Tips and Tricks

Welcome back for another installment of Tips and Tricks, a Photo Trek exclusive where I discuss a photography related topic.  Each month I try to pick out a topic that has recently come up in my email communications.  Over the years I have tackled topics as broad as what makes a good picture, and as detailed as how to effectively use a remote shutter release.  I strive to teach with every entry and share some of what I have learned in my short tenure as a photographer.  This month we will be dealing with a question that was brought up some time ago and deals with the use of an often misunderstood, or even forgotten filter.  I am speaking of a split ND filter, or otherwise knows as a graduated neutral density filter.

I have discussed this filter briefly in a previous Tips and Tricks, but have not really given it its fair shake.  Much like the polarizing filter, the split ND filter is invaluable in landscape photography and is one of the must haves in my book.  It is the use of this filter that allows the photographer to keep a nice and even exposure between the ground and the sky.  I'm sure that we all have taken what we thought was going to be a great picture, but it turned out that the sky was featureless, or the ground was so dark we couldn't make out any features.  There are also times that neither the sky nor the ground are exposed correctly and the picture turns out to be a complete flop.  Through the use of a graduated ND filter, this problem can be rectified to a large extent.

So, what exactly is a graduated ND filter?  Quite simply, it is a filter that has a clear half, and a tinted half that adds density without color to your image.  The tinted half is much like a regular neutral density filter in that it reduces the amount of light that is able to pass by without adding any color to the recorded image.  It is the clear half that provides the key to this filter.  By placing the clear half over the ground, and the dark half over the sky, you are reducing the difference in exposure between the two elements.  The filters come in different strengths for different applications with the most popular being a 2-stop filter which reduces the light by a full 2 stops where the dark half is.  Below you will see an example of how this works.

This is an unedited photograph straight from the camera which was exposed for the ground.  You will notice that the sky is completely blown out in the upper left, and the mountains in the distance are a bit overexposed as well.

This is the same composition, with the same camera settings taken mere seconds later after the addition of a 2-stop soft edge gradual ND filter.  You will notice that the ground is largely unchanged, but the distant mountains as well as the sky are all much more accurately exposed.  This is the better photograph.

While this effect can be duplicated in Photoshop or other similar image editor, it takes time. Also, if the original photograph is badly blown out as in my first example, you won't have the needed information for the software to recreate the detail.  You can bracket your exposure and merge several frames into one later during post processing, but do you really want to spend that kind of time in front of the computer when you can use a simple filter and get it right in the field?

There are two main types of split ND filters, the screw on, and the slot-in filter.  Both have their positives and their negatives.  The more common is the screw on type and I have mentioned these filters many times in previous tutorials.  The benefit here is simplicity.  When you need the filter, you take it out of the case and screw it on the front of the lens.  This is a two piece filter that works a lot like a polarizer with one ring that screws onto the filter mounting threads on the lens, and another ring that houses the actual filter.  With this design, you can rotate the filter to keep the dark section where you want it (usually the sky).

As you can see from the bottom right, the filter is divided in half with a gradual transition between clear and tinted.  This represents a huge compromise you have to make in composition.  As you will recall, it is usually not a good idea to place the horizon in the dead center of the frame, but with this filter, you are limited to just that type of composition.  This is a huge drawback to this type of filter, but I was able to make one work for a couple of years, so it is not insurmountable by any means.

There has to be a better option than having the dividing line smack dab in the middle...right?  Well, there is, but it requires a bit more effort, as well as expense.  This is the slot-in filter.  Basically, this is a sheet of glass, resin, or plastic that is treated with the tint on one half and left clear on the other half.  The dividing line can either be gradual, or a hard edge.  Yes, I know, the dividing line is still in the middle.  How is that going to help my composition?  Well, remember this is just a sheet, not a screw on filter.  There is a holder which mounts to the lens of the camera which holds the filter sheet.

Here you can see the whole contraption attached the end of my 17-40mm f/4L lens.  It is most definitely more cumbersome than the screw on filter, but so much more flexible when it comes to compositions.  What this starts with is the basic filter mount, which in this case is provided by Lee Filter Systems.

You can see the slots where the filters slide into the holder.  They are held in place by friction and are quite secure.  The basic filter holder is equipped to hold three slot filters and one screw on filter.  You can modify this by removing slots, or adding more.  There is a primary ring that is screwed onto the lens as a screw on filter would.  The holder is then clamped onto this ring in a way that allows it to be rotated independent of the mounting ring itself.  The rings are purchased separately and can be had for a multitude of different filter diameters.  They all step up to the same size for the filter holder.  This allows you to keep one size holder, and one size filter for all of your lenses...you just need to invest in the different adaptor rings.

The brass pull is the release that allows you to remove the entire filter holder with filters attached.  This leaves the mounting ring which has threads for a screw on filter if that is what you need for the current shot.  Also visible in this shot is the length to which the slots protrude beyond the lens.  This can potentially cause vignetting (dark corners) with extreme wide angle lenses.  If you have a problem with vignetting, it is simple to remove the last slot from the housing without any ill effects.  I have only seen a problem with my 10-24mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, and only at the widest setting.

With the filters inserted into the housing, you can now control where the division line is in relation to your composition.  Since they are held in by friction, you have total control over where the filter is placed, and since the housing rotates, you can alter the effect from the standard horizontal as well.

 

There are quite a few filter systems out there to choose from.  Cokin is probably the most popular with their Z-Pro and X-Pro line.  The sell the holders as well as the filters.  It is my opinion that the Cokin holder is not of the same quality as the Lee holder, and there have been many negative reviews on the Cokin system when it comes to vignetting on the wide angle lenses.  The Lee holder seemed to do the best in this regard, and offered much more flexibility over the Cokin.  The filters themselves are another area where it pays to do your research.  Cokin uses resin filters which might not be optically perfect (up for debate).  Lee uses glass filters and are generally regarded as very good filters.  However, for my money, Singh-Ray makes the best filters around, and they are custom made per your order.

I am using Singh-Ray Split ND filters and could not be happier.  Lower quality filters have a tendency to introduce a slight color cast to the scene...the Singh-Ray filters do not.  They are available in different strengths, as well as hard or soft edge.  I have found that most situations can be covered with either a 2-stop or 3-stop filter.  For further flexibility, I use both the hard and soft edged versions.  The hard edge is good for anything with a straight horizon like the ocean, while the soft edge is better for horizons with varying terrain like a cityscape, or mountains.  Because of the filter diameter on my lenses (up to 77mm) I was forced to get a large sized slot in filter set.  I have found the 4x6in filters work great with the Lee holder.  The extra length allows me to place the dividing line of the filter anywhere within the frame of the picture, for ultimate control over composition.

 

The actual use of these filters is pretty straightforward once you have them fitted to the lens.  Your first step is to compose the picture in your viewfinder the way you would like it to look.  Check the difference in exposure with your internal light meter to see how much you would like to reduce the exposure of the sky.  After you know this information, you will be able to select the strength of the filter that is needed.  You will then rotate (and slide your slot in filter) to place the dividing line on your horizon.  You will need to pay particular attention to whether you need a hard or soft edge if you have a choice.  Once you are satisfied with the placement of the filter, you will take your meter reading as you would normally.  Your exposure should be much more even between the ground and the sky.

The split ND filter is not just used for evening out the exposure, it can also be used creatively to really saturate the sky during a sunrise or sunset by underexposing without penalizing the ground exposure.  Two different split filters can be used at once as well to amplify the effect or apply it differently across the scene.  Regardless of how you choose to use this filter, keep in mind it takes a bit of getting used to before you become proficient with it.  However, it is very much worth getting familiar with because it can really play a large part in the success of your landscape images.

Written by: Greg A. Kiser

radar446 at 11:06:15 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 1 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

It is the end of yet another month, and is once again time to discuss a topic in photography.  There are so many things to learn about photography which is one of the things that keeps me fascinated with it.  At every turn I am either learning something new, or tweaking a skill I already have.  That is what Tips and Tricks is all about.  I hope to share things that am, or have learned so as to keep everyone thinking about their own skill set.  By doing this, not only do I improve as a photographer, I hope to have an impact on your photography as well.

This month I would like to discuss a skill that I have not been too concerned with over the past few years...hand held photography.  Sure it sounds simple enough, but everyone has taken a blurry picture before and wondered what happened, and how not to make the same mistake again.  So, here we go...put away the tripods and monopods for a while and grab your camera, lets take some pictures!

I still say the best way to achieve a nice and sharp image (especially when printing large) is to use a tripod, mirror lock up, and remote release when taking a picture.  However, there are plenty of times when a tripod is just not an available option.  For instance on my recent Trek to Alaska, I went on a day cruise where the papers specifically said "No Tripods".  There was also a trip to an aquarium where it was just not an appropriate thing to do, nor was there time.  Many of you may take most of your photographs of friends and family in candid moments where a tripod would just get in the way.  regardless, there are times that you have to, or want to just hold on and snap away.  We are going to spend some time looking at the settings, some of the optional camera features, and ways to hold the camera that will make this type of photography more successful.

Basic camera settings for handheld photography

There are some things that you do on most any camera to give yourself a better chance at success in handheld photography.  Your first consideration is the shutter speed.  If you are shooting auto, this will be decided by the camera, but if you would like a bit more control over things you can take the initiative and choose your own.  The best rule of thumb is you want to keep your shutter speed faster than the reciprocal of your focal length.  All that I'm saying is if you are using a 125mm (in 35mm format) focal length for your shot, you will need to keep your shutter speed at 1/125 sec or faster.  The wider angle you go, the slower your shutter speed can go, but the tighter a shot (zoomed in) the fast it needs to be to avoid that blur.

One of the best ways to speed up your shutter speed is to open up your aperture.  This will allow more light in so the shutter doesn't have to remain open as long.  The tradeoff here is you will lose your depth of field as the f/number gets smaller.  If that is not an option and you need the depth of field for your particular purpose, then the other setting that is available to you is your ISO setting. 

 

On a DSLR camera you will usuallyfind the ISO selection button on the exterior of the camera.  This is done to allow you to change this valuable setting easily.  One thing to keep in mind about the ISO is the higher you go, the more noise that is generated in the picture.  Digital noise is rarely desired in a picture, but sometimes the tradeoff is worth it.  Keep in mind also that each generation of camera that comes out is better able to handle the higher ISO's.  Actually, digital has suppressed film in this area for the first time, and will create usable images well up over ISO3200 now on some models.  For the most part DSLR cameras will snap noise free up to around ISO800.

For those shooting with a point and shoot, you also have the ability to change the ISO, although you have to do that by going into the menu for the most part.  Also keep in mind that point and shoot cameras are much more susceptible to digital noise because of their smaller sensors.

 

Optional Camera Features to Look For

One of the newer technologies to hit the consumer marketplace in the last few years is Image Stabilization.  This is called different things by different manufacturers, but it all does pretty much the same thing.  Both DSLR's and point and shoots can benefit from this feature.  With DSLR cameras, the IS can be found in either the lens (as in Canon and Nikon), or in the body of the camera directly on the sensor (as in Sony, and Pentax).

What Image Stabilization does is to detect subtle camera movements (called camera shake) and correct for it either by moving the optics in the lens, or moving the sensor to counteract the slight movement.  Depending on the manufacturer, you are looking at a safety net of sorts of 1-4 stops of shutter speed.  Using the IS feature you can now use that same 125mm lens and shoot as slow as 1/64 second.  That is a powerful tool to have when it comes to handheld photography.

As you can see above, on an SLR lens that has the IS feature, there will be a button to turn this on or off.  When hand holding go ahead and leave it on, but be sure and turn it off if used on a tripod since you will actually get some blur as the IS works on a steady platform.  The other button that you might also see is the Mode selector.  If you have this option, it tells the IS how you want it to work.  With this Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS option #1 will allow the IS to correct for both horizontal and vertical shake.  This is how you will most likely want to use the IS.  However, if you are panning on a subject (moving the lens to track a moving object) you might want to use option #2 which will only correct for one axis and not the other.  This will give you a better background blur which is desired in panning.

If you are shooting with a point and shoot camera that has IS, then you will have to access this feature by the menu more than likely.  Depending on the camera, this could be easy to find or difficult.  This Canon A720IS is pretty simple and the IS facility is located in the first menu screen.  You can change the modes by toggling it here.

For those using IS with a point and shoot camera, you should have some sort of icon on the LCD screen that shows the status.  It will come on automatically if theshutter speed drops too slow due to lighting conditions.  It will usually show red, or possibly green when it is activated to let you know that you are in IS mode.  This is a nice reminder because it will tell you when you are in danger of developing camera shake in your pictures and you might want to change some of your settings (from above).  If you are shooting with an SLR camera, you will not get a visual warning that IS is active.  It will be active when you turn it on regardless of your shutter speed.  The only indication that you will have is a hum, or vibration coming from the lens.  Those cameras with the sensor based IS will operate much like the point and shoot that I just described above.

One final equipment consideration to keep in mind is the use of a "fast" lens.  What I mean is by having a wide aperture of f/2.8 or larger.  The faster the lens is, the wider you can open the aperture which allows faster shutter speeds.  There is a tradeoff here as well. Those faster lenses are usually twice the cost of the slower versions, and your depth of field will be very, very small with your aperture opened up to f/2.0, or even f/1.0.  But, you might find that these tradeoffs are worth it when you get that shot that nobody else can get with "regular" lenses.

 

How to Hold the Camera

No matter what you do with your equipment choices, you will still get blurry pictures if you don't know how to hold your camera.  This plays a very important part in the whole picture taking process.  Your ideal stance would be to have your feet about shoulder width apart, leaning slightly forward to distribute your weight evenly on your feet.  You will hold the camera with your right hand, thumb behind, index on/near shutter button, and remaining fingers along the front grip (if available).  This hand needs to be held firmly, but not too tight.  The left hand will either hold the lens (controlling the zoom and focus), or the left side of the camera body for point and shoots.  While not as firm as the right hand, you also want to have a good solid hold with this hand as well.  Your elbows should be tucked in tight to your sides, pushing up on the camera.  The viewfinder should be planted under the top of your eye socket, or firmly against your glasses.

As you can see from the above picture, my body has just become a tripod for the camera.  This is a very stable way to hold the camera that requires nothing at all special in terms of equipment or props.  All you need is you and the camera.  If by chance you don't have a viewfinder on your point and shoot camera, then you can still achieve most of the same results by skipping that part of the stance.

Here is something that they don't always tell you in the photography books, and it deals with your breathing.  This is something that I learned when learning how to shoot (pistol, not camera), but it applies here as well.  Right before taking your shot, you want to inhale normally, and then only partially exhale (about 1/3) and hold it.  Right after you hold your exhale is when you need to press the shutter for the final exposure.  This is when your body is the most calm and still.  However, if you wait too long on the held breath, you are likely going to start shaking as your body starts looking for fresh oxygen.

If you happen to be on a boat, as I found myself on not too long ago, all of the above still applies, but you also need to time your exposure to the top of the up and down motion of the boat.  Right when the boat reaches the top of the arch, it will pause for a brief second before going back down again.  This is the steadiest your platform will be, and by timing your breathing, you will also be as steady as you can be.  This is the time yourpicture will be the sharpest.

Wave Catcher  which was created in open ocean water using the above technique.

There are also times that you have things around you that you can use to replace a tripod as well.  Setting the camera down on a rock, or bench and using the timer is one way.  Using a bean bag is even better because it allows you more freedom in your compositions.  A bean bag doesn't take up much room in your camera bag either.  Other things to look for are door frames that you can lean on which helps to steady you when holding the camera as I've described.  You can also sit down and brace the camera on your elevated knees (Thanks for that one Michelle!).

Anther method I discovered in Alaska was the leaning over the railing pose which is kind of hard on the chest, but actually works very well as long as you pay particular attention to your breathing.

By using this method, there is no forward or backward movement and since the solid platform is closer to the camera than your feet are, there is less arc involved in any side to side sway.  The grip of the camera remains the same in this pose, and you still have an amazing control over the composition considering you are more or less immobile like this.

 

Conclusions and Closing Thoughts

I'm sure that most of the material in this tutorial has been seen many times before, and more than likely we are all doing most of to a degree in our own photography.  However, it is very much worth thinking about when pressing that shutter button.  so many times I took what would have been a great picture but it came out very blurry and unusable.  Back then I had no idea what to do to fix it short of standing really still.  After doing much research on photography, I have found that aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and the advent of Images Stabilization all play a part in helping the handheld photographerachieve nice and sharp images.  However, I am still very much a tripod shooter because I want to be able to focus more on the composition (and be able to repeat the same shot with different settings) than holding the camera.

 

If you have a question about photography that you would like me to cover, please feel free to ask.  I am always looking for new topics to cover in Tips and Tricks!

 

Written by Greg A. Kiser

radar446 at 6:23:52 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 5 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Its the end of another month, and time once again to head into the virtual classroom and learn about another trick or two of the photographic trade.  As you will remember, I held a poll not too long ago asking what topic you would like covered.  For the first time, I got a three way tie.  That is both good and bad.  On one hand, I must be picking interesting topics, on the other, there is no clear cut favorite for the month.  So, what I have decided to do is cover a topic that I have toyed with for some time now...Previsualization.

 

Alright, I've used this term from time to time when dealing with certain pictures of mine.  I've touched on what it means, but it is time to really share the true meaning of the word and the concept behind it.  Without sounding too much like an English teacher (I'm far from it), we can start by looking at the word itself. 

Pre(Before the fact)visualization(mental image of the subject)

Now you are starting to get the idea of where I'm going with this Tips and Tricks.  Do great photos just happen?  Of course they do...but not nearly often enough to count on.  When you are wanting to photograph a certain subject, you need to think about it before the fact.  This could mean thinking about a potential photograph days, or weeks, or even months before you even go to the location with camera in hand.  It could also mean simply taking some time to examine what you intend to photograph before letting luck take over the picture making process.

The next step is to form a mental image of the subject....essentially you are planning on how you want the picture to look.  Most of you do this to some extent already.  Think about it, you see something you would like to photograph, and you pull your camera out and press the button.  You have made a decision that the scene you are seeing would make a good photograph, and you have developed a mental image of how you would like that to look.  The problem is, too many photographers stop there.  they don't play with the image in their mind.  Thoughts are free...even cheaper than digital pictures.  Use your mind as the first step and survey what you are wanting to photograph.  Think about the light, what angle you want to shoot from, and what settings you want to use.

Can you previsualize a photograph if you are shooting in an automatic mode?  Sure, but you will be limited in your creative control.  However, some of the most important decisions about a photograph deal with composition and environmental factors (ie: lighting, seasons, and time of day).  These choices can be made whether you are using a camera phone or the latest and greatest medium format camera. 

Dealing with environmental factors is probably the cornerstone to previsualization...at least for me.  How many times have you read in my entries about Treks that started out with a look at the weather.  This is not for my benefit....noooooo....this is working to get specific lighting conditions for the subject I intend to photograph.  This stage only happens after the seasonal concerns are addressed.  Is the dead of winter (with no snow) the best time to photograph rolling landscapes?  Not really, there needs to be the color from any of the other seasons to really make the mountains "pop".  Conversely, is the middle of summer a good time to photograph a remote waterfall?  Not really, because the brush is often so thick that the views are obscured.  You see how this works out?

The trick here is to find your subject and then ask when would be the best time to make this photograph.  Sometimes you will have no option but to take the shot and hope for the best, but if you have the ability to return...why not do so when everything is working in your favor?  A really good illustration of this phase of previsualization can be found in a comparison of two photographs taken on two different occasions of the same subject.

Spilling Over the Rocks   Created January '08

 

Liquid Lace  Created April '08

When you look at these pictures you will see the similarities between them immediately.  However, in the first one, I was very disappointed in the flow of the water.  This was because at that time, we were still way behind on rainfall.  The second picture was made possible by several days of good soaking rains which raised the water levels significantly.  This was an environmental concern, and one that fit into my previsualization of how I wanted this waterfall to look.

 

As you can see, there is a good deal of thought that should be a part of the creation of your pictures.  Does the previsualization end when all the conditions are met and you are on your way to your destination?  Not hardly.  You have invested a lot of time in this picture so far...and haven't even pulled out your camera.  Now is the time to create the picture that you have in your head, taking advantage of the light, season, and all the other factors that you figured into the equation.

Now you have arrived, and everything is just like you pictured it.  Now you must let your camera in on your plans.  Remember, the camera is but a tool in the photographic process, it is the photographer that makes the picture.  This is where you really need to take control of your camera and switch it away from the auto modes.  Instead of the camera making random choices about aperture, shutter speed, and metering, you tell it what it needs to do to capture the image you have in mind.

Choosing your aperture

Some pictures require sharpness from near to far, while others do better with a small area in sharp focus.  This is depth of field, and is a product of aperture.  You will be able to read much more about depth of field by clicking the previous link, but essentially, as the aperture is opened up (smaller f-number) your area of focus gets smaller.  If you want a larger area of sharp focus, you need to close the aperture down (larger f-number).  This is probably the single most important tool at the photographer's disposal.  It will show relative distance, as well as tell the viewer's eyes where to look in the image.

How does this relate to previsualization?  Well, you have this image in your mind.  Look at it...is everything sharp, or is there one element that really stands out forcing you to look at it?  This is where the aperture, or depth of field comes in.

Needles and Cone

 

Winston Skyline

As you can see from the above photographs, depth of field is an important choice to make.  With the pine cone, the background is blurred causing the attention to be drawn directly to the branch and the pine cone.  This was achieved with the aperture wide open to f/4.  In the city scene it was important for everything to be in sharp focus to draw the eyes into the scene.  This was accomplished by using a smaller aperture, maybe around f/16.

 

Choosing your Shutter Speed

Nearly as important as aperture is the shutter speed you use.  This will show motion as a blur, or freeze any movement within the frame.  Different subjects call for different approaches.  Of course the shutter speed works in direct correlation to the aperture and as one changes the other has to change in the opposite direction to allow the same amount of light to enter the lens.  When you previsualized your picture, think about how you want things to appear in terms of motion (if there is any motion in your subject).  You might want to blur the image to show the wind, or water flowing by.  You might want to hide the fact that there was a breeze and use a very fast shutter speed to freeze the motion in the grass and trees.  Whatever your choice, make it a conscious decision, don't rely on the camera to "see" what you "see".

Carefree Days

A Sea of Blue and Pink

As you can see, the shutter speed is a very powerful tool.  In the first picture, a slower shutter speed showed the motion of the hammock relative to the woods and the tent.  In the second one, a drop of water is frozen in time above the rippled water.  Neither of these shots would have been possible if the camera was making all of the choices.

 

How Does Metering Fit Into Previsualization?

Metering is where you determine how dark or light the scene will be captured.  You might want to make it darker than it actually is to saturate the colors, or possibly you will want to lighten it up to give it a dreamy feel.  Maybe, you just want to photograph it as it appears in front of you.  These are decisions that the camera can't make.  It will meter everything and try to make it all a mid tone.  You can tell the camera what to do in these circumstances and really take control of the picture.

Unmanned Post

Sunrises and sunsets are great examples of a time when you want to underexpose a tad to really saturate the colors.  This image was underexposed about a full stop from the meter reading which introduced a good amount of color in the sky which was very faint when I was looking at it in real time.  However, This was exactly how I previsualized this image that morning.  This was how I wanted the colors to appear.

 

As you see, actually creating, or making a picture is quite a bit more involved than just taking a picture.  The more time you spend on previsualization the better you will find you pictures turning out...and more like you had envisioned them.  This is a technique that is worth some time and thought.  It applies to all levels of photographers and can work with any camera...for the most part.

Until next time, happy shooting!

Written by Greg A. Kiser

radar446 at 7:04:46 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 1 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Alright, class is back in session, get out your pencils and notebooks.  Each month, I choose a topic to discuss with the photographers out there that hopefully will allow them to improve in their own photography.  I've covered lots of different aspects of photography over the time I've been doing this articles.  Today I will be discussing how to take your creative vision from the camera to the computer to the printer and end up with the same picture that you intended.  What's so difficult about that you ask?  Well, think about it...every manufacturer and each product will put their own twist on colors...think about that last trip to the electronics department when you saw the 50 big screen televisions on display.  You thought to yourself, "Hey that one has a great picture, the colors are so much better".  The truth is, all of the televisions can actually display the same colors the same way, but they have to be calibrated first.  The same goes with your computer monitor and printer.  If they aren't calibrated, and speaking the same "color language" then your results will be different than you anticipated.

Now that I've got your attention, lets jump right in and talk some color management.  As this is a relatively new technology, I am enlisting the help of Debbie Grossman who wrote the article Inkjet Printing 2.0 for Popular Photography & Imaging in the January 2008 issue.  There are more and more resources for this turning up on the web, so don't think that this article is the end all and be all of color management.  This is just to present some of the problems and solutions for your own work flow.  The things that I am suggesting that you do here are the same steps that I have taken to achieve proper color rendition in my final prints.

 

Step #1

This will have the biggest effect on how color is handled throughout the image process.  Since the monitor is the largest and single most important human interface to the computer it is essential that you calibrate and profile your monitor.  This has gotten very easy to do over the years, which is a good thing.  When I first got started with photography I had achieve proper calibration by printing a picture and then fiddling with the contrast, brightness, and color controls on my monitor...this was kind of like doing surgery with a chainsaw.  I was lucky and was able to get quite close to an accurate display.

However, as technology has improved over the years, this process has become increasingly simple.  There are countless products out there that will assist you in color profiling your monitor, and they range in price from $100.00 up to $1500.00.  For the purpose of this tutorial, I will be concentrating on the Pantone Huey PRO which is on the cheaper side of the spectrum.  Whether you have a CRT or an LCD monitor, or even a laptop, the Huey will work beautifully with it.  One of the reasons I chose this product over some of the others is that it actually measures the ambient light in the room giving a much more accurate rendition.  This means that it stays hooked up to the computer all the time and must be near the monitor for this feature to work correctly.  As you will see in the below picture, the Huey is fairly unobtrusive, and can been seen beside the right speaker.

The Huey PRO comes with software that has to be installed on your computer, but installation is very simple, and there are onscreen guides that tell you what to do.  Whether you are calibrating your monitor for the first time, or you are recalibrating at the recommended twice a month, the software guides you through the steps in great detail.  After starting the software, it will measure the ambient light of the room to get an accurate reading and will instruct you to place the spider, or colorimeter on the screen as seen below.

The colorimeter is held on with suction cups that secure it to the screen without damaging it.  The device is wired, and that wire goes to a standard USB port.  The cord is relatively short, but there is an extension included in the package.  My USB hub is actually right behind the monitor so that works out very well for me.

After the colorimeter is secured to your screen, the software will start to do its magic.  It will flash up colors for a period of time.  These colors are specifically chosen because they are true colors.  The spider reads how the monitor is displaying them and decides what corrections need to be made to the monitor to make them the same true colors that the software is sending the colorimeter.

There is a status bar to the left of the screen that shows where you are at in the color display.  This takes about a minute or less to complete.  everything is automatic and there is no need to do anything during this phase.  Once this part is complete, you will see a corrected vs uncorrected picture on the screen so that you can see the changes that have been made.  You will also be asked about choosing a white balance setting as well as a gamma (mid tone) setting.  You are given three options each, and these can be changed at any time through the preferences.  This is where it is handy to have a printed picture handy so you can pick the settings that most closely resemble what has been printed.

You will also be given the option for the Huey to constantly monitor ambient light in the room (can be turned off if you don't want to keep the Huey plugged into the computer).  There is also an automatic reminder system that you can set anywhere between one and fourteen days before the software notifies you that it is time to recalibrate your monitor.  That's right, monitors change as they get older and the way they display color will also change.

By doing just this simple step, your monitor will be much better suited for image editing, image viewing, video watching, gaming, pretty much your whole computer experience will improve with much better color accuracy.

 

Step #2

The monitor is just part of the equation, you also have to tell your camera and software that you are in charge of the color rendition.  It is essential that you are able to capture the colors that you are wanting to reproduce.  Check your camera's owner's manual and find out if you can set the color space to Adobe RGB.  This setting will only apply to JPEG images as RAW will be converted to Adobe RGB at the time of conversion based on your output options.  By selecting Adobe RGB, you are telling the camera to capture a wider gamut (range of colors) which can then be used for better color rendition.

After setting up your camera to capture in the Adobe RGB color space, you need to go in and tell your image editing software that this is the space you want to be working in.  For Photoshop users, you will go to Edit>Color>Settings and choose Adobe RGB (1998) as your working color space.  You can also set it to convert non Adobe RGB images into a working Adobe RGB image which is recommended.  The dialog screen that you will see will look like this.  I have found these settings to be very helpful in my color management, and before any changes are made, I am prompted by the computer.

 

Step #3

This might be the most frustrating part of this whole equation.  That is to install your printer's profiles.  There is actually enough information here that a book can be written on this topic.  Also, each printer will be a bit different so I will not be able to get into too much detail here.  However, there are some basics that apply to most printers being sold these days.  They come from their respective factories with the profiles built in for that company's print media.  So what exactly is a "profile" and why do we need to be concerned with it if the factory already includes it?

Well, a profile is needed because each type of paper (matte, satin, glossy, textured, etc...) will reproduce the colors that the printer lays down a little differently.  To make matters worse, the brand of paper makes a difference as well.  For instance, with my Canon ImagePROGRAF iPF5000, there are many profiles already installed to account for a wide range of Canon papers.  However, I have chosen to use Red River Glossy paper with the printer.  The closest profile for this combination was for Canon Photo Paper Plus which gave me a washed out look in the final print.  The contrast was off, as were the warmer tones.  Red River provides a downloadable printer profile for my printer and after installing that, we were back in business.

All the printer profile does is tells the printer how the color is going to look on a particular sheet of print media.  It actually functions just like the monitor profile we set up in Step #1 that tells the monitor how to accurately display the colors as sent from the CPU.  Of course, as you change print media, you will need to change your profile options, but this is easy to do through the printer color management settings menu in your print dialog box.  If you stick with the proprietory papers, then you will be able to use the included settings.

 

So there you have it...the crux of color management from capture to print.  It sounds like a lot of information to process and it is.  However, I am not the most technically savvy person, and I have been able to muddle my way through these steps.  There are plenty of online resources for color management, so for some more detailed information a few google searches is all you should need.  The main thing that I wished to get across is that from the manufacturer your camera, computer, monitor, and printer are not automatically set up to accurately communicate with one another.  If you are tired of your pictures being printed and not looking like they did when you captured the image, it might be time to look into color management for your work flow.

 

Written by Greg A. Kiser

radar446 at 10:47:10 AM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 1 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

About this time every month the bell rings, the classroom door opens and the chalk board is wiped down in preparation for yet another installment of Tips and Tricks.  We have covered all sorts of topics related to photography from the basics of composition, to some creative techniques.  Certainly, a lot of information has been discussed, all giving you a peak into what it takes to create a really significant image.  Today we will be discussing a rather abstract concept that sounds quite simple on the surface.  However, as we are about to find out, the questions that we must get in the practice of asking before the photograph is created can prove rather involved.  So, lets jump right in...

Everyone that has ever taken a picture has turned on the camera, pointed at the subject, and released the shutter without much more thought than "Hey, that is a cool scene!"  There is nothing wrong with that at all, in fact many great pictures have been created in just that very way.  However, the chances of capturing something significant in this manner is quite slim.  I'm all about stacking the odds in my favor when it comes to anything that I do...certainly including my photography.  So, what else is there to creating a photograph?

There are certain questions that you must ask yourself before you press that shutter release, and ones you must ask before you even get the camera out.  If you will get in the habit of asking these questions every time you take a picture, your chances for success will skyrocket.  Almost immediately, you will find yourself making a picture rather than taking it. 

The questions you need to ask, which I am about to discuss, are ones that I came up with after reading about only one of the questions.  A couple of years ago I recall reading that a photographer should always ask "why" they are taking a particular picture.  If they can't answer that simple question, then they need to move on to something else more interesting.  I have built on that single question by adding the basic journalistic approach....who, what, when, where, and why.  Lets look at these questions individually and talk about what they all mean for the photograph.

Who?

Linn Cove   Photo Copyright © 2006 G. Kiser

The question "who?" refers to who are you creating the photograph for?  In most cases the answer to this will be yourself.  However, as is the case with the above photograph, the answer could very well be somebody else.  This picture was a commissioned shot of sorts.  A client of mine had been proposed to on the Rough Ridge Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway and wanted to purchase a photograph of the area from me.  I didn't have any at the time so I set out on a Trek to that overlook.  As I was composing my photographs, I had to keep in the back of my mind that I had a specific person in mind for these images, and tried to create ones that would capture the moods that she was wanting.

As I said, most of the time, the answer to the question "who?" will be yourself.  That gives you free reign to capture an image that only has to please you.  As you can see, there might be some simple changes in the creative process based on who the picture will be for.  Ultimately though, you will be the one that needs to be happy with the picture.  This question needs to be determined long before the camera comes out of the bag.

 

What?

Midnight Hole

What is it you are taking a picture of?  This is probably the most important question youcan ask before setting up the camera.  This will determine what it is about the scene that interests you.  In the picture above, as I was looking at the scene, the answer to "What?" was not really the waterfall.  The "What?" was the dichotomy between the rushing water cascading over the rocks, dropping into the very calm water.  It was that feeling that drew me into the scene.  The simple question "What?" helped me decide what was important about the scene.

I needed to be able to include the cascade, and the pool of course.  I also needed some other elements to help tell the story.  That is where the rocky foreground comes into play as does the trunk of the tree with the exposed roots.  All of this was needed to tell the story, and make complete what it was that drew me to the scene.  Many times the "What?" is dictated by the "Who?" so be sure that the scene that you are capturing will appeal to who you are creating the picture for.  If the "Who?" is you, this becomes a no-brainer.

 

When?

Fire and Ice   Photo Copyright © 2007 G. Kiser

When should you make your exposure?  This is about the last step before you actually take your camera out.  You know "Who?" you are creating the picture for, and "What?" it is you are photographing.  Now you have to determine "When?" is the best time to photograph it.  This is where previsualization comes into play.  Every subject has a nearly infinite range of personalities depending on lighting and other environmental conditions.  It is up to the photographer to choose "When?" to make the exposure.  Hopefully you have given this some thought before heading off with camera in hand.

Many times, you are forced to deal with what nature is providing at the time, but you do have the flexibility to wait for a cloud to diffuse the sunfor a second, or maybe for the wind to die down to still the leaves.  The photographer always has the ultimate control over "When?" the exposure is made.  Ideally, the proper conditions are thought out before getting to the location.

In the photograph above, the "When?" is what made this picture so successful.  In the summer this is a pretty fountain, even in the middle of the day.  However, there is nothing particularly photogenic about it in this condition.  Each winter I had seen this fountain freeze up to varying degrees which made it very different and interesting.  However, it was at night that this fountain really turned into something special.  A cold winter night...that was to be the "When?" for this photograph.  Had I not asked this question, I might have missed the opportunity to capture the frozen base and the orange color cast from the street lights, and ended up with a bland fountain photograph.

 

Where?

Bare Necessities

Where should the camera be, to get the composition like I want it?  Now it is time to get the camera out and find the best place to frame the picture.  This could take a while so don't rush this part.  With the "Who?", "What?", and "When?" questions answered, you know pretty much what you want to include in the picture.  Now comes the time where you organize the scene.  In the above picture, I had already determined that I wanted to photograph that beautiful tree, as well as the house.  It took a while of looking before I found the perfect "Where?".  The "Where?" was about a foot off the ground, and about four to five feet back from the tree.

By determining the precise "Where?" that I did, I was able to organize the scene in the viewfinder in a very simple manner that eliminated much of the extraneous elements that did not add to the photograph.  In this step, it isimportant to look around the edge of the frame to make sure that nothing has poked into the field of view that you don't want there.  Fine tune you position until the "Where?" enables you to include just what you want, and in the way that you want it.  Something else that you don't want to overlook is the possibility of other "Where?" locations.  Never stop with one shooting location.  Move around and find other compositions that satisfy all of your questions.

One other question that will fall in with this one because it is closely related to the "Where?' is, Which lens and What focal length should I be using to make the best of the location I am shooting from?  In the above picture, I wanted to accentuate the tree while visually shrinking the homestead behind.  My 17-40mm f/4.0L was the lens of choice for this shot.  It gave me the perspective that I needed at about 20mm.

 

Why?

Downtown By Twilight

After you have your camera set up, now comes the time for the most important question of all, and the one that started me asking the questions in the first place.  As you look through the viewfinder, ask yourself Why am I taking this picture?  You should be able to answer that question very quickly and honestly with yourself.  At the time of exposure in the above picture, I had already answered the previous questions to myself...

Who?  I was creating this picture for me.

What?  I was including two iconic buildings of the Winston-Salem skyline for an offbeat downtown image.

When?  I wanted to capture this image at twighlight because I wanted the added element of the artificial light, both on the buildings as well as on the street.  The dark lighting conditions allowed me to use a slow shutter to capture the headlights of the cars traveling on the roadway to give some added interest.

Where?  I had positioned my camera on a tripod at the back corner of a parking deck to get the perspective that I desired which could only come from gaining altitude.  The positions of everything in the frame was considered and adjusted where needed and practical.

Having answered all of these questions all that was left was "Why?" am I taking this picture. I wanted to capture the Winston-Salem skyline, which I find to be one of the prettier ones in the triad.  However, I wanted to do something different than I had seen before, while still including the most recognizable buildings.  I wanted the lighting to be interesting, as well as showing a little bit of action to keep the viewer entertained.  I also wanted to embrace the feeling of the slowing day as the sun was setting.  All of this represented "Why?" I wanted to take this picture.  I felt that I had successfully answered all of the questions with this image so I released the shutter, and after a mere 10 seconds of exposure, it was all done.

Conclusions

One of the themes that keeps popping up in my Tips and Tricks is that you must slow down the process when you are creating photographs.  All too often we see something that we like and we snap a picture and call it a day.  We are only cheating ourselves when we do this.  If we were to just slow down the process a bit and go through these quick questions, I am sure that we would all find that our photographs would improve dramatically.  If your intention is to have people looking at your photographs for more than just a second or two, then shouldn't you put at least that much time into the creation of the image?  It is not uncommon for meto take well over an hour, and sometimes much longer than that to create one image where I am satisfied that all the questions have been adequately answered.  Other times, this process can take only a few minutes.

That pretty much wraps up this installment of Tips and Tricks.  I would like to thank all the readers of Photo Trek who helped me choose this topic.  It has been a lot of fun looking back at the thought process behind many of my pictures.  I hope that you not only enjoyed the article, but have benefited from it.

Until next time.....

 

Written by Greg A. Kiser

ncphototrekker at 1:57:53 AM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 4 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Here is a special installment of Tips and Tricks to address a problem that I am seeing develop as people are looking at their photographs from the lunar eclipse tonight.  I know that this is a little late to fix the problems, but maybe I can help explain what went wrong.

 

Let me start out by saying that I didn't even attempt a shot of the lunar eclipse tonight.  First of all, the clouds were a bit too thick with only some spotty holes which would allow the moon to show through.  Second of all, I didn't have a long enough lens to really make it worth my time.  I would want a 400mm at least to try this shot.  My current 200mm (320mm equivalent) is just the wrong choice for this shot.

However, I've already seen the posts starting from those of you who tried to shoot the moon.  Actually, they are pretty good attempts, but I'm seeing a pattern developing here when the pictures are introduced.  One problem is the moon is not sharp, even though a tripod was used.  The second problem I've noticed is there appears to be static in the sky around the moon.  Reading these entries has prompted me to explain what is happening with your pictures here.

The first problem is the sharpness of the moon.  What you will notice is the moon appears fuzzy in the sky.  You know that the camera was still...you put it on a tripod...you did put it on a tripod didn't you?  So what could be causing the problem?  A couple of things could be working against you in this situation. 

First, the distance of the object and the lack of actual elements in the sky will lead to auto focus problems.  The moon can actually fool the sensors in even the most advanced camera.  The best way to combat that would be to use a manual focus setting and get the moon crisp in the viewfinder.  Usually, the infinity mark will suffice since the moonis so far away.

The second, and most likely cause of the fuzzy moon is your shutter speed.  When working in low light, you have to use a slow shutter speed.  How slow depends on your ISO/film speed, and aperture.  When you get into the slower speeds like 10-15 seconds, you will actually begin to see the moon move across the frame.  Even though the camera isn't moving the subject is.  As the moon moves across the frame, it is wiping its exposure trail from one point to another which makes the whole moon look blurry.  This is not as big of a problem with a regular moon as it is bright enough to make use of a faster exposure.  The best way to deal with this is to boost your ISO.

This brings us to your second problem that you are likely to encounter...that static in the dark night sky.  This is digital noise which is brought on by high ISO's or long exposures.  While this will sharpen up the moon since the shutter speeds are going to be much faster, this solution will introduce digital noise.  This is not a standard effect among cameras either.  Generally, DSLR cameras suffer from digital noise less due to a larger sensor.  When shooting film, the different manufacturers have different grain characteristics at a given speed.  Back to digital...if you are shooting with a point and shoot, you probably don't want to go higher than 400ISO, while digitals should be good up to about 800ISO.  These cameras have built in noise reduction, but that is accomplished by softening the image which leads back to the original problem.  You can also use a software application such as Noise Ninja, or Neat Image which will reduce digital noise in post production.  This also softens an image, but not near as bad as the in camera processor.

So, where does that leave us when trying to shoot the lunar eclipse.  It leaves us with compromises to make, just like in any photograph.  the noise is probably the easiest to deal with, and if you have one of the new pro model cameras, you can actually shoot up to 3200ISO without much, if any noise entering the equation.  You also want to avoid cropping the image as you lose resolution, which will increase the digital noise.  Another consideration is to avoid digital zoom since that will do all sorts of bad things to the quality of the photograph.  Like I said, i didn't even attempt the shot because I just didn't have a long enough lens to feel comfortable I could get the shot without some serious cropping later on.

You will notice that I have included many links in this entry.  They all link to my Tips and Tricks Journal, and you can find further explanations of these terms and concepts.  For those of you who have been taking notes since I began this feature, you hopefully have gotten a pretty good shot of the moon.  Regardless of your outcome, please feel free to post a link to your lunar eclipse shots in the comments section.

Written by Greg A. Kiser

radar446 at 12:12:03 AM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 1 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

I realize that my last Tips and Tricks article was a bit on the complicated and technical side.  I do hope that I provided some useful information to some of you about the differences in sensor sizes.  However, I have chosen to simplify things for this month and discuss an often overlooked (and cheap) piece of equipment that will help you to achieve consistently sharp images.  We are going to be discussing the remote release and to a lesser extent a cable release.

What you see here are two examples of remote shutter releases.  They are pretty simple in design and are just plugged in to a jack on the camera body.  SLR cameras should all have this remote release facility, and many advanced point and shoot cameras do as well.  The actual remote is not included with the camera, however, and is thus usually forgotten about.  So why is it needed?  Quite simply, this is one of the best things that you can do to ensure that your camera stays steady during the exposure, no matter how long.  Hey, you said that about a tripod not to long ago.  Good memory if you caught this.  Yes the tripod is the first step to a nice and sharp image, but there are a few other steps that you can take to see the full advantage of that tripod.

What the remote release does is provides an off-camera shutter release.  This is beneficial  because after spending the money on a nice tripod and using it correctly, you can still shake the camera when you press the shutter release button....I see some of you nodding your head in agreement.  There is no way to avoid a slight bit of camera shake when pressing the shutter release button on the camera...no matter how sturdy the tripod is.  Now will the camera shake ruin the picture?  You probably won't notice it until you start printing larger images and then what you thought was tack sharp at5x7 will actuallystart to soften and become a bit fuzzy.

By using a remote release you avoid actually touching the camera during the exposure.  The remote works the same way as the camera shutter button.  There is a detent half way in its travel to lock the auto focus, and a full press will release the shutter.  Some remote releases will also have a facility allowing for a bulb exposure (longer than 30 seconds and will hold the shutter open until you tell it to close).  These are quite handy little gadgets to have.

Another type of remote release is the cable release.  This version is a mechanical device that works on the same principle as a bicycle brake line.  By pressing the hand held end of the release you are moving the core of the cable which mechanically activates the shutter release on the camera (where it attaches).  While a bit more disturbing than an electronic release, it was a good deal better than having your hand on the camera at the time of the exposure.  For the most part these are now defunct, but can still be found for the older SLR body film cameras.

You can find remote releases from $25.00 up to several hundred dollars.  The higher the cost, the more features and you will also find wireless versions of them as well.  Both of the versions above can be had for less than $50.00 and are worth every penny.

It should also be noted that there is another small step (relating to SLR cameras only)