Photoshop Tips for Great Tropical Photos

Hawaii is known for idyllic landscapes and pristine beaches, but sometimes your photos don’t capture what’s right in front of you.  This photo was taken with a less than desirable camera (an iPhone and a Panoramic app), so it obviously needs a little help.

Ideally, you’ll take the perfect photo and not need any post-production work, but for those of you that didn’t quite get that shot, here are some tips.

- Clear up any dust particles or marks you may have on your sensor or lens.  I use the clone stamp or healing brush to quickly get rid of those spots.

- Up the saturation of the cyan just a touch.  Do this only if there’s some ocean in the shot.  If you have a polarizer, you won’t need to do this.  Be careful not to make the ocean look radioactive.  The color of the water seen in the following images accurately shows the true color of our ocean in Maui, which the crap camera missed out on.

- Crop and straighten the horizon.  If you need to crop outside of the photo in order to do this, do it anyway.  With the content-aware fill, you can usually add the missing slivers at the edge back into the newly cropped image.

- Get rid of the crowd!  This image really isn’t that crowded, but we’re looking for the most desirable scenario.  I use the lasso tool (with 0 feather) along with the content-aware fill to get rid of people.  Sometimes it doesn’t work perfectly, and I’ll have to go back in to clean things up with the clone stamp.

- Clean up the very last bits and pieces.  Here I’ve smoothed some of the sand out, gotten rid of some of the whitewater chop out further in the ocean, and of course branded it with our URL for web use.

If you’re smart, you’ll do all of your work with masks and effect layers in order to make changes later.  You can see more examples of finished Maui photos at Maui Maps.

Chris Norberg is project manager at Hawaii Web Group working to promote the island of Maui, Hawaii via intriguing websites and interacting heavily with visitors on social networks.  He can be found on Twitter at @Maui.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Photoshop Tips for Great Tropical Photos

Digital Photography School

MAC Group USA Announces $25 PocketWizard

North White Plains, NY (PRWEB) April 02, 2012

MAC Group, a leading manufacturer and distributor of professional photographic equipment, announces today a $ 25 mail-in rebate for U.S. customers that purchase a new PocketWizard MiniTT1 and/or FlexTT5 radio for use with Canon or Nikon DSLR camera systems from April 1, 2012 to May 31, 2012. Via mail-in rebate, purchasers will receive $ 25 for each unit purchased from an Authorized PocketWizard Dealer in the U.S.

MAC Group, PocketWizard’s USA distributor, is happy to provide Canon and Nikon shooters in the U.S. with a special opportunity to experience the amazing capabilities of PocketWizard ControlTL radios, said Phil Bradon, MAC Group’s PocketWizard Marketing Manager. This limited time $ 25 rebate is available on every MiniTT1 or FlexTT5 for Canon and Nikon purchased. ControlTL is the perfect complement and a must-have accessory to Canon and Nikon digital SLR systems, providing amazing flash and camera triggering capabilities.

For more information on this rebate visit: http://www.pocketwizard.com/25rebate

About MiniTT1 and FlexTT5

The PocketWizard MiniTT1 Transmitter and FlexTT5 Transceiver for Canon and Nikon DSLR camera systems allow photographers to enjoy the ease of TTL exposure automation with the simplicity of PocketWizards ControlTL system. These TTL capable radio slaves make taking off-camera flash as effortless as slide-in, turn-on and shoot.

Combining TTL automation with the reliability of PocketWizard radio technology results in perfect off-camera flash photography in any environment around corners, out-of-sight and even outdoors in bright sunlight. The MiniTT1 Transmitter and FlexTT5 Transceiver can be used to control single or multiple off-camera TTL flash units

and provide unique features such as HyperSync, which allows photographers to go beyond their normal x-sync speed. Thanks to upgradeable firmware, these units will remain current even as camera technology changes.

About PocketWizard

Incorporating the latest radio technology, PocketWizard (http://www.PocketWizard.com/) products exceed the demands of the working pro and photo enthusiast with durability, ease of use, advanced capabilities and legendary PocketWizard reliability.

PocketWizard products, including the PLUS

Classic Lighting: Weekly Photography Challenge

Your challenge this weekend is to practice a classic lighting pattern.

Yesterday we published a post here on dPS highlighting 6 Portrait Lighting Patterns which got a lot of positive feedback. So today I thought it might be good to challenge readers to choose one and to go away and practice it. Theory is good – but unless you USE that theory it won’t have any lasting impact upon your photography.

So choose either split lighting, loop lighting, rembrandt lighting, butterfly lighting, short lighting or broad lighting and have a go for yourself (explanations of each are here).

Keep in mind that you don’t need artificial light for these lighting patterns if you don’t have it (in fact all of the shots in the images above were shot with natural light).

If you’d like more teaching on any of the lighting patterns also check out:

• 5 Classic Lighting Positions for Portrait Photography
• Using Popular Television to Boost your Knowledge of Classic Lighting

Once you’ve selected the ‘Lighting Pattern’ image that you’d like to share – upload it to your favourite photo sharing site or blog and either share a link to it or – embed them in the comments using the our new tool to do so.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites with Tagging tag them as #DPSCLASSICLIGHTING to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

Also – don’t forget to check out some of the great shots posted in last weeks challenge – Mothers challenge where there were some great shots submitted.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Classic Lighting: Weekly Photography Challenge

Digital Photography School

Spectral Instruments 112 Megapixel Digital Camera

Check out this amazing camera – it has a 112 megapixel sensor that literally dwarfs any sensor you or I have in our cameras! It’s also a black and white only camera – but I’m betting it leaves the Leica M Monochrom for dead in terms of quality and price!

Want to see it made? Zeke makes a call for people to let them know if you want to see it made and then tested by photographers – it would certainly be pretty cool.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Spectral Instruments 112 Megapixel Digital Camera

Digital Photography School

Boston Area Craft Gallery Presents Digital Illustrations by Convergent Artist Marshall

Sommerville, MA (PRWEB) May 01, 2012

Nestled in the heart of Ball Square, Somerville, Blue Cloud Gallery displays the markedly unique creations of artists that hail from the Metro-Boston area. Over 100 local artists showcase an array of media ranging from ceramics and jewelry to graphics and glass. Owner and photographer Betsy Lenora presents the vibrant digital renderings of Marshall, exhibiting over 50 pieces of his original work.

Marshall’s eye for aesthetic detail began developing through his initial career as a medical photography specialist, but his drive for more creative expression quickly accelerated. He began tinkering with the infusion of synthetic color into digital images. This practice evolved to center around photographs of Boston’s cityscapes and suburban scenery.

A seeker of the romantic, Marshall endeavors to evoke the energy of urban scenes that straight photography may miss. “This ‘city vibe’ can be elusive to the camera lens alone,” he laments. “An ordinary photograph often falls short on communicating the vibrancy of the metro area.” Armed with a “digital paint brush,” he enhances color, tones and lighting effects, or modifies compositions to convey a deeper, more compelling story.

One particular image highlights the railroad car-styled Rosebud Bar and Grill in Somerville. Edward Hopper’s 1942 painting, Nighthawks, comes to mind, as Marshall similarly captures the live action of a city diner after dark. The canvas catches an American flag in mid-wave, a scooter artistically parked on the sidewalk, and a deliberating customer leans against the outside menu. Marshall’s signature style brings a striking layer of stimulus to the scene.

After Marshall completes his transformation, he stretches his rendered image over a canvas, then hand applies a protective coat of varnish. The canvases hanging in Blue Cloud Gallery are often mistaken for original oil paintings. Owner Betsy Lenora encourages Boston residents to come explore Marshall’s repertoire of unique digital renderings that emphasize the charm of Boston. An expanded selection will be available during Somerville’s Open Studios May 6th & 7th. Marshall’s art work is collected by clients all over the world.

About the company:

Blue Cloud Gallery, located in the heart of Ball Square, Somerville, invites the public to explore the many interesting handcrafted gifts created by local artisans. This unique store owned and operated by fine art photograher Betsy Lenora, supports local artists and helps the community discover fine artwork. Come and be inspired by the ever-expanding array of fun and functional items designed, created and produced to delight every visitor. As a premier provider of art for sale in the Boston area, Betsy takes pride in her products and local crafts and local art she represents. For more information visit her website at http://www.bluecloudgallery.com.

6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know

A Guest Post by Darlene Hildebrandt.

In classical portraiture there are several things you need to control and think about to make a flattering portrait of your subjects, including: lighting ratio, lighting pattern, facial view, and angle of view. I suggest you get to know these basics inside out, and as with most things, then you can break the rules. But if you can nail this one thing you’ll be well on your way to great people photos. In this article we’re going to look at lighting pattern: what is it, why it’s important, and how to use it. Perhaps in another future article, if you enjoy this one, I’ll talk about the other aspects of good portraiture.

Lighting pattern I’d define as, how light and shadow play across the face to create different shapes. What shape is the shadow on the face, in simple terms. There are four common portrait lighting patterns, they are:

• Split lighting
• Loop lighting
• Rembrandt lighting
• Butterfly lighting

There are also Broad and Short lighting which are more of a style, and can be used with most of the patterns above. Let’s look at each of them individually.

1. Split Lighting

Split lighting is exactly as the name implies – it splits the face exactly into equal halves with one side being in the light, and the other in shadow. It is often used to create dramatic images for things such as a portrait of a musician or an artist. Split lighting tends to be a more masculine pattern and as such is usually more appropriate or applicable on men than it is for women. Keep in mind however, there are no hard and fast rules, so I suggest you use the information I provide here as a starting point or guideline. Until you learn this and can do it in your sleep, default to the guideline whenever you’re not sure.

To achieve split lighting simply put the light source 90 degrees to the left or right of the subject, and possibly even slightly behind their head. Where you place the light in relation to the subject will depend on the person’s face. Watch how the light falls on them and adjust accordingly. In true split lighting, the eye on the shadow side of the face does pick up light in the eye only. If by rotating their face a bit more light falls on their cheek, it’s possible their face just isn’t ideal for split lighting.

NOTE: any lighting pattern can be created on any facial view (frontal view showing both ears, or ¾ face, or even profile). Just keep in mind that your light source must follow the face to maintain the lighting pattern. If they turn their head the pattern will change. So you can use that to your advantage to easily adjust the patten just by them rotating their head a little.

What the heck is a “catchlight”?

Notice in this photo above that the baby’s eyes have a reflection of the actual light source in them. It shows up as a little white spot, but if we look closer we can actually see the shape of the light I used in this portrait.

See how the bright spot is actually hexagon with a dark centre? That’s the light I used which was a small hexagon shaped soft box on my Canon speedlight.

This is what is known as the “catchlight”. Without the eye of the subject catching this light, the eyes will appear dark, dead and lifeless. You need to ensure that at least one eye has a catchlight to give the subject life. Notice it also lightens the iris and brightens the eye overall. This also adds to the feeling of life and gives them a sparkle.

2. Loop Lighting

Loop lighting is made by creating a small shadow of the subjects noses on their cheeks. To create loop lighting, the light source must be slightly higher than eye level and about 30-45 degrees from the camera (depends on the person, you have to learn how to read people’s faces).

Look at this image to see where the shadows fall, and on their left sides you can see a small shadow of their noses. In loop lighting the shadow of the nose and that of the cheek do NOT touch. Keep the shadow small and slightly downward pointing, but be aware of having your light source too high which will create odd shadows and cause loss of the catchlights. Loop light is probably the most common or popular lighting pattern as it is easy to create and flatters most people.

In this diagram the black backdrop represents the bank of trees behind them. The sun is coming over the trees but they are completely in the shade. A white reflector is used at camera left to bounce light back into the subjects’ faces. The reflector may or may not be in the sun but you can still pick up light even if it’s not. Just play with the angles, by changing the placement of the reflector you can change the lighting pattern. For Loop lighting it will need to be somewhere around 30-45 degrees from the camera. It also needs to be slightly above their eye level so the shadow or loop of their nose angles down towards the corner of the mouth. That is one mistake I often see beginners make with reflectors is to place them down low and angle it up. That lights up the bottom of your subject’s nose and does not create a flattering pattern.

3. Rembrandt Lighting

Rembrandt lighting is so named because the Rembrandt the painter often used this pattern of light in his paintings, as you can see in his self portrait here. Rembrandt lighting is identified by the triangle of light on the cheek. Unlike loop lighting where the shadow of the nose and cheek do not touch, in Rembrandt lighting they do meet which, creates that trapped little triangle of light in the middle. To create proper Rembrandt lighting make sure the eye on the shadow side of the face has light in it and has a catch light, otherwise the eye will be “dead” and not have a nice sparkle. Rembrandt lighting is more dramatic, so like split lighting it creates more mood and a darker feel to your image. Use it appropriately.

To create Rembrandt lighting the subject must turn slightly away from the light. The light must be above the top of their head so that the shadow from their nose falls down towards the cheek. Not every person’s face is ideal for creating Rembrandt lighting. If they have high or prominent cheek bones it will probably work. If they have a small nose or flat bridge of the nose, it may be difficult to achieve. Again, keep in mind you don’t have to make exactly this pattern or another, just so long as the person is flattered, and the mood you want is created – then the lighting is working. If you are using window light and the window goes down to the floor, you may have to block off the bottom portion with a gobo or card, to achieve this type of lighting.

4. Butterfly Lighting

Butterfly lighting is aptly named for the butterfly shaped shadow that is created under the nose by placing the main light source above and directly behind the camera. The photographer is basically shooting underneath the light source for this pattern. It is most often used for glamour style shots and to create shadows under the cheeks and chin. It is also flattering for older subjects as it emphasizes wrinkles less than side lighting.

Butterfly lighting is created by having the light source directly behind the camera and slightly above eye or head level of the subject (depends on the person). It is sometimes supplemented by placing a reflector directly under their chin, with the subject themselves even holding it! This pattern flatters subjects with defined or prominent cheek bones and a slim face. Someone with a round, wide face would look better with loop or even split to slim their face. This pattern is tougher to create using windowlight or a reflector alone. Often a harder light source like the sun or a flash is needed to produce the more defined shadow under the nose.

5. Broad Lighting

Broad lighting is not so much a particular pattern, but a style of lighting. Any of the following patterns of light can be either broad or short: loop, Rembrandt, split.

Broad lighting is when the subject’s face is slightly turned away from centre, and the side of the face which is toward the camera (is broader) is in the light. This produces a larger area of light on the face, and a shadow side which appears smaller. Broad lighting is sometimes used for “high key” portraits. This type of lighting makes a person’s face look broader or wider (hence the name) and can be used on someone with a very slim face to widen it. Most people however want to look slimmer, not wider so this type of lighting would not be appropriate for someone who is heavier or round faced.

To create broad lighting the face is turned away from the light source. Notice how the side of the face that is towards the camera has the most light on it and the shadows are falling on the far side of the face, furthest from the camera. Simply put broad lighting illuminates the largest part of the face showing.

6. Short Lighting

Short lighting is the opposite of broad lighting. As you can see by the example here, short lighting puts the side turned towards the camera (that which appears larger) in more shadow. It is often used for low key, or darker portraits. It puts more of the face in shadow, is more sculpting, add 3D qualities, and is slimming and flattering for most people.

In short lighting, the face is turned towards the light source this time. Notice how the part of the face that is turned away from the camera has the most light on it and the shadows are falling on the near side of the face, closet to the camera. Simply put short lighting has shadows on the largest part of the face showing.

Putting it all together

Once you learn how to recognize and create each of the different lighting patterns you can then start to learn how and when to apply them. By studying your subject’s face you will learn which lighting pattern will be best for them, and for the type of portrait and mood desired. Someone with a very round face that wants to appear slimmer in a grad portrait, will be lit very differently than someone that wants a promo shot for their band that makes them appear mean or angry. Once you know all the patterns, how to recognize and master quality of light, direction of light and ratio (we’ll discuss that in a future article) then you will be well equipped to handle the challenge.

Of course it is much easier to change the lighting pattern if you can move the light source. However if the main light source is the sun, or a window – it’s a bit tougher to do that. So what you will need to do instead of moving the light, is to have the subject rotate in respect to the light to change the direction it falls on them. Or change your camera position. Or change their position. So basically move the things you can move in relation to the light, if you cannot move the light source itself.

Practice Exercise

Corral yourself a subject (as in a real live person, not your dog) and practice creating each of the lighting patterns we just discussed including:

• butterfly lighting
• loop lighting
• Rembrandt lighting
• split lighting

Remember to show both broad lighting and short lighting – for each of the different patterns, where applicable. Don’t worry about any other aspect (ratio, fill light, etc) for now, just concentrate getting the patterns down pat first. Use light from a window, a floor lamp with a bare bulb (take the shade off) or the sun – but try and use a light source that you can see what’s happening (I’d suggest that you do not try using flash until you’ve got more experience, it’s harder to learn with because you can’t see it until after the photo is taken) This also works best to start out with the subject facing the camera directly, no turning except to create the broad and short.

Show us your results please and share any challenges or problems you encountered. I’ll try and help you solve them so you and others can learn from it, and get better for next time.

Darlene Hildebrandt is a professional photographer and educator who teaches aspiring amateurs, hobbyists and pros how to improve their photography skills through private tutoring, photo tours and photography classes.  She’s the author of 10 Challenges To Improve Your Photography which you can find as a resource on her website and she can also be found on Twitter at @ProPhotoTutor.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know

Digital Photography School

Camille Seaman: On Photographing Icebergs

In this video Camille Seaman shares photos and a little of her passion for photographing icebergs.

See more of her work including other subject matter at Camille’s website.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Camille Seaman: On Photographing Icebergs

Digital Photography School

Installation View of Smithsonian Photography Exhibition

Installation View of Smithsonian Photography Exhibition

Image by Smithsonian Institution
Description: This image of a photography exhibition is an example of the day-to-day documentation of Smithsonian life and work that curator Thomas Smillie and his staff regularly performed. Smillie used blue cyanotypes like this one to keep track of the glass-plate negatives his staff made, in part because the medium presented a quick and inexpensive way to create photographic prints. The bulky glass negatives were numbered and filed, and a corresponding blueprint catalogue was kept to help readily locate them.

Creator/Photographer: Thomas Smillie
Birth Date: 1843
Death Date: 1917

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1843, Thomas William Smillie immigrated to the United States with his family when he five years old. After studying chemistry and medicine at Georgetown University, he took a job as a photographer at the Smithsonian Institution, where he stayed for nearly fifty years until his death in 1917. Smillie’s duties and accomplishments at the Smithsonian were vast: he documented important events and research trips, photographed the museum’s installations and specimens, created reproductions for use as printing illustrations, performed chemical experiments for Smithsonian scientific researchers, and later acted as the head and curator of the photography lab. Smillie’s documentation of each Smithsonian exhibition and installation resulted in an informal record of all of the institution’s art and artifacts. In 1913 Smillie mounted an exhibition on the history of photography to showcase the remarkable advancements that had been made in the field but which he feared had already been forgotten.

Medium: Cyanotype

Dimensions: 7.4" x 9.6"

Date: 1913

Collection: Thomas Smillie Collection (Record Unit 95) – Thomas Smillie served as the first official photographer for the Smithsonian Institution from 1870 until his death in 1917. As head of the photography lab as well as its curator, he was responsible for photographing all of the exhibits, objects, and expeditions, leaving an informal record of early Smithsonian collections.

Persistent URL: http://photography.si.edu/SearchImage.aspx?t=5&id=295&q=RU95_Box76_18664

Repository: Smithsonian Institution Archives

Accession number: RU95_Box76_18664

An Introduction to Photographing the Northern/Southern Lights

The northern and southern polar lights have fascinated and hypnotised man for as long as we have graced the planet. The unearthly flame-like lights have been the inspiration of folk tale and legend for generations and since the invention of the camera a holy grail-like conquest for many enthusiast photographers.

Named after the Roman Goddess of Dawn (Aurora) and the Greek name for north wind (Boreas) the Northern lights AKA Aurora Borealis, are seen in areas that are within or surround the Arctic circle, for example: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Canada, Alaska etc. Equally the southern counterpart ‘aurora australis’ is visible from high southern latitudes in Antarctica, South America and Australasia. The mesmerizing wisps are actually solar charged particles reacting with the magnetic field as they make contact with the upper atmosphere gases. The most common lights star-gazers are likely to see are the green variety, with the red variant only appearing in tandem with the green. Sometimes the lights lie horizontally like an expanse of neon fog, other times in vertical streaks dancing their way across the night sky – whatever the colour or form the results are quite awe striking and will make for the most wonderful of subjects.

Spring and Autumn are the best times to witness the event (March to April, and September to October), but if you choose to visit in the winter months you will find the temperatures can be extremely cold often between as low as 35 below, and the days can be shorter with less light. For example at this time of year in somewhere like Sweden the sun rises around 9am and sets about 3pm but the window, this is great for star gazing but will mean your camera’s ISO capabilities will be put to the test.

Both factors will influence your choice of kit so pick a DSLR which can withstand the cold and work at high ISO. Nikon’s revolutionary D3S with 102,400 ISO is a fantastic choice; similarly the Olympus E3 is famed for its ability to withstand extreme conditions. Fast lenses are an absolute must, with a wide angle or fish eye acting as the best choices for capturing that great expanse of night sky. If you’re concerned for your camera or its potential demise in longevity take a fleece blanket or towel and gently wrap it around your DSLR, this is particularly wise for those models sensitive to colder climates.

Battery life is a big issue for any electronic device when the temperature is low so be sure to charge several spares if you are trekking out away from power supplies. Keep these close to your body when not in use.

A tripod is essential for stability and ultimately the success or failure of your shots. Long exposures of 15 seconds plus are going to be needed so a good solid contender that can withstand the cold and can be collapsed and erected with ease is going to be your best ally here. Manfrotto’s carbon fibre line up is definitely worthy of consideration, but ideally avoid anything that is predominantly constructed of metal. Furthermore to ensure the camera suffers minimum camera shake during exposures – which would result in blur – operate the shutter with a remote control/release or use the unit’s self timer mode.

Common sense would dictate that you do not head out into the snow-capped wildness alone or without at least notifying someone, and a compass or some form of GPS device is essential. Likewise sensible clothing is a must; plenty of breathable, thermal layers, with a waterproof out layer, sensible snow boots, balaclava, hat, scarf and gloves. When it comes to gloves double layered products are superb, especially those with a tip-less outer layer or grip coating – extending a better grip of camera controls to photographers. Lowepro, Peter Storm and Sealskinz in particular all make excellent items suitable for shooters.

In terms of transporting your kits, you are going to want your camera and lenses to be as snug and protected as you are, so this is no time to scrimp. One standout brand noted for its sturdy rucksacks is KATA and in particular the R-family of camera orientated luggage. Insulated with Thermo Shield Technology, the bag protects from the cold as well as knocks and bumps. The bags are cabin friendly (check with airline policy) and feature soft removable padding that cushions valuable items and the bright orange colour of the interior fabric is a boon for night time photographers. Another valuable asset to carry is a light; once away from the light pollution the only available light source will be from the stars, so until glow in the dark controls are invented remember to bring along a torch or if you do forget it a mobile phone will suffice.

As well as incorporating the beautiful streams of light which will no doubt fill your shot it will add interest and scale to incorporate a foreground subject such as a tree or cabin. Once you’ve found a good scene, be patient as the aurora borealis can appear in fits and burst over a period of many hours, and sometimes not at all. This is why travelling with a guide or experienced local can be of benefit. Once you do see the glow and take the shot be patient again and stand back from the tripod so your movement does not affect the stability of the capture.

In terms of technique switch to manual mode and open the lens’s aperture as wide as it will go. Next dial in the shutter speed, starting with 15 seconds but extend this duration as needed. It will be too dark for your lens to autofocus so opt for manual focus and adjust the ring with small incremental turns until the correct position is achieved. Keep checking the LCD for confirmation.

Experiment with ISO until it becomes uncomfortable. Some photographers favour exploiting the Noise Reduction mode in these conditions. After each shot zoom in on the LCD to check the level of grain, if things are looking uncomfortable opt for a longer exposure instead of degrading the quality of the shot further.

For capturing beautiful star trails in tandem with the lights, take dozens or even hundreds of frames of the same scene of 15 second exposures and flatten and merge them into one individual file in a software package later.

After an evening spent shooting be sure to reintroduce your equipment into warmer environments (i.e. indoors) slowly, to avoid the build up of condensation in the lens. Begin by leaving the camera and lenses by the door, drawing it into the premises in regular stages.

According to experts there is an extraordinary solar storm on the way (which happens roughly every 11 years in the solar cycle) and experts have forecast 2012 will be one of the most prolific seasons to witness the lights. It is during these times that the lights can be seen further outside the usual areas – especially those with less light pollution. For up to the minute information on flares and sun spots visit www.spaceweather.com.

Check out more images by Orvaratli’s Aurora set on Flickr.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

An Introduction to Photographing the Northern/Southern Lights

Digital Photography School

Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority: Exposure Lesson #1

This is the first in a series of four articles about exposure by Andrew S Gibson – author of Understanding Exposure: Perfect Exposure on your EOS camera.

A feature of modern digital SLRs is that most models have several fully automatic exposure modes (the exceptions are some semi-professional and professional models).

If you’re completely new to photography then this is where you’ll start. Fully automatic modes are designed for you to start using an SLR camera without any technical knowledge whatsoever. Just put it in full auto, and let the camera take care of the rest. It will calculate the three settings that make up an exposure – aperture, shutter speed and ISO – for you.

If you’ve moved up from a compact camera, then this is probably the way that you’re used to working anyway, as most compacts don’t let you set the aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings individually.

The SLR difference

There are two main reasons for buying an SLR camera. One is to use interchangeable lenses. The other is to give you full control over the camera settings.

Over the last few years, a new class of mirrorless cameras also gives you the same advantages.

By learning to set the aperture, shutter speed and ISO yourself, and understanding the effect that each of these has on your photos, you are getting involved in the creative side of photography.

This is exciting because this process is how you start making photos, not just taking them.

More automatic exposure modes

As well as fully automatic, your camera probably has some more specific fully automatic modes, such as landscape, portrait or sports. These are also fairly straightforward and mean that the camera will try and select settings that suit those subjects, rather than use the generic, one size fits all, settings of fully automatic.

For example, if you choose landscape mode, the camera will set a small aperture as that increases the depth-of-field. The assumption here is that you want everything in the frame to be in focus.

Alternatively, if you choose sports mode, the camera will set a fast shutter speed, working on the basis that you want to freeze the action.

This sounds useful, but I think that these fully automatic modes do more harm than good. They clutter up the mode dial, offer too many choices and can be quite confusing.

But that’s not all. Each of these modes is very restrictive. For example, on my EOS cameras, I can’t adjust the ISO in any of the fully automatic modes. I can’t apply exposure compensation if the camera is getting the exposure wrong. I can’t change the Picture Style, or even decide whether or not to use the built-in flash. The camera makes all these decisions for me, and I don’t get a say. As a creative photographer I don’t like that (no-one likes getting told what to do, right?)

Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority & Manual modes

So how do you address this? The easiest, and best way, is to stick to using the following exposure modes: program auto exposure, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual.

Program Auto Exposure mode

Program AE is a useful mode. It’s just like using your camera in fully automatic except that it gives you the ability to override the camera’s decisions. Additionally, most cameras have an ‘exposure shift’ function that lets you change the exposure settings the camera selected if you don’t like them.

For example, if your camera has set f8 at 1/250 second (at ISO 200) and you want a larger aperture, you can use exposure shift to change the settings to f4 at 1/1000 second. The exposure is the same but the effect is different.

I don’t use program much myself, but it’s very useful and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Manual mode

I use manual mode quite a lot – it’s so useful that I’m going to write a separate article about it. Look out for that in the coming weeks.

Aperture priority

In aperture priority mode, you select the aperture and your camera sets the shutter speed according to the ISO. You can control the shutter speed indirectly by changing the ISO.

I use aperture priority for the following subjects:

Landscapes

Depth-of-field is very important in landscape photography. Usually you will want the entire contents of the frame to be in focus, and the best way to do this is to set a small aperture (such as f16), a low ISO (for high image quality). If this results in a shutter speed that is too low to hand-hold the camera without camera shake, I either raise the ISO (to get a faster shutter speed) or use a tripod.

There are a couple of reasons why you would want to use aperture priority instead of landscape mode:

1. You can apply exposure compensation if the camera gets the exposure wrong.
2. You can use the hyperfocal distance focusing technique to maximise depth-of-field. This involves switching your lens to manual focus mode and focusing on the point in the landscape that maximises depth-of-field. There’s a good article about this technique here.
3. You can use a wide aperture to create landscapes with very narrow depth-of-field. Sound bizarre? There are photographers creating interesting work with this technique. Aleksandr Matveev is one of them, and you can see a good example here.

I also use aperture priority for taking portraits. This is a favourite technique of mine with prime lenses (which have a wider maximum aperture than zooms). I set an aperture somewhere between f1.8 and f2.8, focus on my subject’s eyes and let the rest of the portrait fall out of focus. The advantage of using aperture priority is that I can look at the results on the camera’s LCD screen, and adjust the aperture accordingly if there is too much, or too little, depth-of-field.

Shutter priority

In shutter priority mode, you select the shutter speed and your camera sets the aperture according to the ISO. You can control the aperture indirectly by changing the ISO.

I use shutter priority a lot when I’m hand-holding the camera. It lets me set a shutter speed fast enough to prevent camera shake, and I if I need more depth-of-field I simply increase the ISO.

Shutter priority also comes in useful when you want to blur motion. I set the camera on a tripod and took some photos at 1/6 second in Jing’An Temple, Shanghai to illustrate this technique. One girl stayed still during the exposure, and the other moved, creating an interesting effect.

Another example where I use shutter priority is when I deliberately move the camera during an exposure to create a sense of movement and blur. The photo below is an example of this technique. Chris Friel is a photographer who uses this technique very well.

Creative Exercises

Now it’s time for some creative exercises and to put these tips into practise:

Aperture priority

Choose a lens, put your camera into aperture priority mode and set the widest aperture on the lens. Take some photos at this setting. The subject can be anything you like, but portraits and close-ups are a good place to start. What happens to the background as you get closer to your subject? What happens if you move your subject away from the background?

Shutter priority

Now try a similar exercise in shutter priority mode. Again, it depends on your subject, but there’s two ways to go.

One is to set a fast shutter speed and use it to freeze action. Check out Olivia Bell’s 100 Jump Photographs series – this is an easy idea to replicate yourself.

The other is to use a slow shutter speed to turn anything that’s moving into a blur. I like to do this with long exposure photos of the waterfalls, such as the one above. You need to put the camera on a tripod to take photos like this without camera shake.

You can try these techniques out over a period of time. The aim is to get used to using the aperture and shutter priority modes on your camera, and taking creative control by selecting the aperture or shutter speed setting yourself.

Andrew S Gibson is a writer and photographer. He’s the Technical Editor of EOS magazine and writes for Craft & Vision. The techniques in this article are explored in more detail in his ebook Understanding Exposure: Perfect Exposure on your EOS camera.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority: Exposure Lesson #1

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