Tips Archives - Page 4 of 4 -

It’s a Small World. . .

August 26, 2012 by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips

Macro photography is the art of seeing the small. It is taking the miniscule, and making it the subject of a photograph. The subject could be printed larger than life-size, and it’s details could be tack-sharp. It requires a macro lens or extension tubes for true macro photography. These tools allow the lens to be closer to the subject, thus magnifying the subject in the photograph. Subjects for macro photography are as varied, though flowers or insects seem to be a favorite subject among photographers.

Close-up photography can be done with a macro lens or a short focal length lens (such as a 17-40mm). It is different from macro, because of the difference in magnification of the subject. Another difference is the lens “sees” the subject differently. It can feel more “sweeping” in perspective than a standard macro lens.

The pink image below was taken with a 100mm Macro lens. The photograph is a pink rose. The sweeping lines of the petals create an abstract pattern in pink. This rose was about 3-4 inches in diameter, and this is a small portion of the rose.

The lighting was a big factor in this image. It was a bright sunny day, around mid-day. I looked for a flower that was in the shade, so the lighting would be more uniform across the entire flower. It the flower had been in direct sunlight, there would have been a difference of exposure exceeding 2 stops of light. Translated this means that either the shadows would have been black, or the highlights would be white.

Close-up photographs can reveal the hidden beauty of the subject. The photograph below shows the subtle color changes and details of a succulent. The focus is on the tight grouping of new leaves in the center, and this is controlled by the Aperture. The Aperture is the Depth of Field (DOF). In close-up images, the DOF is more noticeable than a sweeping landscape, because the camera/lens is so close to the subject.

This image was taken with a 17-40mm lens at 40mm. Shorter focal length lenses allow the camera/lens to focus closer the subject. The DOF was f4.0.

The image below is of one of my favorites. Water droplets act like a fish-eye lens, and show everything behind them within. This was taken with a 100mm macro lens at f4.0. There is a noticeable difference in the DOF between the succulent above and the fir needles and water droplets below. Each lens and technique give the photograph a different feel.

One additional note is to remember to use a tripod with Macro and Close-up photography. The slightest shake is magnified in this type of photography.

More Later & Happy Shooting. . .Karen

Color & Composition

August 20, 2012August 20, 2012 by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips

The world around us is filled with opportunities to make photographic images. Often, we see a photograph, yet the end result does not reflect our vision. It’s easy to get caught-up in the moment, and forget to “see” what is actually in the picture. The “cool” subject gets lost in the photography, and it becomes a collection of “things” that distract from our original vision.

There are several ways to “clarify” what a photograph is about. In the picture below, the mushroom stands out against the oak leaves. This photograph was taken under a large oak tree in the middle of an urban area. I wanted to photograph the colorful mushroom, and have it stand-out as the subject. I used the similar colored leaves as the background, chose a depth of field to indicate they were leaves, and the mushroom is completely sharp. It is best to use a tripod for this type of photo. The second part of this image is the use of color. The leaves reflect the color in the center of the mushroom. The yellow and white of the mushroom stand-out against the reddish colored leaves. I did reflect light into the scene with a gold reflector.
This next image is of a cob of corn. This is a macro shot taken in my studio. I used studio lighting, a tripod and my 100mm macro lens. In the camera, I cropped the photo to include this portion of the cob. I liked the variety of colors and designs. Each is similar, yet unique. I used the repetition of shape to create a pattern, and it could be viewed as an abstract photograph.

This third example was taken in the kitchen on a cutting board. I used one studio light, kitchen lighting and ambient light. My focus was on the color of the fruit, and this was the focus of the studio lighting. The cutting board turned a warm color with the lighting. This was taken with a shallow depth of field, so the board would become a soft background. It’s important to crop in the camera, to retain the file size and information for the photo. Each of these photos uses color and cropping to give importance to the subject.

Happy shooting. . .Karen

Challenging Lighting Situations & Solutions

August 7, 2012 by karenulvestad, posted in Digital Darkroom, Instruction, Tips

Since photography is based on light either natural (ambient) and introduced (flash), low lighting photo opportunities gives a photographer many choices on “how to take the shot.” Basic equipment should include a camera and tripod. The rest is up to choices about exposure and/or adding or subtracting light.

This first image was taken at dusk. The sun had been down for about 15-20 minutes before I took this shot. I used a tripod to keep my camera steady. I wanted to capture the lights of the ferry dock, and have the rocks in the fore-ground lit as well. I exposed this image for the lights and last colors of the sunset. In the Digital Darkroom, I worked on bringing the exposure into balance, which reflected what I saw when I took the photograph. I worked a lot with fill light and contrast.

copyright Karen Ulvestad — ISO 100, 1/30 sec., f7.1

In the photo below, I had a different lighting situation. This was shot during late winter, and the sun had already set or near sunset. The Barred owl blended into the surroundings well, and I pushed the ISO to 2500. I didn’t know if the photo would turn out, because of the poor lighting. A flash would have been nice, but I would have lost the details in the background. The background would have gone very dark with a flash, because of the difference in light between the owl and the sky. In the Digital Darkroom, I adjusted the exposure, and de-saturated the color. This is the final resulting photo.

The scene below is a different situation than the previous two images. The lighting challenge is between shadow areas and direct sunlight. I chose an exposure in-between the two extremes, so I could collect enough details in the blacks and whites to work with in the Digital Darkroom. Even with this exposure, I still have some blacks and whites without detail. If one looks closely at the photo, the sun reflected in the window made refraction marks through the image.

For more information about these processes, I’ll be teaching workshops on the subject, and writing about this in future blogs. My workshops are offered through Pacific Northwest Art School, Nature’s Photo Adventures, Sitka Center, and the City of Edmonds.

More later & Happy Shooting. . .Karen

Filters & Color

July 19, 2012 by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips

Filters can be used to enhance colors in a photograph. They may filter out some light rays, while accentuating others. My favorite filter is a Polarizing filter.

With a polarizing filter, it cuts the “glare” from the sunlight off of the surfaces being photographed. It can turn the sky a deep blue, or bring washed-out colors back into a normal range. The photo above was taken in the morning around 9 am. This was shot in the high desert in Eastern Oregon, and the light started becoming harsh a little after 9 am. The polarizing filter enhanced the blue sky, and the red in the hillside.

The photo below was taken later in the day. The leaves are green, because of the polarizing filter. This filter can change water reflections, by enhancing them or making them disappear. In clear water, this allows for the bottom of the water source to be seen, like in the last photograph.

The digital medium requires a circular polarizing filter, to properly work with the medium. It is most effective 90 degrees from the sun, though it does continue to work at lessor angles (with less polarization). The filter freely turns, and the amount of polarization in the photo is affected by this.

There is not a filter that can correct bad lighting, such as mid-day in the desert. Creating brilliant color in photographs requires good light, proper exposure, correct white balance (WB) and appropriate filters. Some of my previous posts discuss lighting and exposure.

More later, and Happy Shooting. . .Karen

Photography Destination – John Day Painted Hills Unit

July 6, 2012 by karenulvestad, posted in Location, Tips

In the mountains east of Prineville, Or, the small town of Mitchell is located 15 minutes from the John Day Painted Hills Unit. The town of Mitchell has a population of 120 people, and is located directly on Highway 26. The Oregon Hotel offers affordable accommodations, and is pleasant to stay. Main Street is across the creek from the main highway. During our stay, it was quiet and peaceful. Temperatures in the summer reach the 90 – 100 range, and July is the hottest month. With the aspen in the hills, fall would be a beautiful time to catch the colorful hills, and fall colors.

The area is home to three separate units, and all are home to fossils, beautiful landscapes and wildlife. We saw numerous Ravens, Hawks, Falcons, Deer and other wildlife.

The Painted Hills are layers of volcanic ash from the time the Cascade Mountains were young. Today, we see these hills as layers of reds, yellows, whites, blacks and greens. The sunlight changes the colors of the hills throughout the day. The sunlight becomes harsh around 9 am in the summer. It has the best color during the early morning hours, and later in the evening. The photograph below was taken a little after 6:30 am. I polarized filter is very useful in this location.

Besides sweeping landscapes and panoramic, the area lends itself to abstract compositions. The vibrant colors, textures and shapes create a landscape filled with possibilities. The light-colored boardwalk (s) create a brilliant contrast to the colors of the hills. In the photo below, this is the boardwalk through color cove.

More later, and happy shooting. . .Karen

Using Compositional Elements

June 23, 2012June 23, 2012 by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips

Every photograph is built from the elements the photographer sees through their lens. On the surface, it is a subject like the ocean, bird or person. Beyond the obvious, our photographs consist of lines, patterns, shapes, color, textures and more. What goes into our compositions is what we see, and how we arrange it in our viewing space.

The photograph below is of the incoming tide along the Oregon coast. The ocean is lit by bright sunlight, and the waves are crashing over the rocks. Other people like this photograph, because of the subject. What I see in this photo is its subject. Then, I see the lines, texture and color of the image. The waves create diagonal lines. Splashing water and the rocks create texture. The colors of the water are vibrant greens and blues, due to the sunlight.

Many of these concepts are the basics learned in an art class. A photograph, like a painting, is made up from the same principles. With the painting, the artist has the choice of brushes, paints, color and artistic license of subject placement. The photographer is working with different tools. Being based on light, a photograph at different times of the day or different weather, will affect the photograph. Our brushes are exposure, lens choice and camera choice. Our color is dependent on the amount or quality of light. Subject placement is limited only by our ability to move or observe a subject.

In the photograph below, both the rocky shoreline and the wave make powerful lines. Between the two, they meet creating an arrow pointing to the left and out of the frame. The perspective is from the cliff top. A lower perspective would have changed the relationship between the wave and rocks. It’s up to the photographer to decide how to place the elements in the frame.

With landscapes, many of the elements are stationary. Waves do have a short life-span, but they will repeat themselves. Birds perch, swim or fly. They may not repeat an action. A bald eagle will catch a salmon out of the ocean. If the photographer misses the shot, he/she may not get another chance to take the photo. Living beings add some unpredictability to any photographic scenario.

The photograph below is of Stellar Sea Lions. At the moment of the photograph, they were sleeping on the shoreline. This can make a static photo, since they are not doing anything. In this case, I used the environment to bring in interesting elements into the composition. The sea lions are on the left side of the photo, yet a small whirlpool sits on the right side. These three elements make a triangle for the viewer to look at. The texture and color of the water complete the composition.

More later, and happy shooting. . .Karen

Rainy Day Photography

June 19, 2012June 19, 2012 by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips

With outdoor photography, it is inevitable that we get caught in the rain. I always enjoy those moments, because it adds a different “feeling” to my photographs.

The weather greatly influences the final photograph. This one of the Great Blue Heron rookery was taken in March, during a rain shower. The sun behind me created the rainbow behind the rookery. Without the rain or the sun, this would have been a very different image. It would have had a flat sky, with little color.

Rain can be damaging to camera equipment. It is good to shelter the camera from the rain, though remember that most cameras are water-resistant. All equipment should be dried off, if it gets rained on. A chamois cloth works well, dries quickly and fits into a camera bag pocket. Drying of the camera and lens keeps the it working well.

Also, it’s important to protect the camera and lens being used in the inclement weather. There are several ways to do this. If the camera is mounted on a tripod, an umbrella can be held over the equipment to protect it from the rain. When carrying the camera, a shower cap can work as protection. Currently, a clear plastic sleeve can be purchased at a camera store. It fits over the camera and lens, and allows the photographer to slid their hands in the sides to operate the camera.

One of the most important pieces of equipment, in wet weather, is the camera bag. It is important to have a bag that is water proof, or at least water-resistant. Many bags, such as backpacks by Tamerc, have waterproof zippers, and fabric that covers the them. They are built to be in wet weather, without compromising the camera equipment inside. Also, these bags are well padded to protect equipment from damage. Many other manufacture’s have good, protective camera bags too.

Happy shooting until next time. . .Karen

What’s in a Digital Darkroom?

June 1, 2012June 1, 2012 by karenulvestad, posted in Digital Darkroom, Tips

Often times, I get asked if I “Photoshop” my photographs. If it was a film image, it would be like asking me if I took my film to a photo lab, which I worked at one for a couple of years. Our job as employees was to give the customer the best photograph possible from their film. We would color correct the prints, before they left the lab.

In the digital age, there is a lot of concern about “manipulating” photographs. In truth, all photographs are a manipulation of a scene through composition, and use of exposure.

So, what is a Digital Darkroom?

A Digital Darkroom is a software, such as Photoshop, Elements, or Aperture, where a photographer can color correct his/her photographs. There are tools to remove dust spots, filters to enhance color and cropping tools. What comes out at the end is the photograph the photographer wanted to take.

To answer the question. . .yes. . .I use Photoshop. I gather the best possible data with my camera, then polish it into the photograph I saw through my lens.

Here is an example of what computer software can do. . .

In this photo, I used Photoshop to remove dust and correct color.

In this photo, I started with Photoshop to remove dust and correct color. Then, I used Topaz filters to reduce haze, and further enhance the color.

Happy shooting, and More Later. . .Karen

Quality of Light – Part 2

May 9, 2012 by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips

Indoor and outdoor light have different temperatures. Our eyes automatically adjust to the difference in color, but our camera needs to be adjusted. The different types of light include Daylight, Incandescent or Tungsten and Florescent. With film, the type of film had to be changed between indoor and outdoor shooting. The emulsion dictated how the camera saw the whites in the scene.

With digital cameras, we control how our cameras view light through the White Balance (WB) setting. Most cameras have a quick button to set the WB, though it is located in different places (per the camera manufacturer). White balance is how your camera “sees” the tone white.

The WB can be used to correct the lighting situation, or as a creative tool. The color of outdoor light changes through-out the day, and whether it is shady or over-cast. Indoor light is more consistent, but there are at least three types of Florescent lights in use. Some cameras reflect this with three different Florescent WB settings.

When using a flash indoors, the camera’s WB should be set on Daylight. The flash is the “temperature” of a sunny day.

More Later. . .Karen

Shooting Nature in a Crowd

May 1, 2012 by karenulvestad, posted in Instruction, Tips

Event provide a great opportunity to photograph nature, though they can be very crowded with people. There are a few techniques that can be used to create the photograph that shows the elements the photographer wants his/her view to enjoy.

First, it is important to control the aperture or depth of field (DOF). Many times, a person in the background can disappear with a shallower depth of field. They become another shape or color without definition. In the photo above, the DOF is shallow enough to blur the tulips in the background.

Second, take the time to look at all the elements in the photograph. In the picture above, I missed the two women at the bottom of the picture. During the event, people were suppose to stay out of the field, but everyone wanted their picture taken with the tulips. In this instance, I should have waited until they left the field.

Third, selectively crop the photograph before taking the picture. At a crowded venue, it is important to take time to visualize the photographic image before taking the picture. This is where the elements of composition can help the photographer select what goes into the photo. This concept is shown in the image below.

Fourth, it is important to consider your perspective of the scene or point of view. Often times, the chosen perspective can naturally crop-out unwanted elements from a photograph. In the top image, the perspective eliminates the people and buildings from the photograph. In the third image, the perspective includes all of the different colors of tulips in the garden, while eliminating people, structures and the road from the photograph.

Also, it is important to experiment when composing a photograph in a crowded area.

Have a great photographic outing soon. . .Karen

Category: Tips

It’s a Small World. . .

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Color & Composition

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Challenging Lighting Situations & Solutions

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Filters & Color

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Photography Destination – John Day Painted Hills Unit

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Using Compositional Elements

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Rainy Day Photography

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What’s in a Digital Darkroom?

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Quality of Light – Part 2

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Shooting Nature in a Crowd

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