Category: Instruction

Finding Vision in Your Photography

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction

Finding a consistent vision in your photography takes one on a journey of self-discovery. It’s hard to create unique and breathe taking photographic images without delving into one’s self. If fear reigns, our photographs will convey this in the imagery. Our views of ourselves and the world are visibly shown in our photos.

This process is ongoing throughout the process of making photographic images. A well known photographer (that I had the privilege of meeting and taking workshops from) believed that our emotional state showed directly in our photographs. From experience, I would agree with this philosophy. I would add that on a bad emotional day, photography helps me find my way to a calmer emotional place. It becomes a meditative conduit.

Photography is art. It’s an immediate representation of ourselves in the moment that we press the shutter button. So, here are some questions to ask yourself about your photography. . .

Do I love what I see in front of my camera?

Does the subject bring an emotion to me? Or, is it just okay?

Do you feel rushed or pressured to take a photo quickly? Is this because of yourself? Or, another person?

Something to consider is simply that photography is an artform we can do with our phones, compact digital camera, DSLR camera, mirrorless camera, or film camera. We get to choose our medium as well as our subject. I think that it’s important to note that all of these mediums have the capability to create amazing and dynamic photographic images.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

I do find that creating a project of series of photographs helps hone one’s vision. It can challenge you to improve or modify your photos. The macro flower photo above started a project. I took most of the photos with my cell phone, then invested in a compact digital camera. This new camera can focus closer and the photos have less artifacts. Also, I can enlarge them to larger sizes.

So, that’s all for now. Happy Shooting. . .Karen

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Controlling the narrative

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips

Photography is visual communication. What we put into the photograph communicates what we see in the scene or situation. We control the story through subject matter, composition, and exposure. Post processing the digital file enhances our narrative about the subject.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

The narrative portrayed in a photograph is subjective to the photographer and the viewer. It is the culmination of light control, color / black & white, softness or sharpness. It is often defined by the interpretation of the subject by the photographer. In the image above, the tulip is photographed in soft, diffused light with a shallow depth of field. The light creates soft colors that are reminiscent of springtime.

The shallow depth of field is controlled by the aperture setting. The light is softened by clouds and the trees. This photograph was taken indoors by a window with a screen. The screen acted to diffuse the background colors, and the camera was close enough not to detect the pattern of the screen.

Equipment: Canon 5D Mk IV; Sigma Art Lens 24-105; Extension Tubes; Tripod

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Filling the entire frame with color, texture, and shapes directs the attention to the subject. In this image, the viewer only sees the color of the flower and its petal pattern. The brightness of color is reminiscent of summer. This is a dahlia flower, and the light came through the roof of a greenhouse. The light is even due to the position of the light to the flower. The lens of the camera is parallel to the top of the flower. This allows the amount of focus in the photograph.

Equipment: Samsung Galaxy J7 Phone

copyright Karen Ulvestad
copyright Karen Ulvestad
copyright Karen Ulvestad

This last photograph was taken at a very crowded urban area. There were several hundred people under the trees admiring the beautiful cherry blossoms, and tall buildings. This is a time where being selective and creative with the situation needs to happen when choosing the subject. In this scenario, the time of day is crucial for the right lighting of the blossoms and the photograph’s over-all color.

Equipment: Canon 5D Mk II; Canon Lens 17-40 at 17mm

May your Spring be filled with Great Photographs. . .Karen

2020 holiday Special

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Workshops

As the year 2020 is coming to an end, it is a great time to learn a new skill or improve an old hobby/passion. I decided that I would offer a special price for an hour of instruction, including answering questions. The topic of instruction will be discussed with the student prior to the session, and will focus on the student’s needs. These sessions will be scheduled between me and the student, and will take place via a ZOOM session. This would make a great Holiday gift for the camera enthusiast, or a child/adult wanting to learn photography. I look forward to working with you in the New Year.

Photographers

One Hour Learning Session

This hour long ZOOM session is designed to help learn a new camera, expand existing knowledge, and/or learn new photography skills. Skills taught could range from camera operation, understanding exposure, composition, the digital darkroom, storing and accessing picture files, and/or subjects/locations to shoot. The subjects taught will be tailored to the student prior to the session. These sessions are great for children or adults. I have taught both age groups in-person and via ZOOM classes. Each session will be scheduled to the availability of the student and instructor. Parents are welcome to be part of a child’s session.

$35.00

Creating a Photographic Story

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, light, Location

copyright Karen Ulvestad

A photograph is the reflection of the photographer at the time the image is created. It reflects our mood, vision, and emotional state. The way the light is captured in the image, then post processed reveals the story hidden in the photograph. It is a visual communication between the photographer and their audience.

The image above was take this spring during the afternoon (during a short day escape during the Pandemic). The weather report called for rain, yet it hadn’t rained yet. The clouds were amazing and dynamic. The hillside viewpoint allowed me to include the Columbia River, Vantage, I-90, and the dynamic clouds. I brought more contrast into the post processing. I like how it look a ominous.

In the next image, I took a different approach. . .

copyright Karen Ulvestad

What attracted my attention in this image is the dynamic clouds, the lines of the hillside, and the wild horse monument. I return to this place at least once a year to experience the high desert changes. I love the changing sky. Often this area is a treasure trove of opportunities to explore line, shape, textures, and other compositional elements. It usually isn’t over-run with people, and the hike to the top is relatively easy.

The biggest piece in creating a photographic story is the photographer’s vision or ability to compose in the field. It is the culmination of an idea, and the cooperation of the weather/other elements in the environment. The subject or important element needs to fill the frame. The following photograph focuses on the amazing cloud formations.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

The clouds are far more interesting than the landscape, yet what sits on the horizon? This is looking west towards the Cascade Mountains, and the clouds have created a dark blue-gray background for the turbines in the distance. A small airplane sits in the sky against the background of the massive clouds. Both the turbines and airplane give some perspective on the size of these cloud formations.

Exposure for these images is important and contributes to the story. All three are shot with at F16 or F22. This is a large depth of field, and gives the viewer a visual reference to the fore-ground, mid-ground, and background. A larger depth of field gives an expansive feeling to the photographs, and contributes to the 3D feeling in the images. A shallower depth of field would give less visual information to the viewer, and feel more 2 dimensional.

Through all these social challenges we face today, may everyone stay well and continue to photograph the world around us.

Karen

Finding the Spirit of Place

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Workshops

copyright Karen UlvestadThis workshop is the culmination of creativity combined with photography. It is the art of exploring the environment or subject to express its true nature from the perspective of the photographer.

It is offered through the amazing art school Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. It is the former home of Georgia O’Keefe.

Here is the synopsis of the workshop. . .

Ready to take the next step in your photography? Learn to “see” the world around you through the camera’s eye, and create amazing photographic images. Simply put, photography is light. It’s important to see it and learn to control it through camera settings. In the digital age, photography is more dynamic in what can be captured in a picture. Our cameras are able to capture both low light and high light situations. To create a photograph, this is combined with our knowledge of our camera’s settings. Exposure and composition combine together to make the photograph a true representation of the photographer’s vision through management of light, color, and highlight/shadow. This class includes the formulas and techniques to create dynamic photographs, and the importance of equipment choices. Different lens focal lengths change the depth of field recorded by the camera. This is an important piece of creating a story-telling photographic image. Discussions include in-camera techniques and digital darkroom adjustments. The digital darkroom is basically the photo lab of the film days of photography. We will learn basic techniques, along with the best software and best hardware choices. This is where the photographer adjusts the photograph to match his/her visual representation of the scene/subject. It is as important as in-camera techniques to create the picture. Class includes time to practice these new concepts and techniques through practice and assignments. Questions are encouraged both in-class, and during practice times. Each class includes time for review / critique of students work. The feedback helps clarify the concepts of the class, and encourages creativity.

We will cover:
*Seeing Examples of concepts through visual presentation
*Learning how to “see” and “seeing” techniques
*Creativity is encouraged *Exposure & composition (basic to advanced depending on level of student)
*Equipment & how to select which pieces to use
*Learn visual story-telling and finding inner vision
*Planning and accomplishing the photographic concepts
*Color or Black & White? What works best with the photograph’s concept
*Experimenting with visual concepts
*Connecting with the subject or place
*In-camera techniques for better photographs
*Digital Darkroom techniques

Link for the class is on the Workshops page. . .

Composition. . .Man & Nature

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction

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Composition is one of those subjective topics. It varies from person to person and artist to photographer. . .or, is there really a difference between artists and photographers? At it’s core, composition is simply about the arrangement of the visual image.

From an artist’s perspective, it is broken down into lines, shapes, forms, color, etc. All these concepts span all the art forms. The combinations of these concepts help a viewer “see” the intent of the artist.

In the photograph above, the design of the man-made arch incorporates mirrors to reflect the natural environment surrounding it. The shapes of the clouds are similar to the circles on the arch. The composition brings both of these elements into focus.

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The photographer adds a few other “rules” to the idea of composition. The rule of thirds is one of the best known. It brings the focus away from the center point of the photograph, offering another perspective.

The photography above uses columns to move the viewer’s eye through the photography. It is the perspective that allows that to happen. The columns are framed by natural elements. . .the trees and clouds.

The use of perspective as a composition element is valuable to a photographer. It gives a “feeling” to the viewer about the subject. The art of the photographic images is how the photographer chooses to compose the photograph.

In the last photograph, the surrounding scene is reflected in the lens of the lighthouse. It’s all about the creative point-of-view.

Karen
Visualize ~ Create ~ Evoke

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Choices, Exposure & Composition

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, light, Tips

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The experience included hundreds of sandhill cranes flying overhead, with some landing in the field below. Their sounds waft in the air, like a light trill. Unlike ducks and geese, the cranes seem to fly without formation, and their flight is affected by wind gusts.

At a distance, it becomes easy to place hundreds of these amazing birds into a single frame. The photo above is taken with a 600 mm lens. The challenge becomes “how are the birds placed in the frame?”

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One thing to remember is that these birds are not small. There size ranges from 3 to 5 feet tall (depending on sub-species and male/female), and their wing span ranges from 5 to 7 feet across.

The photo above is a grouping of 3 birds against the sky. Light is important in all photography, and especially important when photographing birds. The light in this image is late afternoon sun, and it casts a warm glow in these cranes. It is important to light up the head (or face) of the bird.

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In this photo, the light brings the cranes out from the blue background. Without the sunlight, the birds would blend into the background, and be more difficult to see. As for where to focus. it is good to select an area with a large concentration of birds. It is easier for the camera’s auto-focus to actually focus on the subject.

As for exposure, expose for the birds. The background isn’t as important as the cranes, and it’s okay for it to go light or dark. The shutter speed needs to be fast enough (1/250 sec or faster) to keep the cranes from blurring. At a distance, an aperture of F8 should offer enough depth of field to keep most of the birds is focus.

Tip – Use the available light. Set the shutter speed to stop the action, and the aperture to keep most of the flock in focus.

Karen
Visualize ~ Create ~ Evoke

Familiar Subjects – New Perspective

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips

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The migratory trumpeter and tundra swans are a familiar subject to me and my camera. Often, they stay at a distance to areas that they can be photographed from. The limitations become equipment and the cost of these longer lenses.

Today, I tested out my new lens. It’s a Tamron 150-600mm 5-6.3 lens, and it is amazing! The photographs in this post are taken today with this new lens. It allowed me to fill the frame with more bird and less environment. I was happy with the image stabilization of the lens. These images are taken hand-held.

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I think this one is my favorite of these two photos. This is un-cropped and a full-frame sensor camera body. The lens is at 600 mm. With my previous lens (Canon 100-400), the swan would be much smaller in the frame, and the environment would be a stronger element.

Sometimes, it takes new equipment to bring a fresh perspective to a familiar subject. I cannot wait to find the next flock of birds to photograph!

Happy Shooting. . .Karen

Simplicity or Chaos?

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips

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Composition is a direct reflection on the photographer. Certain aspects can be learned, yet your personal viewpoint seeps through in every photograph we create.

Our photographic vision reflects our inner self, and where we are emotionally at the point of the photograph. It is basically impossible to separate our inner turmoil from showing in our photographs.

Photography is the immediate recording of the environment, both in the physical world in front of the camera lens and our inner self. One does not exist without the other.

Like all other life adventures, photography is part of the journey to ourselves.

Tip of the Day. . .Even if the chaos in our lives shows through in our photographs, look for the qualities shown in the images that reflects a “story.” The best images show or trigger an emotion in the viewer. Remember, we are our own worst critics. . .

Happy Shooting. . .Karen

 

It’s All About the Light. . .

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, light

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Photography is possible because of Light. Without light, the image is black. With too much light, the photo is white.

How do we control this light? It is controlled through exposure.

Exposure = ISO + Aperture + Shutter Speed

It is the photographer along with the camera settings that creates the photograph. Every photograph is a reflection of the photographer’s intent for the image.

The use of light affects the subject, story, and quality of the photograph. It is the choices of the photographer!

Happy Shooting. . .Karen