Longtime pro photographer and BetterPhoto instructor Jim Zuckerman offers lots of great tips and techniques on photography. Here are Jim's expert thoughts on using off-camera flash outdoors:
(c) Jim Zuckerman
"When I visit a place more than once," says Jim Z, "I try to come up with different ways of photographing subjects that I shot previously.
"A case in point is the stone carving (above) at the archeological site, Ephesus, in Turkey. I photographed it in the shade two years ago, so this time I used off-camera flash. This created texture and depth, and at the same time the rocks, dirt, and weeds that could be seen behind the ancient artwork became black and therefore unobtrusive.
"I triggered the flash with a Pocket Wizard and had another person hold it at about an 80-degree angle. I wanted to largely eliminate the effect of the ambient light, so I used the LCD monitor on the back of the camera to help me determine the exposure. I increased the shutter speed and reduced the size of the lens aperture until the ambient light was only contributing a small amount and the primary light source was the Canon 580 flash.
"Don’t think that professional photographers know exactly what settings to use in a situation like this. We don’t. Since we can’t know exactly what we will like until we see it, we simply use trial and error until it looks good."
NOTES:
While I occasionally use a wide-angle focal length for capturing an expanse of landscape, I most often use it to take advantage of the wide-angle's great front-to-back depth.
Moving in physically close with a wide-angle is not an intuitive thing. The wide-angle tendency is to back up in order to take it all in. But you get a very eye-catching - and very unique - perspective when you combine a super-close foreground with a far-off background.
(Note: This blog is a follow-up to Jim Zuckerman's outstanding BetterPhoto Instructor Insights article in which he covers the "Getting Close-up with Wide-Angle" subject in his own special style and with a great variety of inspiring images.)
(c) Kerry Drager
This old multi-colored boat first caught my eye one afternoon at Morro Bay on the central California coast. The harsh midday sunlight was not inspiring, so I returned just before sunset to catch it in the beautiful evening light.
Anytime there's a photogenic foreground and a good background, I'll grab my wide-angle lens. Along with pleasing light, I also wanted great front-to-back depth with a wide-angle focal length - in this case, 20mm. I set up my tripod very low to the ground and very close (less than 2 feet away) from the nearest part of the boat. That placement shows off the wide-angle's exploded perspective, in which a foreground subject appears exaggerated in relation to the background.
For this image, I chose a small aperture (f/22) to get as much depth of field (DOF) as possible - in other words, good sharpness from front to back. In addition, I also carefully selected the point of focus, since focusing is important to wide-angle DOF too. Setting the focus far into the scene, for instance, will never get a close foreground sharp. Here, I set the focusing point on the middle of the boat's red area in the low foreground. The combination of small aperture and wide-angle ensured that the area in front of that focusing point (the beach's shells and small rocks) and in back of it (all the way into the distance) would be acceptably sharp too.
I double-checked the LCD playback to verify the depth of field to make sure the all-important foreground was crisp and clear. In fact, many cameras have a function for enlarging the LCD image in order to easily check key areas for sharpness.
Along with the tripod, I used a cable shutter release (the self-timer works too) to make sure my hand didn't inadvertently jiggle the camera when clicking the shutter.
Book Alert:
At BetterPhoto's online photography school, we have many creative instructors. One of them is Deborah Sandidge, who does some amazing things with both her "straight" photography and with Photoshop plug-ins. Here's more from Deb:
(c) Deborah Sandidge
"Creating a painterly look with a photo is easy with Alien Skin Snap Art! This is one of my favorite ways to add texture and dimension, while keeping the original foundation of the photograph. The latest version of Snap Art has wonderful effects and variations. Pointillism, one of the many painterly effects in Snap Art, creates dabs of impressionistic color which is a lot of fun! You can vary the brush length and even the canvas type.
"A cool edge treatment adds the perfect finishing touch. I used OnOne PhotoFrame to add to the painterly look of this image. Creating a painterly look is mesmerizing, somehow relaxing, and a wonderful creative outlet.
"Have fun painting! ~ Deb"
Editor's notes:
Finally, the online bookstore pages have switched from "pre-order" to "in stock"! That would be a reference to my new book co-authored with Jim Miotke: The BetterPhoto Guide to Creative Digital Photography. This new book focuses on composition, design, light, and color.
Among the topics that The BetterPhoto Guide to Creative Digital Photography covers:
This new book is sold through Amazon.com, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Indiebound, etc.
White Balance is a popular - and confusing - topic in digital photography. And it's no wonder, considering all the presets and custom options. That's why many photographers simply set the WB on automatic and forget about it. But auto WB can be unreliable at times, with the colors in the photo failing to match the colors that attracted you to the scene in the first place.
In our new book The BetterPhoto Guide to Creative Digital Photography, Jim Miotke and I point out our preference for using a Daylight or Sunlight white balance throughout the day - from dawn to dusk. Periodically, we'll switch the WB setting (i.e., when shooting in blue-tinted shade on a sunny day or when heading indoors under artificial lighting). Otherwise, Daylight/Sunlight produces the colors just as we want them, so we rarely have to tweak things in the digital darkroom.
One of BetterPhoto's top pros - Jim Zuckerman - uses this WB workflow, too. Check out his beautiful photo and his excellent thoughts on the subject...
(c) Jim Zuckerman
Says Jim Z: "There are many things to think about when you take pictures, both technical and artistic. When you are shooting under the pressure of time (such as things are changing fast and if you hesitate you’ll lose the shot), it makes sense to simplify the things you have to consider. Even when photographing static subjects like the waterwheel in Guildhall, Vermont, I prefer to concentrate on the composition, the light, the depth of field, and the background, and I try to eliminate unnecessary considerations.
"That’s why I always use daylight white balance for all of my outdoor shooting. It produces the best color at sunrise and sunset, and if I find myself taking pictures in shade or after the sun went down, as was the case with this waterwheel, the pictures will have a slight bluish cast that I either accept (which I do most of the time) or I tweak the image in Adobe Camera Raw with the ‘temperature’ slider. It takes only a moment to warm up an image if that’s the look I want, and that saves me from diverting my attention from the important task of getting the picture in the first place."
Editor's Notes:
More advanced lighting courses? You asked for it, you got it!
Back by popular demand: Getting Started in Commercial Photography
Learn new skills that will enable you to work as a professional photographer for businesses. This exciting 4-week online course - by commercial photographer John Siskin - covers product photography, copy work, architectural photography and industrial photography. These are the kinds of work that are used by businesses for everything from annual reports to catalogs and Web sites. This class will help you improve your lighting skills and learn to use them in new situations! Students and the instructor will have an opportunity to interact about business topics as well as photographic issues. LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS COURSECourse Review:
5 out of 5
 Jon M. Lamrouex member since: 5/10/2005 |
I have taken more than one class from John and have been pleased during and after each class. I was very happy and challenged with the lesson content, class interaction and John's willingness to go beyond the call of duty for his students.
I was also extremely pleased with how I was able to implement the skills provided by working through the lessons right away.
This most recent class, Business to Business: Commercial Photography, has given me the professional confidence to move ahead with my plans to become a professional photographer. The lessons included photography knowledge specific to what a commercial photographer must know but also expanded that beyond photography to the business aspects of being a professional and in business.
My thanks go out to John Siskin for his wisdom and the BetterPhoto for being able to attract these professionals to teach us. It has truly enriched my photography and propelled me to attempt greater things.
Read more course reviews here!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our Canadian BetterPhoto Members! Since I can't be home kicking leaves and setting gourdes out for a feast with family, I browsed the Autumn Pictures and Pictures of Fall Leaves gallery today for some fall images...
Foggy Morning
© Les Rhoades 
Fall at the Loch 
Photography Instructor:
© Tony Sweet
A Walk Through Autumn
© Jeff W. Robinson 
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