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Posts Tagged ‘Learn’

Videos: Learn photography by playing video games

06 Apr

Can video games help teach you photography skills? Texas-based photographer Mir-or-Image believes they can. In his ongoing video series, ‘Photo Mode Perspective,’ Mir plays popular video games and uses their built-in photo modes to help viewers learn the basics of photography, including principles of composition, how shutter speed and aperture impact the look and feel of an image, and more. Mir loves video games and photography. With his educational video series, he combines these two passions in a distinct and educational way.

Photo modes in video games have become increasingly more sophisticated. For example, in the PlayStation 4 game ‘God of War,’ the included photo mode includes sliders for the field of view and focal length, which are, of course, interconnected. As you increase the field of view, the focal length decreases. This is something that experienced photographers take for granted, but for beginners, understanding how focal length changes perspective in a scene is important.

Likewise, for seasoned shooters, you understand how aperture changes the depth of field, all else equal. Still, the photo mode in ‘God of War’ and other games offers a helpful visual representation of how the plane of focus changes with aperture. Put in simple terms, ‘Here’s something to note with f-stop, the smaller the number, the blurrier the background gets,’ Mir says in the video below. Using ‘God of War,’ Mir also discusses ways to crop images and edit brightness, contrast and colors, and more.

Another PlayStation game with a very capable built-in photo mode is 2020’s ‘Ghost of Tsushima.’ The game, developed by Sucker Punch Productions, is set on Japan’s Tsushima island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Some creative liberties are taken in the game for narrative and gameplay purposes, but it nonetheless provides a stunning backdrop for taking in-game photos.

Like ‘God of War,’ ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ includes focal length and aperture sliders for your virtual lens. If you want to shoot a portrait of the main character, Jin, you can use a virtual 85mm f/1.8 lens, for example. You can even direct your subject, in a sense, by changing the character’s pose and facial expression. To add creative flair, you can adjust exposure compensation (bias), add particle effects, change the lighting, color grade your image and more. Also, as a warning, ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ is a violent video game and there is some virtual blood in the video below.

Over at Mir’s YouTube channel you can also see his ‘Photo Mode Perspective’ videos for two more video games, ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ and ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales.’ To view Mir’s real-world photography, follow him on Instagram and visit his website. The photography bug bit Mir during a trip to Europe in 2018. He enjoyed using his smartphone in manual mode, and when he returned home to Texas, he went out and bought an interchangeable lens camera. He is now a professional car photographer based in Houston.

I captured this image in ‘Forza Horizon 4’ on Xbox. It’s exceedingly unlikely that I’ll ever have the chance to photograph a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO in the Scottish highlands in real life, so it’s neat that I get to photography rare cars in different locations in a racing video game.

Videogames can do more than help aspiring photographers learn more about how camera and lens settings impact the photos they capture. For example, professional automotive photographer Sam Dobbins used Forza Motorsport on Xbox to plan out a real-world photoshoot. Others, such as Instagram user jk_fh4_pics has an entire account dedicated to photography from the game ‘Forza Horizon 4.’ In some cases, game developers even hold photography contests using their games, which is something that Playground Games does with Forza Horizon and Rockstar Games does with Red Dead Redemption 2.

If you’re like Mir and love both video games and photography, you may be able to combine your interests like him. ‘New Pokémon Snap’ arrives on Nintendo Switch later this month, and the entire purpose of that game is to capture photos of Pokémon in their virtual habitats.

The upcoming Switch title will allow Pokémon shutterbugs to edit and share their images online with other gamers. A similar game is a PlayStation 3 title from 2008, ‘Afrika,’ in which the player assumes the role of a photojournalist hired to take photos on an African safari. It’s a difficult game to find these days, but I remember importing a copy from Japan when I became interested in photography in high school. It wasn’t an amazing game, but it was a lot of fun to take wildlife photographs of animals I’ve never seen in real life.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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6 Things to Learn After Manual Mode

31 Jul

Now that you know how your camera manual mode works, and you are in control of what it is doing when you take a picture, what’s next? Our brain likes the process of constantly learning something new. That’s why we network with other people, visit conferences, read books and articles, travel, scroll social media feeds, and so on. There are Continue Reading

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Learn How You Can Easily Create the Perfect Reflection Photos

02 Feb

The post Learn How You Can Easily Create the Perfect Reflection Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

learn-to-create-perfect-reflection-photos

In this article, you’ll discover how to create the perfect reflection photos. You’ll learn how to find reflection photos in locations near to you, and then how best to capitalize on these reflections in your photo. Use the correct equipment, the right angle, and you’ll be taking stunning photos in no time.

What is reflection?

First, the science behind reflection photography. Knowing why reflections form will help a lot when it comes to finding and taking these types of images.

The most obvious object you’ll come across on a day-to-day basis that reflects is a mirror. So in reflection, the angle of the incident light will be equal to the angle of the reflected light.

That means when you stand directly in front of a mirror, you’ll see yourself. However, if you stand to the side, you’ll see the scene that’s to the side of you.

When you reach the extreme edge of the mirror and look across it, you’ll see the room you’re standing in duplicated in a mirror image.

In the majority of cases, you’ll want to get down to the angle of the reflection to create this duplicate image in your photo. Repetition always works well in photography.

Image: A strong subject like architecture can work well for reflection photography.

A strong subject like architecture can work well for reflection photography.

Which materials have a reflective surface?

Now you know what reflection is, you’ll need to know where to find it. There are lots of things that have a reflective surface – the mirror is the most extreme of these and is designed to reflect. You’re really looking for something with a smooth, shiny surface. So look for the following to get a reflection:

  • Metal – Any metal surface will reflect. Surfaces with less scratches are best.
  • Glass – Glass will also reflect. The shallower the angle you use, the stronger the reflection will be.
  • Marble – Shiny smooth stone surfaces will reflect, but not as much as glass or metal. That said, with water on top of the marble, the reflection will be better.
  • Water – Where water forms a flat surface, there will be a reflection. Puddles often do this, ponds also work, and even larger bodies of water can work when there is no wind.
Image: The glass on this shop window becomes more reflective the shallower the angle.

The glass on this shop window becomes more reflective the shallower the angle.

How to take the perfect reflection photos.

Now you know what reflection is, and the materials that produce it, you’re ready to take the perfect reflection photos. Take a look at the following steps, and you’ll be in a position to get the best results.

Finding locations with reflection

Knowing which surfaces cause reflection is only half the story. You need to combine finding one of these surfaces in a location that has an interesting reflection. Going out and finding these is sometimes easy, and sometimes more of a challenge.

Look to the following to improve your chances:

  • Clear surfaces – Windows on high streets, or glass protecting commuters from the track in subway stations, all have the potential to be good reflection surfaces.
  • Bodies of water – Permanent bodies of water like ponds or lakes can be great for reflection photos. The moat around a castle can also work very well. You’ll want to choose a calm day for best results.
  • Puddles – After it’s finished raining, but before the puddles drain away, it is a great time to look for reflections that would not normally be there.
Image: After it’s finished raining get out looking for puddles that will then be reflection po...

After it’s finished raining get out looking for puddles that will then be reflection pools.

Create your own reflection

There are, of course, times when you’d like to photograph a reflection where one doesn’t usually form. In that case, you could experiment by taking a mirror with you to a location. It might not be practical to bring a large mirror with you, but by using a wide-angle lens, you can make the reflection look much larger than it actually is.

Another solution is to bring a bottle of water with you or even a bucket. If there is a readily available source of water nearby, like a lake or the sea, you might be able to carry buckets of water to a location where you wish to create a reflection.

Image: This location is a popular location to photograph reflections. It’s next to the sea, so...

This location is a popular location to photograph reflections. It’s next to the sea, so it’s possible to make your own reflections. I’m thankful to my friend for helping make the puddle.

Enhance your reflections

There are a couple of things you can do to enhance your reflection photo in-camera. These mainly involve the equipment you use. Look to do the following to create the perfect reflection photos.

  • Circular polarizing filter – One of the best items you can use in reflection photography. Using this filter will greatly increase the strength of the reflection.
  • Wide-angle lens – Use a wide-angle to increase the scope of the reflection within your photo. Even a small puddle can fill an entire frame if you get close enough to the puddle.
  • Shallow angle – The shallower the angle, the greater the reflection will be. So get side-on to a window, or down on the ground near a puddle for best results.
Image: This is the result of making a reflection using buckets of water.

This is the result of making a reflection using buckets of water.

Good subjects for reflection

Now just because a place has a reflection doesn’t mean it’s going to be the best place to take a reflection photo.

As with all photography, you need a strong main subject. That main subject might already be there in the form of architecture. If that’s not the case, you may need to wait for a moment of capture, a person walking past your reflection location, for instance.

While a mirror image reflection could hold your photo, a single person, single tree, or an iconic landmark that also reflects will dramatically improve your results.

Use post-processing for reflections

In addition to the steps you can take in-camera, there are further steps you can use in post-processing. These involve enhancing your existing photo or creating a reflection within your image.

Enhancing a photo

This involves taking a photo that already has a reflection and then making that reflection stand out more. 

You’ll be looking to make local adjustments to your image. To do that, you can either use graduated filters to adjust the image or layer mask and reveal only the area of the image that you wish to effect. 

Adjustments you can consider making are brightening, sharpening, and adding more contrast to the reflection in an attempt to mimic the image that the reflection is from.

Image: This sunset had the perfect reflection pool. It could be better with a stronger main subject.

This sunset had the perfect reflection pool. It could be better with a stronger main subject.

Creating a reflection

Lastly, in your bid to create the perfect reflection photos, you could turn to post-processing.

You’ll need to choose an appropriate image to do this – one that has some nice sky would work best.

Then it’s a case of increasing the canvas size of your image, duplicating the image, flipping it, resizing it, and then making the reflection look realistic by adding some imperfections. You can look to create this by using the following guide.

How will you create the perfect reflection photos?

Now you have the knowledge needed to go out and create stunning reflection photos in your neighborhood. Are there any techniques you use to enhance your results either when you take the photo or post-process it?

Here at digital photography school, we value your ideas and opinions, so please share those in the comments section. Likewise, if you have images you’ve taken that show reflections, please share those as well!

The post Learn How You Can Easily Create the Perfect Reflection Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.


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Learn these Two Techniques for Dramatic Light-Painted Photos

21 Nov

The post Learn these Two Techniques for Dramatic Light-Painted Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.

techniques-for-dramatic-light-painted-photos

“Wherever there is light, one can photograph.” – Alfred Steiglitz

You will find many quotes from famous photographers about light.  They know it is the very essence of photography.  The word is from the Latin roots, “phos” for light, and “graphe” for drawing or painting.  So, photography is quite literally, drawing or painting with light. In this article, you’ll learn two techniques for dramatic light-painted photos.

This "Autumn Apples Still Life" is in the style of the Dutch Master's paintings.

A single-exposure light painting. This “Autumn Apples Still Life” is in the style of the Dutch Master’s paintings.

Typically, we open the camera shutter for a slice of time, and whatever light exists in the scene creates an image on the sensor (or perhaps the film if that’s the medium you’re still using). The quality, quantity, and color of the light are recorded. Where there is no light, nothing is captured.

There is a basic difference in light painting photography. Rather than simply capturing the existing light during the exposure, you, as the photographer, will use light to “paint” the scene. Use more on the portions of the scene you want highlighting, less or even none on those places you want subduing.

Think of it as painting on a black canvas. Where you apply paint (light in the case of photography), an image will result — no paint (light), no image. And, of course, there are all kinds of quantities in-between.

techniques-for-dramatic-light-painted-photos

You can later add some other touches in editing to go even more in a painterly direction.

Two approaches

There are two basic techniques for dramatic light-painted photos:

1. Single exposure

Here you determine how long you will leave the shutter open. This will often be multiple seconds or even longer. While the shutter is open, you “paint” the subject with your light, emphasizing the portions of the scene you want to bring out, leaving in shadow those you want subdued.

Your working time will be the shutter duration, and you will make your entire image during that single exposure.

2. Multiple exposure

This technique is somewhat like the previous one in that you paint a portion of the subject with light during what will often be a multi-second exposure.

The difference is that you will take multiple shots of the subject, each time painting just a portion of the scene. Then in the edit, you combine these multiple images, much like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, into the final composite image.

techniques-for-dramatic-light-painted-photos

“Goin’ Down in the Mine” – This is a single exposure light painting with some additional light from the lantern.

Single exposure technique

Scene considerations

What you decide to make the subject of your light painted photo is strictly up to you. Favorite subjects of mine are still-life images in the style of the old Dutch Master’s paintings. These use simple, static scenes. There is an emphasis on very directional lighting with portions of the image well-lit while other portions may be in deep shadow.

It is easy to find a few simple items and create a nice still-life scene. Perhaps put up a backdrop to simplify the shot, turn off the lights and let your flashlight be your sole source of light as you make the shot.

When starting to learn this technique, this can be a great place to start.

techniques-for-dramatic-light-painted-photos

“Doc Brown Makes a House Call” – Thematic scenes which tell a story can make nice subjects for still life light paintings.

I also like to make these kinds of light paintings with items in the shot which show a theme or tell a story. I was fortunate to initially learn light painting in a workshop put on by area photographer, Caryn Esplin. Espin not only taught our group the technique but also had various thematic sets we could photograph.

Several of the images in this article, I made during that workshop.

Motion types – light trails

Most of what we cover here will use a light to “paint” the subject.

A different kind of light painting is where the light IS the subject. It too, uses a long exposure, and when the light moves during that exposure, it creates light “trails.”

Sometimes this will be the lights of moving objects, such as the streaks of light created by moving vehicles or other illuminated objects. Other times, the photographer, or perhaps an assistant, will “draw” with a light source, creating the image with the light.

"Rush Hour - Boise, Idaho" - Lights that move during a long exposure will create light trails. This is a type of light painting, just not the kind we'll discuss in this article.

“Rush Hour – Boise, Idaho” – Lights that move during a long exposure will create light trails. This is a type of light painting, just not the kind we’ll discuss in this article.

There are many variations of this style of light painting, and the light used may not always be a flashlight. Special light “wands,” some even programmable, can be purchased for all manner of amazing effects. Steel wool spinning where an ignited piece of steel wool is spun, throwing sparks, and creating light trails is another example.

Image: If a light moves during a long exposure, you will get light trails.

If a light moves during a long exposure, you will get light trails.

Any moving object which emits light will create light trails during a long exposure. While that is a fun technique and one I’d encourage you to try as well, it’s just not the type which is the subject of this article.

Instead, we concentrate on using a light source, typically a flashlight (aka a “torch”), to paint our subject with light.

Single exposure: step-by-step

Location – Total darkness

You will be using a flashlight to make your image during a long exposure and want to be able to control exactly where that light does and does not fall. Ambient light is not what you want.

Try to work in a location that is quite dark. You can check if it is dark enough by making a shot with the exposure setting you intend to use, but not lighting it. You should get a black frame or at least only see a faint background of objects you might want to include.

You can light paint portraits, but your subject will need to sit very still during the long exposure.

“The Thousand-Yard-Stare.” You can light paint portraits, but your subject will need to sit very still during the long exposure.

Equipment

Most cameras will work for this if they go into full manual mode. You will need to be able to control the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed manually. Plus, you’ll need to focus and lock the focus manually.

If you will be shooting longer than the camera’s longest shutter speed (often 30-seconds), you will also need to be able to go into Bulb mode. This will allow you to keep the shutter open as long as you like. Usually, 30 seconds or less will be fine, but that depends on the subject, your light source, distance from the camera, and other exposure factors.

If you find your exposure will be longer than 30 seconds, you will also need a shutter release so you can hold the shutter open longer in bulb mode. There are very affordable corded releases.

If you need to be working further from your camera so you can both light the scene and trigger the shutter, a remote cordless shutter release can be a great way to go.

techniques-for-dramatic-light-painted-photos

Single Exposure Technique. 10 Seconds, f/16, ISO 100 with Canon 6D and Canon EF 24-105 f/4 IS Lens at 58mm.

Lens selection will depend on your proximity to the subject.  For tabletop still life shots where you’ll usually be just a couple of feet from your subject, a 50mm prime can be just right.  The “nifty-fifty” (Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens) on my Canon camera is sharp and a perfect lens for this kind of work.

Pick your sharpest lens and an appropriate focal length to fill the frame with your subject.

A tripod is practically a must for this kind of long-exposure photography.

The camera must not move during the exposure. Whatever way you have of doing that will work, but I personally believe any photographer worth their salt owns a good, stable tripod.  Have a good tripod and use it.

Light

Here is the U.S., we call it a flashlight. In other places, it’s called a torch. What we’re talking about is a battery-powered portable light source that you can direct onto your subject.

Some will have focusable beams, which can be a nice feature. Some might have multiple intensity settings, which is also useful. If you can find one that has a neutral-white (about 4500-5000K) output, that’s even better.

Standard incandescent bulb flashlights will tend to have a warmer, yellowish color light while most LED bulbs are blueish in color.

The Zanflare F2 is a nice flashlight for tabletop light painting.

The Zanflare F2 which can be purchased with a 4500-500K bulb is a nice and inexpensive light for light painting.

A nice light for table-top light painting is the Zanflare F2 which can be had with a 4500-5000K bulb.  It has two power output settings and can usually be purchased for under $ 10.00 US.

Another very affordable light I recently purchased for longer range outdoor light painting is the Energizer ENPMHH62. It’s under $ 15.00 US. You can pay a lot for fancy “tactical” flashlights, but I’m not sure they will improve your light painting photography unless perhaps you need to light something very far away.

Camera settings

If you’re working inside where you can turn the room light off and on, set up your shot with the lights on. Focus on the subject, then turn off the autofocus, so the focus stays locked at that spot. Failure to do this will have your camera hunting for focus in the dark, and that will certainly ruin your shot.

If you’re outside and it’s already dark, use your flashlight to help set up the shot and get good focus. Turn off autofocus and lock it in once you have it.

Put your camera in full manual mode. Set the ISO as low as you can for the lighting conditions, remembering that a lower ISO setting will help reduce noise in your shot. Because you can make the shutter speed as long as you need to, you can often get away with ISO 100. Try that and adjust it later if you need to.

See if you can work with the “sweet spot” – the sharpest aperture for your given lens – usually about f/8 to f/11. This should also help give you an adequate depth of field. Stop down to f/16 or even f/22 if you really need the depth of field. However, realize smaller apertures significantly increase the amount of light, and the time of the exposure you’ll need to make a proper exposure.

As for the shutter speed, that depends on how much light you’re working with, the proximity of your light to your subject, the brightness of the subject itself, and how long you need to properly paint your subject for the look you desire. There is no “right” answer to this.

Start with good average settings – something like ISO 100, f/8 for 20 seconds. Once you make a shot and evaluate it, you can make adjustments for subsequent shots.

techniques-for-dramatic-light-painted-photos

Ready, set, paint!

With everything ready to go, set the 2-second timer to trip the shutter (or use the remote), trip the shutter and start painting your subject with the light.  Here are some things to keep in mind when doing so:

  • You will probably want to direct your light from the side, above, or maybe behind the subject.  Lighting from the front, the same position as the camera view, will result in an image that looks flat and uninteresting.
  • Shadows are every bit as important as the light.  You are not going for an image that is evenly lit, looks like it was taken in ambient light or was done with a flash.  Deep shadows, light on parts of the subject you want to draw attention to and shadows elsewhere will add to the drama you’re seeking.  Again, look at the still life Dutch Master’s painting style for clues on how to light your subject.  Less can really be more here. Caryn Esplin, the photographer I mentioned earlier, uses the expression “Reveal and Conceal.”
  • Use your light like a paintbrush, moving it in circular motions.
  • Do not allow the beam of light to point at the camera or you will create light trails on the image.
  • To be able to pinpoint smaller areas of your subject, consider “snooting” the flashlight, that is, putting a piece of tape, a cone, or something else on it to reduce the size of the beam.
  • Brighter objects in the scene will need less light, darker objects more.  You will also want to leave some portions of the scene dark to better emulate the painters’ style and add drama.
Cross Lighting brings out the texture and adds drama to this image.

Simple subjects can make good light paintings. The cross-lighting brings out the texture and the deep shadows add drama in this “Pigskin Portrait.”

  • Shoot, chimp, evaluate and adjust, and shoot again.  Adjust your camera settings as necessary for the best exposure.  Look at your image and think about what you might do differently.  You might get lucky and nail the shot on your first try. However, it’s more typical to make lots of images, trying different things and later choosing the best.  Digital film is cheap.  Don’t be afraid to make LOTS of shots.
Image: “Patriotic Pickup.” Put it on an Australian flag and you can call it a “Lan...

“Patriotic Pickup.” Put it on an Australian flag and you can call it a “Land Down Under Ute.”

Multiple-exposure technique

This is the second of the techniques for dramatic light-painted photos. While in the previous technique, the photo is made and the subject painted all in one long exposure, this technique involves making multiple exposures. Then you combine them like the pieces of a puzzle into the final image.

Making each of the individual exposures is essentially identical to techniques used in the prior method, but instead of having to light paint the entire scene in one shot, smaller pieces of the scene are done individually.

For example, say you wanted to make a light-painted photo of an old truck at night with the Milky Way overhead in the sky. You could make the background shot of the stars first, then using your flashlight, make a shot lighting just the front tire. Then light the grill, hood, or perhaps the interior. Add some light from the side, back, and on the grass in the foreground. Each of the individually lit shots would be a piece of your puzzle.

That’s exactly the technique used by Richard Tatti, the guy whose online Youtube tutorials taught me this method. The only difference is that he, being an Australian photographer, calls what I would describe as a pickup truck a “ute.” (Editor note: As an Aussie, we also call them “you-beaut utes!” Total slang, of course.)

techniques-for-dramatic-light-painted-photos

One image was made for the sky and mountains, followed by about 10 other shots, each lighting a different location in the scene. This uses the multiple-exposure technique.

Richard does a nice job describing the light painting and photographing of a scene, as well as how to edit and combine the individual images into one in this tutorial. So I will suggest you view that for the step-by-step how-to. 

I will simply list the steps you’ll be taking.

In Lightroom

After making the individual shots, Lightroom is a good tool for preparing, sorting, and perhaps doing some minor editing to them. Be sure to sync them, so they are all the same size before the next step. The next step is where you select the individual images you will use and then use the “Open as Layers in Photoshop” command to export them into Photoshop. To do this, go to Photo->Edit In->Open as Layers in Photoshop.

Image: Decide which of your images you want to use as “pieces in your puzzle,” select th...

Decide which of your images you want to use as “pieces in your puzzle,” select them all, and then send them out using “Open as Layers in Photoshop.”

In Photoshop

This might take some time, especially if you have lots of layers, but when done, you will see the individual photos all lined up in a Photoshop layers stack.

Find what you would consider your “base” or bottom layer in Photoshop, and if it is not already in the bottom position, click, hold and drag it to that spot in the stack.

Aligning

If you shot on a tripod and the camera didn’t move during the series of exposures (which is what you need to do), this step might not be necessary. However, if the camera moved even a tiny bit, you will want to align the images. It’s not a bad idea to do anyway; it just takes a little more time.

Click the top layer, hold down Shift, and click the bottom layer, so all are selected. Then click the Edit->Auto Align Layers->Auto->OK. Let it work; it’ll take a bit.

Once done, if you see any white edges, crop the image to eliminate those.

Lighten Blending Mode

At first, you will see just the top layer in the stack. Let’s turn the lights on.

Click the top layer in the stack to select it. Then hold down Shift and click the next to last layer, so all but the bottom layer is selected. Then click the Lighten blending mode.

Presto! The lighted portions of your image will all appear, much as if you’ve turned on all those individually lit portions of the image. Cool huh?

Image: Selecting the layers and then applying the “Lighten” blending mode will turn the...

Selecting the layers and then applying the “Lighten” blending mode will turn the lights on!

Use the Eyeball

The little icon to the left of each layer is an eyeball. If you click it on any individual layer, you can toggle that layer, making it visible or invisible. In this case, if you click it to make it invisible, the “lights” on that layer will be turned off.

Think of the eyeballs as light switches. Click them on and off on each layer, and it’s like individually switching the lights on each portion of the shot. It’s a great way to see the effect of that layer on the entire shot.

Sometimes after viewing what a given layer is doing, you may not choose to use that layer at all. If not, leave the eyeball off for that layer.

Image: Work a layer at a time using masking layers and a brush set to black to rub out pieces you do...

Work a layer at a time using masking layers and a brush set to black to rub out pieces you don’t want or perhaps want to reduce the opacity.

Fine-tuning with masks

If you’ve not worked with layers and masks in Photoshop before, this part can seem intimidating.  It need not be.  You will simply use a layer mask and the paintbrush tool set to black to, as Richard calls it, “rub out” any parts of the lighting layers you don’t want to appear.  You can also adjust the opacity of a brush or of the layer itself to control how much impact that layer has on the overall image.

For more on using layer masks, read this article.

techniques-for-dramatic-light-painted-photos

This is the same scene as before, but with a different camera angle and different choices about how I used each lit layer.

Go let your light shine!

Light painting is a lot of fun and a great way to produce some nice images. Because of the nature of how you move the light over a subject, no two images will be the same, and what you create will be uniquely yours.

The single exposure method is a great place to start, and if you are a beginner photographer, using the manual settings of your camera will be a good lesson. You will quickly learn the relationships of light and the camera controls; ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, for adjusting your exposure.

The multiple exposure method is a great way to work in larger settings. You can light a tree here and another way across the field if you want as you’re not restricted to making the image all in one click of the shutter. Blending the individual images in Photoshop will also teach you a lot about layers and masks, something that can sometimes be a challenge to learn.

If you make some nice images, post them in the comments so we can see what you’ve created. Also, if you have problems or questions, post something in the comments, and I’ll see if I can help you.

Now, grab your camera, tripod, flashlight/torch, and try these techniques for dramatic light-painted photos. And go let your light shine!

Author’s Note – Just as this article was being submitted, I held a light-painting workshop for my fellow members of the Boise (Idaho) Camera Club.  Have a look at their work here.

 

 

 

The post Learn these Two Techniques for Dramatic Light-Painted Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.


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What You Can Learn From Entirely Different Photography Genres

18 Aug

The post What You Can Learn From Entirely Different Photography Genres appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

If you spend any length of time within one photography genre, you come to the point when you wonder, what would take me to the next level?

Deepening your creativity often means making connections between unlikely things.

If you want to deepen your photography, one option is to take what you learn from one genre and apply it to another. Could you find something used in portrait photography and apply it to landscapes? How about taking an approach from birth photography and applying it to real estate photography?

Let’s explore the idea of combining approaches from different photography genres.

Street and landscape photography combined

I had been out taking some landscape photos when I saw these canoes. A photo of the canoes on their own wasn’t working out for me. But when I saw this child come walking by it gave me an idea. I thought of all the street photos I had seen of people walking past interesting objects or backgrounds. For the fun of it, I adopted that concept here. I love the way the boots echo the yellow canoe.

What Portraiture can teach us about Landscape or Nature Photography

I’m a portrait photographer. What I love about portraiture is exploring the way people express their hidden selves through their body. You can see expression and gesture in feet, hands, and faces.

If you love to photograph nature and landscapes, you can take this concept of gesture (something we normally look for in people or animals) and apply it to your nature photography.

The more I focus on gesture in people, the more I see it in nature as well. Consider what Jay Maisel has to say in his book, Light, Gesture, and Color:

“Gesture is the expression that is at the very heart of everything we shoot. It’s not just the determined look on a face; it’s not just the grace of a dancer or athlete. It is not only the brutalized visage of the bloodied boxer. Neither is it only limited to age, or youth, or people, or animals. It exists in a leaf, a tree, and a forest. It reveals the complicated veins of the leaf, the delta-like branches of the tree, and when seen from the air, the beautiful texture of the forest.”

I believe something like gesture is what we’re after when playing with lines in a photo or even slow shutter speeds. Look at nature through the lens of gesture, and you’ll be more creative in your nature photography.

Low angle photo of a tree suggesting gesture.

When I looked up at this tree, it was the gesture of the branches that drew me in. It takes decades for those branches to get there. Though they’re holding perfectly still, there is the feeling of gesture because of their shape.

Flower photo with gesture.

I love to play with light. While photographing these flowers, a little lens flare struck my view. It’s very subtle, but on the right side of the photo, you can see a faint burst of warm light. It’s as if the flowers are reaching for the light.

What Wedding Photography can teach us about Food Photography

I’m not a food photographer, but if I photograph a wedding or event, I try to include a photograph of the dinner. Couples pay a lot for their meal, so why not add a photo? The problem is a stark white dinner plate full of food looks lifeless and uninspiring among all the other wedding moments. There was a disconnect between my candid event photography and my attempt at food photography.

Weddings are about writing a new story; joining families and sharing life. But I discovered that there is just as much of a story in the food as there is in the rest of the wedding. When I was able to chat with a chef as she prepared food for the guests, I came to learn how much she loves her craft. There is as much heart in the preparation as there is in the sharing of the meal.

So I began to photograph the meal just like I did the rest of the wedding. I took the heart of what I had been pursuing in all those candid wedding photos and applied it to photographing the food.

What You Can Learn From Entirely Different Photography Genres

What You Can Learn From Entirely Different Photography Genres

What You Can Learn From Entirely Different Photography Genres

What You Can Learn From Entirely Different Photography Genres

What You Can Learn From Entirely Different Photography Genres

What Birth Photography and Real Estate Photography can teach us about each other

I can’t imagine two genres more opposed than birth photography and real estate photography.

If I tell a friend that I photographed a house for a real estate agent, they don’t care. They assume it’s just something boring I do for money. But when my wife tells people she photographs births, their jaws hit the floor and a passionate discussion ensues.

For most people, maybe photographers too, real estate photography is a boring necessity while birth photography is an exciting adventure. After all, one of those life experiences is about drama, emotion, and new beginnings, while the other is a series of appointments and paperwork until the ordeal is over.

Yes, but which experience is which?

Have you ever bought or sold a house? Then you know there is plenty of drama and emotion involved. Have you ever had a baby? Then you know there are plenty of appointments and paperwork. Both experiences – home-buying and having babies – are filled with the potential for adventure and emotion.

Try taking the obvious emotional excitement of birth photography and applying it to real estate photography. When you force yourself to flip everything on its head, you might see something quite different.

Many families have a negative birth experience. They’re treated like a commodity by their doctors and the hospital staff. A birth photographer knows that even if a laboring woman is given a bad experience by hospital staff, the photos still have to portray the unique beauty of the experience.

Even though real estate photography may often feel like a commodity, it can be a beautiful part of the story. First-time homebuyers are on an amazing life journey. Perhaps there can be more spontaneity and emotion in real estate photography than we first think – even if it’s hard to represent in typical real estate photos.

different-photography-genres-Birth photography

My wife, Naomi, made these birth photos. I love to see the range of emotion and depth of personality in her photos. But they certainly make my real estate photos look dull.

different-photography-genres

different-photography-genres

 

Real estate photography

I know that my real estate photos are part of a larger story and every once in a while I have the chance to photograph that story. Sometimes that comes by being able to photograph the move-in day.

What You Can Learn From Entirely Different Photography Genres

 

What You Can Learn From Entirely Different Photography Genres

What You Can Learn From Entirely Different Photography Genres

What Street Photography can teach us about Newborn Photography

If you’re tired of posing newborn photos, street photographers can be your guide. They are masters of spontaneity – taking whatever moments the situation gives to them. Street photographers are explorers of society. As a newborn photographer, you can be an explorer of human nature in newborns.

Wait and see what that baby will do. Take what the newborn gives you rather than forcing your vision and poses on them. There is nothing wrong with posing, but it can be exciting to explore other moments that happen naturally.

Newborn photography

Do you know all those adorable photos of newborns wrapped in beautiful fabrics and placed in baskets? Well, this is the reality; a screaming newborn and bewildered older brother. Take the moments that come to you.

Think beyond your genre of photography

When you want to deepen your creativity as a photographer, begin with the principles of the genre of photography you’re working within. When you’re ready to go even deeper, go beyond the principles of your genre and consider what different photography genres might teach you.

 

different-photography-genres

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Learn These 5 Elements to Capture Interesting Architectural Photography

04 Aug

The post Learn These 5 Elements to Capture Interesting Architectural Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

Architectural photography is an enjoyable genre of photography to shoot. It encourages you to visit and capture urban structures and environments, whether it be towns or cities, or whilst taking in views of majestic buildings, bridges, or interiors. Architecture can be present in many different forms from ancient to modern and both internal and external. If you have you ever wondered what steps to consider when shooting interesting architectural photography, this article will help you to identify some key elements to contemplate during the process.

Architecture Photography 01

Brasov, Romania

1. Choose a subject

The first fundamental aspect to consider when capturing interesting architectural photography is the subject. Your choice of subject can be anything from a streetscape to a city scene or famous landmark. Once you’ve found an object or theme to visit and photograph, think about what appeals to you about it. Think about what you want to photograph, such as the entire structure or just part of it.

Whatever you decide to photograph, be happy with your decision and take some pictures.

You can choose to focus on capturing wide shots and detail shots. A scenario where you may choose to shoot wide may include a prominent sky that adds beauty to the composition or a street scene that portrays many interesting buildings together. On the other hand, you may choose detail shots when there is a particularly striking facade or object on a building. For example, a statue makes a great feature on its own.

Architecture Photography 02

Bran Castle, Romania

2. Select your camera settings

The next thing you will want to do is set up your camera and choose your settings. In terms of architecture photography, you will need to select an appropriate aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. The aperture you choose depends on what you are trying to achieve with your photos.

If you are trying to achieve a narrower focus and render the front or back elements of the image out of focus, you will want to select a wider aperture (smaller f/number) from anything between f/2.8 to f/5.6. A scenario where you may choose to use a narrow depth of field is when you want to isolate an object from the background such as a doorframe. Alternatively, another scenario may be when shooting a single point of interest such as a statue.   

However, if you aim to make everything in your image sharper, I recommend selecting an aperture between f/8 to f/22. A scenario where you may want a wide depth of field may include stunning cityscape scenes. Here, you may want everything in focus within the frame. A cityscape can include some monumental buildings and the night sky or people walking within a street scene.

Architecture Photography 03

Cluj-Napoca, Romania

A lower ISO is important to reduce noise in the final image, so I suggest an ISO of 100-400.

The shutter speed you choose depends on the overall look and feel you want to achieve in your image. A faster shutter speed of 100th of a second or more will help to keep moving objects sharp such as cars or people. In contrast, a slower shutter speed of one second or more will let more light into your frame and start to blur moving subjects.

3. Decide on a composition

Architecture Photography 04

Sibiu, Romania

One important step in capturing architecture is the composition.

Composition simply refers to how you arrange the elements in a frame.

When looking at pictures of famous icons such as the Taj Mahal, Houses of Parliament or Big Ben, you’ll notice these structures often photographed in similar ways. One thing I would encourage is to find new angles of familiar landmarks when doing architectural photography – something that stands out from the others. You can achieve this by changing your viewpoint or angle.

4. Shooting interior architecture

Architecture Photography 05

Sibiu, Romania

When shooting interior architecture photography and exteriors, there are a few fundamental differences to consider, notably the light and composition. You will need to take into account the fact there is usually less light when shooting indoors, so change your settings to accommodate. Due to low light, use a tripod and slower shutter speeds to allow more light into your image. This helps you to manage different types of light, including candles, lamps, and outside light projecting internally. You will also need to balance mixed artificial and natural lighting.

The other major difference is the composition.

You may find more restriction photographing indoors than outdoors. Restrictions such as limited space, internal structures or part of the building’s architecture that may restrict or limit your view and composition. As a solution, use a wide-angle lens or try to take a step back (if you can) to get more of your chosen subject into your frame.

Alternatively, zoom your lens in further to eliminate distracting elements.

Structures often provide interesting internal features which can vary depending on the type of architecture and the country you are in. Church interiors, cathedrals, and even modern and historic buildings can all house hidden gems from altars to pillars, delightful structures, and stained glass windows.

The best lenses for shooting small or large spaces are usually a 24-70mm lens or a wide-angle lens such as a 16-35mm.

5. Shooting exterior architecture

Shooting exteriors is one of the most popular and fun subjects in architectural photography. You will often see pictures of the exteriors of the most famous buildings around the world and in your local area in publications. If you choose to shoot exteriors, you may decide to focus on the whole structure, the roof or a particular aspect of the external building that is interesting.

Architecture Photography 05

Peles Castle, Romania

Photographing exteriors can be challenging especially in changing light and high contrast conditions but can result in some great images.

Conclusion

In conclusion, remember these important steps when shooting architecture including choosing a subject, selecting your camera settings, deciding on composition and choosing whether to photograph interior or exterior architecture.

Share any additional steps you have for interesting architectural photography and your images with us below.

 

Capture-Interesting-Architectural-Photography

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7 Tips and Tricks to Learn From Commercial Photographers

03 Jul

The world of photography is an exciting one, and it is only getting more and more accessible as technology improves. Technically, anyone with a smartphone can be a photographer; whether or not you choose to be a “good” photographer is up to you. Commercial photographers are some of the most sought after image-takers in the world as they have to Continue Reading

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7 Tips and Tricks to Learn From Commercial Photographers

04 Apr

The world of photography is an exciting one, and it is only getting more and more accessible as technology improves. Technically, anyone with a smartphone can be a photographer; whether or not you choose to be a “good” photographer is up to you. Commercial photographers are some of the most sought after image-takers in the world as they have to Continue Reading

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7 Lessons You Can Learn about Photography from Legendary Photographer, Diane Arbus

27 Jan

The post 7 Lessons You Can Learn about Photography from Legendary Photographer, Diane Arbus appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anthony Epes.

I discovered the extraordinary photography of Diane Arbus early on in my career and was blown away by the candid portraits she created. They seemed to have a strong feeling of intimacy coming from the subject (apparent in photos like “Family on their lawn one Sunday.”)

Arbus (1923 – 1971), was an American photographer whose most famous subjects were often outsiders in society.

Journalist Arthur Lubow said of her work: “She was fascinated by people who were visibly creating their own identities—cross-dressers, nudists, sideshow performers, tattooed men, the nouveau riche, the movie-star fans—and by those who were trapped in a uniform that no longer provided any security or comfort.”

I was impressed with her photos. To capture the feelings and reveal aspects of the lives and personalities of her subjects is both challenging to do as a photographer, and rare.

So many photographers are concerned with the ‘surface’ of their subject’s appearance. However, to spend time delving into our subject’s persona gives us an incredible insight into the multiple human experiences of that person’s life.

In this article, I take an in-depth look at Arbus’s photographic approach and draw out simple but powerful lessons to help you develop your photography.

What I most admire about Arbus’s approach is that she spent a lot of time connecting with her subjects. They felt comfortable with her and were able to relax and reveal aspects of themselves and their lives.

I think this connection is what leads to such a feeling of intimacy within her photos. It’s almost as if you are right there with her, and with that person (her photo of the boy with the toy hand grenade is brilliantly evocative of kids.)

Arbus died in the 1970s, but her photographic legacy is still profound. After her death, her daughter collaborated with the artist Marvin Israel to produce a short documentary about her work, Masters of Photography: Diane Arbus, in which her words get spoken over her images.

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It’s a fascinating view of her approach, and many of the quotes I’ve used in this article come from that film. I encourage you to look up her work and see for yourself.

From my observations of her work and reading about her life, here are some of the lessons I’ve drawn from her photography. Included are my own photos.

1. We shoot what we are

“What moves me about…what’s called technique…is that it comes from some mysterious deep place. I mean it can have something to do with the paper and the developer and all that stuff, but it comes mostly from some very deep choices somebody has made that take a long time and keep haunting them.” Diane Arbus

I love the photographic kit, and I love cameras, and I am a bit of a tech nerd. Never met a camera manual I didn’t enjoy reading!

Moreover, I am an advocate of learning to use your camera, learning to shoot on manual and having an excellent understanding of all your kit. That way, you are so familiar with it that you can completely forget about it and concentrate entirely on getting into a deep creative flow state.

I will say, creating interesting, compelling and unique images has very little to do with your camera, and everything to do with who you are as a human being.

I have seen too many technically perfect, but entirely boring photos, to know how true this is.

We are all different as human beings, and so our photographs must reflect who we are. Reflect what we’ve experienced in life, what we love and dislike, what excites us and ignites our imagination, and what totally and completely fascinates us.

When we take photos, we are drawing from this massive well of life experience and our unique personalities. That is why I love the quote (above) from Arbus. It shows that there is so much more to photography other than the camera you have and how well you can use it. It is meaningful, but still a small part of the photographic process.

When people look at my photographs, they often say – “oh, you like to photograph cities or people or pretty nature?”

I say, “no – I only have one subject, and that is light.”

My photographic obsession is intriguing and beautiful light. Almost everything I choose to photograph has somehow been transformed by light, and it bewitches me.

I have distinct memories, of being a small child laying under a tree in a Greek garden, seeing and feeling the dappled light falling over my face. Moreover, many of my memories of growing up in California are also of light. Of being out in nature all day, and climbing trees in the hot, yellow sunshine.

I love the way that everything is affected by light. How the same thing – a tree, for example – looks and feels one way when the light is flat and grey, and entirely another way when it’s bathed in the light yellow sunshine of a spring morning.

Light is something that moves me on a subliminal, subconscious level. I didn’t even realize that light was my obsession for many years. That’s because, as Arbus says, “our photographs are a reflection of our deeper selves.”

When you examine your photos what do you see about yourself? What do you notice about the innate aspects of your personality? Does it tell you about what you love and what captures your attention?

Where can these deep passions take you in your photography?

2. Find the perfect angle

“I work from awkwardness. By that I mean I don’t like to arrange things. If I stand in front of something, instead of arranging it, I arrange myself.” Diane Arbus

I often see people’s photos of fascinating subjects, but the photos themselves are boring. They missed the chance to create a dynamic photo, often because of where they positioned themselves.

It may sound obvious, but your job as a photographer is not to wait for the subject to come to you, nor is it to wait for the subject to become perfectly aligned with your camera.

Your job is to find the very best angle. The very best place to stand and arrange yourself so that you place your subject at its very best situation in your frame.

There is always one angle that is the best for your subject. You have to find that. It may sound obvious but it’s not something I see a lot of amateur photographers do.

Ask yourself: if the subject and my composition isn’t perfect, where can I move to try different angles and compositions? Can I move up, down, or around?

Am I able to climb on a chair or walk up that hill? Do I need to lie on the ground or reposition myself so that the light falls on their face? Can I catch a reflection in the glass?

You should always be thinking to yourself: What happens to the subject when I go over here…?

Once you’ve got that great shot, explore further and search for other good angles. See if you can go one better.

3. Photography is your license to be curious (even when it scares you)

“If I were just curious, it would be very hard to say to someone, ‘want to come to your house and have you talk to me and tell me the story of your life.’ I mean people are going to say, ‘You’re crazy.’ Plus they’re going to keep mighty guarded. But the camera is a kind of license. For a lot of people, they want to be paid that much attention and that’s a reasonable kind of attention to be paid.” Diane Arbus

Many photographers are scared to shoot strangers but would love to do it anyway. However, shooting people you don’t know can be a very confronting experience.

Often there is a big fear about what the person might do when they see a camera focused upon them, or when you pluck up the courage to ask their permission to shoot.

The most important thing to know here, and this comes from my own experience as well as from other photographers like Arbus, is that most people enjoy some attention.

Most people are happy to have you shoot them – or they don’t mind. Photographing someone is saying to them – I find you very interesting – and most people see that as a compliment.

Now we are in a different age to Arbus. When she was taking photographs, very few people had cameras. Whereas, now with our smartphones, cameras are everywhere.

What I love about Arbus is that she holds strong reverence for her subjects. The process of connecting and working with them was all about them and not about her feelings.

She talked at length about the fear and anxiety she felt about approaching subjects or going to their houses to photograph them.

It is inspiring to hear that she was always pushing herself to do more and not allowing her fear to hold her back. Although, on occasion, it did hold her back. However, she’d start over the following day or at the next opportunity.

We all experience fear, and it’s okay. Go with it and don’t let it stop you.

There’s another piece of advice I’d like to offer when photographing strangers, and this is what Diane Arbus also did, and excelled.

It all comes down to your attitude. Your potential subjects pick up on a sense of your energy when you point a camera at them.

Think about whether you are friendly and considerate. Do you smile and relax? Are you trying to connect with the person? Alternatively, are you shoving a camera in their face and being aggressive or are you only looking for a quick shot?

The biggest asset I have when photographing people all over the world, and where I don’t speak the language, is my smile. I often smile and lift my camera as if to say, “may I?”

People sometimes nod, or don’t respond but just stand still. If they say no or walk away, then I’ve got my answer.

If I am photographing people without them knowing and they see me, usually they walk away. However, if they want to connect, then I’ll show them the photo, smile and have a chat.

I work on projecting confidence in myself, and friendliness to my subject. The very worst that can happen is that someone wants me to delete the photo. How easy is this nowadays with digital cameras?

In fact, this has probably only happened once in the thirty years I’ve been taking photos. What typically happens is that they ask for a copy of the picture, which I gladly email.

Photography is also a license to connect with people. I have had so many interesting conversations, been taken to lunch and shown around new cities when people see that I am a photographer.

I tell people about my work, my books, and my projects, and people are curious. For them, it’s often an excellent opportunity to get to talk to someone new.

When my wife was pregnant and after our kids were born, she said the whole process changed her experience of London. Suddenly, instead of being ignored, she was stopped in the street, talked to in cafes and chatted to all over the city.

4. How to get to the reality of people

“There is a point where there is what you want people to know about you and what you can’t help people knowing about you.” Diane Arbus

Everyone has a mask that they show to the world. It’s so embedded in us that we don’t realize we are projecting it.

To show our true selves often makes us feel vulnerable. We don’t want to expose our worries, or what we believe to be our character flaws.

So we show the world an edited version of ourselves and an identity that we are happy to project (or not. Some people project anxiety or melancholy.)

We can always photograph a person on a surface level, posed in the way they’d prefer. But the fascination is to dive beneath the surface and find the place that tells us more truthfully about that person, and who they are.

As photographers, we want to get a sense of what it is like to be our subject and how they feel in that space and time. This is where I think Diane Arbus excelled – like in her photo “A young man with curlers at home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C.”

She had such a strong awareness of what people wanted to show, versus what their life really was, that she was able to get people to show their true selves.

So as photographers, it is awesome that we get the opportunities to explore and probe the masks that people put on. When we are patient enough, the mask drops and we can see the true human experience.

Getting your subject to show behind their mask can be simple. When shooting a portrait, have your subject hold the same pose for an extended period. After a while, they become bored of the pose or forget about it because they start thinking about something else, Suddenly, a real emotion or feeling comes pouring through.

It’s harder to do with some people than others. Some people used to being photographed, or who have a stronger attachment to their mask or ‘identity,’ try not to allow their true thoughts and feelings to come out.

This is where your patience comes into play.

Keep going. Stay with your subject and talk to them. Ask questions, move them around a bit, and see what develops.

Arbus had a fascination with her subjects and their ‘beingness.’ She didn’t try to manipulate them or change them but gave them space to be themselves.

She talked about how nice she was to people. She was warm and ingratiating, and that led to people relaxing and being themselves. Consequently, Arbus captured the clear, unvarnished experience of life.

Another big key for me, when shooting strangers, is to be respectful. It is their lives, their selves, that we are revealing to the world.

When Arbus said, “You see someone on the street and what you notice about them is the flaw,” it is about what is speaking to you about this person’s true humanity. Because humanity can be messy and difficult. We are complex beings. Discovering what makes each person who they are is a wonderful journey to take as a photographer.

Revealing the flaws, characters, and difficulties are often what connects us to each other in the first place. We all connect to the challenges of the human experience – and working to capture this in your photography is a very enriching process.

5. Don’t worry about your camera

“I get a great sense that they are different from me. I don’t feel that total identity with the machine. I mean, I can work it fine, although I’m not so great actually. Sometimes when I am winding it, it’ll get stuck, or something will go wrong and I just start clicking everything and then suddenly everything is alright again. That’s my feeling about machines, if you sort of look the other way they’ll get fixed. Except for certain ones.” Diane Arbus

As I mentioned above, I love my kit, and I love working out new cameras. However, I also recognize a camera is just a tool that enables me to capture my vision.

I have a pretty good smartphone and I take some brilliant photos with that. There are a lot of photographers, like Diane Arbus, who have focused on the subject over technical skill, and they have done just fine!

If learning technique to a very deep level isn’t your thing, don’t worry. Learn what you need to learn and just keep pushing yourself creatively.

6. Allow your fascination for your subject to blossom

“I would never choose a subject for what it means to me. I choose a subject and then what I feel about it, what it means, begins to unfold.” Diane Arbus

This quote is such an unusual piece of advice for me because it’s the exact opposite of how I photograph. Regardless, it’s also brilliant for me because I don’t believe just one photographer or teacher can teach you everything you need to know about your personal journey as a photographer.

My advice is to find the subjects that fascinate you the most. Find the places, people and things that you are in total awe of, and then use those feelings to create emotive, captivating images.

Still, I can see Arbus’s point about finding a subject and allowing your ideas and interest in the subject to unfold from there. Anything can be your subject given the right circumstances, and for me, you guessed it, that involves interesting light!

Perhaps you should take this lesson as more of a way to train yourself into finding something of fascination in whatever subject you come across.

It can also be a truly revolutionary approach to your photography if you have become entirely immune to a scene or find it difficult to see exciting things to photograph in your day-to-day life.

If you find yourself numb to the world around you, concentrating on a subject and working to open your awareness to finding a compelling aspect to your subject, will do wonders for your ability to see incredible images wherever you go.
Diane Arbus said, “The Chinese have a theory that you pass through boredom into fascination and I think it’s true.”

So there you go! Don’t worry about getting bored because it can lead to fascination, given enough time and perseverance.

7. Photography should make you an adventurer

“Once you become an adventurer, you’re geared to adventure, you seek out further adventures.” Marvin Israel

This is not a quote by Arbus, but the artist Marvin Israel who was very significant in Arbus’s life. He talked about how “Each photograph for Diane was an event.”

Israel talks about how moved she was by the experiences she had taking the photographs. That it wasn’t about the end photo at all, but everything that led up to taking the photo.

Arbus commented, “For me, the subject of the picture is always more important than the picture. I do have a feeling for the print, but I don’t have a holy feeling.”

For her, it was just being with her subjects, talking and connecting, the dialogue, the waiting, and the anticipation.

This is what is so tremendously exciting about the medium of photography. You are not alone in a room with your thoughts, creating. It’s not a passive experience. You are engaging with the world, you are creating connections, and you are diving into life.

This isn’t about traveling to far-flung places. It’s not even about doing big, crazy things. It’s about enjoying all aspects of taking the photo. It is an adventure in itself.

Moreover, it’s about taking yourself on an incredible learning journey and seeing where your passions take you.

I would love to know what you think of these ideas. Do any of these connect with you and get you thinking in new ways about your photography?

The post 7 Lessons You Can Learn about Photography from Legendary Photographer, Diane Arbus appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anthony Epes.


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10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

03 Aug

I’ve always been a huge fan of the photographer Elliott Erwitt. His photography is sharp, often very funny and captures a sometimes silly, sometimes ridiculous part of our human experience.

His way of talking about photography is wonderful. He is a super pragmatic person who doesn’t go in for all fuss of talking about photography as if it’s some kind of sacred experience.

street graffiti - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

He does, though, have extraordinary photographic talent, which has been honed over a 60-year career. So I thought I’d share with you some of the many things we can learn from him. After you read this I encourage you to look up his work and investigate for yourself.

couple in jean jackets with a camera - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

Finding a mentor

I make a point of learning from people I admire. It takes me out of my own little bubble of creative work, the hustle I do as a photographer and creative entrepreneur – and offers me interesting perspectives that are totally different to my own way of doing things.

There are always very cool and interesting ideas to be sparked, new ways to do things, new thoughts and inspirations to be gathered from some of the amazing creative talents in the world.

In this article, I’ve used some of my photos that are a little Elliott Erwitt inspired and paired them with some things you can also learn from this legendary photographer.

man on rollerblade walking dogs - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

Lesson 1: Learning to use your camera is actually the easy bit

“There isn’t much to learn about photography, everything you need to know you can find out by reading the instructions in the box. The rest is practice.” – Elliott Erwitt

Okay, okay, I know this sounds flippant and probably frustrating if you are knee deep in confusion about how to use your camera. But even though it can be challenging and difficult, your camera is a machine with very clear and logical instructions. That’s the easy bit.

Learning how to compose interesting, unique photos, developing your eye for striking compositions, or bringing artistic and captivating elements into your images – those are the challenging parts!

couple with woman crying - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

So if you can trust that with some perseverance you will learn the mechanics of the camera, then you can dedicate yourself to the other part of photography that really makes the difference between an OK photograph and an amazing one. And that is…

Lesson 2: Photography is all about learning to see the world in new ways

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” – Elliott Erwitt

I think one of the reasons Erwitt is so successful is that he is totally an observer. He watches the world from a state of complete presence. I cannot overstate the importance of becoming an observer.

man taking a cell phone photo - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

You may think you are always observing the world, but I would counter that. What you likely do is see a little, but mostly you are lost in your mind, in your thoughts and ideas – usually about the past. “Why did I do that?! Why did he say that?!” Or in the future. “I have to remember to send an email about that meeting!”

We all do it! Then, with the small amount of attention we have left, we are looking at the world, but are so lost in ourselves that what we see is very limited, just tiny measures of what is actually there.

Our brain processes billions of pieces of visual information every second (crazy right?!) but in an effort to make sure we don’t get overwhelmed, we only ever see a few hundred segments.

kid in batman suit - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

So when we are lost in our own minds, our own thoughts, we are seeing even less.

But when you decide to stop paying attention to your never-ending rush of thoughts and ideas and to-do lists and decide to become fully present in the world, fully aware of what is happening right now – then you will be truly observing the world.

Notice the feeling of a light breeze on your skin, the harsh sunlight on your eyelids making you squint, the deep blue of the sky, the way the movement of undulating water is shimmering under the bright sun.

You may notice people laughing in a cafe, a dog barking in the distance, the people walking past you with a rhythmic thud. The rolling drone of cars passing.

crosswalk painting - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

This is what it is to observe the world – to step into the world of now. To step out of your mind and into the present moment.

Elliott Erwitt’s photography is such an amazing display of observing. It shows that when you are in a state of observation, particularly of human beings, you’ll find gems everywhere.

Lesson 3: Don’t stop taking photos – you’ll get a good one eventually

“The ratio of successful shots is one in God-knows-how-many. Sometimes you’ll get several in one contact sheet, and sometimes it’s none for days. But as long as you go on taking pictures, you’re likely to get a good one at some point.” – Elliott Erwitt

corn with a face - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

I like to think of photography in terms of balance. It’s always good to keep learning and developing your skills, but without practice, without getting out there and doing it – all the learning means nothing.

You also don’t want to get stuck in the learning cycle where you never feel like you have enough information, or that you must learn more or upgrade your camera before you can take better photos.

No! Nothing – literally nothing – beats just going out and actually taking photos.


Lesson 4: Technical skill will only take you so far

“Good photography is not about ‘Zone Printing’ or any other Ansel Adams nonsense. It’s just about seeing. You either see, or you don’t see. The rest is academic. Photography is simply a function of noticing things. Nothing more.” – Elliott Erwitt

When I was starting out in photography I bought all of Ansel Adams’ books about Zone printing. I studied them and used them in my work. Through them, I become an excellent printer, both from film and then digital. I am pretty into technology, and I’ve never met a camera manual I didn’t want to read.

But I do, however, have to agree with Elliott Erwitt here. Technical skill can help you capture the photo you see in your head. It can give you the tools to make a photo work, but it is not what makes a photo successful.

couple with sunglasses on a couch - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

There are examples of many famous photographers who were completely untechnical.

Diane Arbus would say that if her camera stopped working she’d just press all the buttons until it started functioning again. Her portraits, though, are breathtaking. She used her ability to connect with people to draw out the most extraordinary expressions and portraits.

So, although I love to draw on strong technical skills as a background for my work – I know it’s not what creates the magical elements, the je ne sais quoi, that makes an image interesting or memorable.

I have seen more than my share of technically perfect, but instantly forgettable images, to know this to be true.

lady in a blue shirt laughing - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

Again it comes back to balance. My ideal goal is to have enough technical skill to be able to execute to my standard, and then focus on that emotion, inspiration, observer part of myself that finds the arresting scenes and subjects to photograph.

Lesson 5: Passion never gets old

Elliott Erwitt is a very prolific photographer. As well as photographing hundreds of advertising and commercial campaigns, he has produced more than 80 books and countless exhibitions.

I love that he has done eight books just on dogs! Isn’t that cool? What that tells me is that you are only done with a subject when your passion for it fades. And Mr. Erwitt is currently 89 years old as of the date this article was published!

dog on the street - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

If you still get excited about a subject, if you still want to photograph it – then you still have something more to say about it. As you get more familiar with your subject, your narrative, your feeling and your observations about it change. Things are always changing and developing with you, the world, and your creativity.

I have been photographing London during the blue hour, sunrise hours, for almost 20 years – and I have never been bored in the city. Often I go to the same spots over and over (East London) and I always find something interesting, because it inspires me.

So always follow that excitement, that inspiration – because passion never gets old.

4 people on a bridge - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

Lesson 6: People reveal a lot about themselves when they think nobody is watching

Elliott has taken some brilliantly absurd shots of people doing bizarre things. You would think that being in public would make people more self-conscious about their behavior. To an extent it does. But most of us aren’t as open as when we are alone.

And yet people are always revealing themselves. It seems impossible to hold onto our mask, our veneer, as humans for very long. Especially when we think no one’s paying attention.

This is one of the key tenets of street photography. Watch closely enough, and for long enough and someone will do something crazy or funny or weird. It’s just human nature.

man taking selfie with a seagull - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

Lesson 7: A good photograph is all about the emotions it invokes in the viewer

“I observe, I try to entertain, but above all I want pictures that are emotional. Little else interests me in photography. Today, so much is being done by unemotional people, or at least it looks that way… I mean, work that’s fascinating and fun and clever and technically brilliant. But if it’s not personal, then it misses what interesting photography is about.” – Elliot Erwitt

This reminds me of a beautiful Maya Angelou quote, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

It’s the same with photography and all art. If someone feels something when looking at your photos, that creates much more of an impact and connection than a photo that simply looks beautiful or interesting, but doesn’t invoke any emotion.

man with his head down - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

That is easier said than done right?! How do you go about doing that? How do you create a feeling in your images?

The main thing is you, as the photographer, must be in a state of feeling first. If you are feeling bored by your subject, you will not translate an emotionally impactful sentiment into your photos.

If you are looking at your subject and feeling, for example, deeply calm, then you are more likely to convey that feeling in your images.

Like Henri Cartier-Bresson said, “To photograph: it is to put on the same line of sight the head, the eye and the heart.”

10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt - silhouette of a man at sunset with boats

Now, I don’t want to say that happens automatically. Just because you feel something when you are taking the photo doesn’t mean it will immediately be translated into the image. It isn’t. It does require some technical abilities to be able to capture the image that you want – getting good exposures on your light, etc. But that is just learning and practice.

The state of feeling – of always putting yourself in front of things that make you feel something – that is the thing that elevates your images overall.

For example, I spent seven weeks in a castle in Tuscany over the winter and much of my time was spent wandering the hills and forests taking photos. One beautiful, crisply cold afternoon I came upon a deserted building. It was huge and looming, with a cold and scary facade. The gardens were overgrown, and nature had begun its reclamation of the stone statues and walls.

creepy old building interior - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

It was really eerie. Although terrified of exploring it, I pushed through my fear and went inside. The whole time I was there I was anxious – too many scary movies perhaps running through my mind – and my photos reflect that feeling of fear.

But that’s great because it works for the subject. The subject was scary and creepy. So my photos feel scary and creepy. A job well done, I’d say!

As I mentioned, I spend a lot of time photographing cities at dawn – particularly in summer when sunrise is so early in many places that there is no one around. You really get to observe the city as it is, without crowds of people.

Venice at dawn - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

So here’s the second example, above. I have hundreds of photos of sunrises, in beautiful places like Venice or Istanbul, that have filled me with awe. The combination of the sky breaking open from deep blue to explosions of pinks, purples, yellows and oranges and the incredible buildings and architecture in the cities is so exciting for me to experience.

The feeling you get from viewing these photos matches the epic feeling I experienced taking them. I had a feeling of total awe while I was taking the photos. I capture the images technically well – but the impact comes from that feeling.

In another example, I love finding peculiar things stuck on the ground or on walls. I love making funny compositions of odd shapes that you can find on pavement or the shapes created by torn posters.

ripped poser on a wall - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

There are so many ways to play with shape, form, and texture in these subjects.

To me the feeling I have when I find something like this is one of intrigue. I think that translates into the images I capture as well.

So there are many ways to approach this sense of feeling. The most important factor is finding the things that exhilarate, intrigue, or inspire awe within you.

little girl with sunglasses - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

Lesson 8: Interesting things happen all the time…you just have to wait

“I rarely stage pictures. I wait for them… let them take their own time. Sometimes, you think something’s going to happen, so you wait. It may pan out; it may not. That’s a wonderful thing about pictures– things can happen.” – Elliot Erwitt

The world is magical, things will happen regardless of what you do. In fact, the less you do the better. I find that the less you try to control the world around you the more effort you make to observe and be in that state of awareness.

The world, and we humans, always do funny things.

man sweeping a cat - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

Lesson 9: It’s easy to create something original if you don’t follow the crowd

“After following the crowd for a while, I’d then go 180 degrees in the exact opposite direction. It always worked for me, but then again, I’m very lucky.” – Elliott Erwitt

I spend a lot of time photographing some of the most photographed places on earth – cities like Paris and London. You might think it’s hard to capture something original in such over-photographed places, but that’s not the case.

Most people are photographing the exact same things. A bit like how tourists are always to be found crowded around the same spots. The trick is to go (or shoot) in the opposite direction to everyone else.

One evening I was on Westminster Bridge in London. There was a gorgeous sunset setting behind the Houses of Parliament. It was really incredible – lots of purples and pinks.

On the bridge, hundreds of photographers had their cameras pointed at the scene. This is understandable, of course.

I grabbed that shot (above), which was pretty but not very original. Then I started to look around. The light wasn’t just the sunset, it was affecting everything around us. I turned 180 degrees and there was a really cool scene of almost metallic colors. I got a great shot of that scene, see below (and no one else seemed to have noticed.)

Almost everyone will shoot the obvious shot, and not look around to see what else there is to photograph.

Lesson 10: Stay curious!

“I don’t think you can create luck. You’re either lucky or you’re not. I don’t know if it’s really luck or if it’s just curiosity. I think the main ingredient, or a main ingredient for photography is curiosity. If you’re curious enough and if you get up in the morning and go out and take pictures, you’re likely to be more lucky than if you just stay at home.” – Elliott Erwitt

Keep it simple.

This is another piece of Elliott’s simple advice that I love. Don’t overthink photography. Use your passion and instinct. Go out, take photos. Look at the world around you. Then shoot some more.

10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt - chairs on the street and a yellow wall

Last bonus tip – be yourself!

“The dedicated photographer works with his own sensibility, instincts, and experience. He stays curious about everything visible. He looks, looks some more, and then looks again, because that is the fundamental basis of photography. And that’s all… just looking and making your own unique connections.” – Elliott Erwitt

We each have totally different ways of seeing and capturing the world around us. I couldn’t emphasize enough the importance of not worrying about what everyone else is doing and just focusing on you!

Your photos, your passions, your personal curiosity. That’s how you’ll create something unique and interesting.

two guys sitting on steps in red pants - 10 Things You Can Learn About Photography from Elliott Erwitt

I hope this has inspired you to take a look at the work of one of my favorite photographers and given you some ideas for your photography.

I’d love to know what you think of these gems of wisdom from Mr. Erwitt and the lessons I have interpreted from them. Please share your thoughts below.

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