Have you ever been in a situation where you're limited by the shortage of power in your camera? I know my answer - yes.
I made the leap into DSLRs and enjoyed making photos without needing to think about how many shots left before film had to be reloaded. What I duly forgot on one outing was "reloading" the battery in my new camera. Inevitably I lost power at the worst possible time and missed plenty of opportunities, and that was one of the more important lessons I've learnt with digital. Check power the day before you need to use your camera.
But other than checking, there are ways to reduce the likelihood of such downtime. Carrying a spare battery is one method. But make sure that that's charged too!
A more costlier method is a battery grip. It can be a practical solution to utilise two batteries whilst giving better handling in a portrait orientation. A grip shouldn't just be an additional block to add onto the camera body. Official versions usually have a thumbdial (or two) to adjust settings, and an electronic shutter release. There are third party grips available in the market that don't have thumbdials or an electronic shutter release. I'd recommend caution when using these. They give the benefit of utilising a second battery and improving handling in portrait orientation. However they are useless when in that rotation. In portrait orientation you have no control over the camera, and you therefore have to reach over to the original grip to control the thumbdials and in releasing the shutter. With this in mind, for all those who've been seeking a grip for the paltry Nikons D40, 40x and 60 - there's no point. A spare battery is better. If you're attempting the vain notion of making your camera look more professional, it really doesn't matter. It's not the camera that's important about a professional - it's how YOU use it. Bear in mind these 3 cameras were also designed small and compact - the idea of a grip is against this - and therefore Nikon never made electronics capable of accepting a grip with an electronic shutter. Third-party grips exist but with infra-red releases that don't allow auto-focus.
Moving onto other cameras in general, a grip with the right controls will provide extra juice in your camera while also increasing functionality in the portrait orientation. It can also balance the camera when heavier lenses are fitted. Some grips also have an adaptor to fit AA-sized batteries - a handy addition when you run out of power in the field and there are stores nearby. AA-sized batteries are quite common that they can be easily found.
If you're shooting a wedding, I'd recommend bringing at least a spare battery and your charger - you can then roll batteries. When you drain one battery, you simply swap it to the spare and then recharge the one that's run out. By the time you're getting close to draining the spare you ought to have another that's fully charged.
Until next time.
Sunday 31 August 2008
Saturday 30 August 2008
Choosing a camera
With the advent of several new camera models over the last few weeks a lot of questions have been asked regarding which one to buy, or whether an existing camera needs replacing. The answers are very simple and are condensed in this post. Let's start listing these points:
#1. Assess what you want.
Putting it simply there are different cameras for different purposes. Knowing what you want will narrow down the list of potential candidates and make decisions a little bit easier.
Other than the functions of the camera, put into consideration your budget and future aspirations with your new gadget. Will you take photography seriously and need room to expand your collection of equipment? Or do you just want a camera to take around in case there might be an opportunity for snaps?
#2. Trying the cameras.
Bring a memory card (if you have one) to a camera store to test cameras. It will let you record and take home test images to review later.
#3. How the camera feels in YOUR hands (IMPORTANT!).
There's a different camera for each one of us. How it feels physically is a key distinguishing feature. If the camera feels a little awkward or doesn't feel good at all, it really isn't going to persuade you to take more images.
Things to consider when you're handling a camera is the weight, size, grip, how easy is it to compose a picture on the screen or through the viewfinder, and build quality.
For this reason I'd recommend going to a camera store and play with the cameras before making a decision. You can always make a purchase online after careful consideration.
#4. Dispelling myths.
There are two long-standing myths out there - more megapixels doesn't mean a better camera, and a better camera doesn't mean better pictures. Confused? Here's why.
Digital cameras record images through a sensor. This sensor only has a finite amount of surface area. It is on this area that information from light is converted into pixels. So if you have a large number of pixels then they're more likely to be cramped on the sensor. In low light conditions the pixels will 'fight' one another for light and the result is a grainy image (digital noise). Then there are different sized sensors - in digital SLRs (DSLR) a common size is the APS-C sized sensor which is larger than a sensor in a compact camera. This means that each pixel on a DSLR sensor is bigger than in a compact for the same given number of megapixels. The underlying message is don't judge cameras by megapixels.
The second myth is a better camera doesn't mean better pictures - it's the photographer that chooses the subject for the photo and takes the picture. The camera merely facilitates. The camera is often only as good as the person behind it.
Now having said that - how can we actually compare cameras then? Well how they feel in our hands certainly will play an important part, but image quality is what we want and how we judge the ability of a camera by. Test shots taken from testing a camera in store is useful to help determine this, but reading reviews by trusted websites and magazines may also be of use. Having said this, do be aware of bias and amateur reviewers who don't necessarily know what they are talking about.
Choosing a camera isn't easy. It gets easier the more advanced a photographer you are when understanding builds up and you know what to demand from your equipment.
I personally use the Nikon DSLR range and their system of lenses and flashguns. That doesn't mean they are the best (in fact I dislike some of their products) - it just is the brand that provided the camera that felt right for me and gave exactly what I demanded and still demand. On occasions I use Canon and Olympus equipment to keep myself familiarised with what's on offer from the other manufacturers.
From a more advanced perspective, if you wish to take photography further then you should be considering the following:
- a DSLR (it will allow more room for future expansion than a superzoom or compact camera)
- good lenses that fit your purpose
- adding additional external flashguns
- accessories and peripherals (bags, straps, cleaning equipment)
But this doesn't rule out buying a compact or superzoom camera - remember that the camera is only as good as the person behind it.
All the best.
#1. Assess what you want.
Putting it simply there are different cameras for different purposes. Knowing what you want will narrow down the list of potential candidates and make decisions a little bit easier.
Other than the functions of the camera, put into consideration your budget and future aspirations with your new gadget. Will you take photography seriously and need room to expand your collection of equipment? Or do you just want a camera to take around in case there might be an opportunity for snaps?
#2. Trying the cameras.
Bring a memory card (if you have one) to a camera store to test cameras. It will let you record and take home test images to review later.
#3. How the camera feels in YOUR hands (IMPORTANT!).
There's a different camera for each one of us. How it feels physically is a key distinguishing feature. If the camera feels a little awkward or doesn't feel good at all, it really isn't going to persuade you to take more images.
Things to consider when you're handling a camera is the weight, size, grip, how easy is it to compose a picture on the screen or through the viewfinder, and build quality.
For this reason I'd recommend going to a camera store and play with the cameras before making a decision. You can always make a purchase online after careful consideration.
#4. Dispelling myths.
There are two long-standing myths out there - more megapixels doesn't mean a better camera, and a better camera doesn't mean better pictures. Confused? Here's why.
Digital cameras record images through a sensor. This sensor only has a finite amount of surface area. It is on this area that information from light is converted into pixels. So if you have a large number of pixels then they're more likely to be cramped on the sensor. In low light conditions the pixels will 'fight' one another for light and the result is a grainy image (digital noise). Then there are different sized sensors - in digital SLRs (DSLR) a common size is the APS-C sized sensor which is larger than a sensor in a compact camera. This means that each pixel on a DSLR sensor is bigger than in a compact for the same given number of megapixels. The underlying message is don't judge cameras by megapixels.
The second myth is a better camera doesn't mean better pictures - it's the photographer that chooses the subject for the photo and takes the picture. The camera merely facilitates. The camera is often only as good as the person behind it.
Now having said that - how can we actually compare cameras then? Well how they feel in our hands certainly will play an important part, but image quality is what we want and how we judge the ability of a camera by. Test shots taken from testing a camera in store is useful to help determine this, but reading reviews by trusted websites and magazines may also be of use. Having said this, do be aware of bias and amateur reviewers who don't necessarily know what they are talking about.
Choosing a camera isn't easy. It gets easier the more advanced a photographer you are when understanding builds up and you know what to demand from your equipment.
I personally use the Nikon DSLR range and their system of lenses and flashguns. That doesn't mean they are the best (in fact I dislike some of their products) - it just is the brand that provided the camera that felt right for me and gave exactly what I demanded and still demand. On occasions I use Canon and Olympus equipment to keep myself familiarised with what's on offer from the other manufacturers.
From a more advanced perspective, if you wish to take photography further then you should be considering the following:
- a DSLR (it will allow more room for future expansion than a superzoom or compact camera)
- good lenses that fit your purpose
- adding additional external flashguns
- accessories and peripherals (bags, straps, cleaning equipment)
But this doesn't rule out buying a compact or superzoom camera - remember that the camera is only as good as the person behind it.
All the best.
Tuesday 19 August 2008
Outdoor portraiture - lighting 101
I've not posted for over a month now, which is rather disappointing. I'd hoped to keep regular updates. Hopefully I can squeeze more posts now that the most busy time of the year is coming to an end.
The topic today is the ability to control outdoor lighting. "Control sunlight?" you might ask, "Surely that isn't possible?" Let me assure you that it can be done. Obviously we can't move the sun, but we can do other things to alter the effect of light. Here's a run through some of my most used outdoor lighting techniques:
1) Gobos (and shelter). Tip #1: Run for cover.
If you haven't encountered gobos before, they're objects that alter light by blocking, coloring, or diffusing some portion of the beam before it reaches the lens. One of the better gobos to interact natural light with outdoors will be tree cover. Let's review why this could be better for your pictures; by having cover over your (photogenic) subject you can control the direction that light shines on your subject. What this does not mean is to stand your subject in complete shade! Otherwise you end up eliminating natural light and needing the support of artifical light (fill flash - more on this later). You'll also create a cove of green coloured light reflectors which casts a green glow to your images. Again more on this later.
What you aim for is light shining on your subject but from a direction dictated by the surroundings. In addition to direction control, light can also be mildly diffused. It can naturally provide that soft light that portraiture is often associated with. My artistic skills are pushed to the maximum with the diagram below that illustrates lighting control by cover.
Note that here I've illustrated the subject not entirely covered by the trees (see the bold above). We don't want the sunlight to be completely blocked from the subject.
And there we have it - a way of controlling the direction of sunlight! It's particularly useful in the dreaded midday sun. You can replace trees with any form of shelter over the head (gazebo, bus shelter...etc) hence tip #1: run for cover. Cover will give you much more control over light.
2) Fill flash and strobes.
A lot is covered in resources over how to use fill flash. I'll not cover that part except mention that it is useful and shouldn't be neglected. Deliberately underexpose the strobe if you're unsure of how much power is needed to prevent a washout. An added tip that isn't often mentioned is the combination of fill flash with a high shutter speed to cause a pleasant portrait with a dark background. I have no releasable examples of this, so you'll have to take my word...
Other fun things can be done with strobes outdoors beyond fill flashing. If your model has dark hair that blends into the background, why not try a strobe behind your model with a snoot or grid (both increase the intensity of a strobe light by concentrating it into a narrower beam - make sure you combine this by setting your strobe to a tele setting) and have it as a hairlight? This will create some dramatic contrast between the background and your subject.
If you don't have a strobe for a hairlight, then fear not. You can try an elementary form of rim lighting. Controlling the natural light with cover, you can use it as the hairlight, and then the on-board flash as fill.
Saving some material for the future we could apply crosslighting with one strobe. If you are able to control the direction of sunlight with cover, then a well-placed strobe facing directly into that sunlight with the subject in between the two sources can create this effect. It can be very dramatic. Again no releasable examples...
And no doubt you can do a websearch for other multiple lighting techniques in Y or T configurations, but they all work on the same priniciple - you need to be able to control lighting direction. If you haven't got the message by now, read and repeat tip#1 several times.
3) Reflectors (h)and towels.
Reflectors can be fabulous lifesavers. They're simple and a great way to redirect light. My most common uses are either to bounce strobe light (and diffuse it in the process), to place it on the lap of my subjects, or drop it in front of their feet. You may ask why the latter two? Well think of the outdoor environment as your studio. The floor may well be covered with nature's carpet - grass. And when light bounces off grass, it gives off green light. And green light isn't flattering unless you wish your subjects to look like Shrek. The placement of the reflector simply removes the green haze in some portraits and reduces difficult post-processing later.
And this goes back to my point earlier regarding tree cover. Complete shade under trees will essentially place your subject in a natural studio with greenish walls. Not particularly good for skin tones, if you ask me...
Now you might wonder why tree cover with light shining onto the subject won't cause the green cast. Well it does. But if your light hits the subject 1st on the face (as in portraiture) you don't have reflection from the green stuff. And so you don't get the casting on the face. For three-quarter or full length portraits, there may be a slight glow to the rest of the body but barely noticeable. If not, you'd be using...reflectors!
A wonderful alternative to a reflector is a white towel. I often have a white hand towel in my bag that serves this purpose (or to wipe sweat on those warm summer days). Small, compact, cheap and multipurpose; you can't ask more than that!
4) Good direction.
This follows on from an earlier post on directing models. Knowing how to move them in relation to light is important. There are many ways of doing this, but two things to remember are the following:
Tip#2 It's not a good idea to stand them facing directly into the sun as they are likely to squint. Exceptions: sunglasses, turning the head of your subject, or your subject isn't human...
Tip#3 Look where the shadows are. This also means your shadow!
Hopefully this brings some useful aids to outdoor portraiture. As always, comments are most certainly welcome, and I wish you happy snapping in the meantime.
The topic today is the ability to control outdoor lighting. "Control sunlight?" you might ask, "Surely that isn't possible?" Let me assure you that it can be done. Obviously we can't move the sun, but we can do other things to alter the effect of light. Here's a run through some of my most used outdoor lighting techniques:
1) Gobos (and shelter). Tip #1: Run for cover.
If you haven't encountered gobos before, they're objects that alter light by blocking, coloring, or diffusing some portion of the beam before it reaches the lens. One of the better gobos to interact natural light with outdoors will be tree cover. Let's review why this could be better for your pictures; by having cover over your (photogenic) subject you can control the direction that light shines on your subject. What this does not mean is to stand your subject in complete shade! Otherwise you end up eliminating natural light and needing the support of artifical light (fill flash - more on this later). You'll also create a cove of green coloured light reflectors which casts a green glow to your images. Again more on this later.
What you aim for is light shining on your subject but from a direction dictated by the surroundings. In addition to direction control, light can also be mildly diffused. It can naturally provide that soft light that portraiture is often associated with. My artistic skills are pushed to the maximum with the diagram below that illustrates lighting control by cover.
Note that here I've illustrated the subject not entirely covered by the trees (see the bold above). We don't want the sunlight to be completely blocked from the subject.
And there we have it - a way of controlling the direction of sunlight! It's particularly useful in the dreaded midday sun. You can replace trees with any form of shelter over the head (gazebo, bus shelter...etc) hence tip #1: run for cover. Cover will give you much more control over light.
2) Fill flash and strobes.
A lot is covered in resources over how to use fill flash. I'll not cover that part except mention that it is useful and shouldn't be neglected. Deliberately underexpose the strobe if you're unsure of how much power is needed to prevent a washout. An added tip that isn't often mentioned is the combination of fill flash with a high shutter speed to cause a pleasant portrait with a dark background. I have no releasable examples of this, so you'll have to take my word...
Other fun things can be done with strobes outdoors beyond fill flashing. If your model has dark hair that blends into the background, why not try a strobe behind your model with a snoot or grid (both increase the intensity of a strobe light by concentrating it into a narrower beam - make sure you combine this by setting your strobe to a tele setting) and have it as a hairlight? This will create some dramatic contrast between the background and your subject.
If you don't have a strobe for a hairlight, then fear not. You can try an elementary form of rim lighting. Controlling the natural light with cover, you can use it as the hairlight, and then the on-board flash as fill.
Saving some material for the future we could apply crosslighting with one strobe. If you are able to control the direction of sunlight with cover, then a well-placed strobe facing directly into that sunlight with the subject in between the two sources can create this effect. It can be very dramatic. Again no releasable examples...
And no doubt you can do a websearch for other multiple lighting techniques in Y or T configurations, but they all work on the same priniciple - you need to be able to control lighting direction. If you haven't got the message by now, read and repeat tip#1 several times.
3) Reflectors (h)and towels.
Reflectors can be fabulous lifesavers. They're simple and a great way to redirect light. My most common uses are either to bounce strobe light (and diffuse it in the process), to place it on the lap of my subjects, or drop it in front of their feet. You may ask why the latter two? Well think of the outdoor environment as your studio. The floor may well be covered with nature's carpet - grass. And when light bounces off grass, it gives off green light. And green light isn't flattering unless you wish your subjects to look like Shrek. The placement of the reflector simply removes the green haze in some portraits and reduces difficult post-processing later.
And this goes back to my point earlier regarding tree cover. Complete shade under trees will essentially place your subject in a natural studio with greenish walls. Not particularly good for skin tones, if you ask me...
Now you might wonder why tree cover with light shining onto the subject won't cause the green cast. Well it does. But if your light hits the subject 1st on the face (as in portraiture) you don't have reflection from the green stuff. And so you don't get the casting on the face. For three-quarter or full length portraits, there may be a slight glow to the rest of the body but barely noticeable. If not, you'd be using...reflectors!
A wonderful alternative to a reflector is a white towel. I often have a white hand towel in my bag that serves this purpose (or to wipe sweat on those warm summer days). Small, compact, cheap and multipurpose; you can't ask more than that!
4) Good direction.
This follows on from an earlier post on directing models. Knowing how to move them in relation to light is important. There are many ways of doing this, but two things to remember are the following:
Tip#2 It's not a good idea to stand them facing directly into the sun as they are likely to squint. Exceptions: sunglasses, turning the head of your subject, or your subject isn't human...
Tip#3 Look where the shadows are. This also means your shadow!
Hopefully this brings some useful aids to outdoor portraiture. As always, comments are most certainly welcome, and I wish you happy snapping in the meantime.
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