PHOTO TIPS ON GETTING GREAT FIREWORKS

I like what Jackson Pollock said about his splashing and splattering paint on his canvasses on the floor. He liked not having complete control of the outcomes. Such is the case with shooting fireworks--but therein lies the challenge. 

I always say that photography is more art than science. My right brain shakes hands with my left brain and says, "Hey. I've got an idea, and this is what I need from you."

Let's start with the idea. The idea for me is to get, during the 30 minutes or so of fireworks displays, single, double, and even triple exposures. In other words, photograph single bursts in the sky, maybe two different bursts in the same "frame," and even three bursts in the same "frame." So, what what does my right brain tell my left brain to do? Here are the steps.

 

1) Tripod-- this is a must. I prefer a user-friendly ball head on my tripod.
2) Lens: Depends on how far I am from the fireworks and whether I'm going to include any foreground or just the 'works up in the sky. This year I used my 17mm-50mm because I was close to a lake in Estes Park, Colorado and also close enough to the fireworks that my 50mm could get those close-ups too.
3) ISO-- 100 to minimize "noise" and get more crisp details.
4) F/stop--- f/8 (that seems to be a good standard for me--since the 'works are far enough  from me that I don't need f/16 or higher).
5) Focus mode-- Manual. Fireworks, because they're moving, will confuse my auto focus and I'll miss some great displays. I just focus roughly where most of the fireworks are coming up--- f/8 will do the rest, i.e., cover most distance changes between bursts.
6) Exposure setting: BULB. Read your manual on how to set your shutter speed to BULB.
7) Cable release-- this is a must to eliminate camera shake caused by depressing the shutter button with my finger.
Now, here's where the fun begins.

8) I use any piece of opaque material as my "shutter"--This year I used three 8.5"x11" pieces of paper folded in half. That allowed me to get some double & triple exposures during the night. This is how I use it as my "shutter."
A) I open the shutter with my cable release and keep it open, but cover my lens with my 

     "shutter"--no light coming in. As soon as the first display shows, I take away my 

     "shutter," i.e., remove my faux shutter and leave it off until the first burst begins to 

     dissipate. Then I quickly put it back (in essence, "close" my "shutter"). Then I release    

     my cable release---I just got my first shot.
B) For my double exposures, I follow the same as above, except I don't release my cable 

     release after the first shot, but I quickly cover my lens with my "shutter" after the first 

     burst. When the second display comes up, I again take away the "shutter" for my 

     second shot, then release my cable release. For my triple exposure, I do the same, 

     except repeat the process two times. 

This technique allowed me to keep my real shutter open for up to 19 seconds for one triple exposure shot without overexposing the end result. Although my real shutter was open for 19 seconds, each of the three exposures really received one to five-second exposures.

And here are some 2014 results from my technique. Try this next time. It's a lot of fun!!
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

                        

 

CONVERTING PHOTOS TO BLACK & WHITE IMAGES

I am a color photographer--I favor those awesome brilliant primary and secondary colors. However, sometimes some images just lend themselves well to B&W renditions. As you might expect, I don't have too many of those. However, I have some in my collection, even a few I display in my gallery on my website. 

Here are a couple of scenarios when I might decide to convert to a B&W image. Sometimes there just isn't much color to play with, but if the subject appeals to me, if I can create an appealing and interesting composition, and if I see a lot of contrast between lights, darks, and mid-tones, I will sometimes get the shot, knowing that I am going to convert it. Whew, that that was a long sentence. I almost ran out of breath writing it!

Here's another scenario. Sometimes, it doesn't occur to me to convert an image to B&W until I see it on my computer monitor. At times, the image, though it may look good in color, 

I sense that it could also look good in B&W. As in the example in this article.

One thing I like about this type of conversion is that I can add contrast and vibrance without negatively affecting colors and hues, which can happen to color images.

Here are some of the different photo editing software tools and commands I like to use. Everybody has his/her own preferences, but these are the ones that work for me.

> Black & White image adjustment. I prefer this to 'desaturate' because I get to experiment with filters like reds and yellows the way black & white photographers did in the olden days.
> Brightness & contrast. Results can be better with black and white than with color images.

> Vibrance. I find that I can add contrast without adding contrast when working in B&W. 

> Shadows/Highlights. This tool is deceiving because I can not only increase or decrease the variance between highlights and shadows in the image, but also for the mid-tones. I like to see gradations of darks, mid-tones, and whites in B&W images--they're more dramatic. 

I don't mind deep shadows in areas that are not key players in an image. They give the image a sense of three-dimensionality that is often missing in HDR applications.

> Filters. Primarily, I use 'noise reduction'--'despeckle' and 'reduce noise' per channel. If the sky is the only area needing noise reduction, I might select the sky and leave the rest of the image untouched.The 'sharpen' filter I use only as needed, and not too much.
> Tone Curve (highlights/lights & darks/shadows). I only use these if I cannot get what I want by using Shadows/Highlights mentioned above.

I intentionally did not recommend how much of this or that to apply. That is strictly a personal choice, depending on what and how we want the image to look like. Experiment. Every image will need different degrees of applications.

Okay, now let me show you the results of the above mentioned applications to one of my many images of The Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. Enjoy.

    
  

 

  

CONVERTING BACKGROUNDS INTO BACKDROPS

My favorite use of f/stops is to convert backgrounds, especially ugly ones, into nice, pleasing backdrops. Given the right conditions, those converted backdrops can look like 

I was in the studio and pulled down a backdrop to suit my subject. 

There are a few factors to remember that will help us achieve that illusion.
1) Select wider f/stops, like f/2.8, f/4, f/5. Your choice will depend on exactly what it is you 

    want your image to look like.
2) Don't get too far from your subject. The closer you are, the easier it is to blur the 

    background. Different lenses create different-looking blur effects. But, any type of blur is 

    better than too much depth of field. Caution: be aware of how close your lens can focus!

3) The distance of the background from your main subject. The farther the background 

    elements are from your subject, the easier it will be to blur them out.

4) A 100mm lens will create more blur than a 17mm lens, given the same f/stop. The   

    reason for that is that the actual f/stop diameter size is larger in the 100mm lens, or any 

    large focal length lens. I take advantage of that when I want to distance myself from my 

    subject, yet still get some nice blurred backgrounds.

5) The focusing point is very critical. It doesn't help, even at an f/2.8, if I focus on the 

    background, or close to it, instead of my subject. The technique I use to maximize the 

    amount of background blur is "selective focusing"-- I shoot in manual focus, so I can 

    carefully and selectively choose the point within the scene which I want to focus on.

Here are a couple of examples to illustrate the above points. I could have blurred the background even more for the second image. Ordinarily, I would have chosen f/2.8 or f/3.2.  Additionally, I could have done some selective focusing on the first example to increase the non-blur effect. However, I chose the f/stops I used to illustrate that, even with less expensive lenses, you can still blur the background. The focus point was on the center of the yellow flower, for both images, because that would be a typical thing to do--not the way 

I would do it. Again, I did so to illustrate that anyone can do this.

f/22

At f/22, the flower doesn't stand out like I would like. The background is not blurred sufficiently to give me that backdrop effect. Therefore, the background competes with the flower for attention. Also, the image looks too one-dimensional with that minimal blur in the background.

f/5.6

 

Much better, even at f/5.6. The flower really stands out. The background doesn't compete for attention the way it does in the first one. And, sharpness in the foreground, contrasted against the blurred background, gives this image more of a two-dimensional effect. 

This simple technique to photography is a great way to make a one-dimensional object, a photograph, appear to be two-dimensional. Through the creative use of f/stops, we can produce artistic results which we are not used to seeing with the naked eye--and therein lies the beauty and fun of photography!
 

You can find other examples of this technique on my website, in my Abstracts & Close-Ups room. See if you can spot them.

So, now go out there and explore, experiment, push the envelope, and have fun with it. Enjoy! 

 

         
 

TRICKS OF THE TRADE--TIPS FOR USING DIFFUSERS

One of my favorite "props" is my loyal diffuser. First, what is a diffuser? As the name implies, it diffuses, or softens, harsh bright light. I am mostly an available light photographer, so my favorite type of diffuser is a circular diffuser. It is made of very thin translucent material, almost parachute-like, and serves as a "soft box" for the sun. Diffusers come in different sizes/diameters--22"-42" and bigger! I use a 32" diffuser, which serves my purposes. 

Here is a photo of what mine looks like when fully open. It collapses to a utilitarian size of 12" in its light flexible black casing with a zipper, which fits nicely into my camera bag. When collapsed in its "pouch," I use the pouch as my lens "hood" to minimize and sometimes eliminate that ugly flare in photography. 

 

My most common use is to soften harsh sunlight hitting my subjects on a bright sunny day. I use my diffuser enhance, thus improve what my eyes actually see. I simply place it between the sun and my subject. Let me show you a couple of examples.

No diffuser. When we look at something like this, it wows us at the moment. However, look at how deep the shadows are in the folds of those leaves. The flowers look very contrasty. Also, the colors on them, though bright, have shadows that are too harsh for my taste. Granted, in some situations, all that can work, but not in this particular scenario. 

 

With diffuser. I prefer soft colors over harsh contrasty colors. I prefer colors that "pop"--not colors that "jump" at me. Notice also how smoothly the hues and tones merge within the folds of those greens. Diffused lighting also makes it easier for that nasty built-in light meter to give us a more consistent look throughout the scene. It also eliminates the need for one-hour "post processing" or HDR work.

  

I also use my diffuser to serve as a backdrop. This small sculpture was surrounded by bamboo. When I placed the diffuser between the statue and right up against the bamboo, the shadows from the bamboo created interesting and intriguing patterns. 

Sometimes I use the diffuser to create the illusion of a studio shot. First, notice how "busy" this iris looks without the diffuser, even with a shallow depth of field.

I did not realize how beautifully translucent irises really are, until I introduced the diffuser. It looks like an image created in a studio, with a white backdrop with slight folds. Yes, this is the same identical iris, at the same identical location, at the same time of day.

Now that you have learned some new tricks of the trade, go out and get yourself a diffuser. My kit is called a 5-in-1: Diffuser, white backdrop, black backdrop, silver reflector, and gold reflector. 

I heard a great comment from a college basketball coach that applies to photography/art. He was asked why one of his players was so good at shooting 3-pointers. The coach quickly replied, "He's not afraid to miss." So, play, explore, experiment...and don't be afraid to miss!

Eli
www.elivega.net

THE TRUTH ABOUT DEPTH OF FIELD--SIZE DOES MATTER, PART II

Most of us have heard the stand-by idiom regarding f/stops and depth-of-field (DOF): For more depth-of-field, use a larger number f/stop (e.g. f/16, f/22, etc). That is true, and I follow that idiom myself. I always tell my students that when you want a lot of depth-of-field and are not sure what f/stop to use, when in doubt, f/22. And that is also true. I would rather get more DOF than I need, than not enough.

However, did you know that it is not only the f/stop used that gives us more depth of field? Among other factors, the size of the opening, or diaphragm in our lenses also gives us more, or less, depth-of-field. For example, wide angle lenses, by design, have smaller openings, at any equivalent f/stop setting, than non wide angle lenses.

Let's look at a comparison. These two photographs were taken from the exact same spot (about 3 feet from the closest subject), same perspective, and with the same f/stop (f/11). The only difference was focal length. One photo was made at a 17mm focal length setting; the other at 70mm. Now, keep in mind, the comparison was only 17 vs. 70. As you will see, a variance of only 53 mm can make a big difference.    

F/11 @70mm. Note the blurred background

 f/11 @17mm. Note the depth-of-field coverage.
(I cropped the wide angle shot to show the difference)

So, what does this mean in actual in-the-field application? For me, I do use the old stand-by rule of thumb. However, if I am in a situation where I want a lot of depth of field AND a fast enough shutter speed to get what I want (assuming I'm shooting at 17mm), I might sacrifice a little f/stop (say f/16 or f/18 vs. f/22), in order to get a faster shutter speed, knowing that I am still going to get the depth-of-field I need. By doing so, I will also get a faster shutter speed on top of that, without having to increase my ISO. I can have my cake and eat it too!! Where does that saying come from anyway?   

SURREALISM THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

In my upcoming book, RIGHT BRAIN PHOTOGRAPHY (Be an artist first), I spend a lot of time on my 5-point photo art model. One of those points is surrealism. Just last year I made a slide presentation to a camera club entitled "Impressionism & Surrealism Through Photography," which was a precursor to my book. After my presentation, one of the club members came up to me and commented about my surrealistic images."You know," she said, "I've seen a lot of similar scenes like you showed, but I just kept walking. I'm going to slow down next time." 

I studied the Surrealists during my three years as an art major at Texas Tech University. Ever since I first picked up a camera, I have been incorporating the concepts and characteristics of surrealism into my photography. Like Salvador Dalí, I make the common uncommon and can turn the sane insane.

Here is but one example of my surrealistic photo art. The artist, Chula Walker-Griffith, called it "Rain Forest of Gabon." Unfortunately, that rain forest, and the restroom, no longer exist.    I call my interpretation, "It's A Jungle In There." I had to work fast with my tripod and 17mm lens, before people got suspicious and started knocking on the door.

So, go out there and try your hand at surrealistic photography. Look for unexpected juxtaposition of themes, people, animals, objects, and other stuff--you define "stuff."   

While you're exploring, visit me at www.elivega.net and on my Facebook.

ART FROM ART

I rarely photograph other people's art, unless I can create my own art from it. Such was the case when I attended this year's annual Breckenridge (Colorado) International Snow Sculpture competition. Even though I photographed several of the 12-ft sculptures, my favorite images were those where I "tightened up," or closed in tight to only a small portion of the large and ornate sculptures.

One particular sculpture got my attention: the Wisconsin team's sculpture titled "Wander," a story in a sculpture of the pilgrimage of the Monarch butterfly--did you know those little critters migrate between southern Canada and Mexico? It was a relatively warm sunny day in Breckenridge--something the artists don't like because their art begins to melt. Their disappointment served as fodder for my art. I tell my students that there's always a picture within a picture. After I photographed the detailed sculpture, I started scanning several parts of it, which led me to the swan-like shape on the upper left part of the sculpture. As I carefully inspected that piece, I noticed that the warming temperatures were creating a slow drip from the beak. I instinctively knew that was my shot.

After I got my composition, my next challenge was to catch a drop of melting cold water in mid air. I studied it first and mentally timed how long one single drop took to separate from the melting beak. In doing so I could also tell that when it did actually fall, it went very fast. So I knew I had to use a very fast shutter speed. I already had my ISO set 200, which is where I normally keep it. I chose f/8 because I didn't have much depth of field to play with. That combination gave me a shutter speed of 1/1600--more than fast enough to "freeze" those little drops in mid air. It took me eight tries to get what I wanted. 

Below is the entire sculpture. For a sense of scale, note the person to the left of the sculpture. As you can see, what I saw can be easily overlooked. That's why I like to slowly scan to see what else I can extract from the scene before me. This is part of my "I.S.E.E SOMETHING" model, which I discuss in my 3-day workshops in Rocky Mountain National Park, and which I will introduce in my upcoming book, RIGHT BRAIN PHOTOGRAPHY (Be an artist first). 

So, go out and see what you can extract from the big picture! Have fun.                                                                  

                                                                  www.elivega.net