Using a mirror to frame a subject

March 24, 2011

Until just recently, whenever someone talked about pictures of a person taken in a mirror, I only associated this kind of pictures with Facebook profile pictures of teenagers (I think you know about what kind of picture I talk about). But I have discovered the great advantage of mirrors during my recent photo shoot in Poland - mirrors are great to frame a subject. There are other ways to frame a subject, for example with door frames, windows, trees, etc. but I never used a mirror to frame a subject before.

Using a mirror to frame a subject can be a bit tricky and difficult when you use strobes and/or speedlights because these additional light sources can create reflections in a mirror and light spots. Therefore, you should be careful when using lights for these kind of shots - a quick tip: first get your model or subject in a right position and take a test pictures to see what is visible in a mirror, then position your lights so that they are not visible in a mirror and are out of the mirror's frame.

Another thing is that any lines (within mirror's frame or any other lines) can be used to define a picture or a subject. Lines or even patterns can be very helpful in drawing the attention of a viewer to the subject in the picture or separate the subject from the rest of what is in a frame. Next time you'll be taking pictures, take a close look at any patterns or lines either in the foreground or in the background, try to change your position or reposition your subject to use these lines.

Take a camera everywhere you go, even bowling ...

March 7, 2011

You'll hear that every time you talk with a photographer: "Take a camera everywhere you go". I have mentioned that already a couple of times on my blog already but I'll add something this time. Therefore, "take a camera everywhere you go, EVEN BOWLING!".

But seriously, the whole fuzz around taking a camera everywhere you go is really about 2 things:

1) you don't know when & where to expect a great opportunity for a picture and having a camera with you (almost) all the time makes you ready for taking that great and unexpected shot;

2) practice makes perfect - it's a no brainer; the more pictures you take, the better photographer you become.

I went bowling in Brussels with a group of friends a couple of weeks ago and I took a camera with me (surprise, surprise!). To be honest with you, I didn't expect to take any pictures but I ended up taking few shots with my trusty Nikkor 35mm F1.8 DX, which is a great lens for low-light situations. Even though Nikkor 35mm F1.8 DX is a very bright lens, I still had to crank up ISO to get more or less sharp shots but I also spent some time on getting blurry & motion-like pictures.

Improvising a photo shoot on location

February 26, 2011

I love working with people, professional or aspiring models, people who want their portraits taken, people who look for specific type of photography for their businesses, commercial or promotional purposes. However, it's not always possible to prepare some of these photo shoots and often it's necessary to improvise... actually you can never be confident that you're 100% prepared for a photo shoot as a photographer. There are almost always unexpected things happening: bad weather, people not showing up or showing up late limiting your time for a shoot, location turning out different than you expected, etc (the list can continue forever).

You can't be prepared for these unexpected circumstances (quite obviously they're unexpected) and you have to be ready to improvise - being able and ready to improvise during a photo shoot is a must and actually it's the only thing you can be sure of and control before a photo shoot. Just to make it clear: you can't go for a photo shoot completely unprepared thinking that you can improvise everything but you need to be ready to improvise when needed, let your creativity unleash and just 'expect unexpected' as I say.

I had a photo shoot, during which I had to improvise, a couple of weeks ago in February 2011. I met with Knight Wise and Niejana of KnightWise.com - I refer to both of them as THE Belgian Geeks :). Knight Wise and Niejana are a really awesome couple from Belgium who are not only into technology but also into Starwars, podcasting, videocasting and all the geeky stuff (honestly, I'm not sure what I'm talking here about because I'm not a typical geek... I'm just a photography geek). Anyway, going back to the topic, I met with them in Tongeren (Belgium) (which was also my first time in Tongeren) and I had no idea what to expect - we didn't have a fixed photo shoot location and their house turned out a bit too small for a photo shoot.

The only option was to improvise, especially when I decided to start off with a photo shoot outside at a countryside. Knight Wise and Niejana took me to a nearby popular park, just outside of a city and I immediately started to look around for interesting places, foregrounds, backgrounds and patterns... anything that would be interesting and supplementary for portrait photography. I don't think I have to mention that I tried to take the pictures of Knight Wise and Niejana around the theme of the 'Belgian Geeks'. They mentioned to me during the photo shoot that they even didn't have their engagement photo shoot before they had the wedding few years ago. So I decided to use this opportunity to shoot few engagement / couple / love pictures. At some point, I just asked them to sit on the ground and I let them interact with each other - it turned out great and I learned one important thing: Geek love is tough love (look at the picture where Niejana hits Knight Wise with a very robust and expensive laptop) :)

Strobist info for some of the pictures: I used a combination of Nikon's SB-900 Speedlight on a shoot-through umbrella and sometimes I also used a light-reflector for pictures taken outside (but I also tried to use as much natural light as possible, something just modifying it slightly with a light-reflector. For indoor pictures, I used 2 Lastolite Lumen F400 lamps with shoo-through umbrellas as well.

Pen Tablet - an essential tool for post-processing

February 12, 2011

Little I knew about pen tablets, not to mention how useful they are, when I was starting my adventure with photography few years ago. A pen tablet seemed to me as an unnecessary tool at that time, which was used only by very (emphasis on VERY) professional photographers and graphic designer only - and oh boy, how much could I be wrong. I underestimated the value of a pen tablet for my post-processing job and photography workflow that I can't believe I did when I think back to those times when I didn't use one. I got my pen tablet from Wacom over a year ago and it's been an integral part of my workflow ever since.

Yes, pen tablets can be quite expensive but you'll start to value their functionality very quickly. The time I spend on post-processing has dramatically decreased with a pen table by at least 50% and it's not an exaggeration by any means. Editing pictures with a pen tablet is not only much faster but it also feels much more natural than using a mouse and it's much better for your arm and joints than sitting with your hand grabbing that unergonomic mouse all the time (which can also be painful and cause Repetitive Strain Injury [RSI]). If you already have started considering getting a pen tablet, you don't have to buy a very expensive one, high-end from the top of a shelf. Wacom produces very good pen tablets and even their cheapest and simplest tablets are great to start off with.

Overexpose or underexpose - that is the question

February 6, 2011

I heard two opposite opinions in the past few years whether it is better to overexpose or underexpose pictures. Obviously, the best condition is when you expose a picture correctly, but you might find yourself in a situation when you might need to underexpose or overexpose a picture and you will have to choose which one is better: to underexpose or overexpose. I heard Scott Bourne (at least I'm pretty sure it was him) saying that you should underexpose by one stop to 'naturally' saturate the colors already in a camera - this apparently saves you some time in post-processing. However, this tip is more applicable for film photography rather than digital photography, because saturating the colors in post-processing can be done nowadays in a matter of few seconds.

My preference is to overexpose when I have to, instead of underexposing pictures. The reason is quite simple and it has to do with the amount of data DSLR can gather and save in RAW files these days (and I just realized that I should have mentioned at the beginning that we talk here about pictures shoot in RAW, which retain much more data and information than JPG files - this is really helpful in post-processing). So why do I overexpose when I have to? If you underexpose and you want to brighten a picture or a part of it in the post-processing, you might find yourself having noise in the underexposed area. Overexposing doesn't create that noise effect and even thought a picture may seem really blown out if you overexpose, a camera captures much more detail in those overexposed areas than you think - this is the magic of RAW files. Therefore, when you darken a picture or parts of it, you will still see much details in the previously overexposed areas.

Focus on your subject, not gear

January 26, 2011

I've recently read a very interesting blog article Less Gear, More Character? by Bert Stephani and I have to credit him for giving me the idea on the following article. I completely agree with Bert's opinion that gear can stand in a way between a photographer and a subject, especially when too much gear is used or the focus of a photographer is on the gear and not on the subject.

We photographers often get excited with the releases of new equipment, not to mention buying new gear - we are like kids who just got the most awesome and the most awaited Christmas gift - getting excited, sometimes even screaming or jumping up and down (having said that, our wives, girlfriends, husbands and boyfriends should be all given Nobel Peace Prizes for accepting our behavior but that's a completely different story). This enthusiasm can often lead to focusing too much on the equipment and not enough on the subject during a photo shoot. Don't get me wrong, being able to use the equipment, the tools and the light sources during a photo shoot is important but it is a client, a person and a subject who should we focus on. Gear and equipment are just tools that help us in capturing the subject.

This topic is much broader and deeper than I actually thought it was when I started writing this article. Another important aspect about focusing on a subject (we are talking all the time about a person) and not gear is the significance of establishing certain relationship with a person, of course on the level photographer-subject/customer. Don't forget that quite often, the photographed person is nervous and doesn't know what to expect from a photo shoot. It is in your best interest to establish and create a friendly atmosphere and make the person feel comfortable. It helps in capturing great portraits or similar type of pictures, which otherwise could come out really bad, especially when the person is nervous, tense and doesn't show his/her true face and behavior.

Another point is that it's also in your best interest to focus on the subject and see it as a customer, a returning customer in the future as well as a 'live' walking advertisement of your services, who could refer their friends to you. I think it goes without saying that all your efforts should concentrate on making this person welcomed and special during a photo session but if you don't know what I'm saying.... treat him/her like a new lens, a new lighting setup or a new camera :)

When you focus your attention on the gear and not your subject and customer, then you might create an unfriendly environment, which will not only prohibit you from taking great shots but also might cause you to lose that customer in the future and his/her recommendation of your services. I'm not saying that equipment is not important, it's a tool (just like your camera) that helps you in getting great shots but it's your subject that should be the main focus. It's up to you to find that right balance between the two.

Pictures: This was my first photo shoot in 2011, where I tried to unleash my creativity. A friend visiting Brussels was very kind to model for me and it was actually her idea to do a bit of a retro photo session. Strobist info: I used one speedlight SB-900 from Nikon in the manual mode triggered with Cactus Wireless Flash Trigger Set V4 mounted to a big shoot through umbrella (110cm/43'').

The Importance of Networking for Photographers

January 10, 2011

If you have just started your adventure as a professional photographer or you plan to do that, probably the most often and important question you ask yourself is on how to have (new) customers. I won't explain you here on the importance of a good portfolio, an appealing website and using web 2.0 tools (like Facebook or Twitter). However, I would like to point your attention to the importance of networking as a photographer, which some photographers (especially those new professional photographers) tend to forget about. Networking is actually much more important for having customers than anything else. YES! Even your thousands of followers on Twitter and hundreds of 'friends' on Facebook won't give you as much opportunities for new customers as networking and word of mouth.

Therefore, networking is much more effective for having new customers, especially when we already made happy previous customers with delivering photographs and products in line with their expectations. Satisfied customers who remember you well and have good memories from working with you are much more effective and efficient 'living advertisers' than anything else. They will definitely mention you and their experience on working with you to their friends, families and co-workers. They will even refer anyone looking for a photographer to you if they are happy not only with your final results but also with the way you work, communicate and approach your clients. Therefore, a photographer should also be a good communicator, a friendly and engaging person with excellent customer relations.

The pictures accompanying this blog article were taken when testing new shoot-through umbrellas (110cm) together with Nikon's Speedlight SB-900. The light source was positioned as close to the subject as possible in order to make the light as soft as possible.

Mac OS X Tip for Photographers: Inverting Colors

December 26, 2010

I was recently browsing through tips & tricks for Mac OS X and I ran across a trick for inverting colors on a display and a monitor. You can use the 'inverting colors' function as a photographer on Mac OS X during editing and post-production. For example, if you have a bright picture or a picture with a big area with bright colors (for example the white color) and you need to locate, edit, heal and clone out dark spots (sensor dust, airplanes, birds, etc.), inverting colors can be very handy, especially when your eyes feel tired in finding these little spots. Inverting colors in post-processing in such situations is just perfect because its much easier to find bright spots on the dark background rather than the opposite.

In order to invert colors in Mac OS X press Ctrl+Option(Alt)+Cmd+8 and your colors are inverted. To return to the normal color scheme, press the same keys again.

Article Picture: I went to the China Town when visiting Antwerp in 2010. This red Chinese lamp really stood out of the background and the environment.

Always have your camera with you - Weekend Trip to Maastricht

November 13, 2010

I don't know how many times photographers repeat it to their students but I'm sure that you're already familiar with it: take your camera anywhere you go (when possible of course). I think it was the very first thing I learned when I was starting my adventure with photography few years ago and so far it's the easiest thing to remember. Probably because I really can't move anywhere without my camera anymore. My friend once said that a camera has glued onto my hand.

Why is it important to always have a camera with you? The answer is very simple and it's common sense: you never know when an opportunity for a great shot will be. It's important to have a camera not only in situations where and when you're expected to shoot but also in random situations, like a walk, family meetings, going out for a dinner, etc. Having a camera with you allows you to be ready to capture a moment that will pass and disappear. Scott Bourne goes a bit deeper into this topic in his article "Capture A Moment – Before It Goes Away Forever" on PhotoFocus.com.

1 November (Monday) was a public holiday in Belgium. I took an opportunity of having a long weekend and I went to Maastricht (the Netherlands) where I used to live before I moved to Brussels (Belgium) in 2009. I lived in Maastricht for about 5 years, so you can imagine I have lots of good memories from there. Going back to the city where I spent 5 years of my life was a great experience and even a time-machine, if you know what I mean. I took plenty of pictures during that weekend, counted in hundreds, and it's a great feeling to look at them now.

Be creative in order to be a successful photographer

October 9, 2010

A photographer should not only know the rules of photography but he or she should also be able to break those rules and know how to do it in order to create something new, creative and unique. Why you ask? I have recently read a very interesting article titled "Your photography needs to be like Facebook" over at New Media Photographer's blog, which explains very well how important it is for professional photographers to develop and update their style and photography in order to be able to maintain their position on the market. If you follow the photography market at any parts of the world, you have probably already noticed that it definitely is not enough to shoot good pictures in order to make living out of photography.

Being good is not enough and being a cheap photographer won't take you far in the long run. The truth is that the photography market is so much saturated with (mostly) wannabe photographers and even good pro photographers have hard time to make living out of photography. But hard doesn't mean impossible, right? There are many variables that contribute towards being a successful photographer: marketing, network & networking, resources, photography knowledge & experience, creativity and many more. But it's the latter one that I would like to emphasize today. Creativity and uniqueness in photography helps you to distinguish yourself from the huge group of other photographers. As I mentioned before, being a good photographer is not enough anymore and having good marketing strategies is not necessarily a key element for obtaining new and valuable customers.

So what to do in order to have a creative and unique photography? The best way is to start off with a small photography project or assignment. This is especially useful when you're a beginner and you would like to become more visible on the market as a photographer.

- Brainstorming will play a vital role for coming up with creative ideas. I hear often that pros suggest on viewing others' works for inspiration and creativity. While it might work for the first one (inspiration), it might not be a good idea for the second one (creativity). If you start going over the work of others, there is a risk that you might actually copy the idea of someone's else, even though you'll think you came up with a creative and unique photo idea. Give yourself at least a couple of weeks for brainstorming.

- Don't forget to write down all the ideas that you have (even the smallest ones). Carry a pen and paper with you or make notes on your phone or on any device that you use and which allows you to make notes. I find myself having often new ideas while taking metro, train or just on my way to a store.

- Don't be disappointed and discouraged quickly if the first idea seem to you not appealing - it's always the case but soon you will see that more and more new and better ideas will be built on the previous ones.

- Look around you for inspiration - you'll be surprised how many creative ideas and how much interesting inspiration you can find in your daily life, in your surrounding, things that happen or people that you meet. Take your time to look around you, go to various stores that have house/kitchen tools and appliances. Even look around in your kitchen. Things that you use on a daily basis might give you some terrific ideas.

- Don't concentrate on photography equipment. In most cases, it is not the photography equipment that will contribute towards creative photography and brainstorming. If you start thinking too much about photography equipment that you don't have, you might find yourself in a vicious circle (especially when you don't have enough money to buy this equipment). Instead, you will most likely find the things that you use on a daily basis as interesting. For example, if you want to have a creative picture of a person you can use things in your kitchen (like liquid chocolate, milk, flour, etc.). Look at Bert Stephani's blog article "Creative Blogstop", especially on the pictures in the second half of the article.

- Ask your friends and family for help in brainstorming. Even though your friends and family members might not be interested in photography, they might be a great source for interesting ideas in the brainstorming phase. Ask them for help and present them with your ideas. You might be really surprised how creative they can be and how much new and great ideas they might give you!

- Give it a name. If you aim for a special project or an assignment in order to become more visible on the photography market, it's always a good idea to come up with an interesting and catchy name for it. Wait for naming it until you're done with your brainstorming. The more interesting the name, the more chances there will be that it will be popular.