SLR Photography Guide - November Edition 2014

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A digital magazine for photographers. Featuring student images from our Online Photography Course over at http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/online-courses.shtml

Transcript of SLR Photography Guide - November Edition 2014

See the lightFlower Photography

2014 ISSUENOVEMBER

GUIDEPHOTOGRAPHYSLR

http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/online-courses.shtml

THANKS FOR CHECKING OUT SLR PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE

NOVEMBER EDITIONDIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE EDITOR TANYA PUNTTISLRPHOTOGRAPHYGUIDE.COM

2014

This month cover photo © Shauna Smith (USA) I shot this picture with a Sigma 85mm f/1.4 lens, using ISO 100, wide open at f/1.4, and a Shuer Speed of 1/2000. I did do a bit of post processing in Photoshop. I added a couple of gradient fills (browns and blues mainly) a light vignee and then a slight haze to give the image "darker" more "autumn" feel.

1. Resize photos before you post them. The width at its longest side should beeither 720 px, 960 px or 2048 px for regular photos.

2. For cover images, resize to 851 px (width) by 315 px (height). To avoid compression when you upload your cover photo, make sure the le size is less than 100 KB.

3. Save your image as a JPEG or PNG le with an sRGB color prole.

4. It’s best to compress an image in post processing to no less than 70% quality.4. It’s best to compress an image in post processing to no less than 70% quality.

5. Use very little sharpening (if any at all) in post processing as Facebook adds this their end on upload.

6. Make sure to select the ‘High Quality’ option (if you see it) when uploadingimages to Facebook. Note, you may only see this option when uploading to analbum.

STYLELET US HELP YOU FIND YOUR

image © Jade Lauren

I once heard that a great photographer, Edward Steichen, photographed a simple white cup and saucer over 2000 mes! How many mes and in how many different ways can you find to shoot a simple flower?

I recently visited a fabulous botanic gardens on our trip north and had the pleasure of shoong with friends. There's nothing like a photo shoot with like minded people to smulate the creave side.

Cairns Botanic Gardens is full of beauful tropical plants and trees which Cairns Botanic Gardens is full of beauful tropical plants and trees which presented a stunning display with an endless photo opportunity every step you took. Our friends were locals of the area, apologizing for the state of the gardens, saying it was the driest they had seen in many years. I was astounded by what they said, as to me it looked quite amazing.

The day in the botanic gardens re-awakened the passion I feel when shoong The day in the botanic gardens re-awakened the passion I feel when shoong nature. I had been so busy lately that I forgot the simple pleasure a bright bloom can give a photographer. You can literally spend a lot of me enjoying a single petal. Shoong this lile miracle from every angle in an endeavor to produce something on the digital frame that you see with your eye and mind.

While I was in the garden my thoughts insncvely came to our photography While I was in the garden my thoughts insncvely came to our photography group. How would I as a tutor express to you the thought paern that I go through as I photograph flowers such as this? Allow me to share some of the steps I take when capturing something I feel may be a keeper.

Firstly, I shoot flowers primarily in manual mode, concentrang for the most Firstly, I shoot flowers primarily in manual mode, concentrang for the most part on the aperture se ng. Lower aperture numbers allow me to isolate the subject from the background and goes a long way to making a good image great. I discuss camera se ngs more in the next arcle.

Secondly, my aenon is not so much on the subject. It is on the background. Secondly, my aenon is not so much on the subject. It is on the background. The background is what will make or break the final image. Usually all it takes is for you to move around the subject, experimenng with different perspecves, taking out any man made objects that may be seen in the background.

Thirdly I think about the light, concentrang on nice bokeh. If I’m shoong Thirdly I think about the light, concentrang on nice bokeh. If I’m shoong midday, I’ll try my best to get the subject in full shade (if not naturally, then I’ll cover the flower with a hat). Ideally however, I shoot early-mid morning, or mid aernoon when I can lt the camera at an angle to capture fantasc circular bokeh.

THINKING THROUGH A FLOWER SHOT

images © Tanya Pun

Oen when travelling I cut down on baggage by ditching the macro lens and using a telephoto instead. I find telephoto lenses useful in a large majority of cases including flower photography. Listed below are my go to se ngs for photographing flowers with a telephoto lens.

1. Zoom your lens somewhere between 150mm-200mm focal length

2. Set an aperture of around F4.5 - F5.6

3. Set your ISO to 100 if using a tripod, or 400 if hand holding and not shoong in low 3. Set your ISO to 100 if using a tripod, or 400 if hand holding and not shoong in low light situaons.

4. Stand as close to your subject as possible while sll being able to focus, then takeone large step backwards for sharpness. Yes, there is such thing as being too close to a subject, that your lens is unable to focus sharply!

5. I set a single focal point over whatever part of the flower I deem most important.

6. If using Aperture Priority your camera will automacally choose a shuer speed. If 6. If using Aperture Priority your camera will automacally choose a shuer speed. If using manual mode, zero the exposure line and take the shot.

7. Look at the result on the back LCD screen. If you find the colour depth and details seen in the flower are not as strong as you’d like, jump across to Lesson 6 in our Online Photography Course hp://www.slrphotographyguide.com/online-courses.shtml and try the ‘Green Rule’. I use this rule 99.9% when photographing nature.

How to shoot flowers with atelephoto lens

By Tanya Puntti

image © James Cannon (USA)

© Cathi Stetson(USA)

image © Joyce Metzger

Those who have been following me for quite some time, would no doubt have noticed that I enjoy nothing more than hanging out in a helicopter photographing aerial lanscapes. No matter what kind of landscape I am photographing from this height, my go to camera settings remain the same.

Aperture Priority with an aperture of F/5.6, ISO 400, with the Aperture Priority with an aperture of F/5.6, ISO 400, with the shutter speed automatically being set by the camera (usually stays around 1/4000sec or there abouts).

Aerial Photography

images © Tanya Puntti - SLR Photography Guide

image © Lindsay Wayne Feldner (USA)

image © Tracy Lynn Gayheart (USA)© Nyrelle Hawkins (Australia)

image © Cherie Hershberger Shuput (USA)

© Pat Chaney Raglin (USA)

image © Gary Wright (UK)

Did you know our online photography course

now comes with downloadable cheat sheets?

"If you haven't taken advantage of printing the cheat sheets, I strongly suggest you take time to do so. These alone are worth

the price of the course." ~ John Smith (student)

Check out our online photography course over at

http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/online-courses.shtml