Tuesdays Tips Tricks and Techniques - Setting up the shot

Today's post will be a little different, being that I will not be talking specifically about portrait photography. These tips, while talking about a still life setup, are equally important in lighting a portrait and can be used, and should be used just the same.

So where do you even start when setting up a scene and using multiple light sources? For this shot, I had an idea of what the finished product would look like as well as the style of lighting i wanted to use so I setup the lights and powered up the two main lights as well as introduced a single aspect of the scene. When lighting glass you generally do not want to light it from the front, you would get some very unflattering glare and reflections. Knowing I wanted a darker background I chose to light this scene from both sides with gridded soft boxes. If I was going to use a lighter background, I would have lit the main scene from the back.

Now I had my main lights setup and I adjusted the power to get the look I wanted. Since I was using two main lights, I had them both on to start with, but if I was going to use a main light, a fill light and a background light, I would introduce one at a time, this lets you better see what each light is doing. When you are starting out, it is a good exercise to add one light at a time and to power off the light you already setup; this gives you an even better understanding of what the light is doing. This is one of the amazing perks of shooting digital, you get to see what each light does and to build the scene little by little.

Here I added another element to the scene as well as the addition of a background light. You can do an isolated, solid black background but it makes the scene feel dead. Adding a little gradient of light helps to bring everything to life. Now it is time to add in the rest of the elements and to dial in the lighting.

Adding the rest of the elements showed where I had issues with the lights. Before the bottle and glass were well lit but now the book and skull blocked a good bit of the light on the left side of the bottle and the front of the book was much too dark.

To keep some shadows I powered down the light on the camera right and brought it forward to spill over on the front of the book, I also increased the power on the camera left light and moved it back and aimed it at more of an angle toward the camera. This kept everything well lit while providing some interesting shadows.

Time to add the wine to the glass and make final adjustments. This is nice but I felt like it needed just a little bit of fill from the front.

It is very subtle but I thought it needed just that little extra light. I shot much wider than I needed to, but that makes the cropping easier later, and with the sensor size of these digital cameras, you can get away with it, especially if you are not printing huge. The lighting and setup is all done, now it is time to do your edits. Sorry, but I may keep a few secrets today :)

If you don't have many lights but can use photo editing well you could do this all with one light. To do that, you need a solid tripod with remote (you don't want to touch the camera at all). All you do is setup your one light in each spot and combine all of the exposures in editing. It is a great way to start if you only have one light. This setup ended up using two gridded soft boxes, one gridded spotlight on the background and a large reflector for fill. The setup is kind of like a little dance which you can see in the animated gif below.

                                                     

Was this helpful to you? You can use these same techniques when lighting a portrait. Start with one light and fine tune it, adding in more elements as you are ready. Start small and work your way up.

Tuesday Tips Tricks and Techniques - Finding better light

Light, the crux of all photography. After all photography is simply capturing light but not all light is equal. Summer light is different then Winter light. Morning and evening light is different then afternoon light. And even at the same time of day, light reacts differently depending on how and where it falls. Light is also constantly changing. Clouds move across the sun, overcast days mute the light while trees and buildings block and shape the light. Capturing better photos of anything depends largely on the quality of light.

You will not likely see any spectacular landscapes captured during high noon. There is actually a term for professional and hardcore landscape photographers; wet bellies. This is because to get the best light for a landscape, they are out in the very early morning hours crawling around while the ground is yet saturated with dew.

The above shot was taken just before noon in late november. I was playing with my settings and getting shots of the kids feeding the birds. So while it is not a traditional landscape, it does give an idea of the light on the landscape. Being late Fall you can see the shadows are longer for that time of day since the sun is much lower in the sky. If you were to shoot this same shot in the Summer, the light would be almost directly overhead and much harsher. But lets see how the landscape looks at a better time of day.

This shot was taken at 6:22AM. It was cold and dark when I setup the shot. Very cold for being at the beach but it was well worth it. The light is soft and golden and it shapes the landscape beautifully. Composition and editing aside, if you want to take better landscape photos you have to be up early. Evening light is very beautiful as well, but in my opinion the morning light is just better and you have very few people out at that time of day. Most of them start arriving as soon as the sun peeks above the horizon but you want to shoot before that happens. Of course many of the truly great landscapes happen when a photographer finds a location and visits it often as they wait for the perfect light.

Photographing people is no different, you need to find or make the best light to capture them. Let's have a look back at one of the first "portraits" I took of my daughter.

This shot was taken with a Canon 7D dslr with a canon 70-200mm f 2.8 lens. For some of you that may not mean much, but lets just say that that is a $3,000+ gear setup capable of capturing incredible photos. The photo above is not an incredible photo by any means. It is a photo of my daughter and if that is all I had I am sure I would think it was adorable; I likely thought it was a pretty good photo when I took it. This was captured in direct sunlight in the middle of the day. Her eyes are dark with no light falling on them and the photo lacks contrast. With the gear I was using I should have been able to capture a stunning portrait, but I did not understand lighting at all at that time. I figured you put a subject in light and you could get a good shot with expensive gear. Luckily I was, and still am, part of an online photo community that was not afraid to point out my short comings and what all was wrong with this photo. I am glad they did because of that I have improved and now have some beautiful photos of my children.

The gear is essentially the same in these shots and had little to do with how they came out. True, the gear helps blur the background and will help with lower light photography but the light is the real hero. In the photo of my daughter the light is directly behind her and I exposed for her face. That makes the background lighter than her but with a vignette and some editing it all comes together. The important thing is that the light on her face is softer and there is contrast separating her from the background. And notice her eyes, they have a sparkle and life to them that the first photo I shared did not have. For my son, the light is off to his right side (camera left) and bring a little bit of shadow to his left side. If you don't like the light that is there, you can always bring your own.

So some tips to capture better photos of your kids, or spouse, or boyfriend/girlfriend etc...

Get out of the direct light.

Put the light behind them, or to the side and expose for the skin.

Make sure there is a light showing in their eyes.

Use a reflector to bounce some light back onto them. In the first photo I used a gold reflector for that, in the last photo it is just all natural.

If at all possible, shoot earlier in the morning or latter in the evening when the sun is not so high in the sky.

Find open shade.

Follow this blog :)

Seriously though, there is so much to learn about how light works and reacts with the surroundings that I couldn't cover everything in one blog post. So check back next Tuesday where we will continue our exploration of light. We will talk more about open shade, light modifiers, natural light modifiers and artificial lighting. Join me and I will help you to capture better photos that will last you a lifetime.  And soon you will learn how much you can do with light.

Come back next week where we will discuss using a reflector, both artificial and natural. See you soon. And if you have any specific questions leave them below in the comments. I love to hear from you.

Tuesday Tips Tricks and Techniques - Get those photos off your computer!

My fiancé (Katie) and I recently started watching the tv show Revolution, gotta love netflix :) And with several actors/actresses in this from LOST, well what more do you need. The premise of the show is that there was a worldwide blackout fifteen years ago and the electricity doesn't work anymore. Nothing. No cars, tv's, radios, phones; nothing. What does this have to do with the topic? One of the characters carries a phone around, even though there is no power, because somewhere on the phone are the only photos she has of her kids. I love my phone, it is full of photos from life and I love looking at them often. I also have three external hard drives ful of photos as well as several discs used for backups.  Thousands and thousands of photos with many of those being of my family. But what if? What if the power went out and we lost all of those memories?

It is difficult to imagine the world with no power, and perhaps it is not anything that would or could ever happen. But. Computers do fail and hard drives fail. I remember many years ago I lost a memory card full of pictures of the kids. I never found it and now I can't even remember what pictures were even on that card. Computers and hard drives fail. Cd's and usb drives of images get lost and yet we still fill them with our important memories as if they will always be there.

It is time to get those prints made. Get a few large prints, maybe a canvas or two of the really special photos and display them on your wall. Make photo books. A couple of years ago I (Josh) took the kids on a trip to Disney World, I could probably write several blog posts on just that, and when we got home I created a huge photo book filled with hundreds of our memories. I was intentional with the photos because I knew I was going to make a book but even if you weren't I am sure you have memory cards or your phone filled with photos from your trip. They may not be perfect or the best quality but they are still your memories.

Make those books that you can sit down with and relive those memories with your kids. Print out 4x6 prints to stick to your fridge, frame prints to hang and sit on tables and make some large prints for your wall. Get those memories off of the computer and your phone and make them tangible. I recently talked with a bride who received a disc of her wedding images but between the whirlwind of marriage, the honeymoon, life and getting pregnant with her first child, she just hasn't printed anything.

If you have a photo session, seriously talk to your photographer about having them order prints for you. If you did get a disc, print them yourself. There are numerous high quality labs you can use if you have a print release. There are also several online publishers that you can easily create an affordable photo book.

Mpix  -  an excellent online photography printing company offering cards, books, prints, canvases and more.

Walgreens - not the best quality but great for cheap 4x6 prints to hang around and tape up.

Shutterfly - not as high quality as Mpix but a little cheaper. They also offer an assortment of products.

Blurb - A fairly cheap and decent quality photo book company.

MyPublisher - a higher quality online photo book company. They are constantly offering great coupons for your books.

There are so many options to fit everyones needs. So upload those memories and get them displayed. You will be happy you did.

Tuesday Tips Tricks and Techniques - What camera bag is right for me?

You have your bright shiny new camera.; maybe it is a huge dslr like the Canon 1Ds Mark IV or maybe you have a nice small compact or you may just use your cell phones camera but now how do you carry it around? I will just focus on the dslr on this post since that is what I use and if you have a cell phone you likely already have some sort of case for that. So what do you buy for your camera?

Options, options, options.... So many options for carrying a camera that it can get overwhelming. Do you get a backpack? Maybe a hard pelican case is better for you, but don't forget about the sling packs and traditional camera bags. Let's start with what I use, all three of them.

As a working professional that takes studio strobes on location I needed a case to haul the lights around in that would protect them. This thing is a beast, it is big, it is heavy but it does its job. The case is watertight and pressurized for flying. I haven't had to use either of those perks but the weather sealed aspect is nice when you are dealing with fragile electronic equipment. I can even downsize my gear to where I can fit the light, battery, cameras, lenses, and more all in one space which is great when I have to haul everything on my own. I wish it was just a bit larger or had a way to accommodate a light stand.  If you have a lot of gear and want absolute protection this is the way to go but be forewarned it is heavy and while it has wheels, they are almost entirely useless if you take it off of pavement.

Pros:
Weather sealed
customizable to fit what you need
impact protection

Cons:
Heavy
Bulky
wheels are useless off of pavement

Easy to carry and it fits most of your gear, especially if you are a hobbyist. When you start hauling multiple cameras and several lenses along with batteries, cables, remote triggers and flashes you run out of room fast. There are several sizes of backpacks and this one was perfect for when I got it. When you are looking for a backpack case make sure you allow yourself a little room to grow. At the very least you want plenty of room for your camera, a long lens, a wide lens, one flash, batteries, filters and room to spare for an additional lens. This setup is great for nature hiking or going to the beach. I can fit a long lens for wildlife, a wide angle for landscapes, a flash (because you just never know) and some batteries. I can even strap my tripod on the outside and have room for water. I highly recommend a backpack style camera bag for those who like to do a lot of walking around with their hobby. Some issues to be aware of are that if you are a tourist the case is on your back and someone could unzip it and steal your gear. Also be aware that the zipper could fail and spill your valuable gear.

Pros:
easy to carry
holds a nice assortment of gear
comfortable

Cons:
easier for someone to steal your gear while wearing it
The zipper could break spilling your gear
slow access when you want to change lenses

The shoulder bag, comes in an assortment of colors, designs and sizes. This was the very first bag I got for my camera so it fits very little anymore but I use it all of the time at weddings. I carry my camera on a sling strap and keep my spare flash and lenses to change right in the bag alongside batteries and memory cards. This bag will soon be replaced by a thinktank shoulder bag.

Pros:
Comes in a variety of sizes to accommodate and shooting style and budget
comfortable, but not as comfortable as the backpack
easy access

Cons:
if you get a size that is right for your gear and body I can't think of any except that it is not impact resistant.

Things to consider:

Make sure you get a bag that is comfortable to wear for an extended period of time. Has easy access to everything in the bag. Get a bag that gives you room to grow; if you have a camera and 2-3 lenses get a bag that can fit 4-5 lenses and maybe even a second camera. You want a bag that will last you a few years without running out of room, I am about two years past due to upgrade my bag. Don't get a camera name brand bag, you know like two of mine that say canon. When you get a bag to go with your brand, i.e. canon or nikon, you are advertising that you are carrying around expensive camera gear. For me, I will be putting my money into a http://www.thinktankphoto.com bag.

You could probably write an entire book on camera bag systems, but my thoughts and suggestions are to get a bag that will fit more than you currently have, is easy to access, is comfortable and doesn't blatantly advertise that you are carrying camera gear around.

What is your carrying preference?

Tuesday Tips Tricks and Techniques - Lynchburg Virginia Wedding Photographer

Welcome to the first weekly installment of tips tricks and techniques by Josh & Katie MinsoPhoto. I (Josh) hope to provide you with some tools that will help you better capture all of those memories happening around you. As you are most likely aware, cameras are everywhere. You would be hard pressed to go anyplace and not see a cell phone camera, compact or even someone carrying a big old honking DSLR around taking pictures of everyone and everything.

If you are on facebook or twitter (or any number of other popular social sites) you are likely bombarded with many pictures everyday. Your friends dog, your brothers dinner, or your grandchildren. Photography is great and while many professionals may be worried about the influx of cameras everywhere, I am happy to have these tools at my disposal to capture life as it happens around me.

So where does this blog come in? Every Tuesday I (Josh) will be posting a tip trick or technique to help you better capture those memories happening around you everyday. This blog is for everyone as I will offer help to those just wanting a better cell phone picture to professionals looking to do more advanced lighting techniques.

Why am I helping you? Isn't this going to take business away from me? Personally I just absolutely love photography and I want you to all be able to capture life's moments easier and better. As wedding photographers we notice so many cell phones and ipads and other digital cameras at weddings that it can sometimes get in the way.

We hope you will be considerate and be aware of the paid photographer so that they can get the shot they need and the bride wants without your head in it, or even your cell phone. But I also can see the value in the moments you are capturing. We cannot be everywhere at once so we like that you are helping to capture the memories. Don't forget to not get too wrapped up in shooting that you forget to make your own memories while you are there though.

So please be aware of the professionals as you shoot but don't worry, we can work around it as well.

Ok, well now that we have the introductions out of the way lets get on to the tips tricks and techniques. Since we are on weddings lets continue with that theme. There is always the go to shots such as the first kiss, the cake cutting, the first dance and so on but if there is a professional or two at the wedding, they will be sure to get those shots. 

Instead look around to see what is happening around you, grab candid shots we may not catch since we are making sure we get the must have shots. Many brides choose to have a photographer team or a second shooter that is able to get those shots as well but many times it is just the one photographer. Look for the emotion, the laughter and the tears. These are the images that carry the most impact and ones that will have people flooding your picture post with comments. Emotion is huge, after all that is what makes weddings so special. 

My partner (and soon to be wife :)) Grabbed this shot while I was busy shooting the cake cutting. The girl with the huge smile on her face was a very close friend of the brides who hadn't seen each other in awhile. This shot meant a great deal to the bride and if I was shooting just by myself I wouldn't have been able to capture this, but someone with their own camera could have. So look around and capture the memories happening right next to you, that is your Tuesday Tip :) Come back next Tuesday for more.