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Posts Tagged ‘Photograph’

This photograph illustrates how quickly the International Space Station orbits Earth

15 Jun

The International Space Station (ISS) moves fast. Very fast. The modular space station has an orbital speed of 7.66 kilometers per second, which is roughly 17,100 mph. It takes the ISS a mere 92.68 minutes to orbit Earth, meaning it goes around Earth nearly 16 times per day. It’s hard to conceptualize that amount of speed, but French astronaut Thomas Pesquet is aboard the ISS now and wanted to help those of us on terra firma understand the speed at which the ISS moves.

Pesquet has been experimenting with different photographic techniques to show the ISS’s speed. He recently shared an image shot with a 30-second exposure that shows ISS stationary in the frame while the Earth’s surface streaks behind in the background.

During the 30 second exposure, the ISS traveled about 235km. Despite the speed of the space station, Pesquet says that the crew doesn’t have the impression of moving that quickly due to the orbital path’s distance from Earth. The ISS perigee altitude is 418km (259.7mi) and its apogee altitude is 422km (262.2mi).

With the ISS orbiting Earth so many times during the day, there are numerous opportunities to spot the station as it orbits Earth. NASA has set up a dedicated alert system (https://spotthestation.nasa.gov) to let you know when the ISS is passing overhead. You can view the ISS with the naked eye, no need for a telescope.

Pesquet is very active aboard the ISS and regularly posts new photos on Twitter. You can also stay to date with all the activities on the ISS on Twitter. NASA regularly posts videos from the ISS on YouTube.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How to Photograph the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)

17 May

The post How to Photograph the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Christian Hoiberg.

how to photograph the northern lights

Want to know how to photograph the northern lights?

In this article, I’m going to share plenty of northern lights photography tips and tricks – so that you can capture stunning aurora shots of your own.

This advice comes from lots of experience; I’ve had the pleasure of watching and photographing the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, for years (and I still find myself shouting in awe when I see them elegantly dancing in the sky!).

So if you’re ready to become an expert, then let’s get started.

How to see the northern lights

The first step in photographing the northern lights is, obviously, finding them. It’s simply not possible to see the aurora whenever and wherever you want – you must be in the right region and follow a few simple steps, as I discuss below:

1. Be in the Northern Hemisphere

The northern lights aren’t visible all over the world. As the name indicates, they are a phenomenon visible in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Places such as northern Norway, Iceland, and Alaska are typical areas you can witness the northern lights.

While you generally want to be north of the Arctic Circle (or close to it), you can witness the lights further south during extreme solar storms. But this is not as common and the display is rarely as impressive compared to “northern” northern lights.

When planning your trip to the north, you’ll need to bear one more fact in mind:

The northern lights season lasts from late fall to early spring. After all, northern lights are only visible in the night sky, and in the Arctic, the sun doesn’t set during the summer months – so there’s no darkness and no northern lights.

the northern lights over the ocean

2. Get away from light pollution

It’s nearly impossible to see the northern lights from the downtown of a large city. You might catch a glimpse if the northern lights are strong, but the display won’t be nearly as impressive as if you leave the city lights behind.

To increase your chances of capturing the northern lights, you should get away from light pollution and find a location where you can clearly see the stars.

There are a few different tools you can use to find areas with minimal light pollution. Dark Sky is a great website for this purpose; it shows a detailed map of light pollution.

the northern lights over ice

3. Look for clear skies (and a high Kp-index)

In order to see the northern lights, you need to see the stars – so cloudy nights aren’t good for aurora borealis photography. If the sky is cloudy, you might as well enjoy the comfort of a warm cabin.

Fortunately, when you’re north of the Arctic Circle, clear nights typically mean you will get a glimpse of the northern lights. The display might not always be strong, but chances are high that you’ll at least get a nice arch across the horizon. 

Keep in mind that weather conditions change quickly in the Northern Hemisphere. Just because it’s cloudy one moment doesn’t mean it’ll be cloudy in an hour, so you should keep a close eye on the forecast and stick your head outside from time to time. 

Also, a quick tip: To predict the aurora display strength, refer to the Kp-index. Note that the higher the Kp-index, the stronger the display. (There are other factors involved in predicting the northern lights, but the Kp-index is the easiest and most convenient.)

the northern lights over a mountain

How to photograph the northern lights

Once you’ve found the northern lights, how do you actually photograph them? It’s easy to get overly excited and forget about the technicalities – after all, the northern lights are stunningly beautiful – but I urge you to study the next few steps so that you’re as prepared as possible when the sky explodes.

1. Use a tripod and a remote shutter release

Photographing at night means that you’re working with long exposures (i.e., slow shutter speeds). It’s therefore essential that you mount the camera on a tripod. This will make sure that your camera stays still for the duration of the exposure.

You should also consider using a remote shutter release when you’re photographing the northern lights. This removes any chance of the vibrations caused when you press the shutter.

An alternative is to use the camera’s self-timer – but sometimes you want to capture the image at an exact moment with no delay, which is why I highly recommend a remote release.

the moon and the aurora borealis

2. Use a wide-angle lens with a large aperture

I generally encourage photographers to experiment with different focal lengths, but there’s no getting around it: an ultra-wide-angle lens is ideal for photographing the northern lights. 

A wide-angle lens allows you to capture both the landscape and the sky in one shot. That way, you can incorporate the northern lights into a good composition.

Also, when you first experience the northern lights, you’ll realize that they can fill up the entire sky. It’s impossible to capture all this beauty with a narrow focal length lens (in fact, even wide-angle glass isn’t always enough!).

It’s also important to use the widest possible aperture. A wide aperture means more light reaches the sensor, allowing for a brighter exposure.

For that reason, apertures such as f/2 and f/2.8 work well for night photos. You can get away with f/4 if your lens doesn’t open to f/2.8 – but you’ll need to increase the ISO or extend the shutter speed to pull it off, neither of which are great for northern lights photography.

aurora borealis over a river

3. Adjust the shutter speed and ISO according to the northern lights

Guides such as the 500 rule or the NPF rule are great indicators of the shutter speed you should use for night photography – but these do not work for northern lights.

Why?

Because the best shutter speed completely depends on how active the northern lights are. I’ve experienced extreme displays where I’m using a 1/2s shutter speed and an ISO of 200, yet I’m still overexposing the sky!

Therefore, you need to adapt the shutter speed to the situation and make changes throughout the night. I typically use a shutter speed between 4 and 20 seconds. 

Now, a fast-moving northern lights display requires a faster shutter speed. The bright light moving across the sky will quickly get overexposed. But when the display is slower, you get away with a longer shutter speed.

The ISO also depends on how bright the night sky is. I typically use a value between ISO 1600 and ISO 6400. That said, on rare occasions, I go all the way down to ISO 200.

I’ll admit that it does require some experience to get your settings right from the very beginning. But keep an eye on the image preview between every few shots, and you’ll learn exactly what to adjust for great results.

the aurora borealis over a mountain how to photograph the northern lights

4. Use a cold white balance (3000-4000K)

I know that the white balance technically doesn’t matter if you’re shooting in RAW, but I’m someone who prefers to make the photo look as good as possible in-camera.

So when photographing the northern lights, avoid using Auto White Balance or preset modes. While these often do a great job during the day, they’re less consistent at night. You might get some okay results with Auto White Balance, but it won’t always work.

I recommend that you set the white balance manually – use Kelvin mode and chose a value somewhere between 3000K and 4000K. This will produce a colder and more natural-looking sky.

(Using values above 4000K makes the green in the northern lights look muddy and strange, which is something you want to avoid.)

purple and green aurora borealis how to photograph the northern lights

5. Bring something warm to drink!

The winter nights in the Northern Hemisphere can be quite cold and miserable. It’s essential that you stay warm when you’re outside waiting for the northern lights. Good clothes (and several layers) help a lot, but it’s also nice to bring a thermos with a warm drink.

Once you get too cold, it’s hard to stay motivated. Especially if you’re planning to shoot for a while or make a timelapse.

How to photograph the northern lights: conclusion

Now that you’ve finished this article, you should be well-equipped to photograph the northern lights.

That said, if you want to learn more about northern lights photography – so you can start creating images like those in this article, fast – I highly recommend my course, Northern Lights Photography Made Easy. I teach all the essentials of capturing and processing stunning images of the night sky’s most amazing feature. So check out the course here!

how to photograph the northern lights

The post How to Photograph the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Christian Hoiberg.


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How to Photograph Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps

28 Mar

The post How to Photograph Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

how to photograph silhouettes in 8 easy steps

In this article, I’m going to show you a step-by-step process for doing stunning silhouette photography.

I’m also going to share tips and tricks that work really, really well for silhouette shooting; that way, you can get gorgeous results as soon as possible.

So if you’re ready to discover the secrets to amazing silhouettes, let’s dive right in!

silhouette photography statue

Silhouette photography: the basics

Silhouettes are a wonderful way to convey drama, mystery, emotion, and mood. They often stand out thanks to their simplicity as well as the story that they convey.

I love silhouettes because they don’t give a clear picture of the scene. Instead, they leave part of the image up to the viewer’s imagination.

silhouettes on a beach

Now, here’s the basic strategy for doing silhouette photography:

Place your subject (the shape you want to be blacked out) in front of a light source.

Then force your camera to set its exposure based on the brightest part of your picture (i.e., the background).

In doing this, your subject will be underexposed. It should turn very dark and sometimes even black.

There are a lot of very technical discussions surrounding silhouette photography and how to get a particular exposure. But I’d like to ignore the technical details and focus on what matters:

Getting you a great result!

So without further ado, let’s take a look at the step-by-step process for stunning silhouettes:

How to Photograph Silhouettes

Before heading out to shoot silhouettes, make sure you have a camera that lets you adjust the exposure. In other words, you should be able to brighten and darken the photo at will.

(All modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have this functionality and so do most smartphones.)

Step 1: Choose a strong subject

Almost any object can be made into a silhouette. However, some objects are better than others.

Choose something with a strong and recognizable shape that will be interesting enough in its two-dimensional form to hold the viewer’s attention.

Silhouettes can’t draw on the colors, textures, and tones of subjects to make themselves appealing, so the shape needs to be distinct.

silhouette of a biker

Step 2: Turn off your flash

If you have your camera in Auto mode, it’ll probably use flash – and this will ruin the silhouette.

Basically, silhouette photography requires as little light as possible on the front of your subject.

So make sure that your flash is off!

silhouette photography man standing on a rock

Step 3: Get your light right

When it comes to lighting your subject, you’ll need to throw out a lot of what you’ve learned about normal photography and think a little backward.

Instead of lighting the front of your subject, you need to ensure that there is more light shining from the background than the foreground of your shot. Or to put it another way, you want to light the back of your subject rather than the front.

The perfect setup is to place your subject in front of a sunset or sunrise – but any bright light will do the trick.

silhouette in front of a city

Step 4: Frame your image

Frame your shot so you are shooting with your subject in front of a plain but bright background.

The best backgrounds are often a bright, cloudless sky with a setting sun.

You want to position the brightest light source behind your subject (so that it’s either hidden or somewhere in the background).

silhouetted person walking from rock to rock

Step 5: Make silhouetted shapes distinct and uncluttered

If there is more than one shape or object in the scene that you’re attempting to silhouette, try to keep them separated.

So if you’re making a silhouette from a tree plus a person, don’t position the person in front of the tree and don’t have the person lean against the tree, because this will merge the two shapes into one and cause confusion.

silhouetted boat off a beach

Also, when framing, you’ll probably want to photograph silhouetted people as profiles rather than looking straight on. That way, more of their features (nose, mouth, and eyes) are outlined, and the person becomes more recognizable.

Step 6: Feel free to start in Auto mode

Most modern digital cameras are pretty good at exposing a photo so everything is nice and bright.

The problem is that most cameras are a bit too smart; they’ll light up your main subject instead of underexposing it to get a silhouette.

So what do you do?

You trick your camera.

You see, Auto mode generally determines the exposure levels when you push the shutter button halfway down (at the same time that the camera focuses).

So point your camera at the brightest part of your scene, then press the shutter button halfway (and don’t let go!). Then move your camera back and frame your shot how you want it.

Finally, press the shutter button the rest of the way.

With most digital cameras, this will result in a silhouetted subject; by forcing your camera to expose for the brightest part of the scene, you cause it to render the main subject as a dark silhouette.

Note that some cameras also have a spot metering mode that helps with the above technique. Spot metering puts the exposure meter on the central part of your frame – so you can accurately tell your camera the exact portion of bright background you want to use to set the exposure.

silhouette of a man on a beach

Step 7: Manual mode

If the Auto mode technique doesn’t work, and if your camera has controls to allow manual exposure, you might want to adjust the settings manually.

A simple way to use Manual mode is to actually start in Auto. Point your camera at the brightest part of the sky, look at the shutter speed and aperture that your camera suggests, then switch over to Manual mode and dial in those settings.

Next, take a test shot and review it on your camera’s screen.

If your subject is too light (i.e., you need to make it darker), increase the shutter speed and see what happens. And if your subject is too dark, decrease the shutter speed to brighten up the shot.

Eventually, you’ll end up with a well-exposed silhouette!

(You can also use a bracketing technique to get a variety of shots at slightly different exposures.)

silhouette photography of a person holding a child

Step 8: Keep your subject sharp

In most cases, you’ll want your subject to be crisp and in focus.

Unfortunately, this can make the metering process – described in Step 6 – somewhat tricky. You see, pushing your shutter halfway down to get the metering right also means that you’ll focus on a spot in the background rather than your subject.

If you’ve used Manual mode, you can always focus on the background, acquire your exposure settings, dial them in, then refocus on your subject.

But if you prefer the Auto mode strategy, then you have two options.

First, if your camera has manual focusing, you can try prefocusing on your subject. Next, meter off the background (and press the shutter button halfway). Frame up your composition, then trigger the shutter.

silhouette photography of a rooftop

Second, you can try adjusting the aperture to maximize your depth of field (i.e., the amount of your image that is in focus).

For this, you’ll need to set a small aperture (i.e., a large f-number, such as f/11 or f/16) to increase the depth of field. If the f-number is large enough, and your subject isn’t too close to the camera, you’ll end up with both a sharp subject and a sharp background, even if your camera is focused on the area behind your subject.

Bonus tip: try partial silhouette photography

While a total silhouette with a nice crisp, dark subject can be powerful, also consider a partial silhouette where some detail of your subject is left, such as in the photo below:

silhouette of people on a beach

Sometimes, a touch of light makes the subject slightly more three-dimensional and real.

And if you’re not sure whether to create a full silhouette or a partial silhouette, that’s okay; just bracket your shots! That’s the beauty of bracketing: it will leave you with both total and partial silhouettes to choose from.

Silhouette photography: conclusion

Well, there you have it:

How to photograph a silhouette in eight simple steps.

So head out when the light is right – and start doing some silhouette photography of your own!

Now over to you:

Have any silhouette photos you’d like to share? Post them in the comments below! And if you need inspiration, check out these 12 amazing silhouette example shots.

The post How to Photograph Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.


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How to Photograph Into the Light for Stunning Results

23 Mar

The post How to Photograph Into the Light for Stunning Results appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

photographing into the light

In this article, I’ll explain how to photograph into the light.

This technique is sometimes called contre-jour, a French term that literally translates to “against the light.”

Now, there are various ways you can approach this style of photography. You can choose to photograph stunning silhouettes, or you can attempt to mitigate dark areas in your photo through post-processing.

To discover the best ways of photographing into the light, read on!

Why should you photograph into the light?

Photographing into the light is a great way to add drama to your photos.

(Note that photographing into the light is also known as backlit photography.)

person filling bucket

But to get nice images, you’ll need to have a good understanding of how the light will interact with your camera.

Now, almost everyone will have shot against the light at some point (e.g., when photographing a sunrise or sunset).

But if you can understand how to control the light across your frame, you can create especially incredible results.

For instance, one of the most obvious effects you’ll see when doing backlit photography is a silhouette, which I discuss in the next section.

How to create stunning silhouettes

Silhouettes are shapes formed by objects in front of a brighter background.

They’re very appealing to photographers because you can produce powerful shapes, which will give your images a very graphic feel.

woman dancing silhouette photographing into the light
Shapes and patterns are important when silhouetting an image.

You won’t get good silhouettes by just pointing the camera into the light, however. Some planning is needed to get the best result.

Specifically, you’ll want:

  • A low angle: Silhouettes are best when the entire silhouetted shape sits against the bright background. Since the background is usually the sky, getting down to a low angle to photograph upward is best.
  • A clear horizon line: Other than the objects you want to silhouette, try to avoid placing other elements on the horizon line. This often means a clear horizon line is best. Also, avoid having objects overlap with the main subject you’re silhouetting.
  • To expose for the sky: Expose for the bright background; this will lead to dark, beautifully silhouetted foreground objects.
  • Other elements: Include other elements such as framing, lines, and repetition that draw the eye toward your silhouette.
low angle photographing into the light
Here, I got down on the ground for a nice low angle. That way, I was able to capture the entire silhouette.

Drama in the sky

The sky is an important part of your photos, especially if you’re a landscape photographer. And photographing into the light can lead to some of the best results.

What you’re looking for are beautiful sunset colors, rays of light coming through clouds, and perhaps a starburst effect from the sun.

You’ll need to choose the correct time of day to improve your results – often sunrise or sunset. The hour before sunset and the hour after sunrise are also optimal.

The final key element is often about 30% cloud coverage.

Here are a few quick tips for photographing backlit landscapes:

  • Pay attention to the weather forecast: Check ahead for the forecast and use satellite images of the clouds in your area. That way, you can know with greater certainty if the sky will look good.
  • Arrive early: Arriving an hour ahead of the ideal light will help you plan your photo, and you’ll be ready if you get unexpected rays of sunshine breaking through the clouds ahead of when you want to photograph.
  • Compose with leading lines: If possible, use leading lines to guide the eye toward the sun or to an interesting area of the sky.
steel wool
You can also photograph against artificial light sources. Here, the background is wire wool.

Balancing the light

When photographing silhouettes, an underexposed foreground is what you want – but what if you’re after a detailed background and a detailed foreground?

For the best result, you’ll need to balance the light throughout your photo. Otherwise, you’ll produce an overexposed sky or an underexposed foreground.

There are two approaches you can use; one is in-camera, and the other uses post-processing.

  • Filters: Graduated neutral density filters are a great way to balance the light across your photo. These come in different strengths, so you can adapt your setup to the scene in front of you.
  • Digital blending: Combine a series of bracketed photos in post-processing. This approach uses luminosity masks and layers in Photoshop.
  • Combination: The best approach is to combine the above methods. Get the exposure as correct as possible in-camera, then use post-processing to enhance your results further.

How to handle flare

Photographing into the light can lead to flare in your photos.

While flare can be used artistically, you’ll at least want to control it. And you’ll sometimes need to prevent the flare entirely.

Use the following tips to control flare in your photos:

  • Choose your lens carefully: A lens with a smaller number of elements will cause less flare. So use a prime lens when possible.
  • Add a lens hood: Use your lens hood to block stray light.
  • Use a narrow aperture: When the sun is partially obscured by clouds, tree leaves, or the horizon line, use a small aperture such as f/11; you can give the sun a starburst effect.
  • Block the sun: Stick your hand in the image and cover the sun. Then take a second photo, this time without your hand. You can combine these two images in post-processing using layer masking. The final image won’t have your hand or flare.
flower landscape
The sun in this photo looks like a star due to a small aperture.

Natural or artificial?

Photographing into the light usually means photographing toward the sun, or photographing from a dark location (e.g., under a bridge) toward the light.

In such cases, the light source is natural and can’t be controlled. However, if you use off-camera flash, you can control the direction of the light.

So try using strobes to produce silhouettes or to backlight your subject. And at night, try light painting, and make sure the light source is behind your main subject.

Photographing into the light is right!

sunset photo photographing into the light
Photos of a sunset are always taken into the light. I merged a series of bracketed photos to balance light across the frame.

Successfully photographing into the light can be a bit of a challenge.

But with the right approach and the correct camera settings, you’ll get great results!

Now over to you:

Do you enjoy photographing into the light? What are your favorite situations for producing backlit images? Share your thoughts and photos in the comments below!

The post How to Photograph Into the Light for Stunning Results appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.


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How to Photograph Sun Flares: 14 Tips for Beginners

15 Nov

The post How to Photograph Sun Flares: 14 Tips for Beginners appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dena Haines.

Sun flares can add beauty and drama to your photos. Cameras and lenses are designed to cut down on flare – so when it comes to sun flares, you have to be a rule-breaker right from the beginning.

In this article, I’ll share 14 tips to help you get started photographing sun flares!

photographing sun flares

Photographing sun flares: 14 tips for beginners

There are no rules for sun flare photography; it’s all about creativity. You can capture sun flares at any time of day, and with these easy tips, you’ll be out experimenting in no time.

1. Try various aperture settings

Have you noticed that in some photos sun flares look soft and diffused, while in others they look bold and defined? That has a lot to do with which aperture setting was used.

If you use a fairly wide aperture, like f/5.6, you’ll get soft flares. But if you use a small aperture, like f/22, you’ll get stronger, more defined flares.

photographing sun flares aperture comparison

In the split image above, the f/5.6 shot is a softer-looking flare, and the f/22 shot is more defined. The points of the flare are created by the blades of the aperture inside your lens. When the blades come closer together (as with narrow apertures like f/22), you get more defined points in your flares.

Using different apertures will give you a variety of looks to choose from when you’re editing. You’ll also learn which type of sun flare you prefer, depending on the setting and feel you want in your photo.

2. Use Aperture Priority mode

The easiest way to control the aperture (as discussed above) is to put your camera in Aperture Priority mode (indicated with an “AV” on a Canon camera, and an “A” on a Nikon camera). That way, you’ll be able to easily adjust the aperture setting.

And with your camera set to Auto ISO, it will automatically choose the ISO and shutter speed settings for you.

Now you’ll be able to quickly switch apertures and see the difference it makes to your sun flares.

3. Partially hide the sun

Use an object (such as a fence post, building, or tree, etc.) to partially hide the sun. This will allow you to capture flare while adding an artistic touch to the object you’re shooting.

photographing sun flares

Move around the object and let the sun peek out at different locations as you keep taking photos. I love doing this, and I always come away with something unique.

4. Move around and take lots of pictures

When shooting sun flares, it really helps to move around – a lot. If you are partially hiding the sun (as mentioned in the previous tip), a slight movement to the right or left will cause a big change in the flare. Your photo could be flooded with too much light, or you might miss the flare altogether. But moving could also reveal the flare in just the right spot to create the look you want.

sun flares through leaves

It’s important to take lots of pictures. You’ll eventually learn how much sun to include in relation to the amount of flare you want.

sun flare in forest

Sun flares can be unpredictable; that’s part of what makes them fun to work with.

5. Try using some filters

When photographing sun flares, filters can be helpful. I recommend considering either of the following options:

  • Polarizing filter: You’ll get different effects as you rotate this filter. It can help increase color saturation and decrease reflections. If you have a polarizer, play around with it and see how it affects the flares.
  • Graduated neutral density filter: This filter is darker at the top and becomes lighter near the bottom. It can prevent part of the image from looking blown-out when shooting into the sun.
graduated neutral density filter

I used a graduated neutral density filter for the photo on the right. It helped control the light, which kept the colors richer.

6. Shoot during different times of day

Around sunrise and sunset, the sunlight comes in at a unique angle. This creates a warmer, golden color, whereas during midday, there is a cooler (bluish) or more neutral light.

In the following image, two of the photos were taken around sunset, and the other two were taken a few hours after sunrise. Can you guess when each photo was taken?

images shot at different times of day

I bet you got it right – the images on the left were taken near sunset. They have a warmer feel, don’t they? Whereas the images on the right have a cooler feel.

7. Divide the sun with your camera

You can get a softer, more diffused look by composing your photo so that the sun is not fully in the frame. Try cutting the sun in half, or only including its bottom third.

sun flare cut off at the topic of the frame

Play with it. Create different effects and see which you prefer.

8. Use a tripod and a remote shutter release

As I mentioned earlier, a smaller aperture setting (higher f-number) will give you a sharper, more defined flare.

But using a small aperture also means that your camera will require more time to take the photo. The longer the image takes, the more chance there is for camera shake to cause blur.

If you are handholding your camera, this could be a problem. When your camera is on a tripod, there is much less chance of camera shake.

photographing with a tripod

Using a tripod will help keep your photos looking sharp and your sun flares looking crisp. By using a remote shutter release (or your camera’s self-timer), you’ll reduce camera shake even more.

9. Keep the sun at your model’s back

By keeping the sun at your model’s back, you’ll allow the light of the flare to spill out around them in interesting ways.

sun flare portrait

Depending on the time of day, you might need to lie down, and have your model sit or lie down, too. The image above was taken around 3:00 PM in the afternoon, and I was lying on the ground.

The higher the sun is, the lower you’ll need to be in order to place the flare at your model’s head or at your model’s shoulders. Having your model sit down will make it easier for you.

And when the sun is lower in the sky, positioning becomes easier for both of you.

10. Use a reflector

A reflector is designed to reflect the light back onto your subject. Reflectors are usually made of fabric (white, silver, or gold) and can be handheld, hung from a freestanding base, or placed on the ground.

Using a reflector can be helpful if your model is in the shade. It helps to brighten the face, making the photo look more pleasing.

11. Cover the sun with your hand to focus

It can be hard to focus when shooting sun flares. There is so much light that your camera may struggle to lock focus on the right spot. 

When this happens, hold up your hand to cover the sun, compose your photo, and press your shutter release halfway. Once your camera focuses, take your hand down and press the shutter the rest of the way.

You may have to try this a number of times until you get exactly what you want.

12. Place the sun out of the frame

To get a really soft flare effect without a bright point, try placing the sun out of your frame.

the sun in the upper right corner

I love how this adds soft light (as shown in the photo above), and how the eye is drawn up to the source of light.

13. Use spot metering

Spot metering handles bright light really well, so if you’ve got a choice, go with this metering mode. All but one of the photos in this article were taken using spot metering. 

If your camera does not have spot metering, then partial metering is the next best choice. Note that I use autofocus with the focus point set to the center (as the focus point is where your metering mode will be active).

14. Have fun!

This last tip is probably the most important:

When photographing sun flares, experiment and have fun.

Don’t be afraid to take tons of pictures, try different aperture settings, and move around. Sun flares are wild and unpredictable. Be creative and use different objects to block (or diffuse) the light. You’re bound to get lots of overexposed and underexposed photos, but you’ll get a lot of gorgeous results, as well.

Photographing sun flares: Now it’s your turn

I would love to see your sun flare photos and hear your tips! Please share them in the comments below.

The post How to Photograph Sun Flares: 14 Tips for Beginners appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dena Haines.


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Video: What it’s like to photograph Formula 1 in 60 seconds

31 Aug

It’s not just hockey that’s seeing sports photographers change the way they have to operate during events. Like many other sports during this global pandemic, the Formula 1 season is quite different than usual, with an altered schedule and different race tracks than expected, but as with all sports, there are still photos that need to be taken.

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Who’s ready for another episode of My Job in 60 Seconds? ? This week meet Steve, our team photographer since 2010! From Schumacher to Senna, Hamilton to Hakkinen, Steve’s photographed all the greats in @f1 during his impressive career!

A post shared by Mercedes-AMG F1 (@mercedesamgf1) on

As part of its ‘My Job in 60 Seconds’ series the team hosts on Instagram, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team photographer Steve Etherington shares what it’s like to photograph the pinnacle of motorsports at a time when team personnel and fans are limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the video, Etherington shares what it is he does on a race weekend, how the social ‘bubbles’ put in place have changed how he shoots and more. It’s a great, albeit quick look into shooting Formula 1 — something Etherington has been doing every race weekend for 28 years.

You can find more of Etherington’s work on his website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: What it’s like to photograph hockey games inside the NHL ‘bubble’

29 Aug

Like many professional sports, the National Hockey League (NHL) is playing its playoff-only season in a containment bubble to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 amongst its ranks. In addition to the players, this bubble also requires all team personnel, photographers included, to quarantine and work inside empty arenas that would normally be filled with fans.

To highlight how this looks for the photographers and editors inside their respective bubbles, the NHL has published a behind-the-scenes video showing what goes on before, during and after a game.

Throughout the six-minute video, we hear from NHL Images Senior Manager, Kara Bradley, as well as NHL photographers Chase Agnello-Dean, Mark Blinch and Dave Sandford. Each of them share their experiences thus far, showing that while not much different than shooting a regular game from a capture standpoint, the sheer number of games played back-to-back makes it difficult to get images turned around and remote cameras set up.

Here are a few fun stats from the video:

  • Photographers usually operate five cameras at once: two handheld (typically one wide-angle and one telephoto) and three remote cameras (usually one at center ice and one at each net)
  • The photographers average 15,000 steps a day, many of which are up and down stairs and rafters to set up remote cameras and strobes
  • Around 3,000 images are taken in low-scoring games while high-scoring games can see upwards of 7,000 images captured
  • So far most of the photographers have shot around 46 games in just 21 days

Having shot plenty of hockey games myself, I know how challenging even a single game in a night can be. To be shooting two a day — in addition to auxiliary shots before and after the game — for nearly a month straight is absolutely absurd. In the words of Dave Sandford from the video, ‘it’s like groundhog day here.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: Astronaut Doug Hurley on what it’s like to photograph Earth from the International Space Station

13 Jul
Photo via NASA: view of the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Japan’s HTV-9 resupply ship

The Twitter account of the International Space Station (ISS) recently shared a short video wherein NASA astronaut Doug Hurley talks about what it’s like to photograph Earth from low Earth orbit.

The video, embedded below, is just 75-seconds long, but in it, Col. Hurley explains how incredible it is to take in the beauty of Earth from a distance and points out a few of the more recognizable landmarks visible from 410 km (254.8 mi) above Earth’s surface.

You can keep up with Col. Hurley on Instagram and Twitter, and follow the ISS Twitter account for future videos and photos.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How to Photograph Long Exposures to Create Dreamy Images

02 Jun

The post How to Photograph Long Exposures to Create Dreamy Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

dps-how-to-photograph-long-exposures

Many new photographers may not know how to photograph long exposures, or even what that means to their photography. Thanks to the development of camera accessories and filters, capturing long exposures is becoming a very popular medium of photography for enthusiast photographers.

Long exposure photography is a technique used by many landscape, cityscape and seascape photographers. Have you ever seen a picture of the city where clouds show motion, the car lights have been made streaky or the seawater is rendered blurry? Well this will usually be the result of using a filter to achieve a long exposure that captures the movement of the subject.

how to photograph long exposures
This long exposure has allowed the waves to soften. Illheus da Janella © Jeremy Flint
Canon 5DSR, EF24-70 f2.8 USM II | 30sec f/11 ISO 100

Before we look at how to photograph long exposures, it is first worth considering the meaning of a long exposure, and the different types of photography you can apply the method to.

A long exposure is “a timed exposure of a long duration where the shutter is open for a speed of several seconds where the purpose and aim of long exposures is to sharply capture and minimize movement of static objects within the frame whilst blurring the elements with motion.”

Samples of long exposure photography

There are a variety of different styles of photography where using long exposure photography techniques can result in great images. Some examples of popular subjects include landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes, astrophotography (such as creating star trails), street scenes, and even abstract scenes.

Applying the technique of long exposure photography to landscape scenes can be a great way to create drama in skies or foregrounds with moving clouds or foliage.

Shooting water with long exposures can also benefit your images. Capturing moving water can bring an ethereal look and feel to seascapes as waves break or crash. Using a long exposure, you can capture the swell of the ocean or motion of tides for dreamy-looking images.

How to achieve long exposures

When considering how to photograph long exposures,
you will initially need to think about the kit that you will require, how to
set this up and the steps to capturing your image.

How to Photograph Long Exposures to Create Dreamy Images
The Lee Big and Little Stopper Neutral Density (ND) Filters are great for long exposure photography.

Kit required

A tripod is an essential piece of equipment to enable your camera to remain still during the image capture time when the shutter is open.

Next, you will need a cable release, or wireless remote so you can start and stop the long exposure. Please note this is only required if you need to extend your exposure time beyond 30 seconds. If you shoot below 30 seconds your cameras self-timer will be sufficient to trigger and close the shutter.

A filter holder is another essential item that is required to achieve long exposures. These are used to hold the filters in place that will be used to slow the exposure time down. 

how to photograph long exposures
The filter holder with the Lee 6-stop ND Filter attached to the camera.

With regard to using filters, neutral density (ND) filters are recommended to minimize the light entering your camera.

These vary in strength and the effect they can create. The darker the coating, the greater the number of stops of light and the stronger the filter will be. For example, a 10-stop filter will block out more light than a 3-stop or 6-stop filter, and enable you to achieve longer exposures. Examples of these filters include Lee Filters Big Stopper (10-stop) and Little Stopper (6-stop).

how to photograph long exposures
St Nectain’s Glen waterfall, Cornwall, England
Canon 5DSR, EF24-70 f2.8 USM II | 1.5sec f/4.5 ISO 100

Leaving your shutter open for an extended amount of time can result in some really interesting shots. With this shot of a waterfall, I wanted to make the water more blurry, so I set the camera up on my tripod and photographed it using an ND filter and a longer exposure. By increasing the exposure time, you can see I have been able to create a milky, smooth effect on the water, giving a pleasing result to the image.

Set Up

Once you have found a composition you like, you will need to place your camera on the tripod, attach your cable release and affix your filter holder. Next, focus the camera manually (using the MF button on the side of your camera) before putting the filter in place.

How to Photograph Long Exposures to Create Dreamy Images
Ponta do Rosto, Madeira
Canon 5D Mk IV, EF16-35 f2.8L III USM | 241sec f/11 ISO 100

Steps to photographing long exposures

Once your kit is set up, here are some simple steps on how to photograph long exposures using the equipment mentioned above to achieve sharper images.

1. Bulb mode

Arrange your camera so that you are shooting in bulb mode. This allows you to keep the shutter button open for longer. It will stay open as long as you hold it open.

2. Set your aperture and ISO

I recommend setting a small aperture of over f/8 to f/22. The larger the f/number the longer the exposure you can achieve and a low ISO of 100.

3. Exposure times

Depending on the strength of the ND filter you are using, your exposure time will change. Based on an initial exposure time of ½ second using a 6-stop filter, you will need to shoot for 30 seconds or 8 minutes using a 10-stop filter, for example.

how to photograph long exposures
Land’s End, Cornwall, England
Canon 5DSR, EF16-35 f2.8L III USM | 1.5sec f/4.5 ISO 100

Press the self-remote timer and lock the shutter open
or if you are using the cameras self-timer press the shutter button gently on
the camera. When you are ready to close the shutter unlock the cable release
(if you are using the self-timer the image will finish by itself).

4. Extra tips

If you are using a DSLR, it is also a good idea to use your mirror lock-up so that the mirror going up and down during your exposure doesn’t cause camera shake. Also, be sure to cover the back of the viewfinder to prevent light from entering and potentially ruining your pictures during the exposure. Many cameras have a little rubber cap that comes attached to the camera strap, to cover your viewfinder. That will stop any light leaking through.

Conclusion

In summary, shooting long exposures is a great technique you can use to enhance landscapes, seascapes and images of water where movement is added to the image by extending the exposure time.

When you are looking at how to photograph long exposures, be sure to get the right kit for the job such as a tripod, filter holder, ND filter and a cable release. Remember to follow the steps required above to capture your long exposures, and share the images you take with us below. It will be great to see what you capture.

If you want to go deeper into long exposures, see this article by DPS writer, Rick Ohnsman.

The post How to Photograph Long Exposures to Create Dreamy Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.


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Lockdown forces stars to photograph themselves for lifestyle magazine covers and interviews

13 May

Model Naomi Campbell became a cover star, make-up artist and photographer for the latest issue of Essence magazine as lockdown measures prevented the team from traveling that was booked to work on the special issue cover. Just days before the shoot was due to take place, as part of the magazine’s 50th anniversary issue celebrations, the USA went into lockdown so the magazine asked Naomi if she would shoot the pictures herself.

Also celebrating a 50th anniversary, Campbell rose to the challenge and, with direction from the magazine’s creative team, set up and shot the pictures with her iPhone. Planning discussions went on from the team’s homes via video chat, and the actual shoot was styled and directed remotely on the day—and the pictures have turned out pretty well.

‘Naomi shot herself with an iPhone,’ says MoAna Luu, the Chief Content & Creative Officer of the magazine. ‘We couldn’t send a team so, she had to do her hair, her makeup and her styling herself. We were on late night calls trying to figure out how she was going to do the shoot with her phone in her hand. Then, we had to do a re-shoot because the photos didn’t come out how we imagined. So, there were technical challenges, there were human challenges; but Naomi did it all without asking any questions, she never quit. What’s amazed me the most about working with Naomi to do this cover shoot during the pandemic is the way that she embraces the fact that she truly controls her own narrative. She’s never waited for people to do for her; she’s created her own opportunities. She’s been a pioneer in so many ways and now she’s a pioneer in ESSENCE history because she’s completely and literally controlling her own narrative in this issue from the cover to the in-book story.’

Campbell isn’t the only one doing her own shoots during the global pandemic, as Batman actor Robert Pattinson had to take the pictures for an interview with him for GQ magazine. Pattinson had the good fortune to have a Nikon DSLR to shoot himself with rather than his phone, but perhaps a little less direction from the magazine. The pictures are pretty cool, and one shot in a mirror is used on the cover of this month’s magazine while another is being used as the header on the magazine’s social media channels.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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