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Posts Tagged ‘Tips’

Tips for Photographing Your Child and Their First Moments

10 Aug

Seeing your little one begin to explore their world with their first solid food, crawl on the floor, or enjoy independent playtime is an amazing experience. But, photographing your child and capturing those moments to cherish forever is even more enjoyable!

While you may not always capture the exact the moment a “first” happens, as little ones can be full of surprises, these tips will help you to capture beautiful storytelling images of those moments to look back on for years to come.

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1. Be prepared

Anticipation of key moments in your child’s life will come naturally as they grow. An important piece of capturing those first moments is being prepared at all times, with a camera nearby. As they say, the best camera is the one you have with you. It doesn’t matter what camera you use, but having it on hand will be paramount to capturing those fleeting firsts.

Oftentimes, I keep my DSLR in my living room, on the mantel, where it’s easily accessible in a moment of activity or at feeding times. It is in the On position ,with ISO settings at the lowest, and the aperture at f/2.8 for a nice shallow depth of field, and one that works with the natural lighting in my living and dining rooms. In addition, my mobile device is always ready in my purse hanging in the living room, or generally nearby in any room I walk into as well.

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When something new happens, you can quickly grab your camera and capture the moment!

2. Get on their level

As adults, we often forget what it is like to live so low to the ground. You might find yourself capturing your child’s firsts from the high perspective of standing upright, or from above.

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While this isn’t a bad perspective, over time your little one will become aware of your paparazzi-like actions and shy away. Try to get down low while playing, with your camera nearby, and capture the moment from their perspective. Often, they are unaware you are photographing them if you’re on their level, as it doesn’t appear as obvious from a distance than when you might be hovering above.

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3. Find your light

If you are planning to take a few photos of your child when you know they might be headed into a first moment, or have done it maybe once before, scope out the scene. Where is the best light coming from? What time of day is best in that room or that location?

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You may want to position a toy, or your child, in a certain way to capture the moment with a better angle of light hitting their face for a smile, or backlight them for more of a story. Practicing often before those first moments, in your home with a camera and light angles, helps you to define the best locations and lighting, as well as camera settings to be prepared.

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4. Try new locations

Firsts come in all shapes and sizes, as well as for years beyond the first 12 months of life. While most firsts just appear without planning, there are many moments you can create, and prepare for ahead of time.

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Eating their first solid food is one you can set-up and plan in advance, as well as capturing their reaction to the first time touching the beautiful plush grass.

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Plan to go to a new location and practice your photo, before you bring your child into the setting. Go to the beach at the best time for lighting, or for your child’s energy level, and prepare to photograph the first moment they set foot or fingers in the sand.

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5. Tell their story

You know your children the best. You have spent countless hours with them, at all times of the day and night, and can read their responses and personalities the best. As a new parent, you have those gut feelings when something new is about to happen.

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When you’re photographing those moments, take time to tell their story. That is the story you’ll want to remember. Their favorite toy, their first moment peeking out the window, or touching the sand or grass. Keep in mind your child’s story, and how you want to tell that story with your images.

In the end, firsts will come and go, but you’ll always have these beautiful storytelling images to share with them as they grow. Being prepared, change your position, lighting, or locations, and remember who your child is at heart, is the key to capturing those amazing moments in your heart and through your lens.

Share your child’s first moments in the comments below. We’d love to see them.

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The post Tips for Photographing Your Child and Their First Moments by Kate Nesi appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Tips for Learning How to See Photographically

09 Aug

Open your eyes: learn to appreciate the wonder that is all around you

The camera is definitely a tool that can be used to capture moments in time, and record memories for posterity. However, the potential is there for so much more than that. If you think of the assembly of plastic, metal, and electronic gadgetry you hold in your hands as a paintbrush, and the world around you as paint, then untold possibilities await.

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Look at ordinary objects in a new way

One way to investigate this idea is to use your camera as an instrument, to turn the ordinary and mundane aspects of life into something unique. For example, when you take your vehicle to the car wash and sit inside while the machines do their work on the vehicle’s exterior, what do you do? Sit and wait patiently? If you’ve got your camera with you, why not turn those few minutes into an opportunity to look through your window and consider the colours, details, and shapes that the lights, water, soap and wax make as they go through their different cycles.

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While there is certainly a whole world of possibilities when considering the abstract, sometimes a scene will present itself that simply stops you in your tracks. The subject and its background are arranged in such a way, that all you have to do is look through the camera’s viewfinder and press the shutter release.

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Slow down and take notice

Of course if you go about your day in a hurried manner, if you’re rushing here and there, so focused on the task at hand that you don’t notice your surroundings, then your chances of appreciating the beauty around you will be dramatically decreased. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of some ideas (and examples) to help guide your photography adventures:

  • Slow down – when you’re rushed, you will be less likely to notice interesting details.
  • Look for juxtapositions, such as the motion of water against the solidity of a rock.
  • Look for lines and shapes – like standing on a railway track, you could photograph the tracks as they converge towards the horizon.
  • Look around in all directions – if you go for a walk on a path, stop every once and a while and look back at what you’ve passed, look down at what you are walking on, or look up to the sky.
  • Photograph ordinary items in non-traditional ways – try and photograph a stream of water falling on an inflated balloon.
  • Photograph the same subject in different light and seasons – if you have a favourite tree, photograph it from the same perspective at different times of the day, or do a seasonal series.
  • Look for things that shouldn’t be there but are – a leaf poking it’s way through the snow in the middle of winter, for example.
  • Use both standalone images, and image sequences to tell a story – ski tracks in the snow leading their way up to a mountain.

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Practice and practice some more

In time, and with much practice, you will most certainly develop your own style and discover what appeals to you. At first, there may be a temptation to make several exposures, which is fine. When you look at the photos later you can use the many different images to compare them with each other. This practical exercise of discovering what you like, and don’t like, is a great way to learn. Try different techniques on the same scene and compare the results later.

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With practice, you’ll be able to consider a scene and learn how it speaks to you, even before you make a single exposure. Then use the knowledge you’ve gained to minimize the number of images you make, until you end up with a photograph you’re ultimately happy with.

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Do you take photos, or make images?

Lastly, consider the words make and take. One suggests theft and aggression (take), the other, contemplation and creation (make). Perhaps it’s only a minor thing, but when talking about your own photography, how do you describe your method? Are you a taker or a maker?

Ultimately, photography is about how you respond to a scene, and with the idea of being an image maker in mind, you’ll be in a better position to creatively express your feelings. Case in point, the following photograph of some snowflakes.

It was a very cold day on the ski hill when I stopped on a trail to consider some snowdrifts on my left. The bright sun was illuminating the snow in a brilliant way, and after half an hour or so, I left with a handful of images. This particular one stands out because of the visible details in the snowflakes. It’s a testimony to the power of something so tiny and delicate, for without it and untold billions of its friends, no ski hill would exist.

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Time to go apply and get shooting

Homework time. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go out and have fun. In the words of a former photography tour leader, go and play. I’d love to see the results!

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Tips and Tricks to Help You Take Better Youth Sports Photos

07 Aug

A favorite photography subject of any parent is their child’s sporting activities. But, sports photography can be challenging for the beginning photographer. It requires a robust understanding of camera settings and how they relate to one another. It can also be hugely rewarding to capture exhilarating moments that will be cherished for years to come.

Here are a few tips and Tricks I’ve learned for getting awesome sports photos.

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1 – Know the Sport

Every sport has the picture perfect moment. You know the one – the horse with its leg tucked just so, or the peak of the handstand. The moments captured on trading cards, or those that appear on the front covers of sporting magazines are good examples.

Chances are that because you’ve sat on the same bleachers week after week, that you know your child’s sport inside-out. A good sports photographer can anticipate the play, and is ready to capture the shot. For sports that are routine based – gymnastics, figure skating, equestrian, and the like – be sure to watch the practice so you’ll know when and where the picture perfect moments will occur, and where you need to position yourself to capture them.

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Capturing the passion of the athlete. The flare from the flash in the background was a happy accident. Exposure info: 85mm, f/6.3, 1/160th, ISO 500.

2 – Be Courteous

Before the game, have a chat with your child’s coach and make sure it’s okay for you to photograph the game – some sporting organizations have special rules for photographers which you’ll need to be aware of beforehand. During the game, be courteous to the other parents who are watching their own children. Please don’t be “that guy”, taking up half the bleachers with mountains of gear, or the one standing at the front, blocking the view of others.

3 – Choose your Lens

Generally speaking, longer lenses are better for sports photography, as the action is occurring some distance from you (and it’s uncool for a parent photographer to be on the field during play). A lens around 200mm is a good place to start. If you’ve just won the lotto, I’m well informed that professional 400mm and 600mm lenses are awesome (they can also be rented if you really want to try them out, and don’t have a winning lotto ticket in your back pocket).

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Exposure info on above images: 200mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/320th of a second.

4 – Get the Camera off Auto

Yes, I know your camera has a sports/action mode. It might even have a cute little picture of someone running. But shooting sports in manual mode (or at least shutter priority) is a perfect way for you to learn how the exposure triangle works. It will also be a lesson in compromise because I can pretty much guarantee that unless you’re shooting in bright sunlight, something will have to give. Do you accept high ISO noise but stop the action, or do you accept some motion blur for less noise?

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Shooting the pause moments. Note the ridiculously high ISO needed for this dimly lit indoor venue. Exposure info: 105mm, f/4, 1/160th, ISO 10,000.

Shutter Speed – Sports shooting is one occasion where the age old adage of “minimum shutter speed = 1/focal length” doesn’t work. In reality, you’ll need to go much faster if you want blur-free images. To stop action at walking speed, try at least 1/250th of a second. For running, you’ll need 1/500th or faster. If these shutter speeds aren’t possible (most likely due to low light), try to anticipate and shoot the posed moments – those times when the athlete pauses for a microsecond (image above). It might be landing a trick, a look before throwing the ball, the moment before throwing a punch.

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Exposure info on above images: 200mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/320th of a second.

Aperture – Shoot with the largest aperture your lens allows. Professional lenses will generally open up to f/2.8. This will have two benefits – you’ll minimize depth of field (throwing the background out of focus and drawing more attention to your subject), plus you’ll be letting more light in (thus allowing a faster shutter speed).

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Exposure info on above images: 200mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/320th of a second.

ISO – You’ll often have to shoot at a high ISO to get enough light, especially if you’re shooting indoors. Trial and error will tell you how high your camera can go while still achieving an acceptable image. If you end up having to shoot at ISO 6400 and end up with a noisy image, just turn it black and white and tell people (in your best British accent), “It’s art, dah’ling!”

Focus mode – Check that your focusing mode is set to Continuous or Servo mode. This will ensure that the camera is constantly recalculating focus as you track a moving subject in your viewfinder. Every camera will handle this slightly differently, so it’s worth thumbing through your camera manual to understand how your particular model works.

5 – Get Down Low

Many beginner photographers make the mistake of shooting from a standing position. For youth sports, this means that they are generally shooting down on the athlete – not a very flattering angle. Instead, try kneeling on the ground for a better perspective.

These two images, taken from different camera angles, show how shooting from a lower angle can make all the difference.

These two images, taken from different camera angles, really show how shooting from a lower angle can make all the difference. Notice you can see more of her face in the image on the right, taken from a lower camera position.

Exposure info on above images: 200mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/320th of a second.

6 – Practice

As with all genres of photography, practice makes perfect. Try different angles or shooting from different positions around the field to see what works best. I guarantee you’ll see improvement as you keep shooting.

7 – Beware the Light Cycle

If your sport is being played in a large indoor venue (or outdoors at night), more than likely it will be lit by cyclic lights (mercury vapor, sodium vapor, fluorescent, etc). These cheap and efficient lights are a sports photographer’s worst nightmare. Unlike natural sources, these lights emit certain frequencies, and completely miss others, resulting in a unique color temperature that is difficult, if not impossible, to properly white balance in camera.

In addition – and completely undetectable to the naked eye – these lights have distinctive cyclic patterns, varying in both light intensity, and color temperature, multiple times per second. Shooting under them can be very much a hit-and-miss affair. Sometimes you’ll catch the light in a blue phase of the cycle; a millisecond later you’ll get magenta. You might get slightly darker, or brighter. Sometimes neighboring lights will be on different cycles, so part of your photograph will be dark and part will be light, each with a different color temperature. (Don’t believe me? Try this test: under a fluorescent light, set your camera to manual with a fast shutter speed like 1/250th, take a series of identical images in rapid succession, then compare the frames. The faster the shutter speed you pick, the more the effect will be visible.)

The lights here cycled yellow.

This image was shot under sodium vapor lights and shows the intense yellow frequencies emitted by this type of light, even with the camera color balanced for the white uniforms. Exposure info: 150mm, f/3.2, 1/320, ISO 5000.

Commercial architecture photographers combat this problem by lowering the shutter speed to allow more than one full cycle of light to be read by the sensor. However as we’ve already discussed, slow speed doesn’t usually work for action sports photography. Worse, many sports in these type of venues (equestrian, figure skating, gymnastics) don’t allow flash for player safety reasons, so you’re stuck using available light.

There is nothing you can really do about cyclic lights, other than to simply take more photos, and pray that you hit the cycle right. For odd colors, you could play with the individual channels in Photoshop, or convert the entire thing to black and white (this will be the only time you’ll ever hear me say “fix it in post-production”).  Regardless, it is something that you should be aware of so you don’t make yourself crazy trying to figure out why you got the results you did.

8 – Have Fun

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Exposure info on above images: 200mm lens, ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/320th of a second.

Youth sports are all about participating and having fun. Photographing them is no different. If your cherub is playing in the sand or picking her nose instead of chasing the ball, capture it! These are the memories you’ll treasure one day (or so they tell me). And remember that it’s okay to put the camera down sometimes and just enjoy the game too.

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19 tips for better live music photography

06 Aug

Tips for better live music photos

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to shooting live music. Depending on the genre of music, the size of the venue, the quality of the house lighting, the rowdiness of the crowd and any photographic regulations imposed by the band or venue, your approach to getting the shot can vary greatly.

It is for all these reasons I find live music photography irresistible; no matter how much you prep, you simply never know what the rock and roll gods will throw at you. And the combination of difficult lighting, fast moving musicians and a mass of people competing for sight lines makes getting the shot all that more sweet. Especially when your shot conveys the pure, unfiltered energy of a live performance.

I’ve been shooting live for about seven years, in both stadiums and basements, dive bars and dance halls (I currently run a site called NWSoundExchange.com, which seeks to visualize Seattle’s DIY music culture), and I’ve picked up on some general tips and principles that help me feel a little more prepared each time I walk into a new venue. Some of these tips come from advice given to me by more seasoned music photographers I’ve bumped into over the years, like Mick Rock, others come from shooting hundreds of shows and learning from my own mistakes.

Of course, these tips alone won’t guarantee you the next cover of Rolling Stone. After all, excelling at live music photography requires on-the-fly thinking and problem solving, creativity, as well a mastery of photographic principles. But hopefully these tips will at the very least inspire you to bring a camera long to the next concert you attend.

By the way, the most important tip of all for shooting rock and roll is this: showing up with your camera to the show is half the battle. If you can make it that far, well, the rest should be pretty easy.

Do your homework

The Screaming Females are a very high-energy band. The lead singer/guitarist Marissa is known for her epic guitar solos. Knowing this going in gave me the foresight to position myself directly in front of her. 

I’m not trying to sound like your mother, but seriously, do your homework before shooting a show! Fifteen minutes spent watching Youtube videos can clue you in to how a band sets up on stage and who in the band you might want to keep your camera pointed at. This way, when you arrive at the venue, you can position yourself perfectly to get the most high-energy images.

Leave the extra gear at home

This image was shot during a very crowded and rowdy show in the basement of a dive bar. Bringing only one camera rig and an extra lens (kept in my pocket) meant I did not have to worry about stashing my bag anywhere and could easily move around within the crowd to make my shots.

Roll light! Being able to move around is crucial for getting good shoots. Also no one likes the guy in the crowd wearing the massive camera backpack.

I used to shoot live music with far too much gear: two bodies, a flash and a few extra lenses. These days I keep it much more simple: a full-frame camera, 35mm F2 lens and a flash. I do occasionally bring a wider or more telephoto lens, depending on where I’m shooting. But at the end of the day, the less I’m worried about switching gear, the more I’m tuned into the music that is happening in front of me.

If you must use a flash, bounce it

Shooting a show under a highway underpass was a unique experience. This was a show where I had no choice but to use a flash. Still, I used it sparingly, waiting for the most decisive of moments to pop a frame.

No matter what, I always go into a concert planning on shooting available light only. Of course this can be wholly impractical if the venue you’re shooting in is literally beneath a highway overpass with no light of any kind. It’s in situations like these that I’ll bring out the on-camera strobe.

Flashes should always be used sparingly in a live music environment. The whole point of a concert is for the crowd to experience and enjoy the music happening in front of them, and constant pops of bright light can detract from that enjoyment. Don’t make the concert about you. Be there to document the experience, not take away from it.

I also bounce my flash off the ceiling whenever possible. This results in the light falling back down on your subjects nicely. If you shoot direct flash, not only will you blind your subjects, but the lighting will look much less natural.

Fast glass is your friend

This images was shot at ISO 12,800 1/500 sec at F2.2 using the Nikon 35mm F2 D lens.

Zooms are great, but they are often not fast enough for shooting live music without flash (which should always be your goal going into a concert). Many photographers show up to concerts with a full-frame camera and a 24-70mm F2.8 lens, which can be fine. But I prefer to use primes with faster apertures. I’m not talking expensive glass, but rather lenses like Canon and Nikon’s 50mm F1.8.

When shooting using only the venue’s lights, my ISO is usually cranked all the way to 12,800 (I shoot with a D750) and my shutter speed hovers around 1/200 – 1/320 sec, the slowest speed I feel comfortable using in such an environment. This gives me little wiggle room for a slow aperture. Thankfully, the Nikon 50mm F1.8 D is pretty sharp by F2 and even better by F2.2. The point is, given the choice, always opt to bring along your fastest glass. Also don’t forget to micro adjust your lenses!

Avoid eye level composition

This image would probably have been a total snooze-fest had it been shot at eye-level.

Shooting images at eye-level is lazy and boring. So get super low, get high up; if you have an articulating screen, put it to use! But whatever you do, avoid eye-level. Your composition will thank you.

Try to shoot in full manual

This one is not set in stone, but generally speaking, you’ll learn more and have a better understanding of light and how you camera works if you shoot in full manual mode. Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority can both be useful in some live music shooting scenarios, but if you’re serious about getting better, keep it on the big ‘M’.

Whenever I walk into a new venue, I always try to guess and dial in the exposure without looking at my camera’s meter (advice given to me by a good friend). The more I do this, the better I’ve gotten at ‘reading a room’s light.’ Try it yourself! You’ll probably find that over time your intuition about exposure will improve.

Know when to use AF-C, AF-S (and know your camera’s AF system)

Focusing and recomposing using AF-S can be a good method to achieve creative compositions, just as long as the subject doesn’t move too much from the time you acquire focus to the time you take the shot. Of course, this image was taken using a manual focus lens. 

Continuous autofocus is generally your best bet for live music photography. It goes without saying that if you’re shooting a moving subject, AF-C makes more sense than AF-S. However, there are times when switching to AF-S can be useful, especially when trying to get creative with a composition.

When shooting live music in a dark environment, even the best cameras will likely struggle with subject tracking, meaning you are left with either using AF-C and keeping your focus point over the subject (which restricts your composition) or focusing and recomposing (if the subject is not changing depth from the camera). The latter is a method best used when the subject is relatively still.

Also, many modern cameras have central AF points with increased sensitivity for low light and low contrast scenarios. Knowing whether or not this is the case with your own cameras is definitely worth investigating.

Photograph the crowd

Live music is about more than just the band on stage.

Don’t forget to turn around and snap some photos of the crowd. An image that conveys the flavor of the environment and the energy of the crowd is a great addition to any set of live music photographs.

I’ve found the best time to turn around and get this shot is toward the end of any high-energy song, but not after. This ensures those in the frame are still sucked into the music, allowing you to go largely unnoticed. The last thing you want is folks staring at the camera like a deer in the headlight. One person blatantly acknowledging the camera can ruin the overall feel of a good crowd shot.

Look for interesting light

We already talked about how you should avoid using a flash whenever possible. Assuming you’ve followed that advice, you’ll largely be at the mercy of the venue lighting, which is not necessarily a bad thing!

Look for interesting beams of light and reflections to incorporate into your image. Using the venue lighting creatively can help you to better convey the mood of the performance. Also, be sure to be patient. One of the advantages of not shooting with a flash is that you can fire as many frames as you like, without bothering anyone. This means you can experiment to your heart’s delight.

In general, the rule of thumb with gelled lighting is this: avoid shooting skin tones lit by red lights as they tend to blow out all detail (unless you’re planning to convert to b/w in post). Wait instead for the lighting to switch to any other hue before taking a shot.

Find the details

A cowboy hat at a punk show?

Most live music imagery revolves around one of two subjects: the band and/or the crowd. Obviously, making photographs of said subjects is what shooting rock and roll photography is all about, but don’t forget to look for interesting or unusual details in and around the venue.

Even the most subtle details, like a pair of bare feet on stage, or a strangely out-of-place man in a cowboy hat, can add a new layer of intrigue to a set of already interesting live music photographs.

Be ready for the action

The last thing you want to do is get caught fumbling with controls when something epic is happening. I’ve certainly been there, missing excellent shots because I was too busy staring at my camera settings. It’s a terrible feeling.

To avoid this, try your best to be very in tuned to what is happening in front of you at all times. Change settings with your eye to the finder and only look at the back of you camera in between sets. Oh, and above all, don’t chimp during a set!

Keep one eye open

Shooting with both eyes open allows you to better predict when something visually interesting might occur.

This one also goes along with the previous point. Practice keeping both eyes open at all times when shooting live music. Better yet, try to keep your non-shooting eye honed in on the drummer. I’ve found that if you’re in tune with the drummer, you can often use their body language to predict when something interesting might happen.

Try the ‘pop and drag’

It can be a bit cliche, but it can also convey a band’s energy really well if executed correctly.

The old ‘pop and drag’ goes a little something like this: Mount a flash on your camera and point it at the ceiling, drop your shutter speed down to somewhere between 1/15 and 1/50 sec, while keeping your ISO reasonably high (it’s OK to stop down a little using this method). The general idea is to ‘pop’ the light from the flash, which bounces off the ceiling and falls back down on the band that you’re photographing while ‘dragging’ your shutter. Because of your slow shutter speed, the flash won’t completely freeze your subjects, causing blurring and glow.

The most important thing to remember when trying the ‘pop and drag’ is to experiment with your settings. Depending on the height of the ceiling and color of the ceiling, your flash output may vary greatly. If you’d like to use this method, I advise getting to the venue early to dial in your settings before anyone arrives.

Back up from the band, use the crowd

This one is pretty simple: While it makes sense to try and shoot a show as close to the band as possible, its also nice to change up your perspective and pull back a little. Moving back will allow you to get more creative with your framing. It also can help to convey the energy of the room better.

It’s OK to underexpose (shoot Raw)

I often underexpose by two stops to get a faster shutter speed, then push in post.

This one is dependent on the camera you are shooting, but Raw files from most modern full-frame cameras can hold up just fine being pushed a stop or two in post (much further if you’re converting to b/w). When you’re shooting in an environment where your settings are maxed out but your images are still too dark despite being at the maximum native ISO, it van be very reassuring knowing you can still push two stops when you get home.

Just make sure you’re shooting Raw.

Use creative aides

Everyone knows star filters are played out, which is why just about no one uses them. All the more reason to pick one up and make photos that look a little different. Just don’t rely on creative aides as a crutch!

Everyone’s a photographer these days, and rock and roll photos are a dime a dozen. So if you’re serious about setting your images apart from others, what do you do? Try experimenting with creative aides, like gels, star filters, prisms etc. to give your shots a slightly different look.

Star filters have not been cool for a very long time, but used selectively, they can be really effective. Take a look through this article, how many star filter photos can you find? More than you realized now that you’re looking for them? The point is, being subtle is important when employing creative aides. Don’t be a one-trick-pony and don’t rely on them too much. But used selectively, they can give some really cool results.

Shoot with heart, edit with brain

This phrase is my religion when it comes to shooting live music.

What exactly does this mean? For me it means, go to the show, have fun, be polite, dance and take photos without overthinking. Let the music envelope you, feel the energy, interact with the crowd, chat with the band, be a part of what’s happening. Doing so will allow you to subconsciously be more connected to the whole situation. Also, don’t be afraid to shoot ‘too much, ‘ (so long as you aren’t using a flash).

I used to be upset with myself when I came home from a show with 1000 images to shuffle through. But as I’ve gotten better at editing, I’ve gotten better at quickly pin-pointing the good stuff from the bad after the fact. And at the end of the day, if you got one killer image from a show, but shot 100 or 10000 images, no one will know but you.

B/W is your friend when editing

This image looked terrible in color. A conversion to black and white saved it.

B/W is the little yellow pill of the music photography world. A quick conversion can turn a noisy, ugly image into something much more attractive. Or, in the case of the image above, in which most of the detail in Dave’s face was blown out due to bad colored lighting, a quick conversion turned an ugly duckling into a tattooed rock and roll swan.

Have fun and be nice to everyone

When shooting a show it is important to remember that you are very unimportant in the grand scheme of the event. Please, please don’t be that photographer ruining everyone’s good time by constantly popping flashes and blocking people’s view of the band.

Live music is a lot of fun. Photography is a lot of fun. When combined, well, you get the point. At the end of the day, don’t take away from that inherent fun. Be polite to everyone in the crowd, ask before you step in front of someone to take a shot and don’t stand in their way too long. Use your flash sparingly. Don’t bring a massive bag and definitely do not wear a bag while shooting in the crowd. Respect gets respect and the golden rule certainly applies to live music photography.

Add your tips below!

Got a solid tip for live music photography? Please share it in the comments below!

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Tips to Help Newbies Find Success in the Photography Business

04 Aug

Many dream about becoming a professional photographer, but unfortunately it can be difficult to last longer than two years in business, if you don’t have the right plan. People fail every day. They question themselves, wonder if their work isn’t as good as they thought it was, then pass along the common belief that it’s impossible to make a living in photography.

Corporate Portrait

Corporate portraiture. Every business needs photography.

You commonly hear that everyone is a photographer these days, but that’s just not true. There are lots of photographers, in the same way that there are many people who enjoy writing – as there should be, because it’s an incredibly fun passion. But there are not as many professional photographers pushing themselves in the right way and making a living, and this is solely due to their marketing ability, not the state of the industry.

If anything, there is more opportunity than there used to be. With the Internet, LinkedIn and social media, everyone needs a good portrait. Companies need their events documented to then be shared. People are spending so much money on weddings. Good photography is more important than it ever has been. What people really mean when they talk about the industry being saturated with photographers, is that the old gatekeepers who once sought out the skilled photographers are gone. Now to succeed you have to figure out how to do it on your own, and to raise above the noise.

Here are some tips to help you find success in your photography business.

1. Create a strong and unique body of work

Gowanus, Brooklyn.

Gowanus, Brooklyn. This photograph sells very well due to its uniqueness.

There is no way around it, if you want to succeed as a photographer, you have to learn how to create strong work. There are no excuses these days. Everything you need to learn is on the Internet. There are videos, courses, ebooks, YouTube, you name it. Map out what you need to learn, particularly where you feel your weaknesses are, and seek out content to address them. Maybe it’s posing, or studio lighting, or printing. Everything’s out there, and it’s not hard to locate. Go to town.

Train your eye. Find 10 photographers whose work you love, and figure out how to do what they do. Study them, go deep into their archives, and then try to recreate the look of their images. Use friends as models, do whatever you need to do. Recreating their look is not copying, it’s learning, and eventually as you continue to improve, you will take elements from all of your favorite photographers, and mesh them into your own style.

Plan creative days. It’s not good enough to say that you will find time within your schedule. Set aside entire creative days, and put them in your calendar. Turn off all other distractions and treat it as a job, because it is a job. Plan what you are going to do ahead of time and execute it. This is where your portfolio will begin, and what you will use to get jobs.

2. Realize that nobody notices you or your work

Polka Dots and Pink Shoes, Subway, 2012.

Another New York print that sells well.

It’s important to understand how people see you, and they don’t. Everyone is being bombarded with imagery everyday from so many sources. Even if you put yourself out there, people aren’t going to notice you. It takes time and persistence, so keep at it.

The reason that you need to understand this, is because you have to grind at first. The beginning is always a grind, particularly as you’re trying to get to an income that can stabilize you for the long term. People may not notice you the first time, or the second, and when they do first notice you, they will probably write you off. It’s common for some people’s first reaction to be negative and dismissive about you, before they even give you a chance. But, the more they see you, the more they will notice you and warm up to you. It takes time, and people appreciate seeing others work hard for it. One try is not enough. Neither is two.

3. Reach out to your community

Every successful photographer that I’ve spoken to has received their first smattering of jobs through word of mouth. Who else is going to hire you right away? Your personal community is so important to your early and ongoing success. Your friends and colleagues know you and trust you. They will give your work more of an eye and a chance right away, and they will recommend you. Be social, surround yourself with a strong community, and your professional life will benefit.

Facebook Event

A job I received through a fellow photographer.

However, these word of mouth referrals are not going to happen on their own. Your community isn’t going to help if they don’t understand what you are doing. Make it official. Create an email list and send out an official announcement about your business. Explain, and show what you do, and make it clear how you can help people. If you are building a portraiture business, explain that you do photography for engagements and families, businesses, law firms, actors, and artists. You know who that covers? Everybody. Suddenly, everyone will have you at the top of their mind. They will understand how you can help them when they are in need of your services. People will not know this unless you tell them.

Start fostering a community of other photographers around you. It can be easy to think of other photographers as competition, but that is so far from the truth. The only one keeping you from getting jobs is yourself, and photographers are the ones that you can bounce ideas off. If you need to gain experience, offer to assist for them whenever they need. This is particularly popular in wedding and commercial businesses, but every photographer can use a hand. This will teach you more than any Internet website or tutorial can. As you get closer, this community of photographers will give you advice in times of need, and will pass you jobs when they are booked. It’s a win-win for everybody involved.

4. Active versus passive marketing

Local Business Photography

The owner of my favorite local restaurant.

Passive marketing is the act of putting yourself out there over and over again, while waiting for the jobs to come to you. This is so important for the long term, but it takes time to come to fruition, and in the short term it does nothing. Instead, take an active approach to your marketing and directly reach out to your potential clients.

If you want to work with local businesses, contact them and introduce yourself and your services. Make an appointment to show them your portfolio, or call them on the phone. If you want to work with restaurants, start with the ones you eat at, and work the town. If you want to do portraits of actors, go to acting schools, and the places where the actors hang out. If you want to sell your prints, seek out interior designers, art consultants, and businesses without art on their walls. Figure out who your clients are, where they are, and then plan out the best way to approach them.

5. Create a business plan

Engagement Photography.

Engagement and family photography can be a great business to start off and gain skills you need.

Creating a business plan is vital to your success. Figure out the income number that you will need to earn in the first year, and create a plan for how to achieve it. How much will your expenses be? How much will you charge, and how many jobs will you need to book to reach your desired income? Who are you marketing to? What are all the ways that you can reach your potential clients, and which have the potential to pay off the best? What promotional material will you need? Do this in a spreadsheet, map it all out, and continue to reference and tweak it as you go.

6. Contact people!

Corporate Portraiture.

Corporate portraiture.

Once your portfolio and website are ready, start contacting the people on your list. Do this consistently, and not all at once, so you don’t burn yourself out. Try a few, see how your pitch went, then refine it. The first few might not go so well, and if that happens, try to figure out what went wrong. If they do not seem to have a strong reaction to your work, then maybe you need to improve or tweak it. As you achieve more success, you can start to contact additional people. This is the grind phase of your career, and it is the only way to succeed.

You will fail more often than not, but be elegant in failure. Someone who rejects you now could be doing it for so many reasons, and could be a great client down the road. Even if they can’t work with you now, make a good impression and don’t give up on them.

7. Follow through

Every step that you did before this is how you got hired for the job. Don’t screw it up. You want your career to snowball, and the only way it will do that is if you impress everyone. Jobs are the quickest way to get more jobs and new referrals. Unfortunately, as some photographers start gaining jobs consistently, they can become cocky or complacent. You know how much work went into gaining these clients, and you want the grind to pay off.

Event Photography.

Event photography.

Respond quickly. Under-promise and over-deliver. Plan out jobs, communicate well with clients in the planning phase, and don’t mess up details. Always keep a smile on your face and look confident, even during the many times when you will be freaking out inside. Make sure to talk to the clients when you have the chance, and get to know them. Send thank you notes, and don’t be afraid to ask for referrals.

Do you see from all of this how a career can take off when you approach it in the right way? It’s not rocket science, but unfortunately it often takes newer photographers much longer to figure all of this out than necessary. It took me a long time. Now you know it, so go do it. Fight the fear, and kick some butt.

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8 creative tips for shooting waterfalls

30 Jul

8 Tips For Shooting Waterfalls

Photographing waterfalls can be a tricky endeavor – especially when shooting in conditions where the light can change drastically depending upon the weather conditions. If you’ve ever struggled to get the waterfall shot you envisioned, you’ve come to the right place. This article will cover everything from basic tips to more advanced techniques to make shooting waterfalls a breeze.

Choose the Right Gear for the Job

The most important piece of gear that you will need beyond a camera and lens is a sturdy tripod. This is an absolute must when shooting longer exposures. Here’s a list of a few more important pieces of gear that will come in handy in the field:

  • Tripod: Any time you’re shooting long exposures a tripod is a must
  • Selection of lenses: I generally try to cover a focal range of 16mm to 300mm to give myself a number of options in the field
  • ND filter: I typically don’t use ND filters as I generally shoot fairly short exposures, but they can come in handy depending upon the lighting conditions and the type of water texture you hope to achieve
  • CPL: I always use a circular polarizer when shooting waterfalls as it can really help give the vegetation more ‘pop’ – the above image is an example of where a CPL can make big difference in terms of how the foliage appears in your photo and it can also help enhance the appearance of wet rocks and reflections in the water
  • Remote Shutter Release: This isn’t a necessity but it certainly can make shooting waterfalls a bit easier
  • Rocket Air Blaster and Lens Cleaning Cloths: Let’s face it; you’re going to get wet. Using these two products, plus a waterproof housing (or zip lock baggies) can help to keep your lens and camera dry while shooting
  • Bag of Rice: You never know when disaster may strike, so I always bring a large bag or canister of rice with me in the event that my camera decides to take a dip  

Shoot in Diffused Light

If you’ve ever tried to shoot a waterfall in direct sunlight then you’ll know how difficult it can be. Shooting with an ND filter can help to resolve some of these issues but shooting in diffused light is the best solution to the problem. When planning a waterfall shooting trip I always take a look at the weather forecast and check sunrise/sunset times before heading out to a location.

In general, I’ve found that shooting during the hours just after sunrise offers the best results as morning light can provide some impressive shooting conditions. The image you see here was shot about 3 hours after sunrise at Metlako Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, OR.

Choose the Shutter Speed

It seems like it was only a few years ago that using extremely slow shutter speeds while shooting waterfalls was all the rage, but lately I find myself using shorter shutter speeds to really capture the texture in the water. The rate at which the water is falling dictates how quick or slow of a shutter speed you will need to use when shooting in lower light conditions. To give you an idea, the above image (Panther Creek Falls, WA) was shot at a shutter speed of 1/4 second to freeze the water and capture some of the texture as it cascaded down the rock face.

Choosing a longer shutter speed will soften up the water a great deal and in some cases that’s just what the scene calls for. It really all comes down to personal taste. Experiment with the shutter speed while you’re out in the field – the more options you have the better!

Save the Foliage

If you’ve ever shot a waterfall on a breezy day you know that it’s nearly impossible to utilize slower shutter speeds while simultaneously ‘freezing’ the foliage in the frame. You almost always see motion blur in the vegetation surrounding the waterfall.

To solve this problem I always take at least two exposures: one for the waterfall at your favorite shutter speed to obtain the right amount of water texture, and an additional exposure taken at a much faster shutter speed to freeze the foliage in place. In the above example I blended two exposures together to get sharp foliage along with the amount of water movement I was trying to achieve with the longer exposure.

Choose Your Composition Carefully

Choosing a strong composition can be challenging when shooting waterfalls. Here are a few of the key guidelines that I follow when shooting images like the one you see above:

  • Find a leading line or an ‘S’ to work with in your composition
  • Let the water flow guide you to the focal point
  • Shoot downstream of the waterfall to add depth
  • Utilize rocks and other elements in the scene to guide your eye to the focal point
  • Don’t be afraid to try out several variations – I always shoot at least 3 or 4 compositions at any given location

Think Outside of the Box

One of my favorite things to do while shooting waterfalls is to think outside of the box in regards to composition. Taking an abstract approach to shooting a waterfall can lead to some really fun results. Use different focal lengths and experiment with tighter compositions that may only show a small portion of the waterfall.

I always try to shoot at least a handful of abstract shots while I’m in the field because let’s face it: it’s just plain fun to get the creative juices flowing!

Adjust Your Exposure

Getting the exposure right can be a tricky business when shooting waterfalls. When using longer shutter speeds it’s very important to constantly meter your exposure to make sure that you aren’t losing detail in the water by clipping your highlights. Check the histogram to make sure that you are staying to the left or dead center in your exposure. As the light changes you will have to do this quite often so definitely keep an eye on it!

Provide a Sense of Scale

Waterfalls come in all shapes and sizes, but it’s often difficult to provide a sense of scale while shooting them. Adding a human element to your photo can really bring a whole new sense of wonder and scale to your image. Special thanks to Max Foster for snapping this photo of me at Spirit Falls, WA.  

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Don’t Delete Your Failed Images – Instead Learn from Your Mistakes with These Tips

28 Jul

I know you’ve done it. It’s okay to admit it. I’ve done it too! We all have! You’ve shot some terrible photographs.

Perhaps you shot the whole time in the wrong white balance, or you didn’t pay attention to shutter speed and everything is blurry. When this happens it’s incredibly disappointing. Frustrated and angry with yourself, you consider the experience a write-off, and delete the images. Then you head for the snack cupboard searching for some kind of solace.

But, everyone makes mistakes when they shoot, even professionals. There are times when we get excited and forget to check our settings, or make sure we are using the right lens for the right moment. It happens.

Image 1

We were canoeing and in my rush to get an image of a small bird I underexposed the shot.

These failures don’t have to be a complete waste though. There’s nothing negative about making mistakes. Willie Nelson once said, “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”

So with that in mind, start looking at every photograph you take, as a step forward. Don’t delete those mistakes right away. You can learn a lot about taking good photographs from the missteps you make. I’ve met some photographers who have created a special file for all of their failures. Then when they have a little bit of time, they peruse through the collection and reflect upon them. This type of exercise can help you grow as a photographer.

There are lots of ways to reflect on your images. Some people make mental notes about their images. Others like to use a written journal format. I know of a few photographers who use the keyword section in Lightroom to make notes. I’ve even seen a detailed scrapbook in which the photographer printed out his failures and scribbled notes beside each. Just be sure to pick a format that works for you. Regularly reflecting on your work is important.

To start you down the path here’s a list of questions that you can use to help you reflect on your images.

Reflection Tips

  • In the first few seconds of viewing the photograph, what was the first emotion you experienced? Why? Now let it go. Detach from the emotion and be critical.
  • Why do you consider this image a failure? Don’t analyze too much just scribble down the first thought that comes to your mind. Try to make this part of the analysis a stream of consciousness.
  • What were your goals or intentions when you shot this image? Why were you unable to meet those goals?
  • If you could turn back time and reshoot the image what would you do differently?
  • Think carefully about the image and come up with one key piece of learning that you can take away from this experience.

Now let’s practice your reflection skills. It’s not easy to analyze your own photographs; it can take some time to perfect. Let’s analyze some of my failures, and some successes.

View each image, and really look at it in a critical sense. You can use the guiding questions from above to help you. After you’ve finished your reflection, scroll down and take a look at my notes, see if you agree with my thoughts. Perhaps you noticed something different then I did.

Image 2

What did you come up with? Keep in mind there’s no right or wrong to this whole process. Some people might argue the image isn’t a failure. I personally, hate it.

Notes about the image

  • I cut off the hockey stick, it’s bad framing.
  • She’s looking down at the puck, there is no eye contact.
  • Loss of impact or connection with the viewer.
  • The edge vignette makes it too dark.

Ways to improve

  • Mark out the ice and give players a guideline for where to stop.
  • Remind players to look at the camera at all times.
  • Remove one complication by having kids skate without the puck (Photoshop the puck into the image in post-processing).

Image 3

Compare the shot above, with the previous image. It was taken in the same arena a few months later. Do you think there’s a difference? The framing is certainly better and he makes eye contact with the camera. Have I improved over the first shot?

Let’s consider another mistake. This image was shot for a magazine article. Can you tell why it’s a fail?

Image 4

Notes about the image

  • Her face is slightly out of focus.
  • The client wanted a unique angle for the shot but the focus is on the ball.
  • The houses behind in the background don’t suggest or support that we are on a soccer field.

Ways to improve

  • Ensure the focus is on the correct part of the scene by using back button focus.
  • Always take the time to set up the scene. Remember that the background is as important as the foreground.
  • Direct the player more to remain in a certain area.

Here’s the image the magazine chose to use for the article. You can see how the background gives this image more context than the previous shot.

Image 5

The more you reflect upon your images, the more you will grow as a photographer. If you find you are stuck in a rut, this kind of activity may just be a way to move forward. Coming back to images after a few days, or weeks, is always a good idea. By separating yourself from the image it will help you to analyze it more carefully.

I’ve posted a few more images here for you to reflect upon below. Once you’ve finished analyzing my work, try it on some of your own shots. Leave some examples in the comments below, and include your reflections.

Image 6

Image 7

Image 8

This is an opportunity to grow and become a stronger photographer. I expect that everyone who shares will be heartened by the fact that they are not the only ones to have taken a bad photograph. If you choose to reply to other people’s posts, please be kind and be constructive. This is all in the name of learning, we are not here to criticize each other.

Keep in mind, even geniuses have some failures!

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison

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Tips for Taking Candid Portraits of People

28 Jul

Get Andrew’s ebook The Candid Portrait at 43% off, now over at Snapndeals, for a limited time only (August 9, 2016 AUS time).

A candid portrait is often defined as one which you take without the subject being aware that you have done so. The idea is to capture a natural moment, that shows the person’s character or something interesting about them.

A candid portrait

Wedding and portrait photographers often strive to capture candid portraits, so do street photographers. It is the latter form of candid portrait photography that I will concentrate on in this article.

I prefer to take candid portraits when I am travelling, it is rare that I do so at home. There is something about the excitement of travelling and seeing a new place with fresh eyes, that makes me want to take photos that capture life in the streets.

The question is, how do you take photos of other people safely when you are travelling, and how do you create evocative images that capture the spirit of that place? Good photos aren’t taken, they are made by the photographer. The following tips will help you create candid portraits.

All the photos in this article were taken while I was traveling, but you’ll find the principles hold true when you are working close to home as well.

1 – Think about your equipment

Part of the craft of photography is selecting the most appropriate tool for the job. There are two approaches you can take here. One is to use a telephoto lens and take photos from distance. You are unlikely to be spotted by your subject, especially if you are quick, but your photos may also have a lack of involvement in the scene as they are taken from some distance away. Having said that, you can use a telephoto lens to create a cinematic look that pulls the background in closer to the subject, or throw it out of focus.

A candid portrait

I took this photo with a 50-150mm Sigma lens. It’s an enormous lens that I no longer own, but it enabled me to take photos like this from a distance, without being noticed.

The second approach is to use a small camera with a small lens, and get in much closer to the action. The idea here is that the small camera gives you the perception that you are less intimidating, than somebody using a large digital SLR and lens setup. You are much more likely to be able to take photos without being noticed, or to be ignored if you are.

A candid portrait

I used a small 35mm lens on a Fujifilm camera to take this photo. The smaller size of this gear lets me get much closer to people than I ever could with the Sigma 50-150mm lens.

The ideal small camera could be a small digital SLR (such as the Canon EOS 100D), a mirrorless camera (such as the Fujifilm X-T1, my personal favorite), a compact camera (like the Ricoh GR II) or a smartphone.

If you are using an interchangeable lens camera, then a prime lens may be a good choice. Primes are usually smaller than zooms, and the wide apertures come in handy in low light.

2 – Slow down and explore

Become an observer of life. Go somewhere interesting and just watch what happens. Every city and town have their own rhythms. The tide of people ebbs and flows as the hours pass by. Where are the most interesting parts of the city? The most picturesque? Where is life lived on the streets?

What are the unique aspects of that city? A photo of somebody taken in front of a shop could be created almost anywhere, but a photo taken with a well known landmark or typical building in the background (such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or the Forbidden City in Beijing) has the potential to be much more evocative.

The key is to relax, take things slowly, and enjoy yourself. A small camera helps because it is easier to carry around all day than a large system.

A candid portrait

This photo could only have been taken in Beijing. The ancient buildings in the background are unique to this city.

3 – Enjoy the process

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. An empty memory card can be as terrifying for a photographer as a blank piece of paper (or empty computer screen) is for a writer.

One way to get started is to take a photo of anything remotely interesting. It doesn’t really matter what it is, but I find that taking the first photo gets my creativity going and puts me in the right frame of mind to start seeing other images. Remember that you are there to enjoy the day, the sights, and the process of exploration and meeting new people, as well as photography.

4 – Don’t be afraid to talk to people

Talk to people, not necessarily only the people that you want to photograph, but anybody, particularly in shops, markets or working in cafes, who may be open to a conversation. You may have to forget about this option if you don’t speak the language. But don’t let that stop you from using non-verbal communication. Smile, and be open and friendly.

Talking to people lets you get to know the area, and the people who live there. Afterwards, you may be able to ask the person you spoke to if you can take a photo of them, or if there is anywhere that is a good place to take photos. Local people often like to make recommendations, especially if they are proud of their city.

If you can’t speak the language don’t let that put you off even rudimentary attempts at communication. Last year in China, I came across a group of men playing a game of Xiangqi (Chinese chess). I stopped to watch, and held up my camera with a questioning look. One of them nodded to say yes, and I took a few photos before saying thank you and moving on. This is my favorite photo from the set.

A candid portrait

5 – Use a wide-angle lens

The beauty of wide-angle lenses is that you can get in close and photograph somebody, without them even being aware that you are doing so. How? Simply place them at the edge of the frame, or on one of the thirds. The camera will point away from them and they may not even be aware that they are being photographed.

As long as you don’t look at them or make eye contact they will think you are photographing whatever is behind them. This works best when there is something interesting there that a tourist would naturally take a photo of.

A candid portrait

I was taking a photo of the church when I noticed the man was about to walk in front of me. The wide-angle focal length (14mm, APS-C camera) meant that he became part of the photo without realizing it.

6 – Find a rich environment

Sometimes all you have to do is find an interesting location, and observe how the local people behave as they pass through. While in Beijing last year, I became fascinated at the different ways that the local people interacted with the city’s historical buildings. All I had to do was wait, observe, and take photos of interesting moments.

A candid portrait

While visiting Prince Gong’s mansion, a historical building in Beijing, I noticed that people like to walk by these Tibetan style prayer wheels. I stayed there for a while and took photos as people passed by. The incongruous message on the woman’s bag adds a little extra to this photo.

7 – Go when the light is beautiful

Beautiful light is key to creating evocative portraits that capture the spirit and atmosphere of a place. You’ll increase your chances of creating beautiful images exponentially by going out when the light is beautiful. That means getting out at the end of the day during the golden hour. There is also lots of potential during dusk, especially with the mix of artificial and natural light that you find in urban environments.

A candid portrait

The orange light cast by tungsten light bulbs adds atmosphere to this photo taken in Xi’an, China.

Can you think of any other tips for taking candid portraits of people in the street? Please let us know in the comments, I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Get Andrew’s ebook The Candid Portrait at 43% off, now over at Snapndeals, for a limited time only (August 9, 2016 AUS time).

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5 Tips for Getting Started with Wildlife Photography for Beginners

26 Jul

There is just something about the natural world that seems to touch us humans to the very core of our being, especially when it involves wildlife of any form. When we hear the words “wildlife photography”, wide open planes of the African Savannah with herds of zebras, wildebeests and antelope come to mind.

But that is just one part of the natural world pie! Don’t get me wrong, visiting Africa and going on safari are really high on my bucket list of places to visit and things to photograph, but I get equally excited when I am hiking in a national park that is frequented by bears, bison, eagles and pronghorn deer. There are several brilliant wildlife photographers out there, and every image they produce has a jaw-dropping reaction from most of their fans and followers. If you spend some time and really study their work, you will notice a consistent method to their approach. There are some simple basic guidelines that budding wildlife photographers can follow to creating their own Kodak moments!

Here are a few things to keep in mind for a safe, productive, and exciting wildlife photography trip.

1 – Research and planning

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I spent three hours of the afternoon exploring the wonderful forest lodge at Jim Corbett National Park in India because the park roads closed in the afternoon hours to allow animals to move about freely in the jungle without the noise created by countless jeep safaris – something that is not mentioned in most guide books.

Traveling itself is one of those tasks that needs an incredible amount of planning and research. So it is no surprise that when you are planning a wildlife photography expedition, you need to add a lot more to the mix. Scope out the best places to photograph animals, the best time of day, travel times to and from, as well as any permits and paperwork needed, well ahead to time to avoid any disappointments once you get to the location.

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Once we were back in the park on our safari, I was able to see this juvenile elephant walk across the path on his way to the deep jungle.

2 – Selecting the right gear

This is a very important part of any photographic expedition and quite possibly an article in itself. Choosing the right gear for your wildlife excursions is key. A lot of factors will determine what lens and cameras you need to carry with you.

Are you primary going to be traveling in a car? If so, you could bring more than one camera, and a long telephoto lens. Are you going hiking/camping, and will you be constantly on the move while looking for animals? If so, then maybe you’ll need to limit yourself to one camera, and a medium telephoto lens to reduce your load. Is there a possibility for you to get up-close and personal with the animals? Then, carry a smaller focal length like an 85mm or 50mm lens.

Are you planning on photographing landscapes too? You may need a wide angle lens if so. Will you have access to your computer frequently? If not, you may need a portable external hard drive to backup your images. How many batteries do you need?

As you can tell, having a plan for where, and what you are looking to photograph, is really critical in determining what gear you pack.

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Driving around in Yellowstone National Park one December morning found me face to face with this coyote (above) – who was simply enjoying his morning run. I was too surprised to remember the appropriate lens choice, camera setting, etc. I just took the snap, and while it may not be technically perfect, it is one of my favorite images. Just look at the trot in his paws.

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On the other hand, a photographic expedition into Yellowstone National Park a few days later gave me a chance to use a 400mm super telephoto lens to capture this moose feeding along the hillside.

3 – Safety

When doing wildlife photography, it is very important to keep safely in mind. It doesn’t matter if you are going on safari, or hiking alone in national parks. Wild animals by nature are unpredictable, and it would behoove us to remember that we are in their space, and we need to be respectful of that.

Rules and guidelines in wilderness areas are there for a reason – your safety and security. Make sure you follow them so that you, or others around you, don’t get hurt or injured. Whenever possible, travel in a group, or at least with one other person. There is security in numbers, and that can work to your advantage.

Seek help from experts who have made the journey before you and listen to their advice. Hiking a nesting area or denning area is never a good idea, for a reason! Take care of your gear. Especially if you are away in remote locations, you don’t want to be careless and risk your gear malfunctioning just when you need it. Dust and dirt are difficult to clean when you are out in the field.

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On a 10 mile alpine hike in Glacier National Park in Montana, USA, the only gear I could comfortably carry was my 24-70mm lens and I was able to snap this picture. Not the closeup I really wanted, but this conveys a message unlike any closeup shot I could have gotten. Bonus points for spotting what everyone was looking at!

4 – Practice and patience

Wildlife photography, like most other genres, needs a lot of practice, and an even greater amount of patience. People spend hours and hours to get the perfect shot – often in less than perfect conditions like the cold, rain, and even overnight in a bind waiting for the sunrise shot. So depending on what you are looking to photograph, be prepared to be patient and wait it out.

Practicing is a little harder to accomplish unless you happen to live close to a national park or wildlife frequented area. A good alternative may be to spend time at the local zoo and try to capture photographs of animals there. A lower cost alternative to testing out your gear as well as playing around with settings.

You could also try this – Guide to Attracting Critters to Your Garden for Backyard Wildlife Photography

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A pond close to my house is a watering hole for many birds during the spring and summer months. I am always out there practicing trying to get a clear shot of these cranes feeding. Perhaps one of these days, lady luck will be on my side!

5 – Enjoy the experience beyond the camera LCD

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely hate experiencing my vacation through the back of my camera. My life is quite busy and hectic with kids, family, and a full time business. Vacations are always a welcome, and much needed break to get away from it all, and time to do the things we all enjoy.

Yes, I absolutely want to capture moments through my camera, but I also want to be physically, and emotionally present with my family. I am just as happy seeing that exotic bird or that elusive wild animal with my own eyes, as I am getting a shot of it – I don’t need to prove it to the world!

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While we were hiking in Glacier National Park in Montana, we saw a wolverine – yes, we truly did! About 10 minutes after this photo was taken, the path turned really narrow with a steep incline, so I did the most sensible thing I could do, and put the camera away. A few minutes after that, we saw a brown patch of fur run along the path! A ranger later confirmed that a wolverine was frequenting the area we had just hiked. Yes, I have no photographs to prove it, but I have the most wonderful memory of seeing one of the rarest (to see) animals in the wild! Wolverines are a shy species, so don’t expect to see one out in the wild. They live in dens made out of snow tunnels, rocks and boulders and can be found in remote forests and tundra.

What are some of the most interesting wild animals you have photographed? Share your experiences in the comments below.

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Tips for Taking More Natural Engagement Portraits

25 Jul

Engagement portrait sessions can be awkward especially for couples who are expected to display their affection publicly and worse, in front of the camera. Often they feel uneasy and don’t know what to do, let alone how to pose. Left to their own devices, especially if they feel they are not naturals in front of the camera, the probability is that they won’t love their photos at the end of the session. They will look back at the session with regret.

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Your job as the photographer is to avoid the above at all costs. Your main goal is for them up be thrilled with their photos, and delighted with the experience.

The benefits of engagement portraits are many. The couple able to practice in front if the camera before their big day, so they can throw off their inhibitions. But also, and more importantly, it builds trust with you, so that on the day if the wedding they won’t even have to think about how to look good in their photos. Instead they can concentrate on being with their guests and family, and enjoy their day.

3 Tips for natural engagement sessions

3 Tips for natural engagement sessions

Here are my top three tips in making your engagement session a breeze for your couples.

#1 Prepare them

Before the session, send them a guide offering tips on what to wear, what to bring, and how to decide on location. Assure them it’s going to be lighthearted and fun, and that it’s totally okay to laugh at themselves and be silly. Assure them that their photos will look natural, and that you have some secret tips for that to happen.

In the guide I give my couple I ask them to wear layers if it’s winter or autumn, then depending on the weather we can take a layer off and have another look. If there is a changing room nearby then they can bring extra outfits.

3 Tips for natural engagement sessions

I encourage them to choose a couple of props that they both love, be that a picnic basket with a bottle of bubbly, balloons, bikes, books, etc. The aim is to make them feel at ease, using things that they already love and which come naturally to them. Some couples can’t easily think of props. I always suggest a bunch of flowers – they’re timeless and will suit any style.

3 Tips for natural engagement sessions

Regarding locations, suggest choosing something meaningful to them. It could he their rendezvous spot when they were dating, where they got engaged, a spot they both have a great fondness for, or where something memorable happened.

Couples also appreciate if you ask them for their preferences to style, colors, and look. It makes them feel listened to and assures them you are open to their ideas.

3 Tips for natural engagement sessions

3 Tips for natural engagement sessions

#2 Direct them

This may seem opposite to the idea of candid shots and natural-looking photos, but let me tell you a secret. After having photographed numerous engagement sessions in eight years, I can tell you that natural shots are often posed. That’s right they are. Your job is to make the final image look natural, and to do whatever it takes to make that look happen.

Couples don’t know where to place their hands, where to put their weight and how to stand, what to do with their arms, where to look, what expressions to have on their faces, etc. Basically, compositions that look good and natural in front if the camera, even if that were to be a photo where they aren’t looking at the camera, and expressions that you elicit and draw out of them.

3 Tips for natural engagement sessions

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When I direct couples I give them 3 rules:

1. Connection – There always has to be a connection between them, be that a physical one where parts of their bodies are touching, or a non physical one such as gazing at each other, laughing at a shared joke, or thinking of a shared memory. Connections matter and show. The authenticity of your image rests on the depth and strength of the connection between the subjects.

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2. Angles – Try to pose them at angles where you always see a bit of their faces instead of the back of their heads, unless your intention is to capture them from behind. Avoid straight lines, unless that again is your intention. I generally ask them to stand in a V position, at an angle instead of square on, with their weight on one leg so everything isn’t too even, or with a little body twist (for women) for some shape. Get men to not put their full hands in their pockets, just the thumbs instead, otherwise they look like cut off limbs up to their wrists.

Look for triangular and irregular compositions rather than straight and square. This adds interesting lines and dynamic to your images compared to a very flat and static look.

3. Laugh instead of talk – Two things to always avoid: taking photos mid-talk and mid-eat. Instead of talking to each other, ask them to laugh at each other’s silliness, and at how awkward they are feeling. That usually gets them laughing naturally. Getting them to think of special memories always puts a smile on their faces. This is not to say all the photos you take must be smiling ones, but this tip works every time. Laughter makes them warm up and shake off their inhibitions. Always a good trick!

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#3 Encourage activity

This is where the props come in. An activity breaks the ice instantly, takes their focus off any awkwardness they may be feeling, creates an experience for them, and sets the scene for a memorable shoot.

Activities include having a picnic, popping a bottle of champagne, going on a bike ride, playing the guitar, reading books, having coffee at a favorite cafe or drinks in a favorite pub, going for a stroll by the sea, horse-riding, browsing flea markets, etc. If they can’t think of an activity, as mentioned above, having a bunch of flowers to hold always help. You can focus on posing them in ways that look natural, and making sure that they connect emotionally with lots of laughter and fun moments, like running and jumping, that don’t require props or any special preparation.

If you have a couple who are up for a shoot under any conditions – that’s awesome. You can capture unique photos in extraordinary weather conditions, like during a blizzard in the photos below, or perhaps freezing raindrops using flash, or in a downpour. The possibilities are endless!

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I hope you find these tips helpful. Do share in the comments below if you have any more tips to add to the list.

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