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Taking a Measured Approach to Learning Photography

07 Dec

The post Taking a Measured Approach to Learning Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Whether you have just invested in your first camera, or you did so a while back, taking a measured approach to learning to use it will help you improve your photography.

Woman Photographer at the Shopping Mall - Taking a Measured Approach to Learning Photography

Beyond camera skills, there’s a whole lot more to making great photos. Composition, lighting, timing, and relationship with your subject are all important aspects of photography. All are largely unrelated to camera tech.

Photography is a journey. You can make it as long or short as you like. You can stick to a well-beaten path, (and create photos much the same as most people do,) or be more ambitious and scale lofty peaks. If you want to do the latter you better have a good idea of where you want to go and be ready to develop the necessary skills for the adventure.

Where do you start and how do you become competent in both the technical and creative aspects of photography?

Start with What’s Essential

Camera manuals are notorious. They are often difficult to understand and the information can appear disjointed. However, these books provide you with valuable insight. To be able to create interesting photographs you need to have a good knowledge and understanding of your camera first.

Taking a Measured Approach to Learning Photography Happy Photographer

Start with your camera manual. Read it in the language you most easily understand, (and ignore all other language options.) Don’t try and absorb it all at once. Spread out your reading over the first week with your camera in your hands. Take in a little at a time and practice it.

Google and Youtube will often provide you with information about your camera that’s more straightforward. Search your camera make and model. Find one or two sources that cover it in depth and spend time studying it.

Get a good grasp of the basics of how your camera works. Get to know it’s settings and functions. Learning these things will help you avoid a lot of frustration when you are taking photos.

Concentrate on the Basic Functions

Trying to learn all the intricacies of your camera right at the start can be confusing. Modern cameras are packed with more whistles and bells than you will ever need to use.

Taking a Measured Approach to Learning Photography My First Camera

My first camera was a simple tool. I had no option but to learn to use it manually. It had no automatic functions. This was a great way to learn. Thirty years or so later as I was preparing to launch my photography workshops, I had to study how to teach using the auto settings. I had never used them.

It’s a little like driving a car with an automatic transmission after learning in a manual shift car. Easy, because you’ve already mastered the essentials in manual mode.

Personally, I think using manual mode gives you the freedom to become more creative with your camera. I encourage you to do this. If you don’t have the time or commitment, experiment with the auto settings on your camera and find one or two which suit you best. Don’t be distracted by the scene modes or the many other functions your camera has. When you are starting out these will just add confusion.

Taking a Measured Approach to Learning Photography Camera Police

Be Regular

Picking up your camera frequently and regularly is the one thing that will advance your photography. Make a habit of taking at least one photo a day. It only needs to take a few minutes.

Once you form a habit you will find it easy to make more time for photography. As you become familiar with your camera you will start to enjoy it more. When this happens you will notice you are beginning to take better photographs. It can become addictive.

Using your camera infrequently will lead to some frustration each time you do pick it up. You will have to think again which dials and buttons do what. You will not be familiar enough with the controls to use your camera with ease. Taking at least one photo a day will help you learn the camera controls and before long you will know them and use them intuitively. You don’t need to make a masterpiece each day, just try to improve a little at a time.

Taking a Measured Approach to Learning Photography Example

Learn a Little More

Studying – along with regular camera use – will accelerate your photography learning experience. Find a good book, online course or enroll in some classes.

Look for a teacher or author whose style you like and would like to emulate. Some people who teach photography will have you concentrate heavily on the technical aspects of the craft. Others will encourage you to leave your camera on auto all the time and let the camera do the work. It’s your choice which path you choose to follow. I prefer to teach a mix of the creative and technical aspects of photography.

Taking a Measured Approach to Learning Photography Monk Photographer

Building your technical ability is important. You need to understand your camera and how to manage the settings. Receiving some good teaching on the functions of shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focus and other essential controls will lead you to be more creative. Once you have learned these skills your mind will be freer to focus on the creative elements that make good photographs.

Having a good grasp of composition, light, color, and timing is equally important for being able to make good photographs. Much of the creative side of photography is very subjective. You can study it and gain foundational knowledge. This will set you up towards developing your own personal photographic style.

Without a balance between technical and creative study, you can end up unbalanced. This can lead to technically perfect snapshots or terribly exposed, out-of-focus ‘creative’ photographs.

Three Helpful Tips to Help Your Progress

Make a separate folder on your computer, somewhere you can access it easily. At least once a week, go through the photos you have made and choose a few of your favorites. Put them in this new folder. This is your portfolio. You don’t need to share it with anyone else (but it’s a good idea to.) It’s there so you can see your photographs improve over time.

Taking a Measured Approach to Learning Photography Market Photographer

Having your work critiqued by a more experienced photographer helps. You may not always see what you have done wrong. You may look at your photos and know they are not great, but not be able to figure out why. This is where an experienced photographer can help you. A good critique will be positive and constructive but not shy away from pointing out changes which need to be made.

Finding someone to mentor you is one sure way that will help your photography progress. Regular contact with a more experienced photographer who’s committed to helping you learn will accelerate the process. The feedback a mentor can provide is invaluable. A good mentor will teach and guide you. They will also set and assess assignments for you.

Conclusion

Taking a Measured Approach to Learning Photography Kevin Teaching

Like learning to play a musical instrument or losing weight, the level of your commitment will be reflected in the level of your success. The more committed you are to learning to use your camera well, the more successful you become.

Frequent camera use and study will propel you more quickly to your goal. It’s your choice. Make regular study and camera use a daily habit. Go through and separate out your favorite photos once a week or so. You will be encouraged by the photos you are making. You will never achieve your potential by only occasionally picking up your camera.

The post Taking a Measured Approach to Learning Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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7 Different Ways to Approach Macro Photography

19 Jul

Macro photography is one a genre that many people love. But the expense of buying a top lens to take close up photos can make it restrictive or impossible to do. However, there are many ways of approaching this kind of photography, and not all of them have to break the bank.

Here are seven different approaches to macro photography. We’ll start with what most people think of, and cover other ways to help you do macro photography when you don’t have a big budget to do what you love.

7 Different Ways to Approach Macro Photography - orange flower

105mm Macro lens with auto-focus. I have used the same flower for all the photos. They were taken as close to the flower as the lens would allow for focusing. A full frame camera was used to take the images, except for the last one.

#1 – Dedicated Macro Lens

Getting yourself a macro lens is one if the best ways of doing close-up photography. These lenses are specifically designed to allow you to focus very close to your subject. With most macro lenses, you can get as close as about four inches or 10 centimeters (compared to “regular” lenses which close focusing distance is usually around 12 inches or more). That is with autofocus on, but if you turn it off you will be able to focus even closer.

Manual focusing seems to be the preferred way of doing macro photography. If do some reading, you will find a lot of photographers prefer to use their macro lenses this way. It allows them to get even closer. This, then, might be where you ask the question, “Why should I bother buying a macro lens that has autofocus?”

Many of the top lenses manufacturers make options for macro photography. They are high-end, and the quality is as you would expect those brands to produce. However, they are also very expensive and you can expect to pay quite a bit for a dedicated macro lens.

Many other companies are now also making macro lenses. Some don’t have autofocus, but if you are happy using manual then they may be a better (or less expensive) alternative for you. They are often around half the price of the big brands, so if you can’t afford one of the top models, then this could be a much better fit for you.

7 Different Ways to Approach Macro Photography

Shot with a 105mm Macro lens using manual focus.

#2 – Zoom Lenses

When many people start doing macro photography they often start with a zoom lens and do their best to get as close as possible. Depending on the focal length of your lens you can get pretty close to your subject. You may not get tiny bugs on your flowers from the garden, but you will get whole flowers.

There are some zoom lenses that also have a macro ability which makes it easier for you to get great photos and it allows you to focus in closer. Often zoom lenses will only focus if you are a few feet away from your subject. If you have one with the ability to get closer, then you will be able to get fairly good “almost macro” images.

Image taken with a zoom lens and the focal length was 300mm.

#3 – Lensbaby Velvet 56

The Velvet 56 by Lensbaby is a special lens that can be used for taking normal photos, but what a lot of people use it for is macro photography. It looks like a normal prime lens, but it has a very short depth of field, which makes it ideal for macro photography. You can change the aperture to give you very little in focus or a lot.

A lot of macro photographers who start using the Velvet 56 fall in love with it and find it difficult to use other lenses again.

This image was taken with the Lensbaby Velvet 56.

#4 – Lensbaby Composer Pro and Optics

This is a unique system where the first part, the Lensbaby Composer Pro, fits onto your camera like a lens. It is made up of two parts which are connected by a ball-like socket so you can move the outer part around to put your focus point and plane where you want. Into this, you put an optic that will give you the desired effect you want. There are many different types of optics, however, the Sweet 35 and Sweet 50 are the most popular ones for macro photography.

The Composure Pro and optics gives you a lot of opportunities to get some interesting and different effects. You can change the point of focus to anywhere you want in the image. You can also decide what depth of field you want to get. Macro images that are very different to what you can achieve with other types of macro lenses are possible with this system.

Read my overview of the Lensbaby system here: Overview of the Lensbaby System – Is it for you?

This image was achieved by using the Lensbaby Composer Pro with a Sweet 50 optic.

#5 – Extension Tubes

You can also get extension tubes that will fit in between your camera and your lens. These will make your lenses get closer to your subjects (and shift the focusing distance). Your 50mm lens with extension tubes, and you can start taking photos that are very close to those from a macro lens. It should be noted that there are differences though, and a dedicated lens for close ups is easier to use.

Extension tubes are usually bought in a group of three, you get a 12mm, 20mm and a 36mm. You can use them individually, or combine together. You can get one that will not allow the lens to communicate with your camera, they are usually much cheaper. So look for what they call automatic rings, with Autofocus. I use Kenko Automatic Extension Tubes.

You have to be careful with the rings as they are not very heavy and if you put a big hefty lens on your camera and don’t give it enough support, then you risk damaging the connection between the lens and camera.

7 Different ways of approaching macro photography

Shot with a 50mm lens on its own.

Shot with a 50mm lens and a 36mm extension tube.

#6 – Close-Up Filters

There are many filters available for your lenses and you can also get ones that help you get really close to subjects. They are called close-up filters and are like magnifying glasses. You are quite limited in what you can do with them, and they can be hard to use.

When you go looking for close-up filters you will find different levels of magnification. It would be tempting to get lots of them, but you really only need a couple. The one I have is a +5 from B+W.

I also use the close-up filters on my macro lens as it allows me to get even closer to the flowers I’m trying to photograph. Sometimes you have to use everything you have to get as close as possible.

105mm macro lens with a +5 close-up filter.

#7 – Phone

Most cell or mobile phones have quite good cameras now and you can get some really good images with them, including macro photography. You can find the option for macro photos in your settings. Though my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge doesn’t have a specific macro one, there are some that will help you get better photos.

With the phone, you can get just as close to your subject as you can with most macro lenses. That makes it great, however, it can be much harder to get a good image. It is very hard to hold the phone steady enough to get good photos. It takes a lot of practice to get good images.

Many companies now produce lenses that you can use with your phone including a macro lens which can be a great way for doing this kind of photography.

This macro image was taken with the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Phone.

In the end

There are so many different approaches, and while seven have been mentioned here, there may be a lot more. Whichever way you choose to go, you have to find the method fits within with your budget and the amount of time you want to spend photographing subjects at a macro level.

What do you use to do macro photography? Do you have a different approach you can share with us?

The post 7 Different Ways to Approach Macro Photography by Leanne Cole appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Wildlife in Context – The Short Lens Approach to Wildlife Photography

01 May

I was on my stomach in the grassy tundra of the coastal plain of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In front of me, some 10 meters away, a Pomerine Jaeger sat relaxed on the tundra. 50 meters beyond it, a small band of caribou, some 20 animals, grazed slowly across the landscape. The light was hot and bright, not ideal, but there was a story to be told here. The bird had flown in with the herd, as did two or three other Jaegers which still cruised about over the caribou. They were not interested in the caribou themselves, but Jaegers prey on small mammals which are kicked up by the hooves of the migrating caribou.

Wildlife in Context - The Short Lens Approach to Wildlife Photography

In my image, I wanted to show that relationship so a long lens zoomed in tight, was not going to tell that story. I pulled back, composing so that the caribou were visible beyond the bird, almost lost in the heat waves coming off the summer tundra (above).

Often, you don’t need a lens as long as your leg to tell the wildlife story that matters. Huge telephotos are sexy, don’t get me wrong, I love my 500mm f/4 and drool regularly over other long glass in online camera catalogs. That said, long lenses can be extremely limiting. They help you get close, but close isn’t always what you need to tell a good wildlife story, in fact, it’s often counter-productive.

Wildlife in Context - The Short Lens Approach to Wildlife Photography

Telephoto lenses are key in wildlife photography – or not?

There is a myth, prevalent among wildlife photography enthusiasts, that an effective image is a close image. Headshots or tight, full-body portraits, with perfectly clean backgrounds are the formula for good images… or, not.

While there is a place for wildlife portraiture, that style leaves out one very important element; the story. To include the story, you’ve got to have context. To get context you need to back off. Like my Jaeger on the tundra, the location and the environment matter. To tell the story within the image, it’s ALL that matters.

Rather than give a bulleted list of tips, I thought it might be more illustrative to show you a few images that I think tell an effective story, something less superficial than a portrait. (As a side note, you can use your beloved super-telephoto to make these types of images, you just need to make sure your composition reflects the context. So go crazy, spend your kid’s college tuition on that lens, just be sure to use it judiciously.

Gentoo Penguin, South Georgia Island

Wildlife in Context - The Short Lens Approach to Wildlife Photography
I was guiding on an expedition cruise to Antarctica and South Georgia Island a few years back and spent some time with a group of nesting Gentoo Penguins high on a ridge above a protected bay on South Georgia. I’d been using my 500mm to make some headshots, but realized that wasn’t getting at the core of the story.

This was a unique place to nest, these birds were waddling more than a half mile and 500 vertical feet to get to their rocky nests high on the hillside. THAT was the story, the context. So I slapped on a wide angle zoom and composed with the penguins in the foreground and the blue water of the South Atlantic in the background. The weather and fog only add to the sense of place. When one Gentoo raised its bill to call, I snapped the image above.

Skua, South Georgia Island

Wildlife in Context - The Short Lens Approach to Wildlife Photography
Showing context doesn’t necessarily mean being distant. As I was working on photographing the penguins in the previous image, a Skua, an opportunistic predator that snatches eggs and chicks from careless penguin parents, appeared. It landed nearby, so I lay down flat on my stomach (trying not to think of the reddish brown penguin poop that covered the hillside) and waited. The curious bird, perhaps wondering if I was about to expire and provide an unexpected meal, approached.

The curious bird, perhaps wondering if I was about to expire and provide an unexpected meal, approached. Eventually, it leaned forward and almost pecked the glass on the front of my lens. As it did, I composed to include a pair of nesting penguins in the background and clicked the shutter. Curious predator, wary prey, and interaction are all wrapped up nicely in the resulting photo.

Sandhill Cranes, Fairbanks, Alaska

Wildlife in Context - The Short Lens Approach to Wildlife Photography

If there is one thing that matters to Sandhill Cranes on migration, it’s having company. On their way south, these birds congregate in huge flocks at stopover locations where they refuel for the next stage. Many eyes mean a better chance of avoiding predators. While in flight, their long V-shaped flocks provide extra lift to each of the birds in line. In other words, for an image to show the real nature of a Sandhill Crane in migration, it’s got to show more than one.

In this case, I was out shooting in the early morning hours at Creamer’s Field State Game Refuge, not far from my home in Fairbanks. It was a foggy morning and the huge flocks of cranes and geese were restless. They kept lifting off in groups of a hundred or so, before settling again. This image shows how they gather, and a bit of the habitat. To me, it screams of migration.

Caribou, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

Wildlife in Context - The Short Lens Approach to Wildlife Photography
I was camped with a couple of clients on a photo tour a stone’s throw from the Arctic Ocean on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We’d been concentrating our photographic efforts to the late night hours when the arctic light was low and sweet. So I was fast asleep when around midday, I was woken by a distant splashing. Curious, I clambered from my tent and looked out over the river to the south of our camp. Hundreds, no, thousands, of caribou were crossing the river a few hundred yards from our camp.

I grabbed a camera and ran down to join my clients who were standing, watching, and photographing. It took three or four hours for all the caribou to pass. With the last few bands of animals, the light finally improved, and I was able to make this image. The caribou moving across the coastal plain with the distant Brooks Range in the background tells something of the animals, as well as a story about the Refuge itself.

King Penguin, South Georgia Island

Wildlife in Context - The Short Lens Approach to Wildlife Photography

Early in the morning, I landed in a zodiac on the shore of Saint Andrews Bay on South Georgia Island. I’d skipped breakfast to make the early morning landing. The storms that had plagued our trip to that point were holding off for the moment. But a bruised sky lay to the south, threatening more weather to come.

While everyone else scurried off to the main penguin colony a quarter mile away, I lingered around the landing area to make a few images. I concentrated on this single King Penguin, who was standing alone on the beach with a few resting Giant Petrels and fur seals. My favorite of the resulting images, this one, reminds me of a museum display, more than an isolated individual, it says something about the ecosystem the penguin shares. And the soft sunlight and purple sky help set the stage about the storm-battered Southern Ocean.

Composition Techniques

Wildlife in Context - The Short Lens Approach to Wildlife Photography

Brown Bears living in southeast Alaska spend a lot of time wandering beaches where it’s easy to walk and foraging is productive. In this image, my group and I spotted this bear walking toward us down the beach. I wanted to show some of that context, the forest in the background, the gravel shore, and the water’s edge are all important parts of this bear’s life.

Creating images of wildlife in context is a more of a creative than a technical discipline. As I think about it, it’s really more like landscape photography than anything else. There are many articles here on dPS about camera settings, exposure, and sharpness, so I won’t trouble you with you that. But I do want to take a moment to talk about composition.

As I noted, these images are often similar to landscapes. The setting is just as important as the animal you are photographing. Consider the balance of the image, and the aspect of the life of the critter you are trying to show. Do you want your animal to appear as a just another part of its world, or the dominant part? Both can work.

Below are a few images of bears. All show some context, but in some, the bear is the unquestionable subject, while in others the animal is part of the landscape. Neither composition strategy is right, nor wrong. Rather, it depends on your goals for the image and its ultimate use. Most of these images have sold for publication, and editors have selected them for different reasons. But in every case, the context and setting were the selling points.

This Brown Bear in Katmai National Park was grazing peacefully in this sedge meadow. In this case, I wanted to show the bear in a larger setting, so I pulled back, showing the mountain in the background and the vast, green tundra.

This is the same bear as the previous image. I made this image just moments after the one above, when the bear, curious at our appearance across the river, rose to give us a look. The composition still shows her in the meadow, the flowers, the sedges, the tundra hill in the background, but she is suddenly, very clearly the subject.

This aerial image of a Brown Bear searching for clams on a muddy shore in Katmai National Park, Alaska is an extreme example of wildlife in context. Yet, it tells a story. Coastal bears in Katmai spend a lot of time digging clams. It’s a lot of work, there is an enormous amount of ground to cover. This image is effective at telling that story.

Small in the frame, yet clearly the subject, I photographed this Brown Bear walking along the shore of a river.

Final Note

This is not “spray and pray” photography. Unlike birds in flight, or other fast moving subjects where you shoot a rapid burst of images in the hopes that one will end up sharp and pleasing, showing animals in their environment is more of a mind-game. Spend time composing. Consider the wildlife, their ecology, and place in their environment. Play with the balance of elements in the image, the focal length, and depth of field. Only then, once you’ve weighed your options, should you start shooting.

When photographing wildlife, by all means, make some clean, close-up shots, but don’t stop there. Think deeper about the story at hand, about the environment in which the animal lives, and its relationship to it. Don’t be afraid to go wide, or ease back that zoom.

Are you a wildlife photographer? Have you tried making this type of image? If so, please share your stories and images in the comments below.

The post Wildlife in Context – The Short Lens Approach to Wildlife Photography by David Shaw appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Opinion: Nikon’s ‘back to basics’ approach is a no-brainer

28 Feb

Well-rounded, polished and reliable: mid-to-high end DSLR cameras have been Nikon’s bread and butter for years.

In its first public statement since the DL series’ cancellation, Nikon has stated to the Japanese press (Google translated here) that it will be focusing chiefly on ‘mid-to-high end SLR cameras and lenses and mirrorless cameras that can make the most of their strengths.’

Good gravy, it’s about time.

A rough patch

Sure, 2016 was the year of the D5 and widely adored D500 DSLRs, but those two cameras stand against a pretty dismal backdrop.

That backdrop includes the continued release of low-end Coolpix cameras into a market segment that’s been obliterated by smartphones (though admittedly Nikon isn’t alone in this regard), the ailing Nikon 1 series which hasn’t seen a new camera body in almost two years or a new lens in almost three years, and the KeyMission series, which has had a tepid reception at best (and personally, I wish they’d taken whatever development costs the KeyMission ate up and poured those into the DL series instead).

Ah, the Coolpix A300. This 2016 release features a 1/2.3″ sensor, 720p video and a low-resolution 230k-dot rear screen. Please Nikon, why?

On most recent occasions when the company has stepped outside of its traditional DSLR realm, Nikon’s has stumbled somewhat. To illustrate, imagine for a minute that these various camera market segments are house parties (that’s a bit of a stretch these days, but bear with me here).

The Nikon 1 series got stuck in traffic on the way to the mirrorless party, and finally arrived only to realize it totally misread the dress code. As for the KeyMission series, it’s way past fashionably late to the action camera party, and brought a twelve-pack of what everyone’s already sick of drinking.

And the DL series, well, it seems to have just pre-funked too heavily and didn’t make it out at all.

There are several things that are disappointing about this. With the 1 series especially, Nikon has had years and years to flesh out a lens lineup to really make the most out of that small package and incredibly fast sensor (remember, they could shoot 60 fps Raw bursts years before the likes of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, and had incredible on-sensor PDAF to boot). The company has simply let the whole line stagnate into obscurity. This stands in stark contrast to the company’s DSLR line, which has used the same basic lens mount for the last fifty-eight years. So it clearly shouldn’t have issues with commitment.

The KeyMission is also, in my opinion, an ill-conceived scheme – after all, they’ve come about just as GoPro’s stock and sales are tanking in the wake of competent and ever cheaper Chinese competitors. The KeyMission line is literally years too late, the rocky VR market in 2016 didn’t do the 360 model any favors. I can understand Nikon’s desire for some form of diversification given the state of the camera market as a whole, but this just wasn’t the right way to go.

Sure, the KeyMission 170 is ruggedized without a case, but it’s entering a very crowded and very competitive market.

Picking back up

But perhaps what’s most disappointing about all this is that, contrary to the views most keyboard warriors seem to espouse these days, Nikon is capable of true greatness, and even some spurts of innovation. It’s just that most of that is wrapped up in the DSLR world of the D5 and D500.

Those two cameras remain in our possession, with Nikon’s permission, as the current autofocus tracking benchmarks against which most other cameras are measured; 3D Tracking was an incredible innovation with the D3 that has been steadily evolving ever since, and it changes the way you shoot for the better. The D5 / D500’s use of XQD slots combine with incredible overall responsiveness to ensure that you are never waiting for those cameras; they’ll only be waiting for you. They’re the first DSLRs with Automatic AF Fine Tune, bringing DSLR autofocus one step closer to the accuracy of on-sensor autofocus systems in mirrorless cameras. There’s also the AF-S 105mm F1.4G, a world’s-first lens for the company’s venerable DSLRs.

Now that’s a nice combo.

In short, if Nikon’s DSLRs are so competent already (QC issues such as the D600 fiasco notwithstanding), it’ll be interesting to see what the company can do with more focus and more resources available for their development. One thing’s for sure; we’re all hoping for some new ‘professional’ DX lenses to go with the ‘professional’ D500, but even taking this new statement into consideration, I’m not holding my breath.

The rest

The Nikon 1 V3, the latest ‘enthusiast’ offering in the 1-series lineup, was announced nearly three years ago.

Stepping aside from the world of DSLRs, Nikon’s statement foregoes any specific claims concerning the KeyMission series (hmmm…), and promises a renewed focus on ‘mirrorless cameras that can make the most of their strengths.’ What that really means is anyone’s guess, though the stagnation of the 1 series indicates Nikon will be heading a different direction than continued development of the ‘CX’ system.

The brief statement closes with the mention of a high-class compact in the future, but given the incident with the DL series, the company will ‘judge the next development carefully.’

Coolpix A Mark II, please. But maybe with a name other than ‘Coolpix.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Why Shooting with the Joyful Abandon Approach Can Improve Your Photography

12 Sep

A few months ago I was at a keynote speech given by a famous photographer and workshop leader (you’d know him). He had a lot of great advice to give, but one thing that he said still bugs me. He told us a story about one of his students who, at the end of a wildlife workshop, exclaimed that he’d captured over 8,000 images. In his keynote speech, this famous photographer laughed at his student for shooting so much, since he himself had only shot 800 images.

W5A4762Joyful Abandon B

Shooting with a goal

I never like it when a workshop leader pokes fun at his students but, as he explained further, his reason for telling us the story was a pretty good one. As a workshop leader he would always set a daily goal. He would decide ahead of time what he wanted to capture and then he’d focus on making those images. He coached his students to work that way too.

I love the idea of setting a goal and having a vision. Setting goals is part of how we improve our photography. Every fall the squirrels descend upon my backyard tree and gorge themselves on nuts. During this time of year, I stealthily make images of the little rascals. I don’t shoot aimlessly when I work on this project. My on-going goal is to capture soft golden light, creamy blurred backgrounds, sharply focused eyes and engaging expressions. Squirrels move fast and I’m neither as speedy nor as stealthy as I’d like to be. I shoot a lot of frames when I work on this project.

W5A2808Joyful Abandon A

1F8B8628Joyful Abandon B1

But…

You knew there was a but, right? The singular vision of this workshop photographer might not work for all of his students. As great a teacher as he is, the first morning you head out together, you probably won’t have enough information to have an instant vision of the work you want to make during the workshop. You might even struggle as you climb the steep learning curve of wildlife photography – and you may shoot a lot as you learn.

Plus, shooting with a goal doesn’t equate to less shutter clicks, it equates to more focus. You might need even more shutter clicks than you usually do, depending on the goal you’ve set yourself.

MG 9090Joyful Abandon C

This big cat, photographed at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, is one of the few images I’ve made there that I’ve been pleased with. Most of my images from the zoo don’t fulfill my vision. This one does because the she-lion is engaging with another lion (out of the frame). Her eyes are sharply focused and the background is not only blurred, but it frames her beautifully, and emphasizes her coloring.

I easily shot several hundred images of this lion one afternoon, to get this single image. Shooting my backyard squirrel project helped me define a vision of how I wanted this image to look, but it still took me a lot of frames to reach my goal.

Developing authentic vision

The way the keynote speaker made fun of his student for “over-shooting” bothers me because shooting wildlife images from inside a jeep or blind, elbow to elbow with four other workshop photographers, while steadying a super zoom lens, isn’t exactly easy stuff. Once you start to learn the technical aspects of this type of shooting, your authentic vision might kick in as early as Day 2 or 3 of your workshop. If it takes you all week to get comfortable with wildlife shooting techniques, your vision might not kick in until well after you get home.

Personally, that delayed vision is why I encourage photographers to shoot with what I call the joyful abandon approach. I especially recommend the joyful abandon approach when you’re visiting somewhere you’ve never been, or learning to shoot in a new way. Imagine that you do finally fully develop your vision well after you’ve finished your wildlife workshop. Won’t you want a huge pool of images to ensure that you have the raw materials to realize your vision?

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I’ve traveled to Florida dozens of times but up until a few years ago, I’d never visited the Everglades, or ridden in an airboat. Even with an amazing guide explaining the ecosystem and gliding the boat slowly up to known alligator dens, it was a technically difficult shoot. With the movement of the boat and the reeds, my camera struggled to grab focus where I aimed.

The result? I shot. And shot. And shot some more. I’m grateful for all that shooting, since this is the one image I walked away with (above). It has that blurred golden background I love and – key for me when I shoot wildlife – that engaged expression, and tack-sharp focus on the eye.

Build your portfolio

You may never again have a chance to return to that wildlife workshop location, but your workshop leader does. He has the luxury of going annually with his students. He can take years to develop vision, shoot with measured patience, and build a portfolio of the 25 best wildlife images anyone has ever seen.

You, on the other hand, should shamelessly fill memory cards so that when you arrive home, you have access to a massive database of images that might yield 200 shareable gems. It will take work to cull those images and get to those gems, but it’s worth it, isn’t it?

Since your workshop leader has been on this type of shoot over and over, all that familiarity gives him increased comfort, and that increased comfort opens the portal for him to be more focused, and more creative, while shooting fewer frames. Plus, he already owns all of those classic wildlife images that you’ll still want to bring home. He has the luxury of pressing that shutter button once every 15 or 30 minutes. You don’t. You have work to do and a portfolio to build.

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A wild horse rolling in dust is a classic, portfolio-building wildlife image. Over the years, I’ve easily shot a thousand frames of rolling horses, but for me, this is “the one.” The experience I’ve gained from shooting with joyful abandon taught me just where to stand and how to compose my image. To maximize the dust and light beams, while capturing all four legs in the air, a well-defined face, and a highlighted mane.

I continued to shoot as this horse lumbered back up to his feet and was rewarded with a glorious, dusty shake too.

Keep shooting with joyful abandon

While I’m using a wildlife workshop as an example, since that was this keynote speaker’s specific remark, this idea of shooting with joyful abandon really applies to any opportunity to shoot, anywhere, even if you’re not on a workshop.

Whenever I travel to a new-to-me wild horse range, I carry massive amounts of memory cards and storage, and I shoot with absolute gleeful, joyful abandon. When I have a chance to return to that same wild horse range, I still have stacks of memory cards and storage, plus a more informed, authentic vision of the images I’d like to capture. I continue to shoot with joyful abandon and I promise you, over the course of a week, I’ll shoot far more than 800 frames.

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Making images isn’t just about how many frames we shoot, or how many keepers we get, it’s also about the process. Every single frame you shoot is part of your process, and that process helps you develop your unique vision. Whether that vision is focusing on the big picture or honing in on small details, or documenting grand moments or capturing subtle tender ones like these foals with their mothers, shooting with joyful abandon will help you achieve it.

The shooting with joyful abandon approach is how I’ve developed my vision – and how I continue to develop it and stay passionate about shooting. How do you develop your vision and fuel your passion for photography?

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Interview: “The best image as fast as possible” – Motorola’s approach to smartphone imaging

11 Jul

Modern smartphones are essentially pocket-sized mini-computers, capable of dealing with many tasks that not very long ago would have been processed on desktop or laptop computers. The camera module is just one component of many, but more and more consumers are carefully considering camera performance in their buying decision.

Manufacturers have been well aware for quite some time and are investing heavily to make sure the cameras on their devices can compete with the best. The device division of mobile communication pioneer Motorola for example, which was taken over by Chinese PC makers Lenovo in 2014, first assembled a dedicated camera and imaging team in 2013 when it was still part of Google.

Since then the brand has launched a number of new devices in its Moto range with a clear focus on imaging performance and features. Most recently the Moto G Plus and the Moto Z and Moto Z Force were the first new models to be officially launched under the Lenovo name. In our first impressions review we were pleasantly surprised by the image output of the mid-range Moto G Plus. Both high-end models, the Moto Z and its sister model Moto Z Force, come with advanced smartphone camera features such as optical image stabilization, on-sensor phase detection autofocus and manual control.


Val Marchevsky and Kathy Mahoney in the Motorola image testing lab	Peter Matsimanis

We had a chance to speak to some key members of the Motorola imaging team – Kathy Mahoney, Senior Director of Imaging Experiences at Motorola, Val Marchevsky, Senior Director of Engineering – Head of Camera Team, and Peter Matsimanis, Senior Development Manager Imaging – to find out more about the company’s approach to imaging and camera development. Read on to find out what they had to tell us.

How would you describe Motorola’s strengths and weaknesses in the area of smartphone imaging?

One of our core strengths is our dedicated camera and imaging team. Motorola has rapidly enhanced our imaging expertise over the past few years thanks to our internal team which has grown to include software and hardware engineers with diverse backgrounds (color science, optics, computer vision and beyond), in addition to external camera/imaging veterans. This team has reimagined the company’s approach and attitude toward camera technologies, ultimately delivering some of Motorola’s best imaging solutions to date, including our very own intellectual property, like Temporal Frame Stacking and PDAF (phase detect autofocus), which continues to drive major improvements and stands out within the industry.

As for a weakness, I’d say not forming this non-traditional team sooner! Since building our team in 2013, we’ve re-emerged as an industry leader and key player. A lot has changed – for the better – and we look forward to continuing to create industry leading technology that delivers on consumers’ demands for more affordable, thinner smartphones and faster, higher quality cameras.

Is there any knowledge exchange happening between the imaging team at Lenovo/Motorola and the manufacturers of “traditional” cameras?

In recent years, we’ve added top imaging talent to our team from traditional camera manufacturers like Kodak and HP. We also work closely with suppliers that have great knowledge of traditional cameras, as well as being ODMs for those traditional camera manufacturers. We have also been able to transfer a significant number of top engineering talent from within Motorola to our imaging team, in order to capitalize on their system integration expertise and to also provide cutting edge solutions to enhance the user experience.

Leveraging 80+ years of embedded systems development, we’ve designed cameras that are truly best-in-class. Our plan for the future is to create common imaging experiences across all our products that will universally delight consumers around the world.

What are consumers most looking for in terms of image quality and how is Motorola currently meeting these needs and/or innovating behind them for the future?

Consumers are looking for great image quality in all conditions – low light, bright light, landscapes, selfies, sporting events and more. At Motorola, we’re constantly evaluating imaging solutions to identify those that will deliver under all of these conditions and ultimately provide consumers with a higher quality experience that enhances the memories captured with their smartphone cameras. This includes improving image detail, color accuracy and white balance for all of our devices.

What camera and imaging features are most important to consumers? And how is Motorola working to improve these features in future devices?

We feel what consumers are looking for and what’s important to them go hand-in-hand. Ultimately, what most people really want – and deserve – is a camera that automatically delivers amazing photos and videos that capture the full essence of their experience. We’re focused on continuing to develop enhanced hardware and intelligent algorithms that deliver unbelievable quality and simplicity, but also enable creative freedom.

In which areas can we expect smartphone cameras to make the biggest improvements in the short and long term?

In the short term, we’ll see strides towards improved performance to deliver bright, detail-rich, noise-free photos and videos in low light environments. Many smartphones on the market take low light pictures that are bright, but lack detail due to over-cleaning. We know that to achieve high-quality low light performance, you need to capture more light with bigger pixels and faster apertures. We see this trend continuing. We also expect to see this capability across all price tiers, and we feel Moto G Plus is paving the way.

In the longer term, at Motorola, we continue to address areas of concern for hardware with lasers, better lenses and lower megapixels with large pixels to enhance low light image quality. We also continue to hone in on smart camera experiences, utilizing computer vision and artificial intelligence to provide users the best image, as fast as possible.

Intelligent software not only maximizes the capabilities of hardware, but also leverages the depth of information available from the device. By using device sensors to detect the environment (light, motion, location, etc.), the software is able to deliver better quality images and richer experiences. It turns your camera into an access point for instant information that can help quickly analyze and identify your surroundings.

The Moto 4G offers impressive camera specs for a mid-range device, including a 1/2.4″ sensor and an AF system that uses both on-chip phase detection and a laser to measure subject distance.

The Moto G Plus is, in most respects, a mid-range device, but comes with a high-end camera specification. What was the decision process behind this design and specification?

Consumers depend on great imaging performance each and every day for all of their communication needs, and it was a priority for us when designing Moto G Plus to offer excellent camera systems. Moto G Plus has a 16MP camera, fast apertures, laser and PDAF focus technologies and a wide-angle front camera lens, rivaling some of the best premium smartphone cameras on the market. Putting this technology in the hands of a diverse global consumer audience is a unique opportunity, and we find it particularly rewarding to help them capture life’s most important moments.

The Moto G Plus comes with three focus methods: contrast detect, phase detection and laser. How difficult is it to combine those and what are the benefits of this combination?

Moto G Plus has an extremely responsive focus system that delivers crystal-clear photography under all conditions; low light to bright light, subjects close-by and distant landscapes. To do this effectively requires multiple focus technologies and the real-time intelligence to know which is best for current conditions. Picking just one or two is simply not good enough. Our philosophy is to maximize output from each focus system and use modern computational methods to calculate the ideal lens position.

Phase Detect Autofocus does a great job quickly finding focus in bright light settings and when the object of interest is farther away, like in landscapes and at sporting events. Laser focus, sometimes referred to as “time-of-flight,” picks up in low light environments and when subjects are close-by, like restaurants and nightclubs. Contrast focus augments each of these technologies to ensure precise focus across a range of light and subjects.

Getting all three to work synergistically is not an easy task, which is why most competitors pick either PDAF or laser (not both), and then augment with contrast. We believe every picture can and should be the best it can, which is why we’ve included all three technologies in Moto G Plus. We’ve also invested in a tremendous amount of simulation tools, deep learning and advanced statistic engines to ensure Moto G Plus covers the endless range of photos and videos consumers want to capture. We will continue to drive advancements in these multi-focus technologies to advance the speed and accuracy of Moto smartphone cameras going forward.

Are manual camera controls, like the Professional mode on Moto G Plus, a niche feature or something that more users will be expecting in a device in the future?

Consumer needs are extremely diverse, especially on a global scale. Most people simply want a great camera – just point and shoot in any condition, but there are others who are more avid photographers and want more out of their mobile imaging experience. We’ve heard from this particular group of photographic aficionados through blogs, the Google Play store, and even directly, that they want features like the professional mode on Moto G Plus that provides greater control and options to create a specific look without a point-and-shoot or DSLR. We’re making great progress towards addressing even more of these needs, and are providing a wider variety of options for more amateur photographers as well to capture every moment exactly how they want to capture it.

The latest generation of Moto devices, including the Moto Z pictured above and the Moto G Plus, all feature manual control over essential shooting parameters, such as shutter speed, ISO and white balance.

Kathy, you have many years of experience at digital imaging pioneers Kodak. How have you leveraged your past experience in your current role at Motorola?

Kathy: I was fortunate enough to be a part of the start of digital imaging with Kodak, working alongside many talented and intelligent imaging engineers. That experience gave me a solid foundation of understanding around what it takes to deliver truly high-quality imaging systems.

Fundamentally, delivering great imaging is so much more than ‘counting megapixels.’ Cameras are complex and require many technologies to deliver great photography. For example, strong low-light performance demands systems that can capture more light, including big pixels and fast apertures, while attaining fast accurate focus requires multiple focus technologies and the smarts to know which one to use under the current conditions.

My past experiences also helped me realize how important photography really is to consumers’ daily lives, as well as the impact (and consequences) of poor quality. Imaging is how we communicate, relive and memorize our life experiences. I am passionate about ensuring Motorola’s camera technology continues to deliver amazing experiences that consumers can count on to be there when they need it.

What lessons have you learned throughout your career in imaging and photography? What words of wisdom would you give to someone just starting in the field?

Kathy: Throughout my career I have learned how important it is to follow your dreams and choose opportunities that you are passionate about. With passion, you’ll always achieve incredible results. Having worked on some of the first commercial digital cameras, the first photo kiosk, digital minilabs, thermal printers, retail printing systems and online photo services, I have spent my career helping people capture, share and relive their lives.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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MIT proposes new approach to HDR with ‘Modulo’ camera

20 Aug

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have come up with a theory for a new way to solve the issue of bright skies burning out in a landscape photograph. Using what they call Unbounded High Dynamic Range photography they are working on the idea of pixels that reset themselves once they have reached their capacity for recording light so that they can carry on recording – and resetting if necessary. Click through for more details

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Photography Etiquette – What’s the Right Approach?

09 Aug

Whether you have a DSLR, a pocket camera, or simply use your mobile phone to take snapshots, there are some simple rules of photography etiquette that you can follow to make the shooting experience more enjoyable for you, as well as everyone else around you. Some of these tips might seem obvious, but even if you think you already know what to do, or not to do, when taking pictures it might be worth reading just as a refresher.

It’s easy to notice the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and note when other people are violating simple rules of etiquette. But sometimes it’s difficult to recognize the plank in yours, and see if you have a few habits that could be changed. These are short and simple lessons that I have learned the painful way over the years. I hope you can benefit from my mistakes and avoid these pitfalls in your own photography.

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Be discrete (i.e. don’t be the center of attention)

I can recall being at weddings and parties where I thought I was the king of the room just because I had a camera, however, all the while I was only making other people annoyed or frustrated because of my behaviour. One of the most difficult thinks for new photographers to realize is it’s not about you. It’s about everyone else, and you just happen to be the one documenting things.

Have you ever stood up in the middle of a wedding to get a shot of the bride and groom? Have you muscled your way to the front of a group of kids so you could capture little Timmy opening his birthday present? Have you found yourself running back and forth on the sidelines of a high school football game trying to photograph some highlights, while pushing a few players and coaches out of the way? If so, you might have indeed gotten a good picture, but you might also have unknowingly caused some hurt feelings in the process.

This might be a decent shot, but to get it I had to work my way through the crowd and potentially block the view of people behind me. I’m not sure it was worth the trade-off.

As photographers it can be tough to take a more discrete approach, but often that is exactly what we should be doing. It might sound counterintuitive, but staying out of the way can often yield the best results because we are taking other people into consideration. This goes double if you’re not even the official photographer, you just happen to be in attendance with your camera. Everyone around you is trying to enjoy the experience, and couldn’t care one whit about whether or not you have a camera. They just want to watch the wedding, see Timmy open his present, or experience the game-winning goal along with everyone else. From their point of view, a person with a camera who is running around frantically or blocking their field of view is an annoyance, not an asset.

A while back I went around taking pictures at a high school production of “Pride and Prejudice.” I thought people would excuse my actions since I had a camera, but in reality I was likely bothering the audience and possibly even distracting the performers.

To remedy this situation, try to find alternative viewpoints that won’t ruin the experience for other people, but still yield good pictures. It might be good to buy or rent a zoom lens for special occasions, or do some searching online for how people have taken photos in similar situations without being rude or disruptive. You might actually find yourself getting more interesting photos, and looking at things from new angles that you had never considered, which could not only benefit you as a photographer and be a pleasant surprise for the individuals whose pictures you are taking.

Ask for permission before taking pictures

Here’s a bit of information no one told me when I first got into photography as a serious hobby – not everyone wants their picture taken. Years ago when I was a wet-behind-the-ears photographic newbie I took my camera everywhere, and photographed everything and anyone. If I was shooting landscapes or nature this was not a problem at all, but when we had friends over, or went to events, it became a bit of an issue. One that I hope you might be able to avoid.

The more I got into photography the more I realized that not everyone likes being on camera, and not every event demands hundreds of snapshots. I can recall times when we were out with friends or at a party or social event, and having people around me freeze-up or give me the cold shoulder, because I had morphed from friend to photographer. I thought that my camera gave me some kind of unwritten license to take pictures of everyone around me, but in truth most of them just wanted to go about their business and not have a camera in their face. Simply asking for permission would have solved a lot of problems, and avoided some hurt feelings along the way. Even though it can be a bit awkward, it’s worth the trouble if it avoids animosity down the line.

I checked with the parents before getting my camera out and snapping pictures at this birthday party.

The next time you’re at a party, celebration, or sporting event, take a minute and ask the hosts or some of the other guests if they mind you taking photos. It takes almost no time at all, and can reap incredible rewards throughout the event – Uncle Bob, notoriously shy around cameras, might appreciate that you were willing to ask his permission and not only grant it, but loosen up a bit as a result. Coach Taylor will be glad you asked, could point you to some of the better spots on the sidelines, and be willing to accommodate some special requests you might have. Grandma Agnes might not want her photo taken at all, and even though you won’t get as many good shots, you will help the rest of the guests ease up and enjoy the evening a little more.

A baptism is a solemn and formal affair – definitely not the time to be annoying others with a camera. Get permission first, take a few good shots (without the flash, if at all possible) and put your camera away.

On a related note if you are a guest at a major event like a wedding it’s a good idea to check with the official photographer before you get up and start taking your own shots. He or she has likely been paid hundreds, or thousands of dollars, specifically to get good pictures. So while you may enjoy walking around with your camera and getting some pictures, you might by unwittingly annoying the couple, or the guests by your actions. My advice is to sit back and just enjoy the event or ceremony, and let the people whose job it is to capture amazing pictures do their work.

Ask for permission before sharing pics

We live in a time when almost everything is shared online, and nearly everyone has some sort of social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr, and many others. The key word here is almost: not everyone is online, and not everyone wants their photos shared on social networks. Even though you might be well within your legal rights to snap pics of other people (especially in public places) and post them to your social networks, you might be inadvertently hurting some feelings, or damaging your close relationships by doing so. The solution here is simple, and only takes a few seconds – ask permission before posting. Not only is it simply a nice thing to do, it can actually help strengthen whatever bond you do have with the people in your pictures. They may have had other people post their picture online and been upset by it. Whereas, there is a very real chance that you could impress them with your honesty and candor by asking if it’s okay to share their photo online.

Even though you can’t see these kids’ faces in this picture, I still asked their parents for permission before sharing this picture. They appreciated the gesture and gladly agreed.

Be a participant, not a photographer

In his song “The Gambler,” the American country singer Kenny Rogers crooned,

You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away.

His logic can be applied to photography also. You’ve got to know when to take pictures, and when to put your camera away. It’s entirely possible, and I would say quite likely, that the people around you at any given event or situation don’t want someone running around snapping pictures. Were you invited to your neice’s piano recital? Great! Keep your camera in your pocket, sit back, and enjoy her performance. If you really want a few pictures you can ask her to pose by the piano after the event is over. Are you going on a road trip with some friends? Awesome! But remember they invited you because they enjoy your company and conversation, not because they wanted to see you constantly snapping pictures and inviting them to look at the screen on your camera. You might be saying things like, “Check out this great shot I just got!” but the message you’re sending to your friends is, “My camera is more important than you.”

Sometimes less is more. We were invited to a birthday party for our friend’s daughter, and rather than spend the whole time on my camera I fired off a few shots here and there, then spent the rest of the time visiting with adults, playing with kids, and just enjoying the celebration.

A lot of these etiquette rules walk a fine line. It’s up to you to gauge each situation and decide where the boundaries should be placed. The bottom line is that you may want to reexamine your approach to photography in some situations, and decide if a different course of action might be better for you and everyone else involved.

What about you? What are some of the tips and etiquette rules you have learned over the years? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

The post Photography Etiquette – What’s the Right Approach? by Simon Ringsmuth appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Think Tank introduces new low-profile ‘Urban Approach’ bags for compact system cameras

13 Mar

Bag and accessory manufacturer Think Tank has announced that it will introduce a new range of shoulder bags and a backpack for compact system camera users in April this year. Dubbed the ‘Urban Approach’ range the bags are said to be ‘low profile’ to allow the photographer to carry equipment without standing out, and will be finished in low-contrast matte black. Click through for details

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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7 Tips for a More Anonymous Approach to Street Photography

08 Jan

Can you imagine a world without street photography? Think of the legacy that Doisneau, Cartier-Bresson, and lesser known pioneers of the genre left for us to enjoy for generations to come. We can all play a part in documenting the world around us, one photograph at a time.

One of the most common reservations people have about shooting street photography is the feeling of invading their subjects’ privacy. It’s a legitimate concern and one that can be addressed by following simple rules of respect. I always urge my workshop students to refrain from photographing people in vulnerable or embarrassing situations. It’s a simple rule: You should be able to put yourself in your subject’s shoes and be okay with your photograph being shared on social media. Photographing a beautiful story in a public place should never be a concern, anywhere in the world, if it is done with respect.

Unfortunately, as the genre gains more and more popularity, many photographers forget those essential rules of respect. That makes it even more difficult and intimidating for others to make their first steps in the exciting world of street photography.

If you are still hesitant, there are ways to include the human element in your photography without revealing their identity. Those methods can be very rewarding and make for very artistic images. So here are a few tips to help you do more anonymous street photography.

1. Photograph the back of people

Not every subject photographed from behind will make a strong image. Gesture will be the biggest factor to consider. Background and light are also strong elements. Basically, your image should be stronger shot from behind than if you had photographed the same subjects while facing them.

2. Minimalist approach

In a minimalist approach to street photography, your subject is usually quite small but becomes the focal point in an interesting urban landscape. Look for interesting architecture, repeated patterns, geometrical shapes, etc. They all make for very interesting backgrounds. Wait for the right subject to enter your frame, et voilà!

3. Silhouettes

Who doesn’t love to photograph silhouettes? Again, the subject has to be well defined. There should be as few distracting elements in front of your subject as possible. Don’t hesitate to blow out the highlights for a more dramatic silhouette. The less distinguishable the background, the better! Photographing the right gesture or step are the key to a successful silhouette.

Shooting into the sun is also a great way to create a dramatic effect while maintaining the anonymity of your subject.

4. Far away subjects

Street photography is best done up close for a more intimate image, but shooting from above or far away can make interesting photographs as well. The human elements, even small, draw the eye of the viewer without revealing their identity.

5. Motion

Long exposure to create some motion blur is also a really fun way to photograph people. This works well in busy places, such as train stations. The architecture has to be interesting as it will become the highlight of the image by being the sharpest element.

6. Darkness

Crank up that ISO! Night street photography can be so much fun. Use your best judgement and stay safe!

7. Abstract

Think outside the box. Street photography doesn’t have to be about faces. Find more abstract ways to photograph strangers.

How do you approach candid street photography? Please share your experience with the dPS readers.

The post 7 Tips for a More Anonymous Approach to Street Photography by Valerie Jardin appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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