February, 2010

Great Places — No Comments
20
Feb 10

Black & White in Color

One of the things I love about winter is the absence of color. Don’t get me wrong, I love a colorful field of wildflowers or a dramatic sunset as much as anyone, but winter offers a unique opportunity to experience black and white photos without having convert color images to black & white. This photo was shot last week in South Park—in color. I have done nothing to convert it to black & white. This is the scene as it was presented by Mother Nature.

In all fairness, I have to give credit for this image where credit is due. I was shooting with a with a talented photographer, Lauren Bucholz, and she is the one who actually found this little gem. I had noticed that she was hunkered down on her hands and knees for quite a while, so I wandered over to see what was so interesting. She graciously allowed me to share in her discovery. I think you’ll agree, she has a great eye. You can see more of her work at Natural Visions.

Just because it’s cold and dreary out, the trees are bare and everything is shades of gray, don’t bury your camera in the closet until spring. Winter offers an incredible wealth of opportunities to see the world in a different light.

Photo Tips — No Comments
20
Feb 10

Add Sunstars for Drama

While I was in South Park last week, freezing everything off, I found that the sunrises and sunsets were not very impressive. The few low clouds on the horizon didn’t put forth much effort to improve matters. So I started focusing on sunstars to add a little pizzazz to my photos. Sunstars add a dramatic, eye-catching element to a photo. While they may be tricky, they’re not difficult to do.

The best way to create sunstars is to set the aperture to the smallest opening (largest number) possible. In most cases that will be f22 or larger. Reducing the aperture opening to a small point creates the star effect. The trick to sunstars is to put the sun completely behind a solid object. (See CAUTION at the end of this post.) Then shift the camera slightly until a small portion of the sun is peeking out from behind the object. Better yet, wait for the sun to creep out from behind the object as I did in this photo.

Your first attempts will point out one of the major difficulties in shooting sunstars. (Remember, I said they were tricky.) Having the sun in your shot can, and most likely will cause lens flare. Some people don’t mind a little flare and some hate them at all costs. I’m of the hate-’em-at-all-cost mentality. Lens flare is caused by the light bouncing back and forth between the lens elements. Therefore it stands to reason that the more lens elements you have the greater the chance of developing a lens flare. Zoom lenses are more prone to flare than primary lenses because they generally have more elements.  The more of the sun that shows, the more likely you are get a flare. Also, the further from the center of the image you place the sun the more likely you are to get flare. To reduce or eliminate lens flare, first, shoot with less of the sun showing and second, move the sun nearer the center of the image. A little experimentation will show what works best for equipment.

Metering for sunstars can be tricky because the light is changing dramatically and very rapidly as the sun emerges from behind the object. The camera’s metering system can easily be fooled by the extremely bright sun and dark foreground, resulting in poorly exposed images. I prefer to set my camera to manual metering mode to keep the exposure from changing as the sun emerges. It helps me to control whether I have a black silhouette or allow detail to show in the foreground.

With a little patience and practice you’ll find sunstars can add an incredibly dramatic element to your photos.

You’ll find other examples of sunstars on my website.

CAUTION! Be extremely careful when shooting sunstars. Looking at the sun directly or through your camera can potentially damage your eyes.

Uncategorized — No Comments
15
Feb 10

Valentine Faux Pas

Somebody pointed out to me that posting a frozen, frigid, frosty image on Valentine’s Day was, well…let’s say, insensitive. In my own defense, I can only say that that photo warmed my heart. I was excited about it.

I don’t mean to imply that my heart is so cold that a frozen image is heart warming. Quite the contrary, my heart…

(sigh)

I think I’m just digging myself in deeper (head hanging in resignation). I truly hope that everyone had a warm and wonderful Valentine’s Day in every way possible. Even though it’s a day late, please accept this humble offering that I’ve titled “The Hug”. From me to you, a warm Colorado columbine “Hug” for Valentine’s Day.

The Hug

Great Places — 4 Comments
14
Feb 10

Lilliputian Frost Forest

Lilliputian Frost Forest

I have just returned from a few days in beautiful South Park, CO. One thing that they really got right in the South Park cartoon series is the cold. The warmest temperatures while I was there was about 25o F which was downright balmy after early morning lows of -21o F. Most of us don’t really enjoy being outdoors when it is that cold and I must confess that I had a hard time going out when it was that frigid, but there are some benefits. Unusual weather makes for some unusual photographs. In spite of the severe temperatures there were portions of the South Platte River that were not frozen over. Mist rises off that warm water (warm is relative) and freezes when it comes in contact with that bitter cold air, resulting in delicate frost crystals on everything it touches. A Lilliputian frost forest grows everywhere, including the ice on the river.

 Keep an eye on this blog as I’ll be sharing a few other gems from this trip soon.

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.

Photo Tips — 2 Comments
5
Feb 10

Light – The Heart and Soul of a Photo

Sunset behind Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park

"Thor's Reflection"

The most important part of any photograph is light. It may sound intuitively obvious, but light is frequently overlooked by amateur photographers. We tend to assume that what we perceive as beautiful, the camera will capture as beautiful.

Rarely does that happen. The eye and the camera (film or digital sensor) do not see the world the same way. We have a massively complex filtering mechanism called the brain that interprets and adjusts what we see into what we perceive. It corrects for low light, colored light, harsh light, etc., to provide us the image that we perceive. Even the “smartest” camera does not make any adjustments or interpretations. That’s where you, the photographer, come in.

We must use the light to convey everything that we experienced when we took the photo. In an out-of-context, two-dimensional photo, we must use the light to create mood, provide a sense of depth, and show us textures and shapes. Light, or the lack of light, allows us to perceive three dimensions in a flat photograph. Light is also how we see colors.

For photography, all light is not created equal. We’re all aware of how the light at sunrise looks different than the light at noon. The way the sun shines through the atmosphere changes with altitude of the sun above the horizon. Close to the horizon, the sunlight must pass through more atmosphere than it does when shining straight down at noon. At low angles, the atmosphere absorbs more of the blue light allowing the reds and yellows to predominate. It also scatters the light more, softening shadows, creating a soft warm light. At noon, the light is much bluer and the shadows are much sharper. The contrast between brightly lit areas and the shadows is much greater, creating a harsher image.

Pay attention to the quality of the light and what effect it has on your subject. For warm, inviting landscapes, I prefer the soft light an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset.

Great Places / Photo Tips / Uncategorized — No Comments
2
Feb 10

Welcome to Frank Weston Images

Greetings.

I’d like to invite you to join me in some interesting discussions, not just about photography,  but also about a lot of the great places. Places where you’ve been, whether you’ve photographed them or not, and places you’d like to go.

I will mostly be speaking about the Rocky Mountains because that is the area with which I am most familiar. I cannot help but include some photo tips, since that is what I do.

But I also think it is beneficial to talk about how we can protect our favorite places. Many of our favorite places are disappearing due to population pressures, and recently, due to budget cuts. Arizona has recently closed a large number of their state parks due to budget constraints. While I understand the need to balance the state budget, I’m also appalled that these parks, some of which have great natural and historic significance may be lost. Here in Colorado, so far only one park has been closed and will likely be dropped from the State Park system. And there may very well be others. No doubt, many of you have had some of your favorite places closed or availability curtailled.

Please drop in and share your thoughts on nature, the environment, photography, great places, unique nature experiences, etc.

Frank Weston