If you love taking pictures of people in extraordinary social situations, wedding photography might be for you. Being part of such an important event in your clients’ lives is both an honor and a huge responsibility. But before you jump in with both feet, there are some things you should know to make sure that you’re choosing the right profession. Continue Reading
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The question of whether to shoot street and travel photos in black or white or color is an eternal one that isn’t going to go away. But one of the interesting things about digital photography is that it lets you decide whether to process a photo in black and white or color after the photo has been taken. Unlike film photography, there’s no need to commit to one or the other until you open the photo in Lightroom.
But is that a mistake? I think it is because black and white photography and color photography are two different mediums. If you are working in color, then you need to pay attention to the colors in the scene and how to use them to create an interesting composition. But in black and white, you need to pay more attention to textures, contrasts, and shapes in order to create a strong composition.
That’s on top of the task of capturing the expressive moments that the best street and travel photos reveal.
There’s a lot to think about, and as black and white and color photography require different mindsets, it’s a good idea to make the decision about which you are going to shoot before you press the shutter button.
Having said that, it is also helpful to think about the following factors when you are processing photos. It may be that you were working in color, but realize afterward that a particular image would work very well in black and white. The same considerations apply, except that you have more time to think about it.
Many street and travel photographers, street photographers especially, chose to work in black and white. If your aim is to make a candid portrait that captures something of the person’s character or soul, then black and white is an excellent choice. There is something timeless about black and white that helps reveal character.
That’s why I shot the following photo in black and white.
Black and white is a form of simplification. Skilled street photographers learn to create images that are uncluttered and that contain as few distractions as possible. Color can be extremely distracting, and sometimes it’s easier to ignore color completely and work in black and white.
For example, let’s say you make a portrait of somebody on the street, but there is a red poster on a wall behind them. In a color photo, that’s likely to be very distracting. But convert it to black and white and the distraction goes away. The viewer’s attention goes back to the person, where it belongs.
If you are working in an area with lots of potentially distracting colors, working in black and white may be the way to go. For example, this scene in Bolivia was quite colorful, and I felt that black and white removed the distractions of those colors.
Color photos can be tremendously evocative, but so can black and white ones. I think it’s because a black and white image leaves something for the imagination, or perhaps because we associate it with photos taken in the past. So, if you are working somewhere with lots of old buildings, then black and white photos can be a tremendously moody way of capturing the atmosphere of that place.
I chose black and white for this photo, taken in the Argentina, because the stirrup is handmade, and looks ancient, as if it were made many years ago.
Color is very powerful and used wisely it can elevate your images to another level. Yet, if it is not used thoughtfully, it can take away from the impact of your photos.
For example, last year I visited Beijing and noticed that red is a very common color in that city. It denotes power and wealth and has an important part in Chinese culture. I realized that it is possible to create a series of interesting photos with red as the dominant color.
For example, this photo (below), taken in the Forbidden City in Beijing, makes use of the striking contrast between the red walls and the yellow tiles (matched by the boy’s shorts).
Color photos are at their strongest when the light is beautiful. This is usually during the golden hour close to sunset, or early morning just after sunrise. The light at these times is warm and golden, and tremendously evocative. This could be a good time to work in color.
I took this photo close to sunset. The light was soft and its warmth helped lift the scene.
Dusk and early evening are good times to work in color as it gives you the opportunity to work with the natural color contrast between the orange light cast by tungsten light bulbs and the natural blue color of the ambient light.
This photo below was taken in the early evening. The hat and t-shirt of the man in the foreground are colored blue by the ambient light outside, while the rest of the scene is lit by artificial light. I retained the orange color in post-processing to keep the atmosphere.
The process of deciding to shoot in black and white or color involves assessing the scene and the situation, and deciding which one to use, taking into account the reasons listed in this article and your personal preferences. The key is then to commit to the process. Work the subject and do your best to create the most powerful images possible.
If you’re working in color, think about the colors present in the scene and how you can use them effectively. Your mind will engage and start looking more deeply at the colors around you.
If you’re working in black and white, look for interesting textures, tonal contrast, and shapes. Again, once you commit your mind will start looking for compositions that work well in monochrome.
What do you think? Do you prefer to make street and travel photos in black and white or color? Let us know in the comments.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about street and travel photography then please check out my ebook The Candid Portrait.
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Dogs, by their very nature, are excitable creatures. Of course, they like nothing more than being outside and running around, chasing sticks, balls, and other dogs. All this can’t be conducive to prime lens photography, right? You want a good zoom lens for a job like this, surely? Well, not me. I love shooting my pet portrait sessions with my trusty Canon f/1.4 50mm prime, and I’m going to go through what I consider to be the advantages of doing so, and how best to overcome the disadvantages.
We’ll start with the obvious benefit of shooting with a prime lens – speed. The wider maximum aperture allows for faster shutter speeds, which means that you can freeze your sprinting pooch in action and get pin sharp images as they run (below).
These two Weimaraners were sprinting full pace towards me. Fortunately my shutter speed was fast enough to freeze their movements in full flight.
Let’s not forget that the light conditions aren’t always going to be favourable. On dull, overcast, days you’ll be thankful for that extra couple of stops, rather than having to boost the ISO and bring noise into the equation.
Bearing this in mind, it’s also important to remember that as you’re widening your aperture to improve your shutter speed, you’re also narrowing your depth of field, so it’s about striking the right balance for the situation.
Another well-known advantage of shooting with a prime lens is the image quality. Prime lenses are much more simple than zoom lenses in terms of the components that make them, and the mechanisms that operate them. All in all, it’s widely acknowledged that prime lenses consistently offer an extremely high level of image quality.
Sharper images are going to be a positive thing in any situation, but when you’re editing your images and you can zoom in to see all the details in the fur of your subject, and the glint in their eye, then you will really appreciate that image reliability.
This is an interesting one, and certainly an argument that crops up time and time again when talking about the benefits of prime lenses. If you only use zoom lenses, there can often be a level of complacency that sets in, especially if you’re relatively new to photography.
caption: If I’d been using a zoom lens on this shoot there’s a good chance I would have zoomed in for a tighter composition, with the subject in the middle of the shot. With that option unavailable to me I was able to think about it, and ended up giving the subject plenty of room on the right to run into, improving the overall composition of this image.
When you’re using a lens with a fixed focal length, you have no choice other than to move around with your subject. You’ll be constantly looking for different angles and opportunities, and eventually you will find yourself in the perfect position, one that you may never have found yourself in, if you weren’t using a prime lens.
If you want to make the pictures of your dogs stand out, then a really tight depth of field is a great way to go about it. A prime lens will allow you to open your aperture to f/1.4 or wider, and really blur out that background, making your subjects pop.
The real benefit of this when you’re taking pictures of dogs is that, unlike human subjects, most of the time you’re not going to get the opportunity to place your dog in position with the ideal background. When you’re photographing dogs, more often than not you’re going to have to work with what you’ve got, and having the ability to blur out background distractions is a huge advantage.
caption: I was at f/1.4 here, which allowed me to focus on the subjects mouth and nose, while completely throwing everything is the background out of focus.
So you’re out with your dog, and he’s running around at full pace for the best part of an hour. Trying to photograph a subject that is constantly moving around can be very tiring, and when you’re looking at your images and seeing a large percentage that will be unusable, it can be a little discouraging.
Something you need to be prepared for when taking pictures of dogs, is that you’re going to have a higher amount of rejects than usual. Unfortunately, this is the nature of pet photography. However, if you learn to embrace this, then you can get some really rewarding shots. Make sure you set your camera to high speed continuous burst mode, set your focus point over the necessary area on your subject, and fire away. Yes, you’re probably going to throw away 75-80% of them, but the ones you keep are going to be well worth it.
You may find that one of the most daunting aspects of dog photography is knowing where to position yourself. You don’t have the option to zoom in, so where you are physically positioned is vital to getting the shot.
In order to limit the amount of opportunities you miss, you need to think a couple of steps ahead at all times. Where are your subjects likely to run next? If they’re going to head over there, then where will you need to be to get the best shot? Should you try to get higher than your subject, or should you prepare to get low in order to get down to their level? These are all questions that you should always ask yourself.
caption: These two Schnauzers were bundles of fun, but they never stopped moving. I constantly had to guess where they would be next. Often you’ll get it wrong, but sometimes you’ll get it right and nail the shot.
If you’re doing a pet portrait session then you could stand relatively close to the owner, ask them to throw a stick or ball (or pretend to). While the dogs are running away, get into position, and be ready for when they inevitably run back towards you.
Remember, your subject is likely to always be moving, so set your focus mode to AI Servo for Canon cameras, or AF-C for Nikon. These focussing modes are designed to continuously adjust focus on moving subjects to ensure that you have the best chance of nailing each shot.
You don’t always need to get a close crop of your subject to end up with a great image. It’s fantastic when you can see their expressions close-up, or the actions of their body and legs as they run, but sometimes a picture of the dog playing in the distance, with a picturesque backdrop of an open field or wooded area, may be the perfect way to portray the scene.
caption: Not zooming in on this shot allowed me to capture a greater sense of the atmosphere in this winters morning portrait session.
Hopefully this is enough to persuade anyone with an interest in pet photography to give prime lenses a try. You can pick up a nifty fifty prime for the fraction of the price of a decent zoom lens, and you’ll have real fun getting the most out of it. At the very least, you’re guaranteed an excellent workout!
Do you photograph dogs or pets? Have you ever tried using a prime lens? Please share your results, thoughts and comments below.
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The post Pros and Cons of Photographing Dogs with a Prime Lens by Ben Hughes appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Andrew is the author of Mastering Lenses. Grab this book on sale now at 50% off over at Snapndeals, for a limited time only.
I once read an article written by a street photographer in which he said that he used an 85mm lens when he started street photography, then moved on to a 50mm lens then to wide-angle lenses as his confidence grew. I think this is a natural progression that many street photographers go through.
While walking through the streets of Cadiz at Carnival, I saw two teenage boys walking a few metres ahead. They both had SLR cameras fitted with long lenses. One of them behaved in an interesting way. Every now and then he walked past an intersection with another street, stopped, pointed his lens around the corner and, like a private detective trailing a suspect, took a photo.
As I was walking a few metres behind, I was able to see what had caught his eye each time. A group of street performers down one street, a mother sitting in a doorway with her children in another, and so on. Little slices of life in Cadiz.
This is one way to use a telephoto lens for street photography. Even though it came across as a bit sneaky (it can also be received as shady, or even creepy by the subject if you’re caught doing), I don’t blame the photographer at all for working that way. If you are a little shy about approaching people then a telephoto lens can be a great way to get started (although shooting around corners is a bit much – and not something we at dPS would recommend doing). Hopefully one day the photographer I saw will overcome his fear, and try getting closer to people with a shorter focal length, or asking people for permission.
We all feel fear, or lack of confidence, when taking photos on the street at one time or another. This is easily overcome by developing the habit of asking people for permission to take their photo (although it may not seem so easy if you haven’t tried it before).
Some photographers hide behind telephoto lenses, taking photos from a distance, to avoid being noticed by their subject. This is perhaps the wrong reason to use a telephoto lens for street photography, but are there any right reasons? Yes, I believe there are, as are there pros and cons – let’s take a look at a few.This article mentions your favorite hats at super low prices. Choose from same-day delivery, drive-up delivery or order pickup.
This happened to me in Bolivia. The indigenous people often dress in bright, colorful clothing. It’s a wonderful place to be a photographer – except that the local people are shy to have their photos taken (all the photos in this article were taken in Bolivia, using a Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom).
Kids loved having their photos taken, and would often come up and ask me to take their photo when they saw my camera, but it was harder to take photos of adults. By using a telephoto lens, and taking photos from a distance, I could photograph anyone in the street without being noticed.
Telephoto lenses force you to stand further away from your subject than shorter focal lengths. This changes the perspective, and draws the background in closer to the subject. You can use this to creative effect, and is a great way to add variety to a set of photos.
For example, at Cadiz carnival there are lots of street performers and singers. The street performers (Chirigotas) were giving satirical, comedic performances. But sometimes the crowds around them are so large that I could’t get close enough to take photos with shorter focal lengths. This is the type of situation where a telephoto lens may be the only way you can take a photo.
It is easier to frame the subject precisely with a telephoto zoom lens. Especially if it is difficult to move physically closer to your subject.
Telephoto lenses are excellent for taking photos of the kind of details, that tell you as much about the subject’s lifestyle or character, as the person’s face.
The next photo is a good example. I was in a village called Tarabuco which holds a market every Sunday. Local people came from the nearby mountain villages. Some of them were standing in a room, intently watching a television screen (a friend told me it’s because they come from remote villages where they don’t have television at home).
Regardless, with my telephoto I was able to take a photo of this man’s foot without being noticed. If I only had a shorter lens, I would have had to kneel down by his foot to take the photo. Great comedy value perhaps, but not very practical.
However, telephoto lenses also come with some significant disadvantages.
Yes, these lenses are heavy. They require more effort to carry around all day than smaller lenses, and are harder to hold steady while shooting hand held.
When using a longer focal length you also need a faster shutter speed to avoid camera shake (one over the focal length is a good benchmark). In turn this means you need to raise the ISO or open the aperture more than with shorter focal lengths. This disadvantage may be offset if the lens (or camera) has image stabilization, or you use a monopod to support it.
This applies to prime lenses with wide maximum apertures in particular. Something like a 50mm f/1.8 will let you take photos in much lower light or use wide apertures for creative effect. In this sense, they are more versatile than telephoto zooms.
Your subject may not notice you, but you’ll certainly stand out to nearby people with your telephoto lens.
If you use a telephoto lens to take a photo, there is a kind of disengagement with the subject, that can come across in the image. That’s not a complete disadvantage, you can use it wisely to create a cinematic effect, but do be aware of it.
Shorter focal lengths take you in closer to the subject. You are in the scene, participating, rather than outside it, observing.
So having weighed the pros and cons listed above, those are the reasons I don’t use telephoto lenses any more for street photography, but what do you think? What lenses do you use for street photography and why? Please let us know in the comments.
Andrew is the author of Mastering Lenses. Grab this book on sale now at 40% off over at Snapndeals, for a limited time only.
Mastering Lenses
Andrew is the author of Mastering Lenses. Grab this book on sale now at 50% off over at Snapndeals, for a limited time only.
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The post Pros and Cons of a Telephoto Lens for Street Photography? by Andrew S. Gibson appeared first on Digital Photography School.
Has anyone ever said to you, “That’s a nice photo, you must have an expensive camera!”?
According to photography legend Ansel Adams, “The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!”
Your camera is simply a tool, that you use to create your vision of the scene in front of you. A camera can only do what you tell it, so it’s not going to capture that “nice photo” all by itself. But, what if the camera doesn’t perform up to your expectations? Then, it may be time for an upgrade.
Captured at ISO 6400 on a Nikon D750 full frame, this image shows great tonal range with very acceptable noise levels.
I recently made the jump from a cropped-sensor camera to a full frame body (a Nikon D750, used in all the images below). For the purpose of this article I am not going to get into a technical discussion about the differences between a crop sensor (APS-C), and full frame camera (the main one being is that the full frame has a larger sensor, the size of a frame of 35mm film).
But how do you know if, and when, upgrading to a full frame camera is desirable? What follows are some points to consider if you’re on the fence.
This heron in flight was captured at high ISO to achieve the fast shutter speed needed to get a sharp wildlife image.
So, how do you know if you are ready to make the jump to a full frame camera? Ask yourself these questions:
As mentioned above, the cost of buying a full frame camera is significantly more expensive than a crop sensor one, plus new lenses will most likely need to be purchased. There isn’t much use in changing to full frame if you are not going use high quantity lenses designed for full frame cameras. If you plan to make the jump to full frame, you may want to begin by upgrading lenses to those compatible with full frame DSLRs.
Choosing a smaller aperture of f/22 produced enough depth of field to keep both the boys and the waterfalls in focus using a full frame Nikon D750.
Full frames have advantages and disadvantages for different types of photography.
If you are a portrait or landscape shooter, there are many benefits that might convince you to make the switch to full frame.
This scene was captured at 24mm on a full frame Nikon D750. The white line shows how much of this image would be captured on a crop sensor from the same shooting location.
This image was captured at 600mm with a full frame. The white line shows the extra reach advantage that a crop sensor camera would provide. Still, capturing this image in low light conditions with an ISO of 2000 results in a desirable noise level.
Every camera has a limited number of shutter releases, so if your camera is nearing the end of its life cycle, it might be time to consider an upgrade. If your older crop sensor DSLR is limiting your results in low light, and you are constantly frustrated by high levels of noise, you might benefit from an upgrade to full frame.
Keep in mind that it’s convenient to blame a camera for taking poor images, but it may not be the camera holding you back. Many times photographers don’t get the results they expect by underutilizing high-end equipment. No matter what type of camera you shoot with, get to know it, and how all of its features work, before moving on to a different one.
This cityscape was captured with a full frame in low light by increasing the ISO, without adding digital noise.
A full frame camera is probably not the best one to use as a beginner. Start shooting with a more entry level DSLR, and work up to a full frame model. If you are looking for a camera to take photos of family and friends, a crop sensor DSLR is a very satisfactory choice. Having a good handle on the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed and ISO) and how they work together is a must if you’re going to take advantage of all the benefits of full frame. You must be comfortable with shooting in manual mode. If you earn any part of your income from photography, you may benefit from switching to a full frame camera.
A full frame sensor has a larger pixel size, which will capture more light and detail, which results in sharper images that are conducive to making large prints. If you never make any prints larger than 8×10″, then a full frame DSLR may not be of benefit to you.
Captured with full frame Nikon D750, this sunrise image reveals a nice range of tones, without any of the digital noise in the shadows likely to be present with some crop sensor cameras.
You may have heard this quote, “Skill in photography is acquired by practice, not by purchase.”
Do you need a full frame camera to capture great images? No, of course not! Most new crop sensor cameras on the market today are engineered to take beautiful images! But if you are an experienced photographer who makes money with your camera, you may gain an advantage by switching to full frame.
If you are thinking of upgrading from a crop sensor camera, be sure to consider the price, lens compatibility, and type of photography you do, before you make the change to full frame. Jumping to full frame can be quite a leap! But if you are ready for that big step, the results can be rewarding.
Are you ready to go full frame? Please leave your comments below.
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The post Is it Time to go Full Frame? Weight These Pros and Cons Before You Decide by Bruce Wunderlich appeared first on Digital Photography School.
All photographers have room to grow, and we all of commit to honoring that growth in different ways. One way to dedicate yourself to your photography is to commit to doing it daily. It does not matter whether your camera is a phone, a compact camera, or a top-of-the-line DSLR. Daily photography simply means picking up your camera and using it every day.
You could commit to a specific plan or subject, or keep it more open. You might share your daily photographs on a blog or with a 365 project group, or keep them private. The focus is on pushing yourself to use your camera each day and to see where that journey leads you.
Improvement requires effort, and effort requires time and dedication. Daily photography is one avenue for committing the time and dedication necessary to improve your photography. It keeps photography in the forefront of your mind and pushes you to innovate and try new things. Personally, I can only spend so many days staring around my apartment for inspiration before I kick myself into gear and head out to find something new. Committing to daily photography got me off my couch and out into the world, far more often than I would have done otherwise.
Daily photography forces you to expand your repertoire. Perhaps you got hooked on photography while traveling, because you had a child, or you wanted an avenue to express yourself creatively. Daily photography will push you beyond that initial interest and help you explore new avenues and subjects.
You likely cannot travel somewhere new every day, so you may find a new appreciation for the mundane. You may have taken your umpteenth portrait of your kids, so you start seeking out the tiny details of their life, or the unposed moments. You may find the challenge of expressing yourself daily leads you to try new techniques, or a new way of processing your images. Regardless, the day-in and day-out demands of daily photography will push you to expand.
Daily photography can also help you connect to the seasons and the changing rhythms of your days, weeks, and months. You may start to notice how the first signs of autumn are creeping in, and the greens of summer are fading. You may realize how much faster the light is fading, or how much later you can appreciate the sunrise. Daily photography can help center you in this moment of time.
When shared in a community, daily photography is even better. Seek out a group of like-minded (or even unlike-minded for a real push) photographers willing to give and receive feedback. Ask for a challenge, or share a risk you took in your photography. Getting real feedback (not just accolades from your Facebook feed) can lead to real growth. Sharing in a community can also offer a level of encouragement and support to keep you motivated. Read more about daily photography communities in Jumpstart Your Photography: Start a 365 Project.
Make no mistake, daily photography is a huge commitment. You may find yourself up late, haphazardly shooting a frame or two of your shoes, or your snack before falling into bed, simply to have photographed something. You may feel like your creativity is stifled by the daily demand of coming up with something new.
Doing daily photography can also takes its toll on your friendships and relationships. You want to be careful that every trip, every outing, every moment does not become an excuse for a photo tour, or you may find the enthusiasm of your biggest supporters lagging. You do not want your children, spouse, friends, or even pets, to come to dread your camera. Always take into consideration the feelings of others when decided what, and when to photograph.
You may find that you feel constantly behind, between the combined demands of taking photographs daily, organizing and processing those photographs, and sharing or commenting on the images of others. You may find that the “have to” feeling overpowers the love and joy of photography for you, turning a passion into more of a chore. Burning out is no way to build up your enthusiasm.
Personally, I started a 365 project in January of 2011, which I continued for just shy of 1200 days (you can view it here at Archaeofrog). After more than three years of daily photography, I was ready for a break. But, on the other hand, I find myself missing much of the push and creative drive I received from my project.
There are many ways to commit yourself to photography. If a 365 project sounds too intimidating consider a 52 weeks project, with a focus on taking at least one photograph each week instead of every day. Or start a shot list of styles or specific photographs that you want to capture. Make it your mission to work your way through the list when you have the time and inclination.
You could plan a photography weekend or day trip. Set aside some time to visit an interesting location, invite a friend out for a photo shoot, or pencil in that upcoming full moon or meteor shower on your calendar. Find a way to make photography work for you by making time for it.
What works best for you? Are you a daily photographer, or have you ever participated in a 365 project? Share your thoughts about the benefits or downsides in the comments below.
The post Daily Photography Pros and Cons: is it for You? by Katie McEnaney appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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