My daughter forgot her notebook on Sunday morning, but was so interested in the sermon that she took notes anyway. Capture what your family does and share it. Even the little things that may say who they are.
Monday Morning Smile “Sunday Breaksfast”
When mom is out of town it’s time to play. So I got the kids and staged a photo
I took about 40 pictures and chose the one with interaction because it added interest. My initial concept was to show no communication at the table.
Let me know in the comments your favorite and why.
Sunday Breakfast 7
Sunday Breakfast 2
Sunday Breakfast 3
Sunday Breakfast 4
Sunday Breakfast 5
Sunday Breakfast 6
Lesson 2 Results for: How Your Camera Exposure Works
- Grey-Day Copryright 2011
What do you call a techie geek that hangs around with Photographers? Not sure, but watching a good photographer work is like watching someone paint with oils on public television. You watch in Awe. In silence. Why? Because when they work, it looks so easy. So flawless. So perfect. Like a natural home run hitter sends the ball over the wall with little effort, these photographers raise the camera to their eye, push the shutter… and lower it again…. without as much as changing their facial expressions.
I’ve been fortunate to watch some of these masters in the last few years and the photo above is from such a photographer.
After you review lesson 2 for how your camera exposure works, come back to the picture above. Enlarge it and look at it. Contemplate it as if you were sitting on a bench in an art museum. Notice how the blowing snow would chill even an animal with the thickest winter coat. If it wasn’t for the subtle brown in the trees you would think the photo was black and white. I wish this was framed and on my wall. This is an example of perfect exposure.
Spoiler Alert…. Reading the results lesson before completing lesson 2: How Your Camera Exposure Works will reduce your memory recall on this subject by 76%.
Several people have responded to me in surprise to the outcome of the experiment. If you haven’t completed it yet I would suggest that you go back to lesson 2 and go through the exercise. Shooting and looking at YOUR results will start the important process of looking at your pictures and understanding what you need to do to improve them next time. Thanks to digital cameras, the learning process is much quicker. Not to bore you, but when I first started this process at the age of 15 or so, I would shoot a 36 exposure roll of film on my Argus fully manual 35mm camera. If I was careful I could get 37 prints. To save money I would mail my film to an out of town lab and then get my prints two weeks and $6.49 later. Finally I would look at the results and try to understand why only 6 of my 361/2 exposures were any good.
But the take away for you is this. If you try to learn photography by looking at other photographer’s galleries and their explanation of what they did and why, you will never learn to think on your feet and get that picture yourself.
My former tennis teacher always said the trick to being a good tennis player is always being there and always being ready when the ball comes. Not chasing after it. So if you’re ready when the opportunity presents itself, you will get the picture. If not, you’ll just get the blurred improperly exposed image of Big Foot disappearing into the tree line.
My results
(Mid-tone object)
- Grey Card
(Bright object)
White Felt
(Dark Object)
Black Felt
My camera exposed each object as mid-tone. Why does that matter you ask? Do you want grey snow or a grey wedding dress? How about black hair that looks grey? Well, you might want grey snow if you are trying to set a mood.
(Expose for Dark and picture of both)
- White Felt and Black Felt Exposed for Dark
The dark object is grey and the bright object is so white there is no detail. Think black tux that looks like a grey tux and a wedding dress that you can’t see the lace on because it is over exposed.
(Expose for Bright and picture of both)
White and Black felt Exposed for White
The wedding dress is grey and tuxedo is so dark you can’t see the pin stripes.
(Bright, Dark Exposed for Mid-Tone)
White Felt, Grey Card, Black Felt, Exposed for Grey Card
The grey is grey, the white is white, and the black is black. Just what you want. Unless you want something different. And sometimes you do.
Snow isn’t always white you know.
So what are the takeaways from this experiment?
Your internal camera light meter exposes for 18% grey. Middle of the road, not black or white, but grey. (Now this is not 100% true in reality.) The manufactures of many cameras have put thousands of scenarios in your camera’s data base to help it decide on the “correct” exposures. They may look at your scene and say something like, “There is more sky than ground, so expose more for the sky since that appears what the photographer is interested in. I suggest READING YOUR MANUAL to understand some of the ways your camera thinks for you.
Different objects reflect different amounts of light. It’s not the “Color,” it’s the tone that is produced by amount of reflectivity or amount of light absorption of the object that determines how dark or how light the object appears. In person, and in camera.
If you want objects in your pictures to accurately reflect their reflectivity you have to understand how your camera exposes, and how to compensate for that exposure.
I know what you’re thinking now. Because some of you have already asked me. Thanks for that useless information!!!!!!! Now what do I do to fix it. That brings us to the next lesson on exposure. How to get the exposure you want. Lesson 3: Using the Exposure compensation option.
BONUS INFORMATION: If you actually did the experiment you may have had a result like this:
White felt with incorrect white balance
When I first did the experiment, the automatic white balance setting on my camera didn’t interpret the color correctly and my underexposed white felt actually looked a little pink or red. I took the picture into my editing software and changed it to grey scale. It then looked more like this.
- Under exposed white felt set to grey scale
It is important to understand how the white balance works on your camera. When there is more than one type of light source, incandescent bulbs and sun light for example, it can confuse your camera and you could end up with a pink, blue or green wedding dress. Especially if it isn’t exposed properly. We will discuss white balance in detail in a future lesson.
Now Return to the beginning of this lesson and think about how you may have exposed the snow at the Confluence of the Rivers on that cold snow covered day.
Dad
Posted in Photography lesson on Exposure
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Do whatever it takes to get the picture and keep them coming back
As a photographer, don't forget to be a mom and capture those candid moments that forever record personality and age
When you have a paying customer, you do whatever it takes to get the picture.
In the business of photography you are only as good as your last job. (At least you feel that way.) We had a returning customer that comes to our studio every few months for updated pictures of her children. She is about to have her third child, so we would like the relationship to continue for a few more years, or forever actually.
Why does she come to our studio? Because she had a good experience the last time she was here and she left with a good portrait of her child. We got THE picture that made her happy.
So…We do whatever it takes to get THE portrait.
We knew that the three year old coming through our studio door would be a challenge because, well………. she was three, and three year olds are in charge. Now, with that thought in mind, every photography book and instructional video that I have seen uses paid models for their demonstrations. Well duh!!! As a good friend of mine, Dale, would say: Even a trained monkey could take that picture.
So, getting THE picture starts with preparation.
We get some soothing music going. Instrumental worship music would works nicely. The music is for us, not the child. We have found that if we’re relaxed, so is the mom. If we can get mom relaxed then the child is relaxed…… sometimes.
Note: When parents first come to us, they are stressed about their portrait experience. They are used to going to the big box stores and waiting for an hour with screaming, crying kids that aren’t even yours. Then you find yourself bribing your child with ice cream if they will just sit still and smile one time. It all ends with a sales pitch where they threaten to trash any photos you don’t buy that day while your child runs around crashing into things…………… well, you get the picture. It stresses my wife just thinking about her last visit to the big box studio place. That experience, by the way, is why we are photographers today.
We have a box of books, crayons, and paper at a table. They may be used to make the child feel at home, or for later when mom is looking at portrait choices.
We make sure the studio is set with a fun prop in place. In this case it was a fake bed sitting on the floor. (Think about falling and safety for all props and equipment.) If you can get a three year old to play with/on/around something, you can get a picture. If they think you’re trying to take their picture, it’s over.
Make sure lights are working, camera is on, computer is communicating, and exposure is perfect. It’s not uncommon for a child to run right to the prop/background turn around and smile. It may be the last time they do so.
- One of our part time employees standing in for a gray card exposure and systems check just before our client arrives.
Since I am the studio manager, babysitter, entertainer, host, receptionist, and techie geek, it’s my responsibility to have all systems go when the client arrives. If I’m trying to change a setting and my wife, THE PHOTOGRAPHER, misses THE picture. I’ll hear about it for a LONG TIME. If you aren’t as lucky as my wife to have such a great assistant, it will fall on you alone to be ready.
On this particular visit, the child was onto us big time from the first step through the door. So after 20 minutes or so of not getting THE picture, it was my job to make her want to be there.
- The photographers assistant trying to entice the client to pose and smile.
Well, photography is a lot like fishing. Sometimes you don’t get THE picture and somtimes you live to fight another day. Especially with three year olds. We did get a picture that mom was happy with, but THE PHOTOGRAPHER wasn’t as pleased. We’ll see her again when she’s four, and even a trained monkey can take a picture of a four year old. Just don’t tell THE PHOTOGRAPHER that.
Dad
Posted in Photographer Commentary
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Lesson 2: How Your Camera Exposure Works
OK. Here’s the fun part. I’m not going to tell you what will happen when you do this? Why you ask? I found it amazing that the experiments in my high school science lab always came out 100% right. Maybe it was because we read the chapter and then did the experiment. We always made sure it came out right. Even if we had to make it happen.
But I will tell you this. Your camera is very smart. You turn it on, point it at something and it makes a very educated guess at how much light to let in to the camera for a good exposure. I use to have to do this with an external light meter and a table to look up Aperture settings and shutter speeds. If you ask, “What is an aperture?” …. you don’t need to know it for this lesson. But look it up on the Web. You will eventually need to know.
Now I know the BIG question you are asking. If my camera is so smart, why do my prints (If you ask, “What’s a print? look it up on the Web, but you may never need to know what one is again.) or my files look too dark or too light. After performing this exercise ask yourself that question. I will have more discussion on the results next week.
What you will need.
Any digital camera. I used a simple point and shoot for this exercise.
An object that is White (typing printing paper is fine)
An object that is Black (texture is best, like felt, but black construction paper will do.)
An object that is grey, not just in color but in reflectivity as well, or between white and black. (grey sweat pants, lap top cover, etc)
A light to evenly expose the objects.
Some hints and camera settings:
Set your camera on the {P} or program mode. Usually the main dial.
Don’t use your flash or auto assist focus light. (refer to your manual to turn them off)
Your camera does not have to focus, but if it won’t take a picture without focusing turn focus off or put a small mark on your object to help it focus.
Watch the Video. Then Try the Exercise !!!!!!!!!!!
I read about 5 photo blogs on a weekly basis. Others on an irregular basis. I use to read 10 or more daily. It wasn’t until I quit reading and picked up my camera that I truly understood anything. Even if it was just a little. You do learn by making mistakes and asking why.
Looking at the results:
Load your files onto your computer and look at the pictures side by side. If your white object is pink, blue, or green, change it to greyscale to get rid of the color cast from the light.
Think about the results. What does it tell you about our camera.
Go to the library and get the book “Understanding Exposure” by Bryan Peterson. Read it. Read it again. Take it back to the library. Buy it and put it on your shelf. Read it again in 6 months.
Thanks for dropping by.
Posted in Photography lesson on Exposure
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Lesson 1: Finding the Photographer within.
The Photographer Within (Click to Enlarge)
Inside of most people is the desire to be creative and to share that creativity. Never in the history of photography has there been a better opportunity to do both.
Soon after starting our photography business I found that I still had a need to explore and express my personal pursuit of photography outside of the business realm. I enjoyed the photography business and I craved the social aspects of meeting and getting to know individuals and families as my wife and I joined them in a “Photographic experience.” However, I also had the desire to take a camera and disappear by myself, to walk a trail, wait for a sunset in freezing weather, or to explore a deserted city street.
Other times I may be donate my time for the Church, or for someone that can’t afford portraits for their family. I may be even ask friends and family to join me in a “Photography Project.” But I never mix work with pleasure, only pleasure with work. Sometimes on vacation I’m the photographer. Sometimes I leave the camera at home or in the car. When finding “Your photographer within,” just remember to keep it fun.
Lesson 1: (1 week)
Your lesson for this week is to take your camera on an outing. It can be to the mall, to a park, or in your house. You must be alone with your subject. Set the camera to its most automatic setting and take at least 50 different pictures of the same thing. That’s right, of the same thing. It may be a tree, a cup, a child, but take at least 50 pictures. Digital film is very cheap. Use different zoom settings, take pictures straight on, lay on the ground, stand on a ladder, use vertical horizontal and possibly tilted orientations. If it is outside visit it again in the morning sun, the noon sun, the afternoon sun or on an overcast day. Take a 1000 pictures if you like.
Then download the pictures to the computer and pick your favorite 50, 10, 5, and then your absolute favorite. You can only choose one absolute favorite. Then decide why you like that one over all the others.
Obtain a print of your favorite either at a cheap retailer or from your printer. Put a copy in your photo journal. You may even want to frame it and put it on your desk, share it with a poem on Facebook, or possibly make a card for someone you’v been thinking about. But don’t leave the picture orphaned. Let it have an audience.
Project 1: (2 weeks)
Start a photo journal. It can be in print form, or it can be electronic. Then record the Who, What, Why, Where, When, and How of each photo experience. Make sure to include feelings or thoughts. I would suggest a 1/2 inch three ring binder. Then you can print out the lessons from this blog (or others) and make your own photo journal/reference book.
Research 1: ( 1 Week)
Start reading your camera manual.
If you have any questions or comments please leave them in comment section of the blog.
And as always, Learning about photography is always better with a friend.
Dad
Posted in Photography lesson on composition
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Photography Lessons 2012
Go Have some Fun (Click to Enlarge)
I have been asked by friends and family to give photography lessons, so I have decided to make it an online adventure. It will include lessons with assignments, projects, research (so you can be a life long learner) and quizzes, to make sure my methods are working. It will also include interaction with local students and fellow photographers to give it a personalized feel.
It will be somewhat student driven for content, but it will also be a systematic study learning the fundamentals of photography that can be applied to any photo opportunity. Each lesson will have elements that are both fundamental and challenging.
So if you are interested here is your first assignment:
1. Find your camera manual, you may even want to go to the library and get a second party guide to your camera model.
2. In the comment section post your camera model and what type of photography you are interested in. eg. portrait, location, studio, landscape, family…..
3. Find a friend/spouse/child/stranger to learn with. Photography is a social activity.
I will see you back here January 1st, or 2nd if you sleep in.
Be Ready to have Fun
Dad
Welcome to Mom and a Camera
If you are a mom, or a: dad, aunt, uncle, son, daughter, niece, nephew nice person, have a camera and want to take better pictures, or you want to earn some extra income. You have come to the right place. Welcome