PHOTOGRAPHING “GHOSTS” IN CAMERA

Although anyone can use photo editing software to create ghosts, for me it’s more fun and more photographically challenging to produce them in camera.

The two most important components are a tripod and slow exposures. A tripod is necessary to keep every detail in the image crisp/sharp, except the ghost—that’s what gives the image that mystery and mystique. Slow exposures are a must in order to blur the ghost, and not make it turn out like just a real person that looks out of focus.

The final effect will vary depending on these variables: The environment/setting; how the “ghost” is dressed; the shutter speed (1 second vs. 8 seconds); the degree of movement or motion by your ghost model.

The environment/setting. I like to choose environments that are conducive to place a “ghost” in the image. I have used interesting rooms, stair steps, stair cases, and other backgrounds.

The shutter speed. I have experimented throughout the years with different shutter speeds.  I prefer a range of around 8 seconds to 15 seconds, unless my "ghost" is moving fast. These, of course, are not magical formulated times, just estimates. This is art, not science.  A 1 second exposure doesn’t give my model enough time to move, which affects the end result. However, eight (8) seconds or longer gives the model enough movement or motion to record a ghostly apparition on the sensor or film.

Each created image will require anywhere from 1-4 tries to get the effect you want. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to get the right estimates in advance. Other times, I need to instruct my model to do this, or do that, in order to get it right.

Now, let me walk you through my ghost creation process, step by step. 

1) Sometimes I visualize my environment/backdrop in advance. If I see something when I’m
    out and about, I might keep that scene in mind as a possibility, for future reference.

2) Before I go to the scene to shoot, I decide who my ghost is going to be. I have used
    myself as my ghost. I have asked friends to serve as my models. Once, I paid a model
    to serve as my ghost. I also think of what I want my ghost to wear for what I have in
    mind.

3) Now I’m at my selected backdrop/scene.
    a) I decide on my composition first and foremost. I also remain open to any ideas
        from my model.
    b) I set up my tripod and camera based on my composition, without my model

        in the scene yet. I take test shots for composition, depth of field, and exposure.
    c) I then demonstrate what I want my model to do, how, how slowly, and when.           
        Once I start shooting, it might require 1-4 tries before it’s “a wrap.”  

Okay. Now that you know how I do it, let me share some examples.

I was in the quaint historic town of Manitou Springs, Colorado. There are some awesome stone steps there called the Manitou Place Steps. For months, I had thought they would be a great backdrop for "ghosts." 

One day I went there with that in mind---to create ghosts coming down the steps. I took my assistant with me that day to help me out. I knew in advance I was going to be my own ghost. After several attempts to create a ghost coming down the steps, I just wasn't satisfied with the results. Then, out of nowhere, this group of young friends started coming down the steps. They saw me and my tripod and one of them said, "I'm sorry, are we in your way?"     I said, "No, you're good," then quickly thought, "There's my ghost. Quick. Shoot!"

A 3-second exposure. They were walking down the steps fairly fast.

There is this secret abandoned house in Colorado I like to visit periodically. It's old, falling apart, dingy, inches of dust inside---it's great! My favorite room is an old bedroom. I call it
the "Blue Room." I have used it several times to create ghosts. This is one of my favorites. In this case, I was the ghost. It looks like the ghost is running toward its own shadow. I did
a double exposure. For both shots, the only thing moving are the ghosts. Spooky.

This was faster than most of my ghost shots (1/15), but I knew I was going to start running before my self-timer opened the shutter.

The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Built in 1886. It is known for its historic ghosts. Many guests claim to have seen spirits. I took one of their nightly ghost tours. During the tour I got this crazy idea of creating "ghost of the Crescent' images. Someone 

I know in town agreed to be my model. We spent about two hours creating ghosts inside and outside the hotel. I ended up with eight good ghost images, which are being sold as 5"x7" note cards in the hotel gallery and gift shop. I told my model, "You're famous!" She quickly replied with, "In a ghostly sort of way."

Here are three of the eight.

For this one, I asked Roz to stand on top of the fountain wall and barely sway slowly back and forth. A 15-second exposure in late evening.

I wanted the ghost to be in front of the hotel, as if thinking of her past. Note
the two (real) guests standing on the third floor balcony. I also asked Roz to
slowly sway back and forth. A 10-second exposure.

Some of the ghost stories revolve around some of the staircases in the hotel.
I wanted the ghost to be coming up the stairs as I looked down at it. For this shot,
I asked Roz to walk slowly up the stairs and pause just a second between steps. I guided her she walked. A 6-second exposure.

So, go out there and get spooky. Let your imagination run wild. Use my techniques and approach and give it your personal spin, coupled with your creativity and imagination. Most importantly, have fun with it. Send me some examples of your “ghosts.” 

If you're interested in one of these ghost images as large spooky prints on your wall, give me a shout. 

        

PHOTOGRAPHING FIREWORKS

There is more than one way to photograph fireworks. Here are some factors that can contribute to the quality of fireworks images:
1) The locale itself. Sometimes, firework displays are in great settings, like cityscapes, water reflections, or mountains as backdrops.
2) The quality of the firework displays alone can be a contributing factor.
3) Weather---rain, wind, fog, etc.

Now here are a few controllable factors that make it all worth the effort. Not all images will be "keepers," but these tips will increase your chances of getting some great fireworks---they've worked for me for many years.

First, I try to find out where the fireworks will be--from what location will the contractor be shooting off the fireworks? I like to get there several minutes before the fireworks begin, so I can find a good spot, make some test shots, decide on what focal length might work best, etc. During the display, I will alter my shots during the evening between vertical and horizontal shots. After just a few minutes, I know which of the two will work best for me during that particular evening. 

PRE SHOOT SETTINGS
Lens. Depending on where I am standing, I will decide on my focal length. Usually, my 24mm-70mm lens will be my starting point. For those tight shots of just the fireworks, I will resort to 200mm-300mm--again, based on my distance to the fireworks display. Depending on how high the fireworks go, I might also use a 17mm-20mm range.
F/stop. Depending on the situation, I usually set my f/stop between f/8 & f/11. 
I have found that anything wider gives me over-exposed images.
Shutter Speed. I use the BULB setting. That, in essence, becomes my shutter speed.
ISO. I have used 100 for years with great success. Again, BULB is my shutter speed, therefore a higher ISO is a moot subject, since I'm in control of the "shutter speed."
Shutter Release. I use my cable release for more control and so I won't touch the camera during the firework displays. A remote release would work, but I prefer my cable release.
File Type. I've heard all the reasons why RAW is the only way to go. I've tried both RAW and JPEG and have found that JPEG Fine (largest file, with lowest compression) works just fine for me. It's a personal choice, so shoot with whatever you are used to or prefer.
Focus. Definitely manual focus! The movement from all the displays will confuse your auto- focus system and you will get some out of focus shots. The fireworks will be so far away from you that f/8 should cover enough depth of field to get sharp enough images. Additionally, I don't want to freeze every single burst perfectly---I want to include those streams of color at the end of the big bursts. Note: disengage the VR feature on your lens. It doesn't know the lens is on a tripod.
Single or Multiple Shooting? This is where shooting in BULB comes in. Read below for an explanation of my technique; my approach.

MY TECHNIQUE  (always with a tripod)  

1) I aim my lens and set my focal length to where I think most of the fireworks will be that evening. I will fine-tune that after the fireworks begin.
2) I focus on any object which I think is roughly the same distance as the fireworks will be. Again, I will fine-tune that after the fireworks begin, manually focusing. I start with f/8 and adjust from there as the evening progresses.

3) This is the most important part of my technique.
A) I use any 5"x7" or slightly larger but opaque piece of material to cover and uncover my lens during the fireworks show. This can be anything: a gray card, light note book, CD cover, or just a folded 8.5"x11" piece of heavy paper. It serves as my "lens cap" AND, most importantly, my shutter!
B) When the fireworks begin, I will re-adjust my aim, focal length, and f/stop (if necessary) until I think most bursts will be covered with those adjustments. Then I tighten up my tripod head. Again, re-adjusting during the evening as needed.

C) I usually start with photographing 2-3 bursts in the same "frame." Here's how I do it. I remove my "lens cap" when I see a great display, and hit my cable release at the same time. I quickly cover my lens after I think I've photographed the first burst, but keep my finger on the cable release. When the next burst comes up, I remove my "lens cap" and photograph a second burst, then quickly cover my lens again. I now release the cable release. Voila! I have just photographed two bursts on a single "frame"-- in essence, a double exposure! I follow the same exact steps during the evening. Sometimes I repeat the process three times in a row to get 3 bursts in one image! Then I go back to just one burst. Then back to two, etc. I simply experiment back and forth all night, switching focal length, f/stop (if necessary), my aim, verticals and horizontals, and 1, 2, and 3 shots in one image.

I have gone home with some awesome fireworks images over the years using these simple in-camera technique. Here are some examples.

In Colorado, you will find some great fireworks in Breckenridge, Grand Lake, and Estes Park. In northwest Arkansas, I've read that Loch Lomond Dam in Bella Vista and Beaver Lake near Eureka Springs are good spots. 

Have fun. Loosen up. Experiment. Cheers. 

PERSPECTIVE REVISITED

In my book, Right Brain Photography, I spend an entire chapter on the subject of composition. I mention seven key principles of effective composition. For this month's tip, I will focus on just one of them--perspective. All seven principles are important, but if you forced me to rank them, I'd have to place perspective on the top of the list. 


We are all so programmed that most of our images, if not all, are created from eye level. The most common variation is either a horizontal or vertical; landscape or portrait format--but all from eye level, as we stand there and shoot.

As viewers, we can't always tell that the photographer took a different, unique approach to perspective. All we know is that we like the image; it's different. And sometimes the perspective is so obvious that the image has that "wow" factor. In both cases, they take the "common" out of those common subjects. Here are some examples of where I took a different perspective other than straight from eye level.


For this image, I placed my camera close to and below this giant crucifix at a cemetery. I aimed the camera straight up at the statue and shot it hand held, making sure that I got a fast enough shutter speed to hand hold. I just happened to get a little bit of flare from the sun, which added to the religious-themed image. There is no rule that says our eyes have to be behind the view finder to get a shot.

I did just the opposite for this image. I held my camera in front of me, slightly above my shoulders, aiming it straight down on this historic table setting. I changed my ISO to 800 in order to get a fast enough shutter speed to hand hold the camera in a dark indoor setting. 

I saw this small piece on the side of a giant train engine. It was in an awkward place where I could not get a clean shot, so I placed my camera close to the engine and aimed it at about a 45-degree angle to it. The silver/gray part of the image is actually the side of the big engine, which was facing me. You're looking almost straight up at the red knob.

I got very low with my tripod for this one, about two feet. At that level,
the cobble stones "took" me into the image. It would not have had the same feel if I had been standing. There wasn't much color in the scene, except for one man's red umbrella, so I converted the original to a B&W, leaving the red umbrella untouched.

We have all seen photos of mountains. But what would they look like if we were at the very top of the mountains looking down at the world? That is exactly what I did after I scaled Quandry (sic) Peak in Colorado---14, 265 feet! 

Whether we are photographing small, medium, or large subjects, we can make the common uncommon by taking a different perspective. Most importantly, we may oftentimes not get a photograph simply because the subject looks too common or mundane, therefore missing out on some unique images. 

So, next time you think something just isn't worth a photograph, look again, think again, and reconsider your perspective, beginning with how you see life around you. 

CONVERTING IMAGES TO SEPIA

We have all seen those old weathered historic photos of old buildings, downtown streets, and even people from the 1800s or later. Some of them are in black & white, while others have that reddish-brown hue to them. Those latter photos are said to have a sepia color to them.

Fast-forward the picture to 2016. There is an easy way to convert modern-day color photos to sepia. All you need is photo editing software that has the options to 1) Convert to 

B&W (black & white) and, 2) Adjust the color balance to your photos.

If you do have those options/tools, here are some quick and easy steps to achieve that sepia look to your images.

1) Select an image that will look good in sepia. I prefer old buildings, old cars or machinery,
    outdoor museums, and old trains and railroad scenes.

2) Convert the image to a B&W image. You can make adjustments to that image either  
    prior to converting it to sepia, or after. That's your choice. Adjustments can include
    brightness, contrast, vibrance, etc. Whatever looks good to you.

3) Once you have the conversion to B&W, save that B&W image as a copy. You don't want 

    to lose your original.           

4) Now that you are looking at your B&W image, go to Select Image-->Adjustments-->Color

    Balance. When you get to color balance, select the slider that shows Cyan and Red. 

    Move the slider toward the red side. How far you go with it simply depends on your taste, 

    and how brownish or reddish you prefer.    

Below are examples of the interesting results you can get. You can also add a vignette if you have that option, as I did for a couple of these examples. 

                                      Downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
                                      Not a soul in sight at 6:00 am. 1990s. 

                                      Part of downtown, Crested Butte, Colorado,
                                      with vignette added.

 Caboose, fence and street light. Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden, Colorado,

 with slight white vignette.

                                  

                                                    Colorado Railroad Museum

                                                      A beautifully restored '31 Ford

As you can see, they all have a slightly different feel to them, in terms of the degree of brownish-reddish look.

So, pick a couple of your favorite photos that are conducive to this type of vintage looking photographs and convert them to sepia. Have fun.

Eli Vega,
Author of Right Brain Photography

THE ART OF SLOW SHUTTER SPEEDS
(Why not to use auto everything)

You can do a lot of fun and artistic stuff with slow shutter speeds, even if your subject is not moving. I'm talking about shutter speeds in the range of 1/5 of a second to 60 minutes. My 

examples for my tip this month range from 1/5 of a second to 5 minutes. I can get long exposures even when shooting in AV mode (Aperture Priority) because I understand the relationship between f/stops and shutter speeds--I'll save that discussion for a future tip of the month. For exposures longer than 30 seconds, I use the BULB setting. 

Let me share some examples of the opportunities that open up when we use slow shutter speeds, even with stationary subjects. 

I made sure I got a slow shutter speed so I would have time to move my camera slowly to the left. A 1/5th of a second allowed me to do that for this image. 

For this image, I did not want to depict the strong, powerful, vibrating force of the rushing waters of Ouzel Falls in Colorado. I wanted to create the peaceful, soothing feeling I got when I was there. A 1/6th of a second on fast-moving waters gave me the effect I wanted.

This image was also created with 1/6th of a second, but, unlike the image above, I chose that speed so I could move my camera slightly downward. The result was an artistic rendition of this stationary flower.

Maroon Bells in Colorado is a magnet for photographers, me included. I have photographed it several times, mostly in the fall, and usually in the early morning hours when there are 20 other photographers doing the same thing. During my last visit, I was there in the morning, but I also decided to photograph it in late afternoon. By the time I got there, the sun had already set behind the mountains. Rather than give up on it, I decided to get a long exposure. I had done that before with another nature scene and it worked well for me. So, I tried a 25-second exposure and got this translation of Maroon Bells after sunset. When you leave the shutter open that long, the sensor (or film) is just sucking up light. The result is completely different, and better, than what the eyes see. Don't see with your eyes; see with your imagination.

Whatcom Falls in the town of Bellingham, Washington got my attention. As with the Ouzel Falls image, I wanted to create that soothing peaceful feel. The water was not flowing as fast as Ouzel Falls. 1.3 seconds (shown as 1.3" in the camera) was all it took to get this soothing effect. 

A 1/30th of a second shutter speed in broad daylight allowed me to slightly zoom into this grove of aspens. Some of you are wondering, "How can you get a shutter speed that slow in broad daylight?" The answer: with an f/29 aperture. 

For this image, which is on the cover of my new book, RIGHT BRAIN PHOTOGRAPHY (Be an artist first), I chose to photograph these formations at Garden of The Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado at night. Yes, at night! It was about 10-15 minutes after sunset. It was dark. I picked these formations because of the composition they and the formations in the distance gave me. Setting my camera to BULB, I "painted" the formations with two everyday off-road emergency flashlights for about 5 minutes.

The Ultimate Photographer's Goal: Get The Correct Exposure. Really?

I cover this topic in more detail in my new book, Right Brain Photography (Be an artist first). 

Are you sitting down for this? There is no "correct" exposure. There is only the right exposure, as defined by you. If you like the way your image looks, it's the right exposure. 

Many photographers gasp in disbelief when I tell them I don't look at my histogram. In fact, 
I have mine turned off. It gets in my way. Why? Because the histogram is driven by the camera's built-in light meter, and I don't trust it to give me the "look" I want. It is engineered to let me know when all tones are evenly distributed throughout the image, or not. Well, guess what? I usually do not want all tones evenly distributed throughout my images. That, to me, can look very boring and more like just a great snap shot.

This is part of being an artist first. I don't want a left-brain engineered graph to determine my desired creative aesthetics.

Here are some examples that illustrate what I mean. If I were to look at the histograms related to each of these images, they would all tell me, "Dude, you are way off!"

The histogram for this image says, "Whoa! You're way to the left toward the black side of things!" To get this result, I under exposed this scene by -2 stops!! In photography terms, that means I "under exposed" the image by 200% from what it "should be." Now you see why I ignore the histogram.

Using spot metering to create this, again, the histogram was scolding me! I'm glad I didn't     adjust my exposure to get the "correct" histogram.

Same story here. I spot-metered on the brightest part of this giant leaf, giving me
a -2.33 stops under exposure. When I offer my 1-on-1 lessons and tell my students
to under expose by 1-3 stops, they gasp, fearing the worst---until they see the results.

By now you know what the histogram looked like for this image. It said, "Are you crazy?" This too was at a -2.33 stops under exposed. I have gone as far as -3 stops for some of my images.

Now, this image would have come closer to satisfying the histogram. Which one would you choose? This is also closer to what it looked like to the naked eye. This is why I teach in my book to see with your imagination (see image above), not your eyes (image below).

My challenge to you is to go out and experiment with under exposures. Don't be afraid. Ignore what the books and pundits tell you-- just relax and go for it! Photography is more art than science. 

Contact me if you would like some 1-on-1 field lessons on how I combine technical know-how with creative aesthetics. 

www.elivega.net 

 Converting Backgrounds Into Backdrops 

This is really part of my concept of "seeing with your imagination." Next time you see something you like, but you notice the background is too busy and ugly, don't keep walking. Look at it again and ask yourself, "What could I make this look like?"

Sometimes it is just simply impossible to eliminate unwanted backgrounds, but the following tips will help you with that frequent dilemma. There are three easy techniques I use to convert backgrounds into backdrops. I mention these in more detail in my book.

1) I use f/stops like f/2.8 and f/4, which give me wide apertures and thus blurred
    backgrounds.

2) I use my 32" diffuser to eliminate ugly, unappealing backgrounds.
3) I use my "props" to create in-studio looking images when in the field. 

The following are examples of the results I get when I apply these simple techniques. Let's start with the first one--the use of low-number f/stops.

For me, although these are interesting and colorful blooms, the background is just too busy. Two things happen when we take a photo like this. First, psychologically, we really don't notice the background because we are so caught up in the foreground plants. Secondly, when we go home and look at it, we proclaim with disappointment, "They looked much better than this when I was there," right?

                                  f/22                                    

Now, with just two simple steps, I converted the above image to this. Instead of f/22, I used f/4 to get a blurred background. Then, I underexposed the scene by a minus one and two-third stops! The combination of those two adjustments subdued the background and made the foreground "pop." It doesn't even look like the same scene, huh?

f/4

Now let me illustrate my second tip, the use of my diffuser.

I simply opened and placed my diffuser right up against the flowers in the background in order to soften them. The effect forced them softly into the backgound. They complement the foreground, not compete for attention. 

My third tip involves the use of one of my favorite props-- a large piece of black (non-reflective) velvet material, which I carry with me when I'm shooting nature close-ups. Again, the goal is to eliminate or minimize unwanted backgrounds.

So, here is what this scene looked like to the naked eye. No doubt, they are very nice flowers, but, wow, what a background. It's enough to force most photographers to keep walking.

  

Now look how dramatically different they look with a studio-like effect, by simply placing a black piece of material behind them--that's all!! The different exposure and background enhance the hues, making the flowers more vibrant .

These are but a few of the many tips, ideas, and techniques I share in my new book, RIGHT BRAIN PHOTOGRAPHY (Be an artist first). 

If you are nearby, call me for a customized private 1-on-1 lesson. I will walk you slowly through every step necessary to convert pictures to artistic images.