Things To Ponder & Wonder While Learning Photography

I love learning new things (as well as teaching them), and great quotes provide just something new to ponder - Especially ones that are not only true, but if they are scientific in nature (as science, art and photography are related) and if it applies to many fields of study (or life) and it has a bit of humor - That's even better!

Many who have followed the life of Albert Einstein know that, not only was he a genius - He also had a great sense of humor.

As you're struggling thru your latest photography challenge, ponder some of his thoughts, maybe it'll make it easier for you to get thru - Or, at least provide a nice smile.

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tired anything new."

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."

"Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater."

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."

"If "A" equal a success in life; Then, "A equals "X" plus "Y" plus "Z". Work is "X"; "Y" is Play and "Z" is keeping your mouth shut!"

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed."

"You see, wire telegraph is kind of like a very, very long cat - You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand? And radio operates exactly the same way: You send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat."

And last but not least, a sign hanging in Einstein's office at Princeton: "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."

Tony

Learning The Ways Of The Sun & Moon

Well, we finished off our "Sunset under Deception Pass Bridge" workshop with a lot of great photos captured by all that attended. Unfortunately, on the 4th day the clouds did not cooperate so the shots weren't any fun. But, by then so many photographers had heard about our "secret spot", that we had a large party of people just having fun hanging out - and waiting, for a sunset that never showed up.

That's the most important part of our workshops, besides learning more about this fun craft - having fun hanging out with other photographers.

I'm currently at a Starbucks, on my laptop, so I don't have any of my shots with me to show here, but you can quickly go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/masterofmadness  to see them.

While I'm on the subject of sunsets and my previous blog was on the moon, I thought I'd let you in on a very useful website and it's software for predicting the times and locations of each.

It's called  "The Photographer's Ephemeris" It will allow you to choose a date and location to find out exactly when and where the sun & moon will rise and set, along with lots of other Gee Whiz info for use at your next cocktail party. TOO COOL!

Go to  http://stephentrainor.com/tools  and download the FREE software he has. It's an amazing piece of work that he's put together. Make sure you download the proper version for your type of computer, and get the  Adobe Air program too, as you'll need that to make it work.

The software's pretty self explanatory, so I'm not going to go into how to use it here. But, just in case - Read the tutorials to learn more about the sun & moon than you ever thought you needed to know.

OK, enough for today.

Thanks again for playing along,
Tony

More "Gee Whiz" Info For Shooting At Night

Hello,

Well, just had a 2nd night of our "shooting the sun going below Deception Pass Bridge workshop". The weather's been hit-n-miss, but the sunset turned out great and everyone was capturing some great shots. I was busy helping students, so I'm hoping I was able to capture some nice shots too.  I'll go out again tomorrow, weather permitting. I'll get some images up here soon.  Here's a shot I got from before, tonight's sun was more to the left.

While I'm thinking about it - The reason for this post;  When we were hiking back to the cars, we all noticed an almost full moon slowly passing behind the clouds - Another great photo op! Maybe tomorrow.

So, with that came several questions from our group - How to Shoot The Moon - So, here's your next "Gee Whiz" shooting tricks for getting great moon shots - And an upcoming workshop. I'll add those photos samplers later.

There are two things you have to keep in mind when shooting the moon;

First - It's moving!  It can actually move a distance equivalent to its diameter every 2 minutes. What this means is that if you try to go for any exposure longer than a few seconds, it will warp itself out of shape - And, the longer the exposure, the more "wiener like" it's going to become.

Second, if you're going to try and have a great, properly exposed moon with great detail and no stretching, and expect some great detail with proper exposure for your foreground objects too - Forget it! There's just too much exposure range to capture them both.

The moon can be very bright on some nights which will cause your foreground to be underexposed. If you expose for your darker foreground - expect an overly blown out & stretched moon.

Now, if you're using a wide-angle lens and the moon is small in the sky, then movement isn't as much an issue. But if you've zoomed in for a unique "Big Moon" shot - Read on.

The trick, which has been performed since the dawn of film, is to make a double exposure. That is - shoot two exposures - One for the moon and another for the foreground, without moving the camera. In the 'old days', you would shoot the 2nd image without advancing the film. Actually, it was more work than that, but that was just how those film days were - Do you still miss them? Today, we can take a couple shots of each element, setting the exposure as needed in each frame, then simply combine them in Photoshop. This provides the added benefit of a lot more control over the final image, with no wasted film and developing fees.

Ah, another digital bonus - Since you've got great moon shots, save them to drop into other photos too! But you didn't hear that here.

Exposures for the foreground should be pretty straight forward (if not, stay tuned to this blog or our Alternative Focus blog www.alternativefocus.blogspot.com for more classes or email me with questions) so go ahead and capture a couple of images, paying attention to you composition skills, then move on to your moon shots.

Now, the trick for getting a great exposure on the moon surrounded by black sky - Start with an exposure of around 1/250 second at f8 and ISO 100 for a full moon, focused on infinity. Jog to about 1/125 or 1/60 for a crescent moon. Now of course, there's going to be a bit of leeway here, depending upon other conditions, but this will get you very close.

There, you now have enough of the basic tricks for great moon shooting. Now go out and practice, study how they came out, learn what worked and more important, what didn't work, and practice again.

We've received many requests, so now we're also putting together more night & low-light photography classes, as well as some star-trail shooting.

Stay tuned to this blog and more importantly our Alternative Focus blog (www.alternativefocus.blogspot.com) for upcoming classes.  You'll also find more info & links there to our Facebook, Twitter and everything else photography in the great San Juan Islands & Skagit Valley.

Thanks,
Tony

OK, OK - HERE'S A BIT OF "GEE WHIZ" INFO

As I prepare for tonight's sunset during equinox workshop, I've got a couple of odd facts for you.

First, the reason for this class on this date - The infamous Deception Pass Bridge, connecting Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island, which literally has thousand of photos taken of it every year - with good reason - It's a great bridge to photograph.

But, only twice a year can you catch the sun setting directly below the arch of the main span of the bridge! This weekend is one of those times!

So get out there - Oh yeah, you don't know the secret spot to hike to. That spot which allows you to see the sun setting right where you'd like it.

Well, if you haven't already signed up for our workshop, you can either wait till spring for it, and our workshop to happen again, or shoot me an email and I'll describe how to get there.

Now for the odd facts -

Once the sun touches the horizon, it takes only 2 minutes for it to disappear! Don't believe me? Go watch a sunset and time it. Actually go watch a lot of them, they're all different.

2nd odd fact; While you're out there looking at the horizon, put your fingers up and hold them so that you're looking at about an inch of the horizon between them - that is equal to about 38 miles of horizon. Of course, your milage will vary - depending on your horizon. But it's still fun to think about.

OK, talk to you later,
Tony

Hey - I'm Back!

Hello fellow photographers.

I know, I know, I've been very bad about getting new posts/lessons/ideas out to you lately - Again. I'm sorry, I've just been a busy space cadet, preoccupied with a lot on my mind these last couple weeks/months.

We've also been busy trying to figure out what to do with That Photo Shoppe while looking for at least part-time work. Since the job market is pretty much non-existent, and we're much more comfortable being self-employed, we're working on creating our own jobs.

But, since I've got time on my hands now, I've made a commitment (been told to actually) to getting active again, especially after a bunch of new ideas have come up.  The latest being combining the fun of photography with my desire/dreaming of boating.  I'm just now starting to put together some concepts and adding some ideas for this blog.

The workshops have still be doing OK though. Some have been smaller than normal while others have sold-out, and everyone has a good time. We're in the middle of putting together even more. 

Keep in touch to learn about those.

Here's our workshop site: http://www.alternativefocus.blogspot.com/
Our store's site: www.thatphotoshoppe.com
My Flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/masterofmadness/

Have any questions/ideas - or - if you're a boater looking for a crew member with a camera - Let me know.

Thanks, I'll be back,
Tony

Long Time No Post & That Photo Shoppe is Closing

Hello to the handful of people that have actually found me and read my stuff - When I get around to posting something.

It's been a busy & crazy spring, I've got plenty of stories started, just haven't have a chance to finish and post them. I'll get back to that soon.

But the big & Sad news of the day is the closing of That Photo Shoppe, our photography store in Anacortes, WA.

Times were pretty slow this past year, which had us moving to this current location last summer to lower our operating costs, which helped, but at the same time, the old saying "location, location, location" - or lack of, has actually made things worse. Even though we're only a 1 1/2 blocks from our old store, so many customers thought we were gone and never found us. While, at the same time we started picking up new customers, especially ones needing photo restoration and printing services, but alas, it's still not been enough to make this 'location challenged" store work as we'd like. There's just not enough foot traffic for new customers to find us and a neighbor has some large dumpsters that hide the view of us from the main street, even though we're only a 1/2 block back.

But even with all that, the momentum has started to return and our workshops have been very successful.

But then came a new challenge. We've been on a month to month lease for 10 months, and the rent's reasonable for the space we're in, but the landlord (who's actually been very good to us) is planning an extended trip to Greece and would like to have us sign a 1-year lease before he leaves. We're  not willing, able or wanting to commit to this space for that amount of time. Sorry.

We're in the middle of looking a several other retail spaces, but as of today, time has run out. So, the hard decision to "temporarily close down" until better options come along was made.

We're still in the process of buying out QuickSilver Photo Lab in Bellingham too, which is not complete nor set in stone either - Adding to the frustration, as one decision about how to deal with the store hinges on the other decisions about the other store! Make sense? Got any ideas?

So, that's the news that's news today.

Stay tuned.  For those of you who (whom?) know us, or would like to contact us, all the web-sites, phone numbers and emails for That Photo Shoppe and Alternative Focus (our workshops company) will remain active during this "time of change".

Also, Email me at tlockemm@gmail.com if you've got any questions or ideas, not only for either one of our stores, our workshops or this blog.

Thanks again,
Tony D. Locke, MM

5.8 Of Tony’s Collection of Photography Tips and Tricks

It’s that crazy time of year again, trying to start off a new year (hopefully with new toys from that jolly Santa dude) and figuring out which, if any, resolutions to make or even keep.

But in between tearing down and disposing of the tree and all it’s trimmings (you did recycle your tree didn’t you?), cleaning up after the long holiday weekends and getting back to work - Don’t forget to take time for, what is among my favorite hobbies, and should be yours too - Photography.

As I study more photography related things and talking with those learning this fun hobby, I keep coming across a handful of important basic tips & tricks that every photographer that’s been at it awhile should already know, but may have forgotten, and those that are just starting out should learn now.

So, as my mind starts to wander off for awhile, I’ll start thinking to myself, “...These basic ‘tricks’, this is what people just beginning REALLY need to know. I haven’t posted anything new for awhile, so I should put some of these ideas/tips onto my blog today…”

Then, shortly after that, as usual, my mind started to wander off somewhere else again. It’s a curse I tell ya. One of many that I live with.

Hence, only 5.8 tips for today. But I’ll get to the others soon.

So, if you unwrapped a shiny new digital camera, and started wondering “what now” - Read on.

While these tips apply to “point-n-shoot/happy-snappy” cameras, if you’ve got a shiny new DSLR, you can play along too.

THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TRICK OF ALL TIME -

FOR ONE OF THE MOST FRUSTRATING CAMERA ISSUES OF ALL TIME -

SHUTTER LAG

Tip #2; Think Like A Pro; Work the “Magic Hour” - Dinner and/or breakfast can wait.

Hey, if you want those great shots you see the pros make, you’ll soon realize, you may lose a lot of sleep. If you drool over those award-winning, breathtaking landscapes, be it a mirrored lake with shimmering colors in the woods or golden clouds painted across the sky... just remember, someone got up long before the rooster crows to be ready and in place with their tripod as that sun rose. If you’re like me, not one for getting up early, you’ll miss out on a lot of beautiful sunrises.

There’s an hour during sunrise, and then another hour while the sun sets, that are known as the “Magic Hour”. This lower angle of the sun, shining thru a larger, denser portion of the atmosphere creates those rich, saturated tones, plus something photographers call “Golden Light”. It’s an amazing how this golden glow makes everything (and everybody) look beautiful. Normally dull and metallic-gray grain silos, as well as glass high-rise buildings look enchanted and every mountain and valley look breathtaking.

It’s a complete opposite once it becomes midday sun. Once the sun gets up high in the sky, and if there are no clouds, it creates much harsher shadows and more severe, blown-out highlights that your camera can’t deal with. Besides, your photos won’t be quite as exciting either. Landscape shooting can be a terrible experience unless just the right amount - and type, of clouds are helping diffuse that bright light.

That’s what many photographers call “Siesta Time”. You’ll either need to take a nap (since you were up so early), find some interesting shaded areas, or move inside for awhile, anticipating the coming sunset.

Now, sunsets seem to have a different color range to them. Some say it’s because in the morning, the dust (and smog if you’re in the city) haven’t had a chance to get stirred up yet, which creates more ‘stuff’ in the air for the sun to shine thru at night. I’ve also found that the clouds are generally different at the end of the day too - Or, it could just be me. As I said, I’m not a morning person, so I haven’t compiled a whole lot of data on this. I also live on an island that has the mountains of the mainland to the East and an ocean to the West, which in itself will create different looks during the “Magic Hour”.

Tip #2.6; One other tip that helps earn it’s extra 0.6th of a point. Don’t only look at the sunrise/sunset direction - Turn Around! You’ll find amazing things being lit up in all those hues too. I’ve had numerous occasions that the sunset was kind of boring, but turned around and was awarded with a fantastic light show across snow capped mountains, forests or bridges to photograph. And, just because the sun has dipped below the horizon, don’t pack up and leave yet - Many times, there’s lots more to see still to come. Let everyone else pack-up & go, you’ll have the best for yourself.

Tip #3; For that cool, professionally blurred-background look - Shuffle yourself back a bit more - OK, now zoom back in until you’ve got your original composition.

In photo-geek terms, what you’re creating is a limited depth of field.

What you’re doing as a photographer, is deciding - Which part of the scene, front-to-back, is in focus. Subject Yes; background trees/buildings/fences, etc., No.

This professional looking effect is easy to get if you have a DSLR, as you have different lens options and full aperture control, allowing you to set-up a wide aperture (a low f-stop number like f4) to accentuate the effect, while only a handful of point-n-shoots allow it.

So, on a pocket cam, choose the Portrait mode pre-set. Now, have your subject move away from the background - the farther, the better. OK, now stop them there and say ‘stay’. Now it’s time to use the ‘ole “walk-backwards-and-zoom-back-in trick”. Here’s how - Standing further away from your subjects (the farther, the better), and then using the camera’s zoom to “bring you” back up close - This creates this “shallow depth of field, background out of focus” trick.

It’s all because of some weird optics quirk, that, even if I understood it myself, I wouldn’t be able to describe here. It’s all magic I tell you, so you’ll just have to trust me on this one and give it a go. Now, also beware that when you’re looking thru your view-finder or the LCD screen on the back; you won’t see the effect yet. It’s not until you take the picture that you’ll see it. So, practice, review, practice, review & practice again - pixels are free. You don’t have to worry about how much film you’re wasting. Get out and play.

Don’t worry about the strange looks you may get, backing way up, and all that. Strange looks are just part of being a photographer, you’ll get caught doing plenty of other odd things in an attempt to get that great photo. Me, as a landscape photographer, which likes the “low-level” look, I spend a lot of time lying on the ground with knee-pads. Imagine the looks and ribbing I get.

Tip #4. Blast that flash outdoors.

I know, I know, many of you think of your flash for only use inside at parties. It’s probably never occurred to you that you can also use the flash when you’re taking pictures of people outside on a bright, sunny day too. It wouldn’t occur to the little guy inside your camera either. So you’re going to have to trick him a bit.

Here’s how it works, the camera’s little guy inside, you know, the one that figures out everything need for a perfect photo (and creates that shutter lag) “measures” the scene in front of the lens and goes “Whoa, there’s tons of sunlight” and won’t use the flash. But, he’s not smart enough (except on some of the newer, whiz-bang “face recognition” models and DSLR’s with different meter modes) to realize that the face you’re photographing is in the shadow. You’re just going to wind up with a dark, silhouetted person now.

Here’s the secret, that’s a very common photographer’s trick. Force the flash on. Your flash can now provide just the right amount of “fill light” to your subject’s face - without changing the exposure of the background.

This neat trick will not only eliminate silhouettes, it also provides a very flattering light, which softens smile lines and wrinkles, while putting a nice little twinkle in the their eyes.

Tip #4.2; Though, if a silhouetted person looking into a sunset is what you’re looking for, then please disregard Tip #4, as those can be great compositions too.

Tip #5 Buy some elbow macaroni - Leave your tripod at home.

A problem with every camera is that “getting blur from camera motion” syndrome. We all know - “Use a tripod.”

But, if you didn’t feel like dragging it thru multiple airports while on vacation, try this - We all know the trick about using a wall, parked car, tree, pillar, door frame, or any other stationary object, but the problem that often comes up is - They’re never angled that direction you need to point your camera.

But here’s a great trick: Either bring a bean-bag or once you get to your destination, buy a bag of elbow macaroni and use it as a bean-bag. I even know of some travelers that will bring a little, empty bean-bag ‘pillow case’ that packs flat. Then they’ll either buy some beans when they get where they’re going, or slide the bag of beans or macaroni inside. It looks nicer that way and you don’t have to worry about it breaking and spilling.

Set your new, high-tech camera holder on whatever solid object you have handy, set you camera on top, tilt and aim as needed and fire away - Well, actually, when you push the shutter with your camera on this “bean-bag”, you may still cause motion. So, you’ll get better results if you use the built in “shutter-timer”. Set it to the 10-sec (or 2-sec if you’ve got it) option, aim, press the button (run over to join your friends) then in 10-sec, without you disturbing the movement of the camera, your camera will take a perfect, blur-free image.

People might think, seeing you with your macaroni, you’re a genius, a nut-case, or a genius nut-case, but never mind. It works.

There actually are now, bean bags made with a tripod screw on them for attaching your camera. Most any camera supplier will have them. Great idea.

Tip #5.3 This is actually a quick, little tip;

When you’re finished with that bag of macaroni, and you’re packing to head home - donate it to a local food bank or church.

There you have it folks; I actually came up with a little more than Five tips, and my mind only wandered off a couple times.

Now go shoot something!

Again, Thanks for playing along. Hope I did a good job of proof reading.

Tony D. Locke, MM

Still reigning - Master of Madness