Category: Tips

Sunsets and Vibrant Color

by karenulvestad, posted in Tips, Workshops

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Sunsets and color seem to go together. It’s hard to show the character of a sunset in black & white.

The sun isn’t always yellow. The Earth’s atmosphere affects the color of the sun, and the colors reflected in the sky.

The photo above was taken on the Oregon coast looking out over the Pacific Ocean. I love how the sun came out with 3 main colors, the sky was such an intense orange, and the small clouds in the top left side of the image.

Each sunset is unique in color, cloud formations, and the color of the sun.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Then, there is the pastel colors that can be produced at sunset. I love the pastel pinks in the photo above, and the way the color reflects off of the ferry boat. Adding a subject to the frame adds to the composition and interest in the photograph.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

My favorite time to photograph a sunset is after the sun sets. Usually, most photographers and people leave after the sun dips below the horizon. I find that the color may intensify after the sun sets.

I love the dramatic colors, and the ability to capture the stars / moon. Again, I added a ferry boat in the image above. I like how the lights on the ferry help define the boat, while maintaining to color of the sky.

Tip. . .under-expose sunset photographs. . .

Happy Shooting. . .Karen

Excerpt from Summer Photography: Beaches & Sunsets. EdCC Extented Learning Program – July 12, 19, 26, 2017. 

Remember the Sky

by karenulvestad, posted in Tips, Workshops

copyright Karen Ulvestad

The sky is an important composition element. When included in the photograph, it can be a solid blue or grey, have texture from clouds, or have importance (depending on how much is included). Each of these composition choices affects the “feeling” of the photograph.

In the image above, the clouds are an important part of the composition. Their shape reflects the patchy snow on the meadow below.

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In this photograph, the clouds come in two distinct textures. One is puffy and closer to the water’s surface. The others are higher in the atmosphere, and are linear. The puffy clouds mimic the headland, and islands (sea stacks). The higher clouds create a diagonal line, which draws the views eye through the image.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

In this last image, the sky is without clouds. The interest in this photograph is the flowers and building, without the sky competing with the subject for attention. A clear sky helps a specific subject stand out, or it simplifies the composition.

Happy shooting. . .Karen

Architecture & Gardens. . .

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips, Workshops

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Architecture lends itself to both color and black & white photographic images. Often times, it becomes a composition of lines, shapes, and color / tone. The photograph above shows a modern building with the reflection of historic architecture. The old and the new sit across the street from each other.

This is the story of downtown Oakland. It is a city rich in contrasts and opposites.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

The historic Tribune building rises above other period buildings. In this incident, it is framed by a modern sculpture. The primary colors of red, yellow, and blue work together to make the brown & cream colored building stand out in the image.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Another way to frame a building or architectural element is with living elements. In the photo above, I used blooming cherry trees to frame the Gothic architecture of the University of Washington. In this case, the cloudless blue sky is the perfect background for the pink flowers and brick buildings.

It is great to contrast man-made structures against or with nature.

Happy Shooting. . .Karen

“Architecture & Gardens Through the Viewfinder” ULearn (Edmonds CC), Apr 27 – May 18, 2017 (Thursday nights)

Story Telling in Black & White

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips, Workshops

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The photo above is one of my favorite story-telling black & white images. This was taken at the zoo, and I loved the wise look on the gorilla. The bonus was the child looking through the glass.

A successful story-telling image gives the viewer an engaging subject with just enough details. Black & white photography cuts out the color, and brings the image to a basic tonal quality. Without the color, the photo relies on the relationship between the elements of the image.

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Architecture lends itself to black & white well. In the photo above, the lines, texture, and contrast create a timeless image of a historic house along the Oregon coast. The cloudy sky contributes to the image by fading into the background. The details of the house bring the viewer’s attention to the building.

The linear aspects of architecture, whether historic homes or sky-scrapers, becomes the driving force in the composition. It is more delineated in black & white.

So, what is the story to tell, and should it be color or black & white? Photographer’s choice. . .

Happy Shooting. . .Karen

“Not Your Grandma’s Black & White” ULearn (Edmonds CC), Feb 9 – Mar 2, 2017 (Thursday nights)

Digital Photography Basics Excerpt. . .

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips

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“Ambient light is the naturally available light. Sources would be the sun, moon, or reflected light. Sunlight is the light source even on cloudy days or in the shade. Cloud cover offers soft, diffused light without harsh shadows or contrast. Ambient light can be dramatic like the previous photo, or soft like the photo to the left. Dramatic lighting often requires a wide range in tonal quality in the image. The previous photo was exposed for the light rays coming through the clouds.” ( for complete book excerpt  dpb-exp-comp-pg7 )

The Spirit Of Place

by karenulvestad, posted in Tips, Workshops

The Spirit of Place is one of my ideas or personal concepts about photography. At its core is the idea that photographs are created by the photographer through use of light, exposure, and composition. It is our personal view-point or way we translate the scene in a visual way.

copyright Karen UlvestadThis photo uses shadow and light, lines, and people to create the composition of the place. In this image, the viewer sees the blowing sand (top of dune), the rocky wall in the foreground, and the people making their way up the sand dune. It speaks of man and nature co-existing in the late afternoon light.

Nature is one constant in our lives that is ever-changing, yet remains the same. The challenge for the photographer is to take existing elements, and create a pleasing photographic image. Photography is a tool to document the world around us, yet our personal view-point is always present in our images.

copyright Karen UlvestadThe blowing sand in this photograph creates designs on the sand that mimic the wet sand reflecting the blue sky and the ocean waves. In this image, one could see the hillsides in the background as repeating the wavy shape created by the sand and ocean. The scene is completed by all the people enjoying the beach, whether walking along the water or sitting in the sand. By including people, I have given a reference to the size of the landscape.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Another way to look at this scene is to eliminate or hide the man-made or man’s influence upon the scene. By moving the point-of-view, this image the viewer sees the ocean waves and four gulls. Yes, there is some indications of civilization, but they are not the main components of the composition.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Now to end this entry, I’ve added a little different concept. This image is titled Windy. It leaves the question, how do we as photographers show wind or other elements in our images? What is that special ingredient that we have included to make our photograph stand-out from the millions of images on the internet?

Stay tuned for more. . .or simply join me for my Spirit of Place workshop on the Oregon coast in June.

Happy shooting. . .Karen

Light & Composition In The City

by karenulvestad, posted in Location, Tips

copyright Karen Ulvestad
I seldom get the opportunity to stay in the city, and photograph all the different types of light. Composing in the city is similar to Landscape photography, but the lines are more linear and defined. I find that it give me a different perspective to take back to the natural world I love to document.

The shot above is an example of “outside” the box composing. This long exposure was taken through the hotel window at F22. The yellow cast to the image is the temperature of the street lights. The “spotting” effect is the dirt on the outside of the window. All this together creates a “grunge” feeling for the photo.

Photographing the city at night, illustrates the different temperatures of light. The colors that look “true” are most likely daylight balanced fluorescent or LED. The yellow is tungsten or incandescent. The green cast is most likely regular fluorescent.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Daylight brings another look to the buildings. I love the reflections in the modern glass buildings, mixed with the historical brick buildings. The strong use of diagonal line in the above photo guides the viewer’s eye through the picture. Diagonal lines add a feeling of motion to a static image. The reflection in the glass is the buildings across the street light by direct sunlight. I used a polarizing filter to enhance the blues, and was careful not to eliminate the reflection in the glass.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Cities are filled with contradicting images and ideas. The above image is bullet damage to a 1/2 inch glass window. I like the story it tells of prosperity (see inside the building) and the reflection of the historical buildings across the street. This building was a corporate headquarters, and is was situated in an area of diverse stories of prosperity and decline. The lines in this image are the arrangement of the bullet damage which are taped, and the diagonal lines of the buildings in the reflection.

The image below is a combination of a sculpture and the Tribune tower. I intentionally framed the tower with the brightly colored sculpture, and used a large depth of field to bring out sharpness in the foreground, mid-ground, and background.

Happy shooting. . .Karen

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Photography is Painting with Light

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips

 

 

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Light is everything when it comes to photography. These three photographs were taken on the same evening. To the east towards the coastal mountain range, the weather was thunder and lightning. Along the coast, the clouds created a dramatic sky for the coming sunset.

The top photo shows the warmth of the late day light in the yellow tone to the green grass on the sand dunes. The dramatic clouds were either dark grey or white, and contrasted against the brilliant blue sky.

The photograph below is a simple composition of the sky and clouds. One of the tools used for the blue sky is a polarizing filter. For digital cameras, the filter must be a circular polarizing filter.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

 

The white balance on these images is daylight, or simply use the AUTO setting. Minor adjustments can be made in the Digital Darkroom on the computer.

The bottom photograph is the sun peeking through the dramatic clouds. The sun starred because of the large aperture setting on the camera. Each of these photos was shot on the manual setting for maximum control over the final image.

 

copyright Karen Ulvestad

 

Remember, using manual settings for exposure give total control over the final photograph. I am available for private consultations, lessons, and individual/group instruction (both in person and online).

Happy Shooting. . .Karen

Tips on Shooting Subjects at Night

by karenulvestad, posted in Tips, Workshops

Generally speaking, photography is the use of light to create an image. Night is without the sun, so light sources are created by humankind. The photographer uses these sources of light to create artist renditions of night scenes, fireworks, the moon, or portraits.

In the exposure equation, the photographer needs to manipulate either or all of the following: ISO, Aperture, or Shutter Speed. It is advisable to use a tripod.

The first image here is from a large fireworks display. I used a tripod, and a long exposure to capture the lines of light. The exposure was F11, 8 seconds at 125 ISO. The watercolor wash feeling of color is from the fireworks reflecting off the smoke.

TIP: Pick a spot to shoot from, pre-set the exposure, and use a tripod/shutter release.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

In this next photograph, the fireworks are used to create a portrait of the child. This is a sparkler, and it casts an incandescent light color on the subject. The green light in the background is fluorescent. This was shot with a Daylight White Balance. The exposure is F5.6, 4 seconds at 100 ISO. I used a tripod.

The color of the sparkler will show in the photograph. This was a gold (or yellow) sparkler. It’s good to dress the subject in medium-toned clothing, which will stand-out from the dark background and bright light of the sparkler.

TIP: Have the person hold as still as possible, while moving the sparkler.

copyright Karen Ulvestad

This last image is of the “Super” Moon last month. The exposure for this image is F16, 1/100 second at 400 ISO. The moon is very bright, due to the fact it reflects the sun’s light. To expose it and show the craters, the photograph must be under-exposed. This means to let in less light than the light-meter in the camera indicates as the correct exposure.

For more detailed information on exposure and camera operation, I will be teaching classes through the City of Edmonds this fall.

Happy Shooting. . .Karen

copyright Karen Ulvestad

Making Artistic Choices. . .

by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips, Workshops

Photography is the art of taking light waves, controlling their intensity, and creating a visual image. Though this process, there are several decisions or choices make regarding exposure, composition, and subject. During my workshop at Sitka, we spent one day hiking through the forest. I usually spend my time working with students individually, and pointing out areas of interest. I teach by both talking and showing examples.

The image below is from this workshop. We were looking for forest birds, and learning about habitat. Then, we came upon this tree, and the wonderful photographic opportunity. I pointed out the tree with all the fungus growing on its right side. It was a great subject to test out depth-of-field (aperture) and composition.

copyright Karen Ulvestad
Shot Info – 100mm; 400 ISO; 1/60 sec.; F5.6

The entire area covered by fungus was large. It was at least 5 feet in height, and covered the back side of the tree. The trail allowed us to walk near and partially around the tree. The image below is a portion of the whole, and the depth-of-field keeps the fungus in focus, and part of the moss. The background in a series of white circular shapes and dark greens. The white is the over-cast sky, and the green is the forest.

This was shot with my 100-400 mm lens at 200 mm. I selected a section of the fungus that showed the top and bottom textures.

copyright Karen Ulvestad
Shot Info – 200mm; 400 ISO; 1/60 sec.; F5.6

In the image below, I cropped tighter by shooting at 400 mm. I changed the background to the forest, which turn various shades of green. The closer crop allows the details of the subject to show in the frame. . .textures, water drops, and spider webs. I left a small section of the tree to anchor the subject in the frame.

In both this image and the one above, I left space at the bottom of the frame, so the bottom fungus are complete. This gives the eye a completeness of the subject, and avoids looking incomplete. More next time. . .

 

Happy Shooting. . .Karen

 

My next workshop is July 27 & 28, 2013 at the Pacific Northwest Art School.

copyright Karen Ulvestad
Shot Info – 400mm; 400 ISO; 1/60 sec.; F5.6