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Posts Tagged ‘Praise’

In Praise of Program Mode: Why Program Mode is Great for Beginners

14 Jan

The post In Praise of Program Mode: Why Program Mode is Great for Beginners appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.

working with Program mode

Here’s a myth: Being able to shoot in Manual mode is the mark of a professional photographer.

I frequently see articles and beginner photography workshops with titles like Get Off of Automatic Mode. If these instructors don’t promote Manual mode shooting, they will at least tell you that “real” photographers favor Aperture Priority mode. Working with Program mode? They will roll their eyes and joke that maybe you thought the “P” on the mode dial meant “Professional.”

Working with Program mode - I used it then, and I still use it now.
The image of the Blue Angels (left) was taken with one of the first DSLRs Canon produced, the D30. I made the shot many years ago with the only mode I used at the time: Program mode. The Cooper’s Hawk shot (right) was made just a few weeks ago, also with Program mode.

Sure, as you grow as a photographer, you will ultimately want to understand which camera shooting mode might be the best for each situation. But knowing how to drive a manual transmission vehicle will not instantly make you a racecar driver, and knowing how to shoot in Manual mode is not a shortcut to being a great photographer.

car with motion blur
My first car was a 1964 Volkswagen Beetle, and it looked just like this model. Learning to drive a manual transmission as a new driver was a bit like immediately trying to use Manual mode as a new photographer – challenging!

I will date myself here, but when I learned to drive, a 1964 manual transmission Volkswagen Beetle was my first car. Learning to operate the gas, brake, clutch, and gearshift was an “interesting” introduction to driving.

My first camera was an East German Hanimex Practika Nova 1B. That was in the early ’70s. It had no mode dial, no autofocus, and since ISO was controlled by whatever film you used, the only exposure controls were a manual aperture ring on the lens and a shutter speed dial on the top of the camera. Even the exposure meter was not a TTL (through-the-lens) type, but a crude averaging meter that was just above the lens mount.

Hanimex Praktica Nova 1B - My first SLR camera.
My first SLR camera, used back in the early ’70s, was a Hanimex Praktica Nova 1B. It offered no autofocus, no TTL metering, a dial to set the shutter speed, and a ring on the lens to set the aperture. The film determined the ISO (then ASA).

With both the car and the camera, I had to handle all the controls myself. Did the VW make me a better driver? Did the Praktika make me a better photographer? No, and both caused far more frustration as a beginner than if I had started in a car with an automatic transmission and I had started photography with a fully automatic DSLR.

So that’s my point here:

Why you make a photo – choosing to communicate your vision with an image and then using the camera as a machine to capture it – is far more important than how you shoot a photo or what mode you use. If some help from modern automation makes it easier to get there, especially as a beginner, go for it.

Why get whiplash learning to feather the clutch (or as I once did, roll back into the car behind you when at a stop sign at the top of a San Francisco hill) when, as a new driver, you could have an automatic transmission?

Working with Program Mode when doing portraits.
I did a lot of portraits of friends, family, senior photos, and even weddings with some of my DSLRs. I would often use Program mode and a little fill light from the pop-up flash. This typically worked just fine, especially for a new photographer.

Program mode – yes, the “P” setting on your mode dial – is what I would term the “semi-automatic” mode on your camera. Unlike the green, fully-automatic mode where you simply “point-and-shoot” and the camera makes all the decisions, Program mode frees you to override the settings if you so choose.

Let’s use an example to explain how Program mode might work in a given situation.

Program mode: The “semi-automatic” setting

Back in the 35mm film days, you would often choose the film you used based on the shooting conditions you planned to work in.

ISO (or before that, ASA or DIN) was a function of the film. ASA speeds of common film types might be 25, 64, 125, 200, 400, and maybe up to 800. You could go a little higher with special processing. The rub was that, whatever film type you chose, you worked with the same ASA for the entire roll (be it 12, 24, or 36 exposures).

Many film rolls
With film, you had to stick with the same ISO (ASA) for the entire roll.

Working with Program mode can be a little like shooting film – in that the first thing you will do is pick your ISO setting.

This could be ISO 100 for good outdoor light, maybe ISO 200 or 400 for lower lighting conditions, ISO 800 or higher for dim conditions (or perhaps for when you will be shooting action and need to be able to use short exposure times).

Some have called Program mode “ISO Priority,” because once you choose the ISO, it will be the setting that will stay set, even as the shutter speed and aperture change. (Of course, the big difference from film is that you can change the ISO from shot to shot if you so choose).

So you start by setting your ISO.

Then, unless you have a special reason not to, I suggest you use the averaging metering modes: Evaluative on Canon, Matrix on Nikon. These will consider the entire image and calculate the exposure.

If your camera is set to Program mode, you will now see that it has selected both aperture and shutter speed settings. Depending on the available light, these will usually be toward the middle of the settings range – perhaps something like 1/125th of a second, f/5.6, and ISO 100. You may want to change these, and we’ll get into that in a minute, but if not, you’re good to go. Nail focus and take the shot.

You can shoot all day like this, the camera pretty much working as a point-and-shoot machine. As a beginner, rather than puzzle over what your settings should be for each shot, you can concentrate on more important things – chiefly composition – and let the camera figure out the exposure. Take away the clutch and the gearshift and driving is so much easier, right?

Creative control

The one thing you relinquish when you allow the camera to make exposure setting decisions is creative control. We may go a long way with artificial intelligence, but soulless computers or robots, while able to nail exposure, get perfect focus every time, and maybe even edit the shot afterward, will never be able to make true art.

Two concepts to understand as a beginning photographer are how aperture and shutter speed controls not only the exposure, but also the depth of field and the freezing/blurring of motion. If you have not fully grasped those creative concepts, I encourage you to spend time learning the relationship between aperture and depth of field, as well as the relationship between shutter speed and motion capture.

Working with Program mode will almost always get you a correct exposure, but you will also need to understand when you want to override the suggested settings to get the creative look you seek.

Some examples

Let’s break down how you might work in Program mode for different interpretations of the same subject.

  1. It’s an overcast day, so you set the ISO to 800.
  2. Your camera is in Program mode and it suggests an exposure.
  3. You decide you want a deeper depth of field, so you set the aperture to f/22. (Aperture can typically be changed with one dial and the shutter speed with another. Note that when you change one setting, the other setting automatically changes to maintain proper exposure.)
  4. Your settings are now ISO 800, 1/20s, and f/22. (Note that you’ll need to be on a tripod with a 1/20s shutter speed.)
  5. You focus, then take the shot.
smaller aperture setting

You take a look and decide it might be better to isolate the foreground leaves with a shallow depth of field. Still in Program mode, you roll one of your dials to put the aperture at f/4. Your camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to 1/640th of a second to maintain proper exposure. You take another shot.

larger aperture setting

Easy, huh? The ISO stayed locked in at 800, and as you adjusted the aperture, the shutter speed adjusted itself.

Suppose now you want to see the effect of shutter speed on a moving object. Still in Program mode, you leave the ISO at 800. To freeze the droplets of a fountain, you roll the dial to get a 1/1600th of a second shutter speed. You take the shot.

aperture comparison
Note how the top shot, taken at 1/50s, has more blurred water drops and how the tree is sharper at f/22. The bottom image, taken at 1/1600s, better freezes the water – but at f/4, the depth of field is smaller.

Now, what if you want to get a little motion blur on those drops? Roll the dial to set a slower shutter speed of 1/50th of a second. The aperture automatically adjusts.

Exposure compensation is also possible should you need to make your images a little lighter or darker.

I mentioned earlier that you could lock in your ISO when working with Program mode. Depending on your camera, you might also let the ISO automatically adjust as light conditions change. Try Auto ISO in combination with Program mode and see how it works for you.

Then make the leap

Program mode can help you get good exposures. And if you pay attention to the settings it chooses, you’ll begin to understand the relationship between aperture, depth of field, shutter speed, and motion capture. Program mode can also give you a good jumping-off point to work with a mode such as Aperture Priority.

Say that after making a shot in Program mode, you see the camera chose f/11 as the aperture, and you like the amount of depth of field that resulted. You can then switch over to Aperture Priority mode (Av on Canon, A on Nikon), dial in an f/11 aperture, and start shooting. The camera will stay locked at f/11 while adjusting the shutter speed for various lighting conditions.

The same goes for shutter speed. If your Program mode shot shows a nice amount of motion blur at 1/5th of a second and you want to make subsequent images with that amount of blur, switch to Shutter Priority mode (Tv on Canon, S on Nikon), dial in 1/5th of a second, and shoot away.

The camera will stay locked on the shutter speed you chose and alter the aperture as needed.

aperture/depth of field comparison
In the left photo, the focus is on the tree trunk at the right edge. At f/22, there’s a good amount of depth of field. In Program mode, roll the dial to take the f-stop to f/4 for less depth of field. The camera automatically compensates, putting the shutter speed at 1/160s. The exposure stays identical.

Back to the safe spot

If you play around enough with settings, you may eventually mess things up to where you reach a bad exposure or become totally confused about why things are not working for you. That’s when Program mode comes to the rescue.

Working with Program Mode will very often get the job done and is a good option for the new photographer.
These were some of the first images I made when I got my Canon 10D years ago. Program mode was all I knew, but it got the job done. Don’t think you have to immediately learn to shoot in Manual mode to make nice shots.

Put the camera in Program mode, put the ISO back to a setting appropriate for your lighting situation (ISO 200 might be a good starting point), and it’ll be like hitting the reset button: you’ll be back to letting the camera choose exposure settings.

If you find Auto ISO works well, try that, too. The idea is to have a setup you can always turn to if you get confused (one that you can rely on to make good exposures consistently if needed).

exploring depth of field with leaves in grass
It’s easy to explore the relationship between aperture and depth of field while in Program mode. This series starts at f/4 on the left, before a roll of the dial took the aperture to f/8 (middle), and then to f/22 on the right. The camera did all the exposure calculations. As simple as one, two, three!

Regardless of what mode I choose to shoot in, even Manual, I always put the dial back to Program mode before turning off the camera and putting it back in my bag. Then, if that once-in-a-lifetime shot presents itself and I must grab the camera, quickly power up, and shoot, I can be assured I will get a reasonably well-exposed shot.

I hope you will not take this article to mean you shouldn’t learn to shoot in Aperture Priority mode or Manual mode, because it’s true that a great number of professionals use these settings. But if you are new to photography and are confronted with more information than you can immediately absorb, working in Program mode might just be the helping hand you need.

leaves and beach photos
Working in Program mode will free you to concentrate on composition while letting the camera figure out exposure.

Concentrate first on learning good composition. And make sure your images are well-focused, because blurry shots are impossible to fix in editing.

For now, let your camera help you with exposure until you begin to wrap your head around all there is to know. Even if you are a more experienced photographer, you might occasionally find that turning the mode dial and working in Program mode is the right choice for a given situation.

Mode doesn’t matter

monochrome images
Make a nice shot and no one is going to ask what camera mode you used.

People don’t usually ask what kind of paint, brushes, or canvas Leonardo da Vinci used when he painted the Mona Lisa. And when you make a great shot, no one should care what camera mode you used, what your settings were, or even what camera and lens you used.

Conversely, when your shot is poorly composed, doesn’t have an easily identifiable subject, or just doesn’t speak to the viewer, it doesn’t matter how masterful you might be in Manual mode or if you have the best camera money can buy.

Determine why you want to make a particular photo, find your vision, know what it is you want to communicate, and then use the machine that is your camera to produce that image. If working in Program mode gets you to that result, it’s a perfect choice.

Best wishes for great photos!

What do you think about Program mode? Have you ever used it? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post In Praise of Program Mode: Why Program Mode is Great for Beginners appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.


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When fast-ish is fast enough: in praise of F1.8 lenses

07 Oct

Going back decades, well-heeled amateur and hobbyist photographers have lusted after fast prime lenses. Partly this is just human nature. In the days when most cameras shipped with standard 50mm F1.8 or F2 lenses, it was inevitable that such photographers would long for something a little more exotic. A little faster, more expensive, and more ‘professional’. For photography obsessives that grew up idolizing the famous LIFE magazine shooters of the late 20th Century, it was natural to aspire to own those kinds of lenses, despite their price.

There is still a demand for F1.4 and faster lenses, but that’s not the same thing as saying that there is a need for them

Partly though, the appeal of fast lenses is practical – regardless of your ability level or income. They let in more light, and more light, even today, is always good. In the film days though, you really needed every stop. For a long time, anything above ISO 400 was considered ‘fast’, and shooting so-called ‘high speed’ film involved compromises, in color rendition, grain and contrast. For photographers that needed to work in changing conditions, an F1.4 or even F1.2 lens was valuable insurance against missed opportunities created by a lack of light. Never mind that many of the F1.4 and F1.2 lenses of the film era were pretty soft wide open – a slightly hazy photo is better than no photo at all.

But today, two decades into the ‘Digital Century’, is there still a need for ultra-fast lenses?

One of the ultimate drool-worthy lenses, the Leica Summilux 35mm F1.4 (this example is from the 1970s) is the most compact F1.4 lens that Leica ever made for its M-series rangefinders. Its small size, light weight, and the premium attached to F1.4 means that it has long been a favorite of professionals and wealthy amateurs.

Never mind the fact that at it can’t focus closer than 1 meter, can’t accept normal filters and doesn’t really get sharp until F2.

Fast lenses continue to sell, and technically of course, the F1.4 and F1.2 (and faster) primes of today are far superior to the designs that came before. Standout examples of the current state-of-the-art include Canon’s superb RF 50mm F1.2 and EF 35mm F1.4L II, Sony’s GM 24mm F1.4, and Sigma’s 35mm F1.2 ‘Art’ among many others. Tamron’s new 35mm F1.4 is another stunning lens, and don’t let a Pentax fan catch you suggesting that the FA* 50mm F1.4 SDM AW is anything less than perfect. Technically speaking, all of the lenses I just mentioned are among the best of their type that you can buy.

Canon’s EF 35mm F1.4L II USM is a stunning lens – in fact arguably the best 35mm prime on the market. If you’re a Canon shooter, and you’re one of those people that really needs F1.4, this is the lens to get. But for most of us, it might be overkill.

Clearly, then, and partly for that reason, there is still a demand for F1.4 and faster lenses, but that’s not quite the same thing as saying that most photographers still have a need for them. I suggest that these days, with the modern BSI-CMOS sensors inside most full-frame interchangeable lens cameras, the average full-frame photographer will be fine with F1.8. And might actually be better off.

To explain why I think that, I’ll break down the three traditional arguments in favor of fast lenses:

1: Faster lenses let in more light, and more light is always good.

This is a fact. More light is never a bad thing, and the 2/3 of a stop which demarks an F1.4 lens from an F1.8 lens is not insignificant.*

Consider the practical implications of shooting at F1.4 versus F1.8: First, you’ll be able to shoot at faster (shorter duration) shutter speeds. Assuming a constant ISO sensitivity, an increase in 2/3 of a stop of aperture means the difference between shooting at a shutter speed of 1/25th of a second and shooting at 1/15th.

That’s potentially quite handy if, for example, you’re shooting with a 28mm lens. Without any form of stabilization, you’ll probably be able to hand-hold your shot at 1/25th, but you might struggle at 1/15th. So in marginal light, shooting at F1.4 will give you a little bit more peace of mind.

This portrait of everyone’s favorite dog was shot wide open, on the Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S. Belvedere is sharp, there’s no CA anywhere, and foreground and background are pleasantly blurred. The high performance of the Nikon Z6’s BSI-CMOS sensor means that even at ISO 1,400, noise is barely an issue (and could be reduced even further with a little more NR in Adobe Camera Raw).
ISO 1400 | 1/250 sec | F1.8

The second practical implication is that more light coming in through the lens means that assuming a fixed shutter speed, you can shoot at lower ISO sensitivity settings. Two thirds of a stop is the difference between ISO 640 and ISO 400.

But do you care these days about the difference between shooting at ISO 640 and ISO 400? Or ISO 1,600 and ISO 1,000? Or even 160 and 100? The increased performance of modern sensors at high ISO sensitivity settings means that the days when you really needed to keep your ISO ultra-low for acceptable results are (fortunately) over. As such, when it comes to light gathering, the advantage of an F1.4 lens is less important now than ever before. That’s assuming you’re shooting with one of the new generation of BSI-CMOS sensors, of course, with dual-gain architectures.

2: Faster lenses make for more attractive images

But of course you know all about F-stops, and the reason you’re interested in an F1.4 lens is not for its technical advantages when it comes to pushing your exposure envelope, but for its aesthetic advantages. Specifically, shallower depth of field and blurrier backgrounds at maximum aperture.

This is fair enough – if you consider two lenses of the same focal length, one an F1.4 and one an F1.8, the F1.4 lens will deliver blurrier backgrounds, assuming a constant camera to subject distance. Physics again.

F1.8

F1.4

However, the difference between the appearance of background blur at F1.4 vs. F1.8 isn’t as great as all that. It’s highly dependent on camera to subject distance of course, but in general, I’ll bet that most people, if they saw a photograph shot at either F stop setting in isolation, would be unable to identify the aperture setting you used.

Look at the example above. The image on the left was shot at F1.8, the image on the right was shot at F1.4. The crop is from an area just to the left (her left) of our model’s head.

The two images look different, certainly. But are they that different? Meanwhile, the marginal increase in depth of field at F1.8 over F1.4 may actually be advantageous for some photographic situations – especially portraits like this, where even a slight sharpness difference between your subject’s eyes can be distracting.

3: A faster lens stopped down is sharper than a slower one is wide open

Traditionally, this is true. No lens is technically at its best when shot at its maximum aperture. Stopping down a touch is good practice if you want to achieve better overall sharpness, cut down vignetting, minimize some common aberrations, and you don’t mind losing a tiny bit of background blur in return.

This portrait was shot straight into the sun, on Nikon’s Z7 with a new Z 85mm F1.8 S attached. Wide open, this image is sharp across the frame, contrasty, and while there is some flare in evidence, you really have to go looking for it. This is not the kind of performance that we would traditionally associate with an 85mm F1.8.
ISO 64 | 1/2000 sec | F1.8

Again though, these days, you may find that the difference between an F1.4 lens stopped down to F1.8 and a good F1.8 lens wide open is minimal. Looking at the best of today’s crop of F1.8 primes their performance wide open is extraordinary. When examining images from the Nikon Z 85mm or 50mm F1.8 S or the Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm F1.8 ZA, its obvious that compared to the ‘kit’ primes of the old days, they’re in a different league. Some of this is down to the increased design flexibility that mirrorless technology brings in terms of automatic software corrections, but not all.

At the end of the day, an F1.8 prime that is sharp and contrasty across the frame, which offers pleasant bokeh and lacks significant fringing when shot wide open is – I would argue – a much better value proposition than a more expensive F1.4 or F1.2 lens which needs to be shot at F1.8 or F2 for optimal results.

Disadvantages of ultra-fast lenses

Hopefully I’ve challenged some of the conventionally accepted advantages of faster lenses, but to further bolster my case I want to look at their outright disadvantages.

There are three: size, weight, and cost.

Lenses with a maximum aperture of F1.4 or faster are typically larger, heavier and as I’ve hinted at above, more costly than F1.8 or slower equivalents. The image below, showing Canon’s EF 50mm F1.8 STM next to the RF 50mm F1.2L USM is an extreme example, but nevertheless, if you see a 50mm F1.2 (or F1.4) and a 50mm F1.8 in a particular company’s lineup, you can bet that the F1.8 will be the lighter, smaller and cheaper of the pair.

I don’t want to pick out (or pick on) particular brands here, but Nikon’s Z-mount prime lens range is worth looking at in the context of this discussion because it currently only consists of F1.8 options (pending the arrival of the manual focus 58mm F0.95 Noct, which is a bit of a special case).

Two lenses, both made by Canon, one for DSLRs on the left, and one for mirrorless, on the right. The biggest reason for the size difference between these two is their maximum aperture. The lens on the left is the EF 50mm F1.8 STM, while the lens on the right is the RF 50mm F1.2L USM. The RF lens is one stop brighter than the EF lens. One stop brighter, and a whole lot heftier.

Of Nikon’s three currently available Z-mount lenses, the Z 50mm F1.8 S and Z 85mm F1.8 S are, in my opinion, optically outstanding in almost every way that a photographer should care about. The Z 35mm F1.8 S isn’t quite in the same league when it comes to CA suppression, but it’s still excellent. The combined cost of all three of these lenses is $ 2,250 (not inclusive of tax). That’s only $ 150 more than the MSRP of Canon’s admittedly stunning, but undeniably massive RF 50mm F1.2L, shown above. Meanwhile the combined weight of the three Nikon lenses comes in at only 300g more than the Canon 50mm on its own. And around 800g (about 1.7lb) less than the expected weight of one Nikon Noct, (pictured at the top of this article) if you’re playing that game. We don’t know how much the Noct will cost yet, but let’s assume it will be significantly more than $ 2,250…

If you want a really fast, flagship prime lens, be prepared to pay for it, in more ways than one

Clearly this is an imperfect comparison, drawn only to make a point. But hopefully you do get my point: If you want a really fast, flagship prime lens, be prepared to pay for it, in more ways than one. And ask yourself first – how much do you really need that extra stop or two of light?

Just one more thing…

Speaking of price brings me to a flaw in my argument – or at least to a caveat: The fact that all other things being equal, an F1.8 lens is likely to be cheaper and smaller than an F1.4 or F1.2 equivalent is unsurprising, and in itself proves nothing. What has proved surprising to some of our readers is that fact that the best of today’s crop of F1.8 primes for mirrorless systems are more costly than their D/SLR-era F1.8 equivalents. In fact, in some cases they’re more costly than their F1.4 D/SLR-era equivalents.

Nikon’s Z 85mm f1.8 S, for example, costs almost exactly twice as much as the still-current AF-S 85mm f1.8G. Meanwhile, the AF-S 50mm F1.4G is a fine lens, and still available new for around $ 400 – that’s 2/3 of the cost of the Z 50mm F1.8 S. Sony’s new FE 35mm F1.8 costs $ 750 – that’s more than Sigma’s 35mm F1.4 ‘Art’ – still one of our favorite fast prime lenses, even seven years after its introduction.

Sharp and free of distracting flare even when shot almost wide open, Sony’s new FE 35mm F1.8 is one of the most useful lenses for Sony’s mirrorless interchangeable lens system.
ISO 100 | 1/400 sec | F2.2
Photo by RIshi Sanyal

Why is this so? The reasons are various. There’s the the overall loss of value in the digital photography industry which has seen volume at the low end of the market disappear, driving the prices of high-end products up. The need to recoup some of the R&D costs of developing entirely new mirrorless mounts, the fluctuation in the value of the Japanese Yen over the past decade or so, and other factors.

$ 800 spent now on one of the current crop of state-of-the-art mirrorless lenses buys you more than $ 800 ever has

But let’s not lose sight of a really important fact, independent of all that: The newer lenses mentioned above tend to be superior to equivalents that came before. While $ 800 is clearly a lot more cash than $ 400, $ 800 spent now on one of the current crop of state-of-the-art mirrorless lenses buys you more than $ 800 ever has. As such – especially if you’re a Nikon Z or Sony FE mirrorless shooter – I would argue that it’s time to leave behind the old idea that faster always equals better and take this opportunity to downsize.

Look out for part 2 to this article, if I ever get time to write it – ‘Hey Canon and Sigma, how about some more compact, high-performance F1.8 primes?’

Interested in reading some lens reviews? Click here

* In fact, 2/3EV is the difference between APS-C and full-frame.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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In praise of shooting monochrome landscapes

30 Apr

Taking color out of the equation forces the viewer to focus on shapes and textures

In an age of wide color gamut displays and HDR-everything, DPR regular Nicolas Alexander Otto urges his fellow landscape shooters to embrace shooting in black-and-white. Here are a few reasons why he embraces monochrome for landscape work – and thinks you should too.

Reducing imagery to its essentials, breaking it down to texture and shape, can help render the image more accessible to the eye. In this instance – a shot of the Iceland’s famous Vestrahorn – the patterns in the dunes leading the eye towards the mountain range in the distance are not visually overwritten by the color of the grass in the fore- and mid-ground thus stand out more and suffice to lend the foreground dynamism which might otherwise be not visible enough.

Taking color out of the equation forces the viewer to focus on shapes and textures

In this next example (above) the line work isn’t as important, but the different contrast areas with strong tonal differences are aided by the black and white treatment, enabling the small lighthouse to stand out as a visual anchor and helping to create a focus on the balance between the lighter slopes and dark areas on each side of the cliff.

You can emphasize what’s unique about the subject

I think an abundance of color can indeed sometimes distract from the motif in itself in regards to how it carves out the essence of a landscape. You may get sundown coloring or blue hour at every spot on earth, but a certain shape of rock might be unique to the place you’re shooting. If that’s what you want to capture, you may want to consider shooting black and white in order to prioritize forms over hues.

Pre-visualizing a scene in black and white can help you find better compositions

Pre-visualization is key. This means that photographers have to determine in field what the monochromatic image will look like after processing and decide on site how to compose and shoot accordingly. Subsequently, thinking in black and white may enable us to find better compositions; those which do not need color in the first place.

While I personally enjoy color as much as black and white, I often find myself trying to shut out color while composing, aiming to focus on the abstract rather than the concrete. This helps me to find my way around cluttered foregrounds or difficult light. It’s an approach I find helpful from time to time and would recommend trying, even though it may take some time to get used to (I guess everyone who has the option to use black and white directly in their live view is a lucky camper in this regard). Taking a picture and converting it in camera for a preview might be cumbersome but can be helpful as well.

Black and white promotes detachment from reality

A black and white image is always a departure from our inherent logical view of the world which is secondarily governed by color (primary is light and dark).

This entails certain freedoms such as to depart further from reality, which can be a liberating feeling as a photographer, opening up more creative possibilities. Often times a black and white image can simply ‘get away’ with more dramatic editing and capture technique since it is not regarded as a ‘authentic representation of reality’ as much as a color image.

You can be a bit more aggressive with processing

There’s a perception that editing images, in one way or another, deteriorates the character of the image. Black and white images however don’t seem to be subject to the same amount of critique because they are governed by a different frame of reference.

Take a look at more of Alex’s work and be sure to read our Readers’ Showcase Q&A with him.

Do you regularly shoot monochrome landscapes? Why do you embrace black-and-white? Let us know in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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In Praise of Art: Abandoned Church Colorfully Transformed by Okuda

15 Mar

[ By Steph in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

okuda church

Abandoned and dilapidated not so long ago, a neglected church in Morocco has become a vivid landmark decorated from the ground to the roof with colorful geometric illustrations by the street artist Okuda San Miguel. The project ’11 Mirages to Freedom’ wraps the entire facade of the structure in brilliant rainbow-hued paintings against a sunny yellow backdrop, making symbolic visual use of the architectural elements like the windows.

okuda church 3

okuda church 12

okuda church 8

Rather than just covering the abandoned church with murals, the renowned Spanish artist created an interactive display honoring its past, its structural integrity, the beauty of its lines and shapes. The name of the piece comes from the building’s eleven faces. Bars covering the windows are transformed into bird cages, the windows themselves into hats and crowns.

okuda church 5

okuda church 6

okuda church 7

The murals are in keeping with Okuda’s highly distinctive style, which employs facets of bright colors to render a cornucopia of animals and fantasy creatures. Here, the artist adds traditional Moroccan motifs, paying tribute to the individuality of the building and its setting. The project is part of the British Council’s Street Art Caravane Initiative.

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Check out Okuda’s previous works featured on Weburbanist, including a fleet of colorful freighters and a 100-year-old church in Spain transformed into a skate park.

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Painted Praise: Street Art Honors Asia with Iconic Imagery

18 Jul

[ By Steph in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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Spanish street artist Pejac both praises and criticizes elements of various Asian cultures in a new series of outdoor paintings making use of iconic traditional imagery and symbols. Human figures are represented as mere silhouettes, allowing reproductions of The Great Wave off Kanagawa or three-dimensional elements like bonsai trees to take center stage in each work.

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The works may say just as much about how a foreign artist perceives the culture of cities like Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong as they do about the places themselves. Pejac makes use of some of the most common symbols that outsiders associate with Asian cultures and traditions, like a Chinese dragon beside a heart-shaped scorch mark.

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A piece entitled ‘Seppuki’ in Tokyo depicts what looks like the silhouette of a samurai doubled over as if mortally wounded, impaled by a cherry tree branch instead of a sword. “I couldn’t help but make this sort of tribute as a manner of thank you to the Japanese culture for the inspiration that drove me to create in the first place.”

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A three-dimensional installation of shark fins sticking out of the pavement in Tokyo is a tad harsher in its appraisal, with human bite marks taken from each one. Pejac makes use of “classic anime aesthetics” to calla attention to the environmental impact of shark fin soup, which is popular in Japan.

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Simple black-outlined, white-filled, faux-three-dimensional shapes that render urban happenstance into something with a humorous sense of mathematical order.
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Karen Clark Sheard Praise @ Mt. Hermon AME

06 Nov

AJ Shorter Photography 4 Booking #850 321 5384 www.AJShorter.com Grammy Award Winner Karen Clark Sheard ministering to us with God’s Word thru Song
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