Category: Photography

3 Minutes with Photographer John Paul Caponigro

Inspiration comes in many forms and fine art photographers can be a great source of inspiration. While fine art photography can often make a new photographer scratch there head wondering what the big deal is, if you take the time to look at the photographers body of work or better yet read articles written by the photographer the work can take on much more meaning. One photographer who is an excellent source of inspiration via his visual work and numerous articles is John Paul Caponigro, an Environmental Fine Art Landscape Photographer, who is today’s guest on “3 Minutes with…”

1. Describe your photography in 100 words or less.
My life’s work is both a call to connection with nature and a call for conscientious creative interaction in our environment during a time of rapid change. My artist’s statements will tell you much more.

2. What gear/software do you use?
Canon 1DS MKIII and 5DMK II and iPhone 4. Lightroom 4 and Photoshop CS6. But that will change soon, won’t it? I list all the equipment I use on my website.

3. What’s one quick tip that you’d give people interested photography?
It’s not about tools and techniques, it’s about vision. Uncover the unique contribution you have to make and pursue developing it as well as you possibly can. It helps to make a personal plan for your creative life. I’ve written a number of articles on this that are available online.

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4. What 3 Photography Sites or Photo blogs do you recommend?
Julianne Kost’s Adobe TV episodes (How To)
Luminous-Landscape.com (Tech)
Pixelatedimage.com (Soul)
TED.com (Inspiration) [bonus]

To view more of John Paul’s photography visit his web site: johnpaulcaponigro.com

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

3 Minutes with Photographer John Paul Caponigro

Digital Photography School

April 24, 2013
How To Photograph Star Trails
Photographing star trails can be challenging but also rewarding. If you’ve never tried it, these tips will help you get started.

Choosing the Place and Time

To make a striking photograph of the stars, there are a few requirements when it comes to choosing the right place and time.
- You must be far away from any city lights since any ambient light will make the stars less visible. If you live in a big city, this could mean traveling some distance. Recently I was in Nevada, about an hour’s drive away from Las Vegas, and I couldn’t believe the amount of light in the sky from the city.
- For the photograph to have a sense of place, you will need something interesting in the foreground. It must be something that doesn’t move like a mountain or a building.
- Plan your star photography adventure for a moonless night. Or at least the moon cannot be above the horizon while you are photographing. Similar to what happens with city lights, the stars are not as visible when the moon brightens the sky.
- It should also be a clear night with no clouds.
Star trails at Cowichan Lake, British Columbia.

Method

The best way to go about making an image of star trails is to take multiple exposures and combine them in post processing.

While it is possible to take one very long exposure, often the heat coming from the sensor will cause hot spots in your final image.

I usually use a 30 second shutter speed and make 60 images.

Gear You Will Need

The most important thing you will need is a tripod to stabilize your camera during the long exposures.

A cable release or intervalometer is extremely handy but not essential.

You can use the 2 second timer on your camera and manually click the shutter continuously for half an hour. It can be done. But, with a cable release you can set your camera to continuous shooting and lock the cable release and your camera will continue to make images until you unlock it.

If you have an intervalometer, you can program it to take a specific number of images of a particular shutter speed. This is the easiest but most expensive way to go about it.

Finally, make sure you have a fully charged battery since the cold night may cause your battery life to be shorter than usual.

Star trails in Guadalupe National Park, Texas.

Taking the shots

Once you are on location and the gear is ready to go, you can set up your composition.

If possible, go one night ahead of time and locate polaris, the north star, in the sky. If you can manage to get polaris in the frame, all the stars will circle around it. If polaris is not in the frame, the stars will appear to travel in a semi-circle. If you can’t go a day ahead of time, use your compass and try to get as much sky in the frame as possible.

I like to set up my composition during the day so I get just the right amount of foreground in the frame and set the focus so that the foreground is sharp. This is much easier to do during the day than it is once it is dark outside.

Remember once you have set the correct focus to turn your auto-focus off so your camera does not attempt to re-focus at night. Also, your image stabilization should be off anytime your camera is on a tripod.

When it’s dark and you are ready to begin, which will probably be a couple of hours after sunset at least, you can do some tests to make sure you are getting good exposures. You will want to use a large aperture (small F stop number) to ensure you have the greatest amount of light entering the camera as possible. If you try to use a smaller aperture, the star trails we be very dim. So, since you need a 30 second shutter speed and a small aperture, such as f/4, proper exposure will be determined by the ISO. Try taking a test shot at ISO1600 and see if you can see the stars in the image. If not, increase the ISO to 3200.

Also, make sure you turn your in-camera noise reduction off because it will require an additional 30 seconds after you make your exposure to do the noise reduction and you will end up with little gaps in your trails.

Star trails at Joshua Tree National Park, California.

Processing the Image

To combine your images, I recommend a free program I have been using called StarStaX which is easy to use and it does a great job. Just point StarStaX to the folder that contains all the exposures, selected “lighten” as the blend mode, and let it go to work.

This can be the most exciting part of the whole experience since you finally get to see what you have created!

Once you have the stacked image, you might find you have some UFO’s in it that look like straight lines crossing your curved star trails. Those can be caused by comets or airplanes. I usually use the healing brush in Photoshop to remove them.

You might have to invest a bit of time in planning, making the exposures, and processing the images, but the final result will be well worth the investment. All you really need is a bit of patience.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

How To Photograph Star Trails

Digital Photography School
April 24, 2013
Beachful by Giuseppe Francavilla

“BEACHFUL” is a project I have been working to for almost two years and applies not only to a simple set of days at the beach but the way in which people of my shares is related to the sea. The beach not only let us strip of some clothes but also of some inhibitions. The beach is a place to socialize, to drown the problems, to re-establish a connection, to overcome shyness . The relationship with the common space becomes different, the barriers fall and distances from the stranger or the unknown are canceled. Understanding the beach as a large theater where people plan their sporting skills to the party, the revelry. But also a place to search for the little ones, intent on discovering what lies beneath the surface of the sea.

It wasn’t therefore difficult to approach people, because people at the beach also lose much of their distrust towards the photographer.

If the inhabitants of the north the beach is pure relaxation, for those in the south (but I think more widely to the south of the world) the beach is a second home, the place where contact with the sun and the sea flows into a single joy, a time light and carefree; a place where the reluctance and bustle of city life finally finds a vent. The happy faces of children or the motorcycle ride to the beach are evidence.

Every shot was taken in Porticello, a little a small fishing village on the outskirts of Palermo, Sicily.

–

I’m an amateur photographer from Palermo, Sicily . I started taking pictures at the age of 15 years using the Polaroid of my older brother. My greatest influences: Newton, Doisneau and Basilico
http://peppefrank.wix.com/giuseppefrancavilla

dslrBlog

April 24, 2013
Coachella 2013

I wrote up a post on shooting Coachella this year on Google+ here.

I published 500 or so of the 1,400 or so photos that I processed from this year here.

Thanks again to JBL Audio for sponsoring me to shoot Coachella this year. If you’re a corporate sponsor of another American Festival and want me to shoot it for you, drop me a line. I’d love to do more of this sort of work.

#coachella #jbltakescoachella #coachella2013

Thomas Hawk Digital Connection

April 23, 2013
Cuba: Traveling Light, Chasing Light

I've just returned from a week in Havana, Cuba. Without an official assignment of any kind I found myself wandering the streets with absolute minimal gear, looking for and studying light.

Consciously paying more attention to light is something I have been working on, and I can't imagine a better place to indulge that effort than in this amazing city.

Read more »
Strobist

April 23, 2013
Baby Sessions on a Shoe String
As photographers (or budding photographers) we may increasingly find ourselves being asked for impromptu photo shoots. This often means having to improvise with borrowed gear and a bit of “shooting from the hip”. As a consequence, when this occurs weare pushed out of our comfort zone and must learn to make the best of it. I’ve often been guilty of the, “If only I had” syndrome when it comes to creating images. It’s situations like these that remind me even the most basic gear along with what can be found around the house is often more than required to get great shots. The last couple months I had two occasions where I was caught without my camera or any of my personal lighting when unplanned photo sessions were requested. Hopefully my quick and easy tips will illustrate that it’s often more about being creative with your resources than it is about how nice your equipment is. As the old adage goes, a craftsman never blames his tools.

Lighting Baby Gianna

My wife and I were staying at a cabin with family when her sister said, “Hey, you’re photographers. Let’s take some cute baby pictures.” Of course in their minds eye they’re picturing those premeditated pics on Pinterest with amazing props and perfect lighting, neither of which I had. Babies are naturally photogenic and the truth is you don’t need that stuff. So when the pressure is on, take a step back and relax. Let’s dig in and talk about a couple quick and easy tips that will get you photos anyone would like with very little preparations.

Think lighting first.

First, find the location that has the most light. The cabin where we were staying was very rustic and pretty dark even with every light on. Natural light was hard to come by. It was chilly so outside shots with a newborn weren’t an option. For us the brightest place was on the island in the kitchen underneath a row of hanging lights. The light was bright but all light coming from a single direction above was a bit to heavy. I found a few desk lamps in the other rooms and set them up on either side to soften the shadows. Note here that it’s critical you don’t mix and match light types. Florescent lights have a greenish hue and incandescent bulbs have a golden one. While you can always increase exposure of an image that is too dark in postproduction, it’s difficult to correct for a babythat is half green and half yellow. It may look ok to your eye because our mind is constantly doing white balance correction so take my word for it that white balancing will be of no use if the lighting is not consistent. This also goes for your flash and is the reason many photographers carry orange and green flash gels in their camera bag. If you need to use the camera flash along with external lighting, try bouncing it off something that will distribute its hue. Cardboard or a wall can do the trick while also decreasing the intensity of such a small light source.

Because it wasn’t my camera I gave myself some time to playwith the setup. In retrospect, there is a lot I would have done differently with the camera settings, but live and learn. Try to remember that the basic balancing act is always the same.
- If you’re not trying to blur the background, keep your aperture as small as lighting will allow for a sharp crisp image. This is particularly important for keeping the detail in the eyes. If you really want to soften things up you can do it in postproduction.
- Eliminate noise by keeping the ISO as low as possible for the given lighting conditions. This is becoming less of an issue on the newest model cameras but low ISO is almost always the goal. The more light you have the lower you can set the ISO.
- Since you most likely won’t have a tripod, make sure the shutter speed isn’t dropping too low, which is more likely to catch some of your hand jitters. Some go by the rule, no lower than 1 over your focal length. (e.g. 1/50)
Before putting the baby down and blasting her with light, I found a huge pinecone and a squash to practice with until I felt like the light was as smooth as I could get– the pinecone didn’t make a peep and the squash held his pose nicely. Be sure to have all the setup ready right after the baby eats and has had a little nap. Their awake time is so short and if you test the lighting beforehand and get all prepared you will be able to maximize your happy baby time for some great shots. In the end, we got a few images we liked, and that’s probably all you need.

Baby Colette and her background

Next up, I was hanging out with my brother recently one Saturday morning when he said, “Hey, I brought my camera. Can we do some quick 6 month baby pics?” His camera was a Micro 4/3rds Panasonic. Fortunately, he was geeky enough to have purchased one of the inexpensive wireless flash transmitters ($ 25), a used flash and a solid prime “pancake” lens. They also had brought a few ideas and some tutus and headbands to the table. Unlike the last baby shoot, we had a room with tons of windows and natural light to work with and the soft king size bed was a nice upgrade from a butchers block island. He also had a Gorillapod for his flash that allowed us to place the remote flash anywhere in the room until we achieved the best balance of light. So with light not such an issue this time it was on to the background.

Everyone looks fresh and happy on white.

Most people, but especially babies, look light and happy on a bright white background. When we did the kitchen shoot, we had to recruit family members to hold up different sides of a white blanket the baby was sitting on to hide the cluttered background of the kitchen. For this shoot, we opted for a better solution. We took a stapler and a nice white sheet and literally just stapled it right to the wall at the head of the bed. A little rudimentary, I know, but it gave the same effect you get with a seamless paper backdrop setup and we didn’t have to hold it. Because fabric has texture and shadows you may not want, a quick fix is to us the de-vignette tool in the editor of your choice. Crank up intensity of it until it just reaches the subject. This mimics that eternal white background you find done with professional seamless paper backdrops.

The next key component was figuring out how to support the baby in a more natural way than just lying flat on a bed. Under the sheet we used a Boppy which is often found in homes with infants or small children. It is an excellent support for babies who need a little help to stay up in the sitting position or to elevate their upper bodies for the belly shots.

Try using a three-person team.

First is, of course, the photographer. They are the most valuable player in the photography team and should direct the actions of others. If this is you, look at poses and angles you like for babies. Notice the way the angle can skew the proportions of the subject. This is especially important for babies. Their proportions are changing all the time as they grow.

Second chair is the baby maneuverer. This person, usually the mother will adjust the baby when they fall or wiggle and need to get back into the desired pose. Keep the parent involved by having them fix falling headbands and falling babies. Don’t be afraid to ask for their input, what angles they like and prod them on what they are hoping for. The third player is the happy outsider. They need to be able to charm that baby into cooing and ahhing over and over again. Any object can be used to capture the attention of a baby and induce a smile. Try rattling some keys or a sock puppet. The entertainer will need to get as close to the camera as possible so the babies expressions and eyes appear directed at the lens. However, make sure you also get shots of them drawing the baby’s focus away from the lens looking off to one side.

In the end, try to use these impromptu photo shoots as learning experiences. They probably aren’t paying customers so don’t let stress ruin a fun shoot. Take note of what didn’t work and move on. If you have any interesting experiences being caught unprepared for a photo-shoot and things did (or did not) work out please share below. Happy shooting.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Baby Sessions on a Shoe String

Digital Photography School
April 23, 2013
3 Tips to Ruin Your Photo with a Watermark

Strange as it may seem: photographers, who should be highly creative persons with fine artistic taste tend to be bloody awful designers. But don’t get me wrong here. I’m not expecting someone to be able to design me an outstanding corporate logo just because he is a great photographer. But the massacre begins even at the level of watermarking their Continue Reading

The post 3 Tips to Ruin Your Photo with a Watermark appeared first on Photodoto.

Photodoto

April 22, 2013
Meet The Photographers Who Write For Digital Photography School ~ Jim Goldstein

You’ve been reading their articles for months or years, have you ever wondered “Who are the photographers who write for dPS”?

Today we meet Jim Goldstein.

1. How long have you been shooting?

I have been behind a camera perfecting the art of photography since the mid-1990′s. I honed my skills in the days of film and have been growing every day since as a photographer, digital and otherwise.

2. Do you have a full time job or are you a full time photographer?

I was a full-time professional outdoor photographer for sometime, but given my knack for social media & marketing I was recently recruited by BorrowLenses.com to help head up their marketing department.

3. If you had to limit yourself to one genre of photography, what would it be and why?

That is much easier said than done, but I would say Outdoor Photography.

4. When did you start writing for dPS and why?

I began writing for Darren the first day he opened his site to authors other than himself in early 2008. I pursued writing for DPS because I’m deeply passionate about sharing with the photography community at large. I strive to share my expertise, ideas and inspire others.

5. What do you shoot with and what’s your favorite lens?

These days I shoot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III when ever I have the opportunity, but always have my trusty Canon 5D Mark II with me as well. My favorite lens at the moment is a Canon EF 50mm f/1.0L lens as it is the newest lens to my collection, but the bulk of my work is shot with a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L lens.

6. What would be your number one tip to any new photographer?

Be persistent. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I was frustrated along my journey as a photographer. Very early on, when I was 15, I stopped because of it. Only after college did I return back to try again and to push my way through the learning process. Ever since I’ve embraced each challenge to push my limits and test my creativity.

7. What’s your next big project?

My next big project is a follow up to my ebook Photographing the 4th Dimension – Time.

8. Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?

People can see my photography and writing on my blog: JMG-Galleries blog, my social media pages Google+, Twitter & Facebook and my ebooks/webinars at InspiredExposure.com.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Meet The Photographers Who Write For Digital Photography School ~ Jim Goldstein

Digital Photography School

April 22, 2013
Learning to See, Final
Make Photographs for Yourself, Critics are Critics for a Reason

Over the past ten installments from the Learning to See series (linked to below), I have hoped to lead the novice photographer through the basic concepts of not only what makes a photograph better, but also introduce some of the theories and principles to why. I have also received comments of appreciation from advanced photographers who also might have learned a new concept, or perhaps provided a refresher from some long forgotten workshop. However, at the end of the day this series was for the beginner and I do hope it has inspired you to make even more pictures, and above all else have fun doing it.

Generally speaking, the lessons presented followed a general flow I have employed for quite a few years whilst instructing novice photographers. You should be able to take these basic concepts of colour, tone and composition and practise these for the remaining time you are able to hold a camera – and I do hope that is forever.

As you gain a better grasp of these concepts you will soon discover why many advanced photographers will suggest rules are made to be broken. I also subscribe to this notion, but also believe we have to learn to walk before we can run. Usually the reason you want to make a picture in the first place will be the reason you should make the picture. Once you have made the image, then it is time to start exploring with your curiosity and creativity by being adventuresome.

Don’t be afraid of failure – there is no such word in the amateur photographer’s dictionary. If you are not pleased with the results of your efforts don’t see those images as disappointments, but as opportunities to learn. What could I have done better … what should I have done? By challenging yourself to always advance and to learn from your results, I will guarantee you a lifelong pursuit of enjoyment from an incredible craft. I have known photographers who have been making pictures for 5, 6 and even 7 decades and the one common constant they all have is an insatiable desire to learn.

This image moves away from the various “rules of composition” we have discussed, yet uses strong diagonal lines as supporting elements, as well as colour contrast. Yes, I placed the leaves in the foreground; but, somehwere today there is a photographer swearing up and down those leaves were there just as he found them!

As a quick recap let’s reconsider some of the primary components and concepts that have been raised over the length of this series.

Subject: First and foremost what is your subject? Something caught your attention and made you focus on a specific object; what was it? Once that subject is identified you should try to avoid surrounding distractions other than incorporatinge those elements as supporting components to enhance the primary subject.

Tonal Range: The subject will most likely be the most colourful or brightest part of the scene. When this is the case look for supporting colours or tones that will naturally enhance the contrast of the subject, and by default elevate the impact of the subject. Think of our lesson on complementary colour and how red works well with green, blue with yellow, and so on around the colour wheel. Disregard the arguments of CMYK colours space at this junction of your photo career – think basic, primary colours and they will hold you in good stead until you are ready to explore colour theory further.

Composition: Once you have located the subject consider where you are going to place the subject in the final frame. Recall our discussion on the Rule of Thirds and identifying the “Point of Impact.” Also remember we can adjust the Rule of Thirds to become the Rule of Fifths, Sevenths, Ninths, or any other odd number we might choose to place the subject at a location to maximize impact. At this juncture don’t be distracted by those who would have us believe we must understand the Fibonacci theorems; just move the subject away from the centre of the viewfinder.

Elements to Support the Composition: Think of diagonals and leading lines such as c-curves and s-curves. As you start making pictures try keeping them simple and uncluttered, allow the leading lines to draw our attention to the subject.

There will be occassions when you simply have to get the image and then attempt to refine it later. This is usually the case with animals. This harp seal pup is not the most active critter on the planet, but the mother most certainly can deliver one fast and nasty bite. This image was made with a Pentax 67 format, with a light reflector held just off frame to the left and rear of the pup.

Conclusion: Challenge yourself with assignments – perhaps one per week. Analyse your results immediately after you make the photo, and then again just before your next self-assignment a week later. By being self-critical of last week’s assignment, the lesson will be fresh in your mind for this week’s assignment and you will more than likely see improved results immediately from week-to-week. Start training your eye to see things intuitively even though you don’t have a camera in your hands. Look at architecture and see how the design of a building affects shadows at different times of day. Study the artworks of the great masters from the different periods and notice how they incorporate all of our discussion points in a single painting. Study the work of photographers whose work you admire, but be careful not to copy. It is alright to emulate, but once you duplicate you are no longer true to yourself. Photography, and art in general, is a universal language; learn to express yourself freely and with confidence.

Most importantly, and if I have been able to drive one extremely important lesson into your creative mind that would be: Always have fun. After all, if you are having fun you are doing it right.

See the Full Learning to See Series
- Learning to See – Part 1
- Learning to See – Part 2
- Learning to See – Part 3
- Learning to See – Part 4
- Learning to See – Part 5
- Learning to See – Part 6
- Learning to See – Part 7
- Learning to See – Part 8
- Learning to See – Part 9
- Learning to See – Part 10
- Learning to See – Final
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Learning to See, Final

Digital Photography School
April 22, 2013
Travel Photography ~ Think Outside The Postcard When Photographing Famous Landmarks

How many of you have found yourselves in front of an iconic landmark and felt discouraged because every possible shot had already been made by thousands of tourists before you? You are on the trip of a lifetime. Your goal is certainly not to bring back pictures that look like the postcards at the souvenir shop.

Photographing a reflection of a famous landmark such as the US Capitol in DC was a good way to avoid the cliché shot that every other tourist snaps daily. Adding the human element adds a sense of scale.

Here are a few tips to ‘think outside the postcard’ when you photograph a famous landmark:

Get the cliché shot out of the way. You won’t feel right unless you do. So go ahead and photograph the Eiffel Tower the way you see it in your head when you close your eyes. Got the shot? Okay, now think of different ways you could photograph it and create your OWN iconic images of the same subject. Frame it with trees, look for its reflection in a window or a puddle, include it with the local architecture, shoot it as a silhouette, etc. The sky is the limit, you just have to train yourself to look for those unconventional frames.

Afraid that you are going to miss other opportunities while you are looking for different ways to see? Practice at home! Every town has its own iconic landmark, even yours. It may not be a grandiose building, but it doesn’t matter. Whether it is the local historic grain elevator, or the statue of a famous local politician, go out with your camera and see it for the first time again. Work your scene and find a creative way to frame it.

Don’t forget to include people in your frame. They add interest, life and movement to your images. They also add a sense of scale which works well when photographing massive buildings.

This simple exercise will change the way you see photographically. The more you practice, the quicker you will spot those interesting shots when you visit a new place. Your pictures will never be boring again!

Practice at home! This historic grain elevator may not be grand but it is one of the landmarks in a small river town near my home.

Think of a different way to photograph a famous landmark by including local architecture in the foreground for example.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Travel Photography ~ Think Outside The Postcard When Photographing Famous Landmarks

Digital Photography School

April 21, 2013