PHOTO TIP of the WEEK!

check out what kind of lighting you are working with before you shoot. it is generally a good idea to shoot with your light source behind you, unless you are going for sun flare. always check for squinty eyes and unflattering shadows.
i really like my subjects' eyes to have catch lights. it makes them twinkle. otherwise, i feel like their eyes look dark and dead.

there is a big difference between a photo with a subject who has a soft, even light across their face and one with harsh shadows under their eyes, nose, etc.
side light can be a cool, dramatic effect sometimes too.

lighting can change the entire feel and look of your photo dramatically.

lighting, to me, is the most important aspect of photography. without it, it would not exist. i know that sounds ridiculously obvious, but if you think about it, it's actually kind of an interesting concept. you can capture a photograph from the slightest light of a candle, just as long as it exists. deep, i know, i know! haha.

experiment with your light! i would love to see some of your work too, so e-mail me some pictures of cool uses of light! if i get enough, maybe i'll do a little contest or something.

my one-year photo anniversary is coming up {wahoo!} and i'm trying to decide how to celebrate it - if i should do a Q&A type forum, a give-away, contest... not sure. if you have any suggestions or preferences let me know!

PHOTO TIP of the WEEK!

Experiment with different lighting situations. Don't settle on open shade, but embrace it all! Now, please remove my soapbox. :)



Midday sunlight used to scare me (and i still would never schedule a shoot for this time of day) but I've realized that I can get some really cool shots even at the "worst" part of the day, with regard to lighting.
Moral of the story: Have fun and don't limit yourself!

PHOTO TIP of the WEEK!....finally

sorry i didn't post a photo tip last week. i meant to and then, well just didn't. i was in california, so there's my excuse.

last time i talked about aperture. so this week we'll talk about ISO and shutter speed. {most of my tips aren't going to be this long/technical or in sequence.}

ISO is the equivalent to film speed on a film camera. it determines how fast your image will be captured by the film or digital sensor.
the higher the ISO the quicker the image will be captured and less light is required and vice-versa.

most beginner slr's go up to about a 1600 ISO. your ISO setting will depend on your lighting situation. indoors and in low light situations you will need around your highest setting. for sunny outdoor situations you would use your lowest possible setting.

it's very important to note that the higher your ISO goes, the grainier your picture will be. that's the tricky part. so in my case i prefer using the lowest ISO possible to prevent too much grain. but if you don't mind grain, then help yourself!

shutter speed is how quickly your shutter operates. a faster shutter speed will freeze subjects while a slower shutter speed will blur objects.

so turn your dial over to shutter speed priority {it is probably an S or Tv and don't worry about aperture, the camera will take care of that for you. if you're indoors, bump up your ISO to about 800 to 1600, as needed.}

ok, turn on your faucet. something needs to obstruct the stream of water so it causes a little splash. set your shutter speed to 1/80th of a second {indicated on your camera as 80.} take the picture.

now switch your shutter speed to 1/1000th of a second. {indicated as 1000} and take the picture again.
now compare your results!

if you like the tips, let me know. i like a good pat on the back. haha, is that too honest? :)

PHOTO TIP of the WEEK!

details, details....

the technical part of photography is obviously very important, but i'll admit that it is probably my weakness. i get it and understand it, but sometimes if i think too hard about it, i feel it gets in the way of my creative process. don't let that happen! understanding aperture, shutter speed and iso are the basic fundamentals of photography. get to know them. learn them. and once you feel comfortable with them, use it to create images that you like, that speak to you and that are pleasing to YOU. try not to get caught up in the "perfect picture" because that is extremely subjective.
with that said, it's important to know how to get it right using aperture (f/stop) iso and shutter speed. Understand how they work together to give you the results you are looking for.

APERTURE
this week i'll {try} to give a quick explanation of aperture to my best ability. {i will try to make sense, but i'm not an expert on this stuff, so i'd recommend some good reading.}

the size of the aperture or {f/stop} of a lens determines how much of your photograph is in focus.

the f/stop number refers to how open or closed the aperture on the lens is. the wider open the lens = more light is allowed in the lens at one time giving you a wide aperture. i.e. less of your picture will be in focus. this is called a shallow depth of field.

a low f/stop like f/1.4 or f/1.8 is considered a wide-open aperture.

{confused yet? i am a little.) :)

a super snazzy lens would go all the way down to an f/1.2 and this would be considered a wide-open aperture, while an f/22 or possibly higher would be a closed or tight aperture.

again- a closed aperture of f/22 would be completely in focus and have a very deep depth of field. an example of this would be a landscape picture where you'd want everything in sharp focus.

an open aperture of f/1.2 or even f/2.8 would keep a small portion of your picture in sharp focus while the rest is blurred. an example of this would be a portrait where you want the background blurred and the person in focus.

if you have a digital slr camera, switch it over to aperture priority {Av or A on most cameras} and play around with aperture a little. if you have a point-and-shoot, you still should be able to have some control over your f/stop.

focus on something at the lowest f/stop number your camera will go {remember that means a high aperture}, take the picture. then bump your f/stop to about f/8, take the picture. now bump it all the way up to the highest number it will go and take the picture. compare all three results. experiment, experiment, experiment!

aperture is my very favorite effect. it can completely change the tone of your picture.

have fun.

next week i'll {try to} explain shutter speed and iso.

PHOTO TIP of the WEEK!

i receive quite a few questions regarding photography, so i thought i'd start posting random photography and editing tips. plus i love when other photographers share information. it makes me happy, so i thought i'd share the love.
my tips will range from basic to advanced photography techniques to anything random i think is important or interesting. :)

let's start out basic. i get a lot of questions from moms who just want to take better pictures of their kiddos.

composition (the way you frame your picture):
putting your subject in the middle of your picture is not always going to be your best bet. for me, most of the time, it's not.
there is a grid system you can follow called the "rule of thirds." it states that your subject should be composed in the left or right thirds or top or bottom thirds of your picture. it also says your horizon should fall in either the top third or bottom third.

if we do compose our picture so the subject is in the right third of the picture, it is sometimes a good idea to balance it out by including something in the left third of the picture.

now, the fun thing about photography is that there are no "rules" only guidelines. so you don't ALWAYS have to follow this, but experiment and see what looks and feels best to you!

simple enough, right?!

photography: writing with light

i am reading the coolest book called "eye on art" {the photography edition} by stuart a. kallen. my dad actually found it for me for like $3 and i've been loving it. it's kind of refreshing because it's all about the artistic side of photography, putting the technical stuff aside. sometimes i feel like, as a photographer, we get caught up in the technical jargin and "rules" of photography and forget why we're really doing it. yes technicalities matter, but it's the impressions and emotions we capture that are what people recognize and appreciate most, i think.
while explaining art as a whole, the back of the book reads: "the creative impulse is an ancient and enduring feature of human expression. art serves many purposes: to beautify, record, reflect, enlighten and celebrate our existence." i love that explanation! isn't it perfect?! that is exactly what drew me to photography in the first place.

so a challenge: while taking pictures this week, try not to get mixed up in the settings of your camera or equipment, but focus on your "artistic impulse." what drives your photographs, or even you as a photographer? what is the point to your photos? do you recognize yourself as an artist?
these are questions i'm asking myself, so i thought i'd throw them out there.
i'd like to know your thoughts, experiences and outcomes. let's talk!

This should be interesting...

I have received several e-mails with questions regarding photography, so I thought I'd post this.
I am teaching a digital photography class along with another photographer, Natalie Fischer. The class will be held at BYU in Provo tomorrow, (Wed. Feb. 11). Anyone who is interested in coming is welcome.
The class is free and will be geared toward beginners. It will cover photography basics, such as aperture, shutter speed, composition, lighting, etc.
If you are an aspiring photographer, or are just interested in taking better pictures and would like more information and details about the class, please e-mail me at: www.greyphotography@yahoo.com

Sorry for the late notice!