Roger Beckett Associates
Tel: 01245 451611
Photographic tips for digital camera users.
SIX SIMPLE TIPS.
For better photo’s
1 If you own, or have access to a digital camera the more you use it the better your photographs will be. One of the BIG benefits of a digital camera is that actually taking the photograph costs (almost) nothing.
2 Whenever possible use a tripod.
3 If you are not using a tripod try to balance your camera on a wall, table, or even a friend’s shoulder.
(For those who know their way around a camera.....As a rule of thumb the shutter
setting should never be less than 1 divided by the focal length of your lens, or
in the case of telephoto's, the length you have set. i.e. 50mm lens -
4 If you are using manual focusing, focus on a point one third of the way into the main subject. For example for portraits focus on the eyes, for large groups in five rows focus on the second row of people.
5 Try to keep contrast down, so you retain detail in the bright and dark areas. You can lighten very dark areas but “blown out” bright areas are gone for good!
6 Breath out just before you press the shutter......But don’t forget to breath in
again!
"Portrait" photography has a habit of inducing panic in the photographer-
But first of all lets leave the camera to one side and concentrate on the model.
Male, female, human or animal, if the sitter isn't happy the results will show it.
Do not think that you need expensive lights and sets to produce startling portraits,
you don't. Believe it or not many of the photographs you see in magazines have been
taken in everyday surroundings. Photographers are always on the look-
So where do we find our first victim, sorry subject, to photograph. Your first attempts at portrait work will see your boyfriend, girlfriend, pet goldfish, relation or next door neighbour perched in front of a tripod, eyes full of terror awaiting ....stop there, let's start again in easy steps:
- Get an idea of what you want to achieve from the session. The final result. The mood, message, impact or lack of it.
- Choose a model that matches your ideas. If you can't....make your ideas match your
model. Tell them in advance what they should wear, loose clothes if parts of the
body will be photographed, make-
up requirements and hair style. - Make sure your "set" is warm, comfortable and everything ready and in position. Music playing in the background can help set the mood. Have food and drink available.
- Talk over your ideas with the model or sitter. Goldfish don’t come up with too many suggestions, but your partner could be inspirational. If it's a good idea don't be proud...use it. Photo shoots have been known to branch off in a completely new direction.
- By now you should both know what you are doing. Start off with simple poses. Good results just happen when the model and photographer get into the role. Goldfish are brilliant at playing goldfish! It is important that the sitter or model "lives" or gets into the part, be it company executive or cowboy. Give constant encouragement and always suggest poses don't demand. Work towards your ultimate goal. Don't force the sitter to do something they will be embarrassed about later.
- When the session is over share your results with the model. If you give them a few copies of your work they should be pleased to sit again.
LIGHTING
- A well lit portrait is one of the most satisfying achievements in life. OK so that's going over board, but it's very near top.
- If you have ever seen those '40's images of film stars you will know what I mean.
Despite some saying that this style of lighting is old hat there are many people
who prize their "Hollywood" style make-
over photographs. - There is no correct way or wrong way to light a portrait, but if you are after a particular style or your sitter has a part of their body they are not happy with, then there are actions we can use which will ensure a successful result.
- Let's look at how we perceive the direction and intensity of light, be it the Sun, Moon or any form of light source.
- Dark is mysterious, sinister, cold etc. whilst light is perceived as safe, friendly, comfortable, relaxing...So we must use light and dark correctly if we are to achieve the desired effect.
- We are used to seeing people lit from above...(TheSun), with fill-
in from reflected light off of the ground etc. Natural light will never come directly from our feet, therefore we often see this type of lighting as horrific or macabre.
- in fact our subconscious reaction to light and dark is very strong, translating to familiar and unknown, safety and fear. I have a few golden tips about lighting, which I have yet to see published elsewhere, but I know many successful portrait photographers and artists also follow similar guide lines, keeping this trade secret to themselves. But hey, its a big world and there is plenty for all!
- The most important point for me is which side of face is to be in shadow. There is something deep inside our minds that controls that first impression we have of a photograph or picture.
- We read from left to right, well most of us do, that goes for a photograph as much as it does for a piece of script. If we light the left side of the face and let the right side fall into shadow we are, in effect travelling from safety into the unknown. Conversely, if we light the right side with the left in shadow the viewer feels that they are getting to know the person in the photograph better or feel more comfortable as their eyes travel from dark to light. Look at these pictures below and see if you agree:
- These two photographs are in fact from the same image. One has just been reversed.
- So, lighting can be from the far left, front, far right, back and any point in between. It can also come from directly below to directly above. Do you start to see why lighting a subject can be difficult.
- If you have the use of a video camera here is a little exercise you can do that will get you on the "fast track". All you need is a patient sitter, or failing that an orange, pineapple or anything with surface texture and a solid form. You will also need a narrow light source, one of those domestic spot lights is ideal, but make sure it is safe and that you are able to move it around.
- Sit your subject down on a stool or chair. if it's your nearest and dearest make them comfortable, if it's an orange it will be happy on a spike!
- Set your video camera "face on" about 10 feet away. Switch it on. Turn on your spot light and either turn the room lights off, or if they are on a dimmer; down.
- Starting on the far left, level with the subject move the light around the front of the subject to the far right. Now do it again this time don't get yourself between the subject and the camera!! You can also go around the back of the subject, but be careful not to point the light directly at the video's lens. When you have done that do it all again with the light at different angles above and below the middle of the subject. Turn your video off, spot light off, remembering that the lamp will be hot, room lights on, make a drink for yourself and the subject, or eat the orange, life is so unfair if you are an orange, and watch your results.
- This one exercise will give you all the information you will ever need on the positioning of a single light source.
- If you don't have a video click away with your digital.
- Did you notice the excessive contrast on your video. That's the reason we need a fill light. It can be a reflector, another light or daylight. Did you also see that when the light shone on the hair, or at an acute angle to the face it gave the sitter texture and depth.
- Let's put a few additional lights in to emphasize that. Whilst we are at it what about the background....HOLD ON.. one thing at a time.
- Start by using ONE main light and a FILL only. Add additional lights as you gain confidence, but only if the photograph requires it. Some of the best lighting is outdoors during daylight, however there is only one light source, the Sun, all the rest is reflected light.
- Whilst talking about light sources for photography their are basically two types, one that is constant, and one that isn't. That was easy wasn't it!
- Constant light lets you observe the results before you take the picture..the other doesn't. Constant lighting tends to get very hot, so does the other, but only for a fraction of a second! Combine the two and you have the best of both worlds. These are called studio flash units with a modelling light.
- Any constant light source can be used for photography, however the colour temperature varies enormously. This may result in an orange or yellow cast, which can be corrected with the appropriate filter on your lens or on the computer.
- You do not need to spend hundreds of pounds on lighting. I was on the set of one of the UK's top soap programmes. The lighting consisted of various industrial security lights, as bought from your local hardware store, whose light was bounced off of a mixture of foam boards, plasterboard and white card.
- Not only does a light source have a direction it also has a form. It can be hard and direct or soft and diffused. It can also be large or small. Some people get confused and think that a small light source has to be hard and a large light source has to be soft. WRONG.. WRONG...WRONG. The fact that you put a large piece of muslin in front of a light source does not diffuse it because it is large. You want proof...What is the largest light source you know?..The Sun. On a cloudless day it is as hard and crisp and any spotlight ever made. The Sun's rays on a day like this are parallel, well almost. Your shadow will have sharp defined edges. A passing group of clouds may interrupt the Sun's rays. Some will pass through, most will bounce around the sky giving soft, perfect lighting for attractive portrait photography.
- So if you want to soften a light source, put something in front of it. If it is semi-
transparent it will diffuse the light. If it is not it will reflect the light source, softening it to a greater or lesser degree dependent on its surface texture. My own studio lighting setup for most portraits uses a mixture of direct and indirect lighting from the same main source. A flash unit set in the corner of the room, is diffused through a white umbrella. Some of the light is reflected back to the adjacent white walls and ceiling which is then reflected as a fill light onto the subject. I also use a hair light and if required an additional light to separate the subject from the background.
- Now is the time to go away and experiment, Don't forget you can also change the colour
of the light source, and its strength/ratio to other lights by moving it closer to
or further away from your subject.
CAMERA ANGLES AND FOCAL LENGTHS
- These two subjects are inter-
related, for example very often we select a camera angle or lens to remove distracting objects or backgrounds from the photograph. We may use one or the other or both.
- Not so many years ago you bought a camera which had a fixed lens. The focal length was selected by the manufacturer to give a photograph which was similar to the view we saw with our own eyes. The SLR and "instant image of the digital camera" changed all that. Now you could see through the actual lens or the image on a LCD screen before taking the picture. Change the lens and you instantly see the results.
- If you are new to photography you will be pleased to know that I shall not take up space discussing the technical ins and outs of lens design. All you have to remember is the following: A lens with a small focal length, is often called a “wide angle lens”, whilst a lens with a long focal length, is often called a “telephoto lens”. A lens that has a facility to change its focal length is called a “zoom”.
- The smaller the focal length of the lens the wider the angle of view. As the focal length increase the angle of view reduces. The position and size of the subject in relation to the background remains the same.
- Every lens has a depth of field, two points between which all the objects are in focus.
- This changes with the aperture setting, but also with the focal length of the lens. A wide angle lens will have a large depth of field. As the focal length increases the depth of field reduces.
- A lens of long focal length requires a tripod, or fast shutter speed, to give anything
like a pin-
sharp picture
- So can you see the problems of using a telephoto: To ensure a sharp photograph you need a fast shutter speed, which means a wide aperture setting. But this reduces the depth of field. It’s a compromise.
- So why use a telephoto? Well first of all if the subject is too small and you cannot physically get closer a telephoto will help you “fill the frame”. You can also use the smaller depth of field to throw the background out of focus.
- The portrait photographer can use everything from the wide-
angle to the telephoto lens. A wide- angle lens and a close subject to camera distance can give some surreal effects. Not always flattering but done properly quite stunning., just take a look at Newton’s nudes. Most of the time though people will be wanting a portrait that shows them in the best light. - In previous articles I mentioned how you can light the subject to hide flaws or imperfections. You can do the same with a change of lens. One of the main reasons portrait photographers use a slightly longer lens when photographing people (40mm on digital, 105mm on 35mm or 135 on medium format) is that it gives a more pleasing image, with noses reduced and deep eye sockets “shallowed”. A high forehead will also look much better.
The standard type of photograph on the right is acceptable but it just looks like everybody else’s photo. By shooting from below you remove distracting background and the eye hones in on the boy, giving a new perspective.
- As with every other technique in photography there is not a right or wrong way, no camera angle is right or wrong, but you need to know how to correct heavy chins or long noses for example.
- Earlier I suggested you used a video camera, if you had one, to experiment with light. So don’t be surprised when I suggest you get it out again to see how changing the camera angle can have an effect on the final result.
- Last time the camera stayed static. This time the lights stay static and the camera moves. You can use a “live model” if they will stay still long enough . However the best thing would be a statue, the bigger the better, at ground level if possible, so no Statue of Liberty or Nelson's Column, not unless you can lay your hands on a helicopter!!
- For the first exercise we need diffused lighting around the model. Outdoors on an cloudy day is perfect. Set your video camera on the widest lens setting possible as this will accentuate the effect. Start face on with the camera parallel with the ground. Keeping the head at apx. the same place in the frame and move the camera up as high as possible so you are looking down on the statue. Then take the camera down to the ground so that you are looking up at it. Move 45 degrees around the statue and repeat the procedure. Keep moving around the statue until you have completed a full circle.
- Have a look at the video. Do you see that as you look up at the face you have a strong chin, a feeling of power, this is an ideal angle to photograph leading industrialists and sports people, but not flattering for ladies or children. As you move the camera up you will see the nose change shape, from looking very “nasal”, quite nice, to pointed and long. Now look at the eye sockets, the ears, forehead see how everything changes. Remember you are using a wide angle lens so you are seeing extreme changes, the longer the lens the more subtle the effect.
- We haven’t finished yet, keep watching the video. As we move around the statue (or live subject) everything changes, crosses over, covers up and distorts. See how everything close to the camera is large in proportion to the rest of the statue. Think of all the situations that would benefit from being photographed from this or that angle.
- If you are really getting into camera positions you can look forward to hours of
fun and discovery. Remember our lighting set-
up; plain old boring diffused lighting, what happens if we use some of those lighting set- ups covered in previous articles. There is more variations than a national lottery, and that’s what makes photography such a fascinating subject, pass- time or profession. If you don’t have a video camera you can do it all with still photographs.
- Even after years of processing my own film I still got a buzz of excitement when I opened the tank.
- That buzz is still there when I turn on the computer. Partly trepidation as to the technical success, but mainly the curtailment of a journey, an opportunity to see if you have achieved what you had planned for, or saw in the view finder/screen that split second before you pressed the shutter.
- The digital revolution has turned the world of photography upside down. No longer do you need to wait whilst your photographs are developed. You now get instant feedback and can email your photographs around the world to friends and relatives.
- You also have the ability to adjust, improve and manipulate your images. And this introduces a big hurdle for many people. How do you correct the colour and exposure?
- A grounding in darkroom printing is a huge help but it is not difficult to give your images that Wow factor. So reading the next section on "Processing and printing images" will help, but for those who don't have the time or inclination you can scroll down to:
Seasonal tips
Back to the plot:
On examining the image , let’s say a landscape, those dramatic clouds you saw when taking the photograph may now just be a white strip across the top of the paper. The reason for this is that the camera cannot always reproduce the range of tones you see with your eye. So it’s time for post processing.......... “dodging” the land and “burning” in the sky. Hang on there what the **** is dodging and burning? In days gone by to darken part of a print you would give it a few seconds longer under the light, called “Burning”. To lighten an area you would hold back the light by using your hands or wands to block out the light called“Dodging”.
The art of burning and dodging is to make it look as though the image has never been touched. So in most cases you need a gradual effect. If we want to get some action in our sky “burning” we can use your brush/airbrush tool set to black, use the “opacity” setting at about 10%.
Don’t be too heavy, lots of light strokes are better than one big one!
If we want to lighten “dodging” the dark field we can use your brush/airbrush tool set to
White, use the “opacity” setting at about 10%.
In the old days a mistake meant another sheet of paper...Today all you need to do is click the “back” button!
Printers will go to great lengths to produce the style of print they require. A good example is given in the advertisement for Ilford’s MGIV paper.
And it was all done in the dark
I have said it before and I will say it again, go out and experiment.
Making a colour darker or changing the hue is not manipulating, you're continuing the image making process.
Seasonal Tips
Each season has its own character, and brings with it a few problems which can produce stunning images and disasters.
Spring and Autumn (Fall). A time of mixed weather. Very often clear blue sky and low sun. on days like this the suns rays are not diffused by or reflected off of the clouds. Watch out for contrast in your photographs. Our eyes are better at handling contrast than your camera.
A good guide on how your photographs will look can be obtained by squinting your eyes.
Try it-
Avoid shadows over faces. Photograph in the shade, or use natural objects to provide
fill-
Summer. As with Spring and Autumn take care photographing when there is a clear blue sky. Strangely enough when there is a long spell of hot weather the pollution build up in many areas around the world helps to soften the edges of shadows almost as much as a well placed cloud.
If you think professional photographers love bright sunshine-
The other main problem with Summer is heat. cameras can be ruined by the heat of
a summer's day. Keep both in the shade whenever possible-
Winter. I love winter. You can still have those bright days, but they often follow a cold night or a snowfall. Now is the time to use that contrast to the full. Dark bare tree branches reaching out, making strange twisted figures against the sky or snow. Footsteps made by someone trekking across the street or landscape take on a new meaning. With a white "backdrop" covering the scene clothes become more important in winter, the drab garb of a down and out, or the colourful ski suits not only on the slopes, but also on the streets.
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How to shoot like the Pro’s
Make your partner look great, your holidays look hot
and your family and friends grateful.
The digital camera, whether a “ big posh job” or an add-
You girlfriend/boyfriend might not tell you, but that blurry snapshot you took of them the other night did nothing for their confidence. So read on and get back into their good books. You can read the short articles in any order.
ADJUSTING AND PRINTING YOU DIGITAL IMAGES
I hope you have found these group of articles interesting. If you have a photographic query or want to send me an image or two you can email me at roger@essexphotographer.co.uk