Create this image in the comfort of your kitchen – it’s easier than you think!

This image won me the title Photographer of the Year 2011 for the UK based Practical Photography and Digital Photo magazines.  Many people believe that images like this are beyond their capabilities, but I’ve got news for you!… It’s a lot easier than you think!  I firmly believe that everyone is capable of creating this image.  There’s no expensive equipment required, just a little time, attention to detail and you need a few things that you already have lying around your house.

With all the necessary things together, it should take no more than 90 minutes to set everything up and get the basic shot, then a couple of hours using Photoshop to produce the final image!

So what are you waiting for… let’s get started!

Equipment

• Paperclip
• Black frying pan filled with water
• Tissue paper & pencil
• Venetian blind with background stand (or similar)
• Tripod
• Flashgun & softbox
• Remote flash trigger (or PC cord)
• Camera (ideally with macro lens)

A macro lens is preferable, but not essential.  My first attempt at this shot shown below was taken using a Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 lens!  Using this lens the camera had to be just over a metre away from the paperclip and a tighter crop was required (with the resulting loss in resolution), but the results are still quite spectacular.

Note: this image was taken using natural light behind the blind rather than a flash… and the difference in contrast of the lines on the water is quite obvious!  

Step 1 – Setting up

• Start by placing the pan on to a suitable stand (I used a chair!) which is about 1m in front of where venetian blind will be positioned.  Fill the pan with water up to about 1cm from the top.
  
• Hang the venetian blind from a suitable support (I used a background stand) and lower the blind.
• Position the softbox behind the centre of the blind and slightly higher than the pan with the softbox angled slightly downward.  The light source being higher than the pan makes it possible to get the reflection of the blind in the shot.
• Finally place the camera on a tripod behind the pan.  A tripod is not essential but it makes life a lot easier to get a pin sharp shot!
• You should now have a setup that look something like this:
  
• Once the flash triggers are fitted to camera and flash, the basic setup is complete!
• That wasn’t too difficult now was it?!
• Now you’ve just got to float the paperclip!…

Step 2 – Floating the paperclip

This part really isn’t as difficult as you may think and all that’s required is a steady hand and a little patience!

Hint: If the inner curve of the paperclip bends outwards, then placing this down into the water will bend the surface of the water more, producing more dramatic shadow reflections.

Carefully place the paperclip on a small piece of tissue and gently lower it into the water… they both should float!

Then use a blunt object, the non-pointy end of a pencil works well, to push one corner of the tissue under the water… keep pushing until the tissue is at the bottom of the pan and then drag it to the side…

There we have it – you’ve got a floating paperclip!

Once floating, the paperclip will drift around the pan slowly… if it touches the sides it may sink, so you can keep it in the centre of the pan by gently blowing on the surface of the water.

Now you’re ready to take some shots!

Step 3 – Taking the shot!

Camera settings

The settings for my original shot with a Canon EOS 450D with a 100mm EF f/2.8 macro USM lens were:

• 1/160
• f/20 (because I wanted to maximise the shallow depth of field of the macro lens)</li>
• ISO: 400

Set the flash power

The flash settings you use will vary on what kit you are using, how far away the flash is from the camera etc.  But a couple of test shots varying the flash power sould soon get you in the right area!

Adjust the blind

Once you get the exposure and flash power correct and you can see the lines of shadow from the venetian blind, the only other variable is the angle of the slats of the blind.

Experiment with a few different angles of the slats to find what gives the best shadows.

Shoot away…

This was my favourite image and the one that continued to work on…

Step 4 – Post production

Clean up the image

Open the image in Photoshop, the first and most time consuming task was to use the Clone Stamp tool to carefully remove the dust particles from the surface of the water.Once the cloning is done, you should have an image that looks like this:

Blur the background

Copy the original image as a new layer and use a Gaussian blur with layer mask to blur the outer corners of the image.

Sharpen the lines on the water

Use a High Pass filter with Overlay blending mode to sharpen the lines on the water’s surface to sharpen them up and really make them pop.

Colour the water

Add some colour to the water…  Create a new blank layer on top of the original image and fill it with the desired colour.  Set the layer blending mode to “Colour burn” and adjust the opacity to give the desired colour.  I used 87%.  Use a layer mask and carefully paint over the paperclip to reveal the original silver colour.

Boost the contrast

I added a final Curves layer to boost the contrast and darken the shadows… but this may not be required depending upon how dark the shadows are in the original image.

You’re done!

And there you have it… you’re done!  That wasn’t too difficult now was it!  You can now show off your stunning image to the world!

How to Do a Pin-Up Girl Photoshoot Using Stuff From Your Closet (Or Someone Else’s)
(this was my approach when I first began doing this sort of work)

• Cost: $0  (I had everything we used for these photos already on hand so we just got to it)
• Supplies For Backdrop: .
• White or light colored fabric. We used Fabrics that  I had laying around. You can also use white sheets, or anything that will cover up a lot of wall and floor space.
• A clip-on shop light or positionable lamp will work. I had two lights from amazon.com that were 60 bucks for the pair . You can use any kind of light source – the goal is just to be able to point the light where you want it to be (usually on the model’s face) which is important for indoor shooting.
• Thumb tacks or tape to tack up your backdrop to a wall.  I used a staple gun.

• Supplies For Costuming/Props: Here’s where you can get really creative.  What I did was simply google “pin-up girl photography” where a ton of photos popped up with all kinds of themes and ideas for poses and props.  But, just to save you that step, here’s some stuff I like to use the most. You most likely have, can borrow, or at least buy these items at the dollar or thrift store:
• A Cute Bathing Suit. Bonus if you happen to have a vintage inspired suit, lingerie, robes, stockings, garters
• High Heels: This needs no expounding.  Stilettos and peep-toes are great.  Espadrilles work too.
• Pencil Skirt and White Poplin Shirt: If you don’t happen to have a high waisted black pencil skirt, someone you know does.  Or you can just do what I do and hit the local thrift store.
• Big Flower/Cocktail Hats/Feather Fascinators:  Or, steal a flower off of one of your home’s arrangements and pin it in the model’s hair.
• Misc. Costuming Ideas: There are SO many!  Here are some I like most:  trench coats and umbrellas (for that “Singing in the Rain” vibe), feather boas, cat-eye glasses (I just found some yesterday at the dollar store), lots of drapery,  jewelry and pearls (raid the little girls dress-up section or your niece’s closet), an American flag towel or blanket (to wrap up in for the “patriotic pin up”), fishnet stockings, knee-highs, plaid skirts, anything else that looks retro or fun to use.  And if you want to do something oober-sexy for that special guy, get bold and put on some cute lingerie!
• A Bench/Table/Chair: For a lot of the pin up poses you’ll want to have your model sit on something.  Anything works, although simple seating is best since it doesn’t detract from the subject matter.
• Misc. Prop Ideas: Beach bag, books, old telephone, hand held mirror, umbrella, you get the idea.

Questions?  Would you like more ideas?  Google it!  There are SO many fun pin up sites out there that you can borrow ideas from!

So, you have your backdrop pinned up, your lights on, and all the costume stuff piled up and ready to go.  Now what?  Time to play DRESS UP!! I personally love to experiment with makeup and hair and have taught myself to do some pretty basic pin up styles.  But, if you aren’t as confident in you makeover abilities, check youtube tutorials to learn what you need to know quickly and easily.

Once you have your model’s face on and hair done, it’s time to start taking pics! Next, turn on some fun music and get going! Its hard to get started at first, especially if your model is shy.  So the best thing to do is find some poses you want to try and have them either printed out or up on the computer screen where you can instruct your model or just show her what you want her to do.  Pretty soon you’ll both loosen up and the original ideas will start flowing. Thats it!! Easy breezy and SO MUCH FUN! Your friends and family are going to think you’re a genius and master photographer!  But, I do have to say, that in order to REALLY get your photos looking in the pin-up style and professional, some editing is required.  I do almost ALL of my photo editing with Photo Scape which you can download free from Cnet.com.

Do you want to take perfectly illuminated portraits of outdoor subjects in bright sunlight? How about in situations where they’re standing in front of a bright background? Do you hate dark shadowed “raccoon eyes?” The answer to make your outdoor portraits pop, is to expose for the sky. Use this tip to make the shot every time!

Using a SLR 35mm autofocus camera and flash, you can create flattering and dramatic outdoor portraits with ease.

Technique:

With the flash turned off and your camera set in manual mode, use the camera’s internal exposure metering system. Looking through the viewfinder, press the shutter button halfway to illuminate the internal panel. The exposure meter is generally in the center on the bottom as you look through the viewfinder. (-2…1…0…1…+2)

To make the adjustments, start by selecting either your f stop or shutter speed. Aim the camera towards the brightest part of the picture, in this case the sky. Using the meter as a guide, adjust your shutter speed and f stop until reading is centered at 0. With the exposure set, turn on your camera’s flash, stand within a normal flash exposure range (6 – 10 ft.), focus on your subject and shoot.

Your flash will fill in and illuminate your subject nicely. If you desire more or less exposure on your subject, step forward or backwards accordingly. Some flash units can also be adjusted manually to allow shorter or longer bursts. This is also an option.

Very important, — always pay attention to the changing light. The sun going behind a cloud while you are shooting can affect the results of your image. The sky is no longer as bright as when the full sun was exposed so you will need to check your exposure meter again for the change in light.

Last, but certainly not least, be kind to your subject, don’t have them facing so they are looking directly into the bright sunlight. They will appreciate it and it will help to avoid squinty, closed looking eyes.

Examples

The image examples below were shot using a Canon 5D Mark II and Speedlight 580 EXII mounted on camera. The lens – 28-135 3.5-5.6 IS.

Photograph 1, was shot using the camera’s internal exposure meter as a guide. ISO was set at 100, f/13 the aperture with a focal length of 135mm. The meter centered at 0 at 1/125 of a second for the shutter speed. Here’s the result:

Photograph 2, shows the camera aimed toward the bright sky behind my subject, adjusting the shutter speed and f stop until the camera’s internal meter was perfectly centered at 0 . This recorded at 1/400 sec, f/13, ISO 100, 135mm. Here’s the result:

Photograph 3, the exposure meter was set for the sky, flash turned on, aim, focus and fire. Here’s the result:

Sum it up: 1/400 sec, f/13, ISO 100, 135mm with on camera flash. Pretty Blue sky, white billowy clouds, nicely illuminated subject…that’s a wrap!

I was a little weary to get it since my Nikon camera is only 6 megapixels. I remember having talked to a salesperson at a local Ritz and him telling me that a fisheye lens will not do well with a low-megapixel camera like the D40 or D50 since it tends to squeeze and distort the image. He said they were better suited to film cameras back in the day. Plus at just under $600 it felt like I was taking a risk getting a lens that might not produce good images.

Well I’m glad I didn’t listen to him and ended up getting the lens anyway. I got the The Nikon AF Nikkor 10.5 mm 1:2.8 G ED for my D50 from Amazon and I can say that it’s been a really, really fun lens. I’ve taken thousands of shots with it and it always adds a cool perspective to my series.

Sometimes I almost feel like I’m cheating – it’s just too easy to take a really cool picture that stands out from the rest. You can check out some of my favorites here:

The lens is really good for taking photos of small spaces such as cramped rooms and anywhere where your field of view is really constricted – think a bathroom on a real estate shoot. Conversely, it’s also awesome for wide open spaces where the perspective will add even more of a sense of grand scale.

Pros?

(The pros definitely outweigh the cons if you ask me, but I’ll try)

Instant fun!

Gives you cool perspectives that no other lens can

Small so it takes up little room in your camera bag

Takes shots

Cons?

In some shots you may have some serious chromatic abberation at the fringes. Errrr, I think that’s right anyway – basically you might have some messed up color and distortion near the edges of the photo. I’m not a huge purist as long as the pic looks cool, so this part doesn’t bother me like it might some people.

It’s a fixed lens so there’s no zoom – you’ll have to move the camera back and forth to adjust what actually fills the frame. The nice thing is that small lateral or up and down movements make a hige difference. Ok, so this part is not really much a con, but I’m trying to come up with a balanced review.

Since there’s so much stuff in the shot, keep in mind that your camera’s built in flash will probably not illuminate all of it, especially in the bottom of the shot (since the lens itself will block light). Here’s an example of what I’m talking about (see the dark area in the bottom of the shot). You’ll either have to not use flash, deal with it, or get an external flash unit.

At $500+ dollars it’s not the cheapest lens, but definitely one of the most fun ones that will let you take some very cool and unusual shots.

If you’re thinking about getting one for yourself or a present – check out the latest prices for the 10.5mm Fisheye lens on Amazon. If you buy through the link above it will help support this site and encourage more posts like this (and make my day).

Happy shooting!

• She has no studio
• Never meets her clients
• Only has a standard camera and uses one lens
• She works in jeans and a tee shirt
• She works when she wants
• If it’s bad weather, she takes the day off
• She is earning excellent money

Interested??
Well Photography’s little secret “Goldmine” is Aerial Photography. It’s amazing. So here’s  the scoop:
Aerial Photography is remarkably accessible, especially to the working photographer, photography enthusiast or even serious hobbyists. We have been taking photographs from aircraft ever since the Wright brothers launched their first Wright Flyer. Here are some of the folks who purchase aerial photos:

• Construction Companies
• Business Owners
• Home Owners
• Event Coordinators
• Insurance Companies
• Attorneys
• Local, State and Federal Governments

Many people think you must be a pilot in order to take aerials…

Well nothing could be further from the truth. Many photographers have arrangements with aircraft owners to take them up for a pre-agreed fee. Others simply hire a plane and Commercial Pilot from the local flight School at their community airport. Most communities have an airport and almost all of these have someone qualified to pilot an aircraft for these aerial missions.

So let’s spend a few moments discussing equipment:

My first aerial photo camera was (and I still own it) a Pentax 6×7 Medium Format Camera with a couple of lenses. If you are a Film purist, this is still a great choice and inexpensive if you are shopping.

For the Digital folks, I recommend a bare minimum of 10 megapixels and anything beyond 14 megapixels is overkill. I currently use a Canon 5D (not Mark II) and couple it with a Canon 100-400 Zoom lens. I almost NEVER take this lens off. That’s it…

No special lighting, no meters, backdrops, sets, studios, rent…

So where do you find all this business? Well the answer is…it depends on how much business you are seeking.

If you’d like to add a little business, all you need is the simplest (usually free) Yellow Pages listing you can get. In most cases, this will yield a few jobs and of course “word of mouth” will add a few more. Another free source of business is Craig’s List.

For those looking for a Full Time serious income…it’s out there but you are going to need to be a full time 9 to 5 business person…how do you do that? Well that’s the topic for another time.

I would recommend a visit to the airport to meet the Flight School owner and introduce yourself. They frequently get requests for Aerial Photography work that they are not typically set up to do. If you take a bag of bagels or a box of Krispy Kremes, you are well on your way to developing a working relationship. Offering to take a few complimentary photos of their aircraft helps too.

Step 1 to get set up for this exciting field in photography is to find a plane and pilot and go take some sample photos. A few guidelines here are important:

As photographers, we love the sweeping vistas of the mountain range or the beautiful images created as the setting sun reflects of the azure waters of the lake. This is great for contests or coffee table books…not here.. Ansel!! You will want photographs that showcase the kind of photos your clients will want to buy. So focus (pun intended) on these:

• Beautiful Homes…avoid mansions though.
• Businesses…try to get businesses with their own building
• Community Landmarks…buildings, college stadiums
• Factories
• Farms and Ranches especially Horse Ranches…focus on the structures not the pastures…Unless there is livestock present, cattle herds and horses grazing
• Bridges, Construction Sites, Golf Courses

The idea here is this: The client will want to see some samples of your work. This work should allow them to identify with the photos you show them. They will be able to do that if they see an image that is at least similar to what they own or want photographed.

Here are a few samples of the types of samples you might consider.

It’s an exciting field of photography, it’s little known and not many folks are doing it.

Give it some thought. If you like a little adventure, like airplanes and the chance of a new stream of income, go take a few samples shots and give it a shot…after all…..Our Business is Taking Off !!

David Rodwell
Aerial Photography Academy

Are you old enough to remember the television show, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood? The opening scene was a model mock-up of the perfect little neighborhood. That is a fine example of tilt shift photography images, and perhaps nostalgia has something to do with why these types of photos are adored. They’re colorful, cute, and they tend to make this big world around us feel a bit cozier.

There are several methods to achieving this look in a photo. One is to purchase a lens. Lensbaby came out with a series of lenses in 2004, fairly inexpensive and compatible with all of the big name slr’s camera companies. A Nikon or Canon tilt shift can run you up to a couple of thousand dollars.

 photo credit: VinothChandar

Another technique is to use Photoshop. Okay, so it’s not a look that you get sooc (straight out of the camera), but it can be decently achieved when using the right photo and Photoshop tools. Due to the nature of the shot needing to look like a model, an aerial view of something would help give it the right effect. So, photos from high places, such as a tall building, a rooftop, ferris wheel, helicopter, or a bridge would lend itself to a workable photo. It would also help to have clusters of the same subject type, such as people on a boardwalk, running a race or in a parade. Another idea that works well is to photograph large motor vehicles like busses, trucks, trains, airplanes or boats. A few simple steps in Photoshop, like pumping up the hue and blurring part of the image will give you a cute little tilt shift photo!

By blurring a large portion of the photo and leaving just a small slice, about 1/3-1/4 of the photo in focus, you create a shallow depth of field. There is also a site called tiltshiftmaker.com that will help you transform your sooc images into tilt shift works of art.

Tilt-shift photography images are fun and are becoming pretty popular. I personally feel a bit like a kid in a toyshop when I view these photos because they look like a fun toy to play with. Tilt shifts are fun shots that would look great in a kids’ room. As kids’ room décor is becoming a bit more sophisticated, this still gives a child-like feel, but has a mature look to it as well. I also think they’d be a great addition to an office, as they are fun and can attract positive energy to the place you probably need to seek a little joy when you look up from your desk.

These shots can also make a great 365 project or 52-week project for photographers, because we love to challenge ourselves and look for inspiration. By purchasing a special lens, using your Photoshop techniques, or scanning for tilt shift software on the internet, the project is all about having fun and learning something new.

UPDATE:  I’ve just found an amazing Tilt Shift Photoshop plugin called:  FocalPoint 2  Try it out for free for yourself and when you’re ready to buy – use our exclusive coupon code: vizphotoguide 

1. Injuries
2. What you’re eating
3. Unextraordinary photos of your dog (or cat or baby)
4. Clouds
5. You kissing your significant (or insignificant as the case may be) other

Send this to your friends who need an intervention.

A crystal ball inverts the scenery so everything inside looks upside down and captures a really wide angle. It’s sort of a poor man’s fisheye lens, but more flexible in what you can do with it.

You can get a crystal or glass ball or sphere by robbing a sorcerer, borrowing it from that crazy tarot card lady around the corner, or buying one off eBay (which is what I did since I don’t live near Hogwarts Academy.) It cost me less than $50 including shipping.

A lot of the shots looks great if you rotate the image 180 degrees (flip it upside down in your image editing program) so what’s reflected inside the crystal ball looks right side up and the background ends up blurry (out of focus) and upside down.

Play with the placement of the ball closer and farther away from the camera lens and be sure to focus on the image inside the ball – dslr’s are a lot better at this on manual mode since autofocus will often not focus properly. Turn off the flash, and be aware of any glare that’s coming from your side of the ball.

Added bonus: when you’re walking around with a crystal ball in your hand (like I just did in Miami Beach), people will think you’re a sorcerer. Especially if you’re wearing a cape or laughing maniacally. If you can get past the initial fear, people might even pay you $5 to tell them about their future. And afterwards, you can take a picture of them upside down. Everyone wins.

Photomatix Pro is by far my favorite program for creating and tone mapping HDR photos. It’s easy to use and gives you simple controls for getting the awesome color effects you see in all those great HDR’s, without having to open up Photoshop and knowing how to tone map by hand.

I recently got the people at HDRsoft to create a Photomatix coupon code for our readers (anyone can use it) for 15% off any of the HDR software programs:

HOTSHOTPHOTO

This coupon code will work for any of these products:

• Photomatix Pro (standalone + Lightroom plug-in)
• Photomatix Pro Plus Bundle (standalone + plug-ins)
• Photomatix Essentials / Light
• Photomatix Plug-In for Apple Aperture
• Photomatix Tone Mapping Plugin for Photoshop CS2/3/4/5

To get this discount applied to your order, follow these steps:

• Go to the Photomatix order page
• Click the buy button for the software version you need
• In the box where it says “Coupon Code” put in: HOTSHOTPHOTO
• Click the recalculate button
• It will show you the special discount applied with your new price
• Complete the rest of the order form

That should do it. To give you an example: the regular price of Photomatix Pro is $99 so with this coupon code you should be able to get it for $84.15.

Once you have Photomatix installed you can go through their short tutorial (which you can see once you launch the program). It’s pretty clear and easy to follow. Once you have a chance to experiment with your own HDR photos, you might want to join the Flickr HDR group. Hope to see you there.

Flash

Using the flash on your digital camera to introduce more light to the scene artificially is the most obvious way to solve the problem of low lighting. However, flash photography has many drawbacks.

When it comes to taking pictures of people or animals, using a flash can spoil your shot by distracting the subject or causing them to blink. There’s also the age-oldproblem of ‘red eye’, which although with a digital camera can be eliminated during processing using photographic software, can ruin an otherwise excellent portraitshot.

A flash can also lead to a shot that looks artificial as it will tend to illuminate closer objects while making backgrounds and other elements look dull. On top of this, many built-in flashes concentrate light onto the centre of the image, leading to ‘flash fall-off’ at the edges of the image and a lack of contrast around the edges of the picture.

With a standard point-and-shoot digital camera it can be difficult to take good photos using the built-in flash. But if you have a digital SLR camera you can use an adjustable external flash gun to bounce the light off walls, ceilings or other surfaces to create a more natural lighting effect. A handy tip is to cover the flash with tracing paper, which will also help to diffuse the light and give a more natural result.

Use a big lens

The amount of light entering the camera through the lens is also a crucial factor. If you’ve got a digital SLR camera you can improve image quality in low-light conditions by using a bigger lens. The size of the lens determines the maximum aperture opening (measured in f-stops), and consequently the amount of light that enters the camera.

When it comes to lenses, the lower the f-stop number the larger the aperture, so when purchasing a bigger lens for low light photography go for one with a low aperture number, such as f1.4.

Exmor Cmos sensor

night shots require steady hands

The key to getting a crisper image in low conditions is increasing the amount of light getting to the image sensor inside the camera. With a standard digital camera the sensitivity of the sensor is limited as a result of the network of tiny wires running across it. This means that the image has to be electronically boosted, inevitably resulting in digital ‘noise’ that spoils the overall quality of the picture.

The Sony Exmor Cmos sensor has solved this problem by placing these wires behind the sensor, allowing more light into the sensor naturally. This means that the image does not need to be artificially boosted to such a high degree, resulting in low light photos with significantly reduced picture noise, even on a point-and-shoot digital camera.

Play with the ISO settings

higher ISO means more noise

Finally, you can play around with the settings on your camera and see what works best with the light available. You can change how sensitive the camera’s sensor is to light by altering the ISO setting. A higher setting, such as 800 or even 1600, will pickup more light, but it will also increase the amount of image noise.

You can also use a lower shutter speed to keep the aperture open for longer and allow more light in, but to reduce motion blur you will need to use a tripod (this is especially true if you’re shooting HDR). This method is also not effective for capturing moving subjects. If you are not comfortable playing around with these settings on your camera, then it’s best to switch them to auto and take your chances.

Popular Digital Cameras at Amazon