At this time, the light will, likely, be soft and have a warm tone that will bring out the colors.

Figure 8: Rock

The second approach to capturing the color is to use reflected light. Reflected light is light that has reflected off some object before it illuminates the subject being photographed. For instance, the light might reflect off a canyon wall then strike a rock formation. The advantage with reflected light is that it picks up the color of the object from which it reflects. As long as the color of the object from which the light reflects is the same as the color of the object that is being photographed, the saturation of the color is significantly enhanced. This is the case in figure 8. The light reflected off a red, rock surface before striking the Indian ruins. This helped to bring out the red color of the rock.

Around the House

One of the best things about abstract photography is that there are photographic opportunities virtually everywhere. Thus, abstract opportunities can be found in your home, backyard, and neighborhood. That means that abstract photography is one of the few fields of photography that is not subject to the limitation of time (I don’t have the time to go on a photo trip), money (I can’t afford a photo trip), or weather (I flew two thousand miles to spend five days in a cabin while a torrential rainstorm poured outside).

Figure 9: Around the House

When photographing things in, or around, the house, it is best to look for objects that have interesting form, color, or curves. In addition, the best abstract opportunities, around the house, frequently involve photographing part of an object rather than the entire object.

Abstract Photography

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:06:00 -0800

Part 4

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Abstract Photography Subject Matter -- Continued

This last article in this series takes a look at a subject matter that is rich with opportunities for abstract photography: water.

Flowing Water

Figure 1: Flowing Water

Flowing water provides a wonderful opportunity for abstract images. The first step is to find a proper source of flowing water. Rivers, streams, and creeks work well. One of the most important things to look for in the water is turbulence. It is the turbulence that disrupts the flow of the water and provides interesting patterns that can be turned into abstract images.
Before the actual shooting starts, the white balance of the camera should be set properly. One of the white balance presets or a custom white balance should be used. The Auto white balance is not a good choice, in this case, as it may be inaccurate and cause color shifts in your images. With the white balance presets or a custom white balance, your colors will be much more accurate.
Now comes the fun part – scouting out the water to find turbulence with an interesting pattern. When an interesting area has been found, the camera should be set up on a tripod. A tripod is necessary because a long shutter speed will be required to blur the water and get the abstract effect.
The best shutter speed will vary from one shot to another as the turbulence of the water differs. Consequently, it is best to experiment with various shutter speeds. The best shutter speed will probably be somewhere between about ½ second to 2 seconds. To experiment, just take a shot and review it on the camera’s monitor. Then, make adjustments based on the results.
Flowing water requires a trial and error approach. That means that a lot of shots will, likely, need to be taken in order to get one outstanding image.

Sunset on Water & Sand

Figure 2: Sunset, Wet Sand, & Bird

The light from a colorful sunset can create beautiful abstract opportunities when it reflects off the wet sand of a beach. Of course, the first step is to get to the beach before the sunset and scout out the area.
The ripples formed on the sand as the waves recede back into the ocean create very interesting patterns that provide great opportunities. Turbulence created in the water as it flows around rocks and other obstacles can create great shots. In addition, animals along the beach provide many abstract prospects (see Figure 2)
The proper white balance is critical for this type of shot. The auto white balance option should not be used as this will desaturate the warm tones of the sunset light. The best option is to use the daylight, white balance preset as this will create saturated, warm colors in the images.
To capture the best colors and reflections, it will be necessary to experiment with the angle of the camera to the sand. It may be necessary to get fairly low to capture the light at an angle that creates the deep saturated colors on the sand.
As with a lot of abstract subject matter, shooting the reflections on the wet sand is a trial and error approach. One of the best strategies is to try a lot of different shots and pick the best ones when you are done.

Water Surface

Figure 3: Water Surface

One of the best opportunities for abstract images is the surface of bodies of water (such as ponds, pools, or puddles). The surface reflects the surrounding environment, but it does so in a distorted way. Thus, the result is a kind of abstract reflection of the world around the body of water.
Not any body of water will do. The water can not be too disturbed. A certain degree of calmness is needed or there will be no recognizable reflection. Consequently, mornings are often preferable for this type of shot because the wind is usually calmer in the morning than at other times of the day.
After a suitable body of water has been found, the next step is to find an object around the water that will provide a reflection. Trees are one of the most common objects used to for this purpose. In fact, trees work especially well in autumn in those areas that have fall colors.
The selection of the shutter speed is very important as it controls how the reflection will appear in an image. A long shutter speed (e.g., 1/2 to several seconds) will smooth out any disturbances in the water and produce a more mirror-like reflection (see Figure 3). On the other hand, a fast shutter speed will freeze the disturbances and will create an irregular reflection. Thus, a fast shutter speed works very well for those times when a distorted, extremely abstract reflection is desired.

Reeds

Figure 4: Reeds

For this opportunity, as in the previous case, a calm body of water is needed. The difference is that this opportunity requires some reeds in the water. Now, there are two things to look for with this opportunity. First, it is necessary to find a group of reeds with an interesting pattern (a group of reeds with a triangular pattern often works well).
Second, the water will probably reflect the sky. So, it is important to pick a time when the sky will provide a good reflection. There are a couple of options here. In some cases, it is desirable to have a pattern of clouds that will reflect in the water. In this case, the more dramatic the clouds, the better the resulting image. In other cases, it is desirable to have a plain reflection with no clouds. The best situation for this is a cloudless morning or afternoon.
When shooting cloudless mornings or afternoons, there are two choices. The first choice is to shoot right after any sunrise colors fade or shortly before the sunset colors start. This will generally create a deep blue reflection. This is great for creating a feeling of calm in an image. The other choice is to shoot when the sunrise or sunset colors are at their peak. This will create a reflection with saturated warm tones of red, yellow, and orange. The result is an image that is more dramatic.

Waves

Figure 5: Waves

Waves are a lot of fun to photograph. Not surprisingly, it is necessary to start with a day that has some good wave action. So, it is always a good idea to begin by checking the tide/surf reports before heading to the beach.
Also, it is important to pick the beach carefully. Some beaches have surf that is very clear. This is great for creating wave images. On the other hand, some beaches have surf that is very muddy. These types of beaches are not the best choices for wave photography.
Unless one intends to stand in the surf, a long lens is required. If a really long lens is used, a tripod may be required. In this case, a gimbal head that allows the camera to rotate to track the waves is a big plus. For more moderate telephotos, the camera can be hand held if the shutter speed is adequate to minimize the effects of camera motion.
It is best to set the camera to a continuous shooting mode. This way, a series of images can be captured as the wave moves. The best photo can be chosen after the images have been captured.
Shooting waves is another type of trial and error photography, so it is usually necessary to take many shots in order to get one great image.

Water Drops

Figure 6: Water Drops

Water drops offer a plethora of abstract opportunities. Of course, it is necessary to move in close to the water drops. So, a camera with macro capability is generally required.
When photographing outdoors, overcast days are best for water drop photography as it provides a gentle diffuse light source. In addition, it is best to perform a custom white balance to get the most accurate color.
Since the lens will be so close to the water drops, any movement of the camera will be a problem. Thus, a tripod and shutter release are highly recommended.
In most cases, it is a good idea to use a wide aperture. This will blur the background and remove any distracting elements in the background.
For most water drop photography, it is essential to have something to reflect in the water drop. After all, the reflection is what adds the charm to the water drop image. One option is to shoot in a flower field after a rainstorm. There will be plenty of raindrops as well as flowers that can be used for reflections
Unfortunately, not all reflections are a good thing. Consequently, it is important to check for undesirable reflections. For instance, it is not uncommon for the photographer and the camera equipment to show up as a reflection. When undesirable reflections occur, changing the angle of the camera may solve the problem.

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:05:00 -0800

Club Photography: Photographing Bands, Musicians, Performers in Low Light

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:04:00 -0800

Club Photography: Photographing Bands, Musicians, Performers in Low Light

Going out to shows in clubs is fun. The music is often loud, the crowd is energized, people are drinking and the mood is on. You are there with your camera. You can’t hear, you can’t find your way to the stage, people are banging into you while you try to shoot, it’s too dark, the lights are shining in your face. It feels like it would better if you just got your gear out of there and enjoyed the show. So what are you going to do?
I shoot in clubs at least once a week, sometimes as many as four times, and sometimes in two different clubs in a night. I shoot for bands, performers, myself, and for publications, mostly online. I would be out shooting paid or not, I enjoy the music and almost always have the camera when I go out. The rare exceptions that I don’t have the camera are when I have paid for a seat or when I don’t have credentials and know they are required. I’ve taught myself how to deal with all the problems that come up in clubs—blur, extreme contrast, lights directly into the camera, no light, mosh pit suddenly forming, beer in the camera bag, hit by flying objects. It’s not always easy but it seems like it’s almost always fun.

Dave X Stacy, T and A

Questions about shooting bands, especially in clubs, pop up regularly on the forums here. Several of us that have a lot of experience in this area have contributed to the forums but posts on forums sink in the listings. This article will offer suggestions based on my experience with some input from other photographers living in this environment.

Where to Start

To begin with, you need a venue and a performance to shoot. Because so many things change from venue to venue and between one performer and another and even between one performer from venue to venue, it’s important to have some feel for what you will be shooting. The first thing I do is research online the venue and the performers if it’s a first time for all of us. I look for photographs taken at past shows at the venue. What matters most is the lighting and the stage setup. Because there is no dedicated area for photographers or press at clubs, you need to figure out where you can stand and shoot, what obstacles will be in your way, what you can stand on, and what lighting there is or isn’t. Things like color of walls and ceilings should be noted for bounce flash (more on that later), a balcony or stairs that can be a good location to shoot from, access to the back of the stage, these are the kinds of things to look for.
With performers, it’s good to understand what they do on stage and what kind of crowd that will attract. I usually do a little background research on the performer/band via the web. I usually check out their myspace page—most bands are on there—and their websites. I look at photos of past shows to see what I might want to shoot and to see how they position themselves on stage. I pay special attention to the crowd in the photos of past shows, especially whether or not a pit forms where I might get slammed around or the equipment smashed. All of my equipment is insured but I worry about electrocuting people with a smashed flash or poking someone in the eye with a lens hood. I also look to see if crowds hang back, which gives me an opportunity to shoot up front, or if they press up against the stage, in which case I might look for a better spot for shooting.

Nekro Festival 1

Permission to Shoot

I always shoot with permission. Usually I arrange it with the performers or their manager beforehand. In some local clubs, the people running the venue know me and I just ask performers after I get there. Sometimes, I show up to shoot one act and end up asking the others if it’s cool. I also ask ask about flash if it’s that type of venue. One place that restricts flash (although the performers can allow it) is a supper club with blues performers that I have shot in. It’s a bit different from the rock clubs and dive bars I live in, so I can understand the restriction. If a club requires a photo pass, make sure whoever gives you permission to shoot takes care of the pass. Smaller places rarely require a photo pass, anything bigger may. When they get to the “three song rule,” it’s going to be a much bigger club.
One thing I will strongly recommend against is shooting in venues as a ticket holder in a venue that doesn’t allow ticket holders to shoot. The last thing you want is getting tossed out during the second song for popping out the DSLR and 300mm lens. It’s a big waste of money—just enjoy the show instead.

The Playlist

Equipment

This is often the first question asked, and there are good reasons for it. Too many people start out with equipment that is only going to make their job hard. Although there are ways to shoot in clubs with almost anything, there are limitations and it’s best to start with as few as possible. This is also the next thing to think about after you have researched the show.
Let’s start with my kit and then I will explain how the equipment decisions should be made. I will get to compact cameras and what you can do with them in clubs, since many people want to shoot with them.
I take a digital camera body, either a Canon EOS 1DMkIII or a Canon EOS 40D. I only take two bodies if I’m shooting for pay. I take three prime lenses. I always take a 35/2 and a 50/1.4 and then choose either a wider lens (20/2.8) or longer lens (85/1.8) depending on what I know about the venue. If I can’t get any good information in advance, I take the wider lens. I take a 580EXII flash. Before I had the 580, I took bounce cards – because the 580 has one built-in, I no longer do that. I take a spare battery, two if the one in the camera is low, and plenty of rechargeable batteries for the flash. I take at least 8GB of memory. This is usually more than I need, but you never know. I take business cards, and most importantly, I take earplugs. Even if my camera dies, I can stay and listen with earplugs, but without them, I won’t usually get near the stage. I have several pairs in every camera bag I own. Many clubs have earplugs, so if you forget them, you can ask at the bar. As a sufferer of tinnitus, I can tell you that going to loud shows without earplugs for enough years is not something anyone should do. I also take a small flashlight, which has been extremely useful.

Flamingo Gunfight

One more thing on my equipment, and then I will discuss what you should consider. I always use both a clear filter and a lens hood. The reason for this is simple. I have been hit with spraying booze, dropping booze, real and fake blood, sweat, silly string, and a few other substances that have left me wondering. I have had my gear slammed, both at my side and against my face, and I have had it pushed into the stage, amps, and mic stands. Just like earplugs, a little protection will save you a lot of aggravation.
In list form, my equipment bag contains the following:

DSLR (either a Canon EOS 1DMkIII or Canon EOS 40D)
35/2
50/1.4
either a 20/2.8 or 85/1.8
580EXII flash
spare camera battery
extra rechargeable batteries for the flash
memory cards (at least 8GB)
business cards
earplugs
clear lens filter and lens hood on every lens

Photography Technique

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:03:00 -0800

Every type of photography requires a separate set of skills and photography equipment (although some overlap). With these Photography Technique Overview guides on photo.net, we look to impart some of these skills to you, whether the subject you're interested in is Macro Photography, Architectural Photography, Portrait Photography, Nature Photography, etc. Each article offers tips on how best to approach the subject, example photographs, and even suggests photography gear to use. As with any creative pursuit, it's important to find your niche, but also important to keep exploring, keep building skills, continue to challenge yourself to learn new techniques. These articles may help you do so.

Wedding Photography

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:01:00 -0800

Wedding photography is a rare lucrative career in photography. Unfortunately, with digital photography, there are more and more amateurs posing as professionals out there, but if you really are interested in breaking into this business of wedding photography, learn all you can, apprentice with an established wedding photographer, and most importantly train your eye to see those special moments. If you have questions about gear, read the photo.net Wedding Photography Equipment Guide. How about Pricing Structure or Wedding Digital Workflow? We put together an entire series on the Business of Wedding Photography, which is an invaluable resource. The Wedding Photography Insights with Jeff Ascough shares a lot of tips on wedding photography from one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world. Our best advice to you: keep pushing your boundaries on your photographic creativity and talent, interpersonal skills, and marketing potential and you'll go far in this business of wedding photography.

Business of Wedding Photography

Topic #3: Web sites for the professional wedding photographer

Marc Williams

The Business of Wedding Photography is an extensive subject, best answered by a team of professional wedding photographers, who also happen to be star photo.net members. In this article, these professional photographers have contributed advice and personal experience gained from running wedding businesses. Not only have they provided wedding photography tips, but they also included example wedding photos of dresses, rings, ceremonies, and more. Whether you are just entering the field of wedding photography, or are a seasoned professional, the tips and insights shared here should be helpful with your own wedding photography business.
We asked our panel of experts the following questions:

An effective wedding photography web site

What are the most important elements for an effective wedding photography web site?
Jeff Ascough: Simple interface, good clear images, and a sense of style and individuality. Template sites are not such a good idea as they promote mediocrity and make photographers look the same.
Josh Root: Images, images, images, and information. People don't seem to care if they are fancy flash pages or simple HTML ones, just as long as the images and information are there. Other features that clients seem to like: a page that introduces you, your photographic history, and a calendar that shows your booked and open dates.

David Wegwart - Denver/CO.

Conrad Erb: It should show your work. That sounds elementary, but far too many beginning photographers have a home page with a huge paragraph of text that reads like this, "John Smith is very passionate about photography. Since he was a little boy, he has been using cameras to capture every precious moment..." Talk is cheap, and when I see a photographer who has too much text on the front page of their site, I get suspicious that they aren't very good. Too many photographers have cheesy bios with the words "precious," "capture," or "passionate". It gets old, very quickly. Writers write. Photographers show. If you are passionate, show me your passion. If you capture moments, show me those moments, don't just tell me about it.
Michael Mowery: Simplicity, lots of great photography, no pricing on the site.
Marc Williams: The photography itself. Often the more words, the lesser the work. Contact info and something about price to target the right clients is also important.
Nadine Ohara: Since I don't have a web site yet, that would be the most important to have now. I also believe the most important elements are the photographs themselves, then contact and pricing info.
David Wegwart: An eye-catching initial photograph and menu layout. Pictures, and more pictures. When I look at stats from my own site, the area that is hit over and over is the gallery.

Josh Root

Designing a photography web site

Did you design your own web site or hire a designer?
Jeff Ascough: I used a designer: Brian Crouch at Skooks.
Josh Root: I did it myself. If I were doing it again, I would pay someone. Mine is functional, but not the greatest.
Conrad Erb: I have always designed my own site. It took me a while to get there, and probably would have been a better investment from the start to hire a designer or use a basic flash template, but I enjoy learning new things like HTML and CSS and prefer having total control over my site.
Michael Mowery: Livebooks.com are awesome. They allow you to design and redesign at will.
Marc Williams: I do the initial design because I'm an art director, but differ to the experts on structure and flow. My site is badly in need of updating, like the Cobbler's children going without shoes.

Nadine Ohara - SF Bay Area/CA

Nadine Ohara: I will be buying a template. I don't have the time to learn how to make my own, plus the current templates seem to be able to do the job.
David Wegwart: I used a template that I liked. It's a few years old now and I need to update it.

Photo proofing and print sales

Do you offer proofing and/or print sales from your web site?
Jeff Ascough: Yes, we have a Skooks Kart.
Josh Root: No, I do not.
Conrad Erb: Yes. I used to use Pictage, but after a variety of negative experiences with them, I switched to Smugmug. Smugmug is much easier to use for my clients and myself and is much more affordable without all of the heavy handed marketing that Pictage did. Yes, there are many good choices out there, but I never researched them because I was so pleased with Smugmug.
Michael Mowery: I currently offer web proofing and will offer print sales from my web site in the near future.
Marc Williams: No, I do not at this time.

Jeff Ascough

Nadine Ohara: I will probably offer online hosting and sales from the site, but will use my current pro lab's service and provide a link.
David Wegwart: No. However, I have a link that takes clients to the gallery area for their wedding images. From that site they can order up to 8x10 prints, but have to contact me for larger ones if they

Great Black-n-White Photos From Colour Film

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:00:00 -0800

Text and photography Copyright Darwin Wiggett
All rights reserved.
I tried but I was never any good. I had the film, I had the specialty filters, I even had the darkroom with a condenser enlarger and fibre based papers… it didn’t matter, I just couldn’t pull off a decent black-n-white photo. The problem was I couldn’t pre-visualize black-n-white in a colour world. So I did the easy thing, I gave up, and kept shooting with colour film. Luckily I did, because in today’s digital environment, colour film offers more flexibility in building amazing black-n-white photos than does black-n-white film itself. So, for want-to-be b&w shooters like me, there is a hidden b&w world built into colour photography that would make even the best b&w shooters envious. Let’s take a deeper look into the gray tones of colour.
RGB means Flexibility
Images captured in most digital cameras and scanners are recorded as different ranges of grayscale tones in each of the three colour channels (red, green, and blue or RGB). These three channels of black-n-white information when combined make up a colour image (see Photo 1). If you look at each of the grayscale channels separately, you get three very different looking black-n-white images. Herein lies the flexibility of using colour to make b&w images. You can take the best parts of the separate red, green, and blue channels and mix them together into a wonderful mélange of tones that’ll blow away the best that black-n-white film has to offer. Let’s look at a few ways we can mix things up.

Photo 1

RGB to Grayscale is Easy
In most photo editing software programs, there is often an easy way to convert an RGB image to a ‘grayscale’ or b&w image. Most programs have a formula where the software takes proportions of each of the three channels and mixes the tones to give a final grayscale image. In Photoshop, the conversion factor is 59% of the green, 30% of the red and 11% of the blue channel for conversion to black-n-white (Image>Mode>Grayscale). In this software conversion, we get a grayscale image from the original (see photo 2A), but usually the result is not as exciting as it could be if we took more control of the mix. Photo 2B is the simple grayscale conversion done in Photoshop.
Pick Your Own Ingredients
The best thing to do when first planning a strategy for b&w conversion is to take a look at the separate channels to see what you have. In Photoshop, bring up the channels palette (Windows>Show Channels) and click on each channel separately to view. Often one of the channels will stand out. If you see one channel that absolutely sings, just target that channel by clicking on it and then go to Image>Mode>Grayscale and Photoshop will discard the other two channels of the colour image and make a grayscale image using only the information from the selected channel. For landscape photos, I often find that the red channel or green channel alone will yield some amazing effects. So before doing any grayscale conversion, do a little channel surfing first to see what you have to work with.
Blending Two Channels

Photo 2A

Photo 2B

Photo 2C

Photo 2D

Photo 2E

Often two channels (usually the red and the green) make interesting black and white images, but a better image would result from a combination of both. To mix both channels, I often resort to one of my favorite tools in Photoshop, the calculations command. This little image modifier lets you pick your two favorite channels and mix them in any proportion and in any manner of blending you desire. To use it go to: Image>Calculations. In the dialog box that follows, you chose which two channels you want to mix and how you want to blend them (which blending mode). I play with different percentages of opacity between the channels and use ‘normal’ blending mode until I get an effect I like (see Photo 2C, a 50-50 blend of the red and green channel). Make sure you specify Results>New Document so Photoshop will know to make a separate grayscale image from your calculations blend. The resulting image is actually a lone channel and it needs to be converted to grayscale before it can be used further (to do so just go to Image>Mode>Grayscale)
Blending Three Channels
If you like the information in all three channels and want to mix up things in an effective manner, try the channel Mixer command in Photoshop (Image>Adjust>Channel Mixer). Here you can mix the channels in infinite combinations of opacities using all three channels. The key here is to make sure you have the ‘monochrome’ box checked and to remember one important rule: for optimal image quality make sure the percentages chosen in all three channels adds up to 100% (e.g. red 60%, green 30% and blue 10% or even red 200%, green –70%, and blue –30%). The channel mixer takes a bit of playing with to understand how it works, but if you remember the 100% rule you can come up with some pretty amazing effects (see Photo 2D).
Blending Three Channels Selectively
Of the techniques described here, this is the most flexible because it allows you to take parts of channels and blend them together into one image. So, say you like the sky from the red channel, you love the flowers from the blue channel, but you like the mountains in the green channel (as in Photo 1)… with this technique you can have all of it in one, in any manner you like. No other b&w technique offers as much control and flexibility as this one.
Your goal is to make a new document and make the individual channels from the original document into ‘layers’. Layers are like different copies of the image stacked one on top of the other. Think of slides stacked in a pile on a light table and you’ve got layers. In Photoshop you can turn down the opacity of each image and blend them in any combination or order you want. So, just like in the channel mixer, you could use different levels of opacity to blend the three layers to give you a variety of effects. The real power of layers is that you can selectively ‘erase’ parts of one layer and reveal what is in the layer or layers below. Using this feature (called ‘layer masks’) allows one to pick the best parts of each channel (now in the form of layers) and build the best black-n-white image possible. This is an advanced Photoshop technique, so if you are a beginner you’ll need to learn about layers and layer masks before trying the steps outlined below:

Click on the first channel in your document (the red channel) in the channels palette. Copy this channel to your computer’s clipboard (Select>All, then Edit>Copy). Create a new document (File>New, then press OK). Photoshop makes a new document the correct size. Now paste the information from the clipboard into the new document (Edit>Paste) and voila, a new layer in a new document is created from the red channel.
Go back to the original colour document, target the green channel by clicking on it, and repeat step 1 above (Select>All, then Edit>Copy). Now go to the new document and paste the green channel into it (Edit>Paste). Repeat these steps for the blue channel.
The result will be three layers in a new document based on the old document’s channels.
Simply by varying the order of the layers (dragging one layer above another) and playing with the layer opacity sliders you can blend the three layers anyway you like. This works just like the channel mixer but is more intuitive.
For the ultimate in control add layer masks (Layer>Add Layer Mask>Reveal All) to the top two layers. Wherever you paint on the layer mask with a black brush, the underlying layer from below is revealed. By planning the ordering of your layers carefully and using layer masks, you can paint away the areas you don’t like and reveal areas from the layers below that you do like. If you make a mistake, just paint over the area with white and the original layer information returns. Layer masks add the ultimate in flexibility. Layer masks take a bit of practice to use and understand, so again, if this is all new to you get out the Photoshop tutorial and learn how to use layers and layer masks. You’ll be glad you did.
Finally, flatten the image to remove the layers. Photo 2E is the final result where I took the best info from all three channels and selectively blended them into one photo. Often I will reconvert the resulting grayscale image back to RGB and then add a colour tone, like you would to a darkroom print.

Photo 3 is a composite image of my landscape photo, converted using the channel mixer method, and a wolf shot of Tom Kitchin’s where I used only the green channel information. Using different methods of b+w conversion in the same image gave me the best photo possible. I used layers and layer masks to montage the two images and then selectively toned the image with colour.

Photo 3

Today’s imaging software makes conversion of colour images to black-n-white a snap, but like any simple “push a button” approach, you lose flexibility to add your own vision to the mix. By using channels or channels as layers and selectively doing your own tonal blending, you will be that much closer to producing your own black-n-white masterpieces.

In-Camera Metering

naswarman.com.pk@gmail.com (A A) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:59:00 -0800

In-Camera Metering

by nm
NYIP's newest student advisor, George Delgado, is a professional photographer, and an NYIP graduate. In addition to running a portrait and wedding photography business here in New York City, George has a wide variety of experience in business and an extensive background in the aviation industry including stints as a pilot and aviation instructor. In his first article for NYIP. com, George takes up the issue of metering for proper exposure. Welcome George!
We've had a lot of questions from students about using their camera's built-in light meter. Here's an overview which we hope will give you a basic understanding of the subject. We're going to cover three aspects of in-camera metering; a General Overview, Metering Modes, and some Tricks and Tips to Use of Your Camera's Light Meter more effectively.

General Overview — What your Camera's Meter "Sees"

Light meters are color-blind. The light meter sees every scene as if it were an average, medium gray, halfway between black and white. So the meter always assumes that the scene is average in tone and reflectance. In many scenes, that's OK. As long as the light and dark areas in the scene are within the exposure latitude of the film or the digital camera's sensor you'll probably get an acceptable exposure. Bright highlights in one part of the frame may be balanced by dark shadows in other areas, as well as mid tones that fall between the extremes, and the overall average may be that medium gray that the meter thinks it's looking at.
But when you frame a subject in the viewfinder, the camera's light meter has absolutely no idea whether you are photographing a blonde bride in a pure white wedding gown against a pale background on bright day, or a black bear in a very dark shady forest. All the meter "sees" is how much light is striking its sensor, and it assumes the scene averages out to medium gray. And with pale brides or black bears, that can lead to exposure errors. In its attempt to render every scene as medium gray in tone, the meter will tend to overexpose dark subjects, making them appear lighter and underexpose light subjects, making them look darker.
One of the ways to get better exposures is to meter a gray card, rather than the subject. The meter's assumption that the scene is medium gray will be matched by having the meter actually measure light reflected off a medium gray card. Just make sure the light hitting the card is the same quality of light on the subject, and you should get a good exposure.

Metering Modes

Let's move on to discuss Metering Modes. The metering Mode determines which part of the frame the light meter is reading and how the meter is going to calculate "correct" exposure. By selecting the best metering mode you may be able to fine-tune the reading to better suit your subject matter. Camera manufacturers may use different words to describe these modes, but the three basic choices are Evaluative , Center-Weighted Average, and Spot.
Evaluative metering — also called Matrix Metering — depends on complex algorithmic calculations performed by your camera's computer chip. It breaks the scene down into individual segments, measures the light in each segment, and compares it to templates programmed into the cameras computer chip. If it "sees" that the upper 2/3 of the scene averages 2 stops brighter than the bottom third, and that there's fairly constant line of demarcation between the two, it may say "aha — I bet that's a landscape and the top is sky and the bottom is land. I have an algorithm to calculate exposures for landscapes, so that's what I'll use". So, as the name Evaluative Metering indicates, in this mode the light meter is programmed to evaluate the scene, look for a corresponding template, and apply that template to the exposure calculation. It works surprisingly well most of the time, but it's far from foolproof.
Center Weighted Average (CWA) is a less sophisticated approach that assumes whatever is centered in the frame is the main subject, so it calculates an average that gives more importance to whatever is in the middle of the frame. That's probably good for many "snapshots" but if you are composing your photographs artistically, the most important element in your composition may be off-center, following the Rule of Thirds or your own sense of artistic composition. In that situation CWA may give you an incorrect reading.
Finally, there's Spot Metering. In the Spot Metering mode only a tiny area of the frame is metered, typically just 2% to 4% of the whole scene. Most cameras (read your User's Manual to understand how your particular model works) let you choose which of the focus points will be metered, allowing you to compose your photograph in the viewfinder and meter just the area immediately around the focus point you have selected, and ignoring the rest of the exposure information in the frame. Remember the blonde bride in a white dress against a light background on a sunny day? Many portrait and wedding photographers have learned that spot-metering the subject's cheek, just below the eye, gives them a good reading in what can be a challenging situation.

Whichever mode you select, the general goal is to "center" the indicator in the viewfinder for a good exposure. As a creative photographer you also have the option of "tweaking" the exposure by changing the aperture or shutter speed to deliberately under or overexpose the image a bit to achieve a better result. Moving the indicator to the "plus" side by slowing the shutter speed or opening the aperture increases the exposure and will lighten the image; moving the indicator to the "minus" side by increasing shutter speed or closing down the aperture will reduce the exposure and the image will be darker.

Tips and Tricks

1. Use a gray card when you are in tricky lighting situations. You might think that this technique would work well with brides, but not with bears. Not so. While you can't get the bear to hold a gray card for you, you can meter the gray card without approaching the bear — just get the card in the same kind of light and it will give you an accurate exposure reading.
2. Meter what matters most. If you are photographing a scene that has a high dynamic range of more than 8 or 9 "stops" of exposure difference between the lightest and darkest area, it may exceed the exposure latitude of your film or digital sensor. So you may have to decide what is most important and expose for that part of the frame. If you're doing portrait photography, the subject's face is probably the most important part of the composition. Spot Meter the subject's cheek, or fill the viewfinder with your subject's face by zooming in or walking up to the subject, manually set the exposure, then move back to reframe the subject. Don't worry if your camera won't focus on the subject if you get too close. The light meter is independent of focus, so it will still give you a good reading, even when you're too close to focus. At a wedding, it's more important to capture the detail in the bride's white dress than to preserve shadow detail of the groom's black tuxedo, so you can choose to expose for the highlights, and not worry about the shadows being too dark.
3. Learn to see and understand challenging lighting situations. Use your training and judgment. Is the scene you have framed in the viewfinder much darker or lighter than medium gray? Classic examples of images that are lighter are white snow or powder sand beaches. In those situations, you know that the meter may be "tricked" and your image could be underexposed if the meter needle is centered. You may need to move the needle a click or two to the "plus" side by opening the aperture, slowing the shutter, or increasing ISO. Scenes that are darker than medium gray — the black bear in the woods — may come out overexposed and you'll need to move the needle a bit to the "minus" side by selecting a smaller aperture, faster shutter speed, or lower ISO. Warning! While many in-camera meters follow the standard convention of "plus" being to the right of center, and "minus" being to the left, one major manufacturer switches that around, so be sure to check if you are using a new camera for the first time!
4. Use the histogram on the back of your camera if you're a digital shooter, to supplement the information the meter is giving you. Is the histogram way off to the right or left? This will tell you if you are losing detail on the highlight or shadow areas of the image, and you can adjust your exposure accordingly.
5. Bracket your exposure. When in doubt, consider bracketing your exposure, taking three successive images, one with the meter needle centered, one deliberately "overexposed" and a third deliberately "underexposed". With most modern SLRs you can choose Auto Exposure Bracketing, and the camera will do the work of changing the exposure settings for you. Be aware that there's a big extra cost to bracketing. Film photographers will triple their film and print costs, using up three frames instead of one, and digital photographers will use three times more memory and may spend three times longer in their post production efforts. If you are editing 3,000 frames from a wedding or vacation trip, instead of 1,000, that's a lot of extra money, time and effort!
Proper exposure is elemental to good photography. We hope this overview on using your camera's built-in light meter will help you "nail it" more consistently.

Digital Photography

How to Photograph Flowers -- Part I

How to Photograph Flowers -- Part I

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

www.ronbigelow.com

Equipment

Light

White Balance

Exposure

Wind

How to Photograph Flowers -- Part

How to Photograph Flowers -- Part II

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

www.ronbigelow.com

Pristine with Character

Center of Interest

Composition

SGD

Simple

Graceful

Dynamic

Wrapping Up the SGD Approach

Photography Ideas: Negative Space

Photography Ideas: Negative Space

Photography Ideas: Triangles and Composition

Photography Ideas: Triangles and Composition

Photography ideas: Center of Interest

Photography ideas: Center of Interest

Photography Ideas: Color

Infinite Depth of Field

Infinite Depth of Field

Photography Ideas

Photography Ideas

Part 2

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Balance

Tension

Framing

Color in Black and White

Chiaroscuro

Reflections

Photography Ideas

Photography Ideas

Part 1

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Contents

Color

Tonal Contrast

Triangles

Negative Space

Mood

Low Light

Previsualization -- Part II

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

What to Previsualize

Composition

Light

Shadows

Weather

Wind

Interpolation Revisited

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Interpolation Methods evaluated

Interpolation Results

Conclusion

How to Create the Highest Quality Prints

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Photoshop CS4 Used in this Tutorial

Start with Raw

Choose the Best Raw Converter for the Image

Edit in the Raw Converter

Use Nondestructive Editing

Select the Best Interpolation Method

Select the Best Printing Resolution

Selecting a Good Printer

Texture Photography -- Part 1

Article and Photography by Ron Bigelow

Why Shoot Texture Photography

Types of Texture Photography

Composition