Equipment

Equipment / Photo Tips — No Comments
11
Jul 10

Point and shoot

 

I photographed these wall flowers with a point-and-shoot camera and a DSLR. The is the best shot from the series and it came from the point-and-shoot camera.

I know that I’ve said this before, but I think it bears repeating. The camera does not create a photograph, you do. The camera isn’t any better than the person using it. I’m sure the camera manufacturers will disagree with me, but then they’re only interested in selling cameras. This question came up at recent seminar I was conducting, so I set out to prove my point–again.

So I borrowed a point-and-shoot camera (for the technophiles, it was a Nikon Coolpix 4300) and went after rain dappled wildflowers. I wasn’t particularly familiar with the camera that I borrowed, but then I figured that most of us aren’t as familiar with our cameras as we could be, so I was in the same boat as most amatuer photographers. Naturally, there were a few surprises. Due to the overcast and fog, the camera decided it needed a flash even though I didn’t want to shoot with a flash. So who do you think won that battle? I’m embarrassed to admit that it wasn’t me. I couldn’t figure out how to override the flash. In spite of that little hiccup, some of the results were pretty good.

But the biggest surprise was how the camera changed the way I created my images. Naturally, the point-and-shoot camera has some physical limitations when compared to my DSLR. I very quickly realized that I had to adapt to those differences. Because I had less control over the aperture and consequently the depth of field, I found that I had to become even more aware of the backgrounds in my macro shots. It meant that some shots that I might have taken with a DSLR I didn’t attempt with the point-and-shoot. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t get good shots with the point-and-shoot.

Which returns me to my opening statement—cameras don’t create photographs, photographers do. The camera is simply a tool and it isn’t any better than the person using it.

Good shooting

Frank

Equipment / Photo Tips — No Comments
9
Jun 10

Keeping Your Balance

When I switched from film to digital, I had to get a lot more tech savvy. With film, I was limited by the chemistry of the film. With digital, I’m not sure there are limits. One place where that is most evident is with White Balance. With film, you had two choices, daylight or tungsten. Digitally, you have about half a dozen presets, but in post processing, you get nearly unlimited adjustments.

There is an incredible amount of differing opinions out there about white balance. Some folks say to set your camera on auto and forget it, others say never rely on auto WB. You’ll also hear people say that if you shoot RAW format, you don’t need to be concerned about WB when you’re shooting since you can adjust it in post-processing. Whether you adjust the WB when you’re shooting or in post-processing, the WB is adjusted based on pre-determined criteria that may or may not be representative of the actual field conditions. So what’s a body to do?

I started doing some experimenting when I found that many of my photos had a color cast no matter what WB setting I picked, in camera or post-processing. I found that I was spending an inordinate amount of time trying to correct the image to what I thought I remembered it looked like or at least something decent. As I researched the problem, I found that there are lots of WB gizmos and gadgets out there. For every one of them there are those that love them and those that hate them—both with justifiable reasons. And of course, they come with price tags. For me, money is an object, and simplicity and durability in the field are essential. I finally decided on the WhiBal card. It’s inexpensive ($20 plus the cost of any non-essential accessories you get), it’s light, durable, and very easy to use.

When I began testing it, I was surprised at the results. I experimented with the card in various conditions and the results have been impressive. I now use the WhiBal card to provide a reliable neutral gray under any lighting conditions. I’ve also been amazed at how inaccurate my memory of the lighting conditions really is. Clearly the brain filters what we see—or what we think we see. I’ve found the WB card to be a useful tool, especially under difficult light.

Enjoy

Frank

Equipment — No Comments
13
May 10

Is There More in Your Camera Than Your Image?

There is a rumor going around that spring is here, but you’d never know it looking at the 6 inches of new fallen snow here in Conifer. But for those of you fortunate enough to really have spring, you’re probably thinking more and more about getting out at taking photos. And you may notice, particularly in clear blue skies, you see little dark, fuzzy spots on your photos. Chances are, you have dust on your sensor. If you have a point-and-shoot camera, about the only thing you can do is have it professionally cleaned. If you’re using a DSLR, you have some options for cleaning your sensor. You may have your camera professionally cleaned for $50-$75, plus shipping, plus being without your camera for umpteen days.

Sensor dust

Or you can do it yourself. Admittedly, this can be a scary process the first time you do it. Sensors are delicate and can be easily damaged. I’ll admit that the first time I cleaned my sensor, I was scared silly. Tools are now available that make this process a little easier and more effective.

I’ll give a brief run through of the various cleaning steps here. For detailed step-by-step instruction on the cleaning process, I’ve add a couple of links at the bottom this blog.

There are five steps in sensor cleaning:

check for dust on sensor,

in-camera cleaning,

air cleaning,

brush cleaning,

swab cleaning.

Check for Dust on Sensor. This is the most important step. Check and see if your sensor needs cleaning before you do anything else. The easiest way to check your sensor is to take a baseline photograph. Use a lens that you’ve just cleaned to ensure that you’re not photographing dust on your lens. You want to see only the dust on the sensor. Set your camera to f22 and focused on infinity, then photograph a clear blue sky or any uniformly colored (except gray) smooth surface. Download the photo and look at it at 100% magnification. If you see little fuzzy spots on the photo, you have dust on your sensor.

In-camera Cleaning. This step utilizes a sensor cleaning function that many manufacturers are building into their cameras. Check your owner’s manual for instructions on how to activate this function.

DISCLAIMER. If you choose to continue, you do so at your own risk. Please realize that I cannot accept any responsibility for any damage done to your camera.

Air Cleaning. The next step involves exposing the sensor so you can clean it. Read your owner’s manual to find out how to raise the mirror to expose the sensor. Follow the directions exactly.

In this step, you will be blowing a jet of air across the sensor to remove dust. DO NOT USE CANNED AIR OF ANY KIND. The chemicals in many types of canned air can damage your camera.

Brush Cleaning. If the air cleaning did not remove the dust, the next step is to use a brush to remove the dust. This is the part where I get a little nervous. Don’t use just any brush for this step. The brush must be absolutely clean. Any dust or oils (including oils from your fingers) on the brush will be transferred to the sensor, making a bigger mess than you started out with. One of the most popular sensor cleaning brushes is the Arctic Butterfly. It’s not cheap, but considering the cost of professional cleaning, I think it’s a good investment. In most instances, this will get the job done.

Swab Cleaning.  This is the scariest step because you are actually touching the sensor with a cleaning swab. If the brush doesn’t remove the dust, the dust is “welded” to the sensor. To remove this “stuck” dust, you need to use a specially treated, lint-free swab to remove the dust.

Detailed Instructions. Here are some links to sites that give good, detailed instructions that I used to help me my first time. I highly recommend that you READ THEM THOROUGHLY before you try cleaning your sensor on your own. It is important that you use the proper equipment and technique.

http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/index.html

http://www.bythom.com/cleaning.htm

There are, no doubt, other sites that also provide excellent cleaning information. Don’t hesitate to read them. You cannot have too much information before you tackle this job on your own.

Equipment / Great Places / Photo Tips — No Comments
17
Mar 10

A Camera in the Hand…

The weather here in the San Luis Valley has been fantastic, although not necessarily the best for photography. There hasn’t been a cloud in the sky, so scenic shots aren’t very dramatic. But the 50 degree temps are easy on the photographer. I don’t think the cranes are complaining, either. The cranes are making sure that they are photographed in good light–early morning and late afternoon. They are most active in the early morning, right after sunup. They do a lot of preening and mostly they’re taking to the air in search of suitable feeding grounds. During the day, they’re mostly interested in feeding. With their heads down, they look like featureless lumps of gray feathers. They don’t move around too much so they’re not too exciting for photos. In the evenings, they head back to the marshy areas where they spend the night standing in the icy water to deter predators.

Precision flying

All of the photos I’ve posted here were taken within an hour of sunrise. Fortunately, this time of year it’s easy to get out early. Because we just changed to daylight savings time, the sun doesn’t come up until about 7:10. Last week, it came up at 6:10.

I find the shots of the cranes flying to be the most fun and the most challenging. I end up throwing out most of these shots. The biggest problem is composition. It’s tough composing on a fast moving object, especially if there are several birds flying together. This is where digital cameras shine. You can shoot a lot and easily throw out the bad ones. Fortunately, the cranes are big birds and their incredible numbers provide ample opportunity to get that good shot.

Flocks of cranes take to the skies at sunrise.

One question that comes up is whether to hand hold the camera or mount it on a tripod. I’ve tried both. Even with vibration reduction on my lens, I find my images aren’t quite as sharp as I’d like when I hand hold the camera. By mounting the camera on the tripod, but not clamping the ball head down so it can move freely in all directions, I usually get a sharper image. I also turn off the vibration reduction. I guess I’m just too shaky. Try both and see what works best for you.

Enjoy

Frank

Equipment / Photo Tips — No Comments
9
Mar 10

When Your Photography Brings You To Your Knees

It is one of Murphy’s Laws of Flower Photography that the perfect blossom, the perfect light, the perfect composition is located twelve to eighteen inches above ground level. So you naturally get on your knees and pay homage to the gods of photography for that perfect shot. It doesn’t matter if the ground is wet, muddy, rocky, thorny—you drop to your knees. By the time you get the composition you want, the light cooperates, you get your meter reading, you get the focus just perfect and the wind stops blowing for that fraction of a second you need to get the shot, your knees are screaming bloody murder and you’re praying that you can ignore the pain just long enough to get the shot. If you’re like me, that’s when you just absolutely have to shift your weight a little bit because that sand grain is beginning to feel like a Clovis point intent on dismembering your knee—and you bump the tripod!

The wilderness has cringed at the sound of many a colorful expletive at that point.

To alleviate some of that distracting pain, head for your local garden shop and pick up some gardener’s knee pads. They’re inexpensive, usually under ten dollars. I recommend the kind that strap to your leg with Velcro. The knee pads can keep you dry, clean, and mostly pain free while you’re shooting at the level of a  three-year-old. A nice benefit is that you can even get up and walk around looking for another shot without taking them off.

The ones I have are in a nice forest green color so I don’t startle the little flowers as I sneak up on them.

Good shooting.

Frank

Equipment — 1 Comment
7
Feb 10

What kind of camera do you use?

Going Bald

Going Bald

It’s not surprising that I hear this question all the time. When you consider that ads by the camera manufacturers imply that a “better” camera will make you a better photographer. If it were that easy, we’d all have the same camera and we’d all be shooting like Ansel Adams. 

Sadly, the camera is just a tool that is no better than the person using it. You are the critical component in any photograph. You have to tell the camera what to do, not the other way around. So does the type of camera you use really matter? To a degree, yes. If you like photographing wildlife, then a substantial telephoto lens is a must. Macro photography also requires specific equipment. But for most applications, the type of camera really isn’t that important. 

For grand landscapes and intimate scenes, shots of kids, etc., that most of us take, the photographer is far more important than the camera. It is your vision and your ability to capture that vision in a photo is what really counts. The photo at the top of this article wasn’t taken with my $5000 Nikon DSLR. To prove my point, I used a $300 Nikon Coolpix point-and-shoot. Can you tell the difference?

What matters in this photo is not the camera, but my ability to use the equipment in hand to create my vision of an aging flower.

If you’re not happy with your photos, don’t shell out a lot of money on new equipment until you’ve carefully asked yourself if the problem is the equipment or the photographer. If you decide that the photographer is the problem, then what do you do?

There are many places on the internet where you can learn to take better photos, this blog being one of them. You can also join a camera club where you’ll be exposed to a wide variety of ideas. There are also a lot of seminars available for a more personalized approach, albiet for a price. Most photographers are quite happy to talk about their skills, so don’t hesitate talk to other photographers.

Whatever your situation, always keep in mind that you, the photographer, creates the photos.