You are going
after that perfect shot and you'll do anything to get
it. You have been given the awesome responsibility of
documenting the day's action as evidence for many bragging
sessions to come. Now all you need is the
sun at your back. Your nostrils begin to flare....Geronomo!
The
most common problem is sun behind the subject.
If you don't have a flash on your camera make sure the
sun is at YOUR (the photographer's) back, not
the subject's back. Think of the sun as a big free flash
unit.
- When
it is high noon, you will light the tops of the heads
with Charley Chaplin mustache shadows under their
noses. When it is low and behind you, it will light
the front of your subject. An hour before the sun
goes down is what pro photographers call "sweet
light". As the light passes low through the solid
matter in the atmosphere it scatters and acquires
a warm glow. It makes dirty cars look like product
shots in Car and Driver and makes Canadians
look tan! Sports Illustrated photographers
and models tour the world's sunsets for the perfect
swimsuit shot.
- What
to do when the sun is behind the subject.
- FILM
- Fresh
film. Make sure it is tightly wound on the receiving
sprocket. A couple of cranks on your rewinder while
the back is open will tighten up the film and let
you know if you are not connected correctly.
- If
the camera is digital, have ample disk space
and/or extra cards.
- BATTERIES
- Nuff
Said! especially for digital cameras.
- LENS
- If you
can use interchangeable lenses, have the
correct length for your shooting distance. If
you are taking photos while fishing on a boat but
don't have a wide angle lens, you'll only have room
for one eyeball in each picture. If you happen to
be unlucky, you won't know if it is the fish's eye
or your buddy's. (Maybe this is where they got the
idea for a fisheye lens)
- Zoom
is good. With a decent zoom, you are set, with
wide angle to telephoto lengths.
Remember wide angle
makes objects appear further apart, laterally as
well as in depth of field (the area between
the furthest and the closest object in focus) .
Telephoto lenses compress objects
laterally as well as in depth of field (with a telephoto
lens you can have a sharp subject and blur the background
for a good portrait). Wide angle lenses also
make objects in the foreground appear bigger than
those in the background, so don't get too close
to your girlfriend's nose or she will 1:
come out looking like Barbara Srriesand and 2:
tear the picture up!
- The light
meter in your camera adjusts individual objects to
"middle gray", roughly the shade of faded
asphalt. When confronted with a variety of tones in
the viewfinder it averages them out. In a perfect
world this would allow the blacks to be black and
the whites to be white. Why, then, do you then get
some crummy exposures? Here's the big four:
When
you get a feel for how the meter works you will notice
a marked improvement in the consistency of your
photographs.
- In
general, the closer you are
to your subject, the more personal your photos
will be. Make sure your subject is completely
contained in your viewfinder. If you're shooting from
a distance, use a zoom or telephoto lens. If you don't
have either, you can always use "the poor man's
zoom" - just walk up closer to the subject, then
focus on the main point of interest to make it as
prominent as possible.
- The
subject does not always have to be dead center.
Artists use what they call the "rule of thirds.
Mentally divide the frame into a grid, three up and
three down. Then place various objects in different
combinations on the imaginary grid.
- Unless
the background has an environmental impact on the
shot or adds perspective, you'll want your subject
to be the focal point of your photos. Cluttered backgrounds
make bad portraits. To highlight your subject, blur
your background! Typically, this can be accomplished
by opening up the lens to a wider (lower number, like
f 2.0 or 3.5) aperture. This effect is amplified with
longer lenses. Use your depth of
field preview too see the end effect.
- An unsteady
hand can blur your focus on longer exposures, and
this increases with distance. Rest your elbows on
your stomach and bring your hands together at the
wrist. Lean them against the chin. This is the "Weaver
Grip" of photography.
- If a particular
shot is important, use your exposure compensation
to take a shot an f-stop above and an f-stop below
the indicated exposure. It's what the pro's do, because
they know it's cheap insurance for getting the shot.
It's called "bracketing".
- The film
speed (known as its ASA) is a most important factor
to consider. As a rule, the higher a film's ASA, the
less light you will need to get a properly exposed
picture and the more shutter speed options you'll
have to choose from. However the higher the ASA, the
grainier the picture.
- ASA
100 Best bet with flash indoors, or bright
daylight outdoors.
- ASA
200 Since most cameras have some kind of flash
it is the best all-around film for general use.
Today's 200 speed film has finer grain than the
100 ASA film of not too long ago.
- ASA
400 This is a fast film perfectly suited for
indoor use w/o flash or for shooting outdoors
in low light. I would keep some around for when
you need it.
- ASA
800 or higher...If you must.
This is for taking action shots or campfire pictures.
But remember, you will be sacrificing the overall
quality of the picture.
A flash is your secret weapon outdoors when shooting
into shade.
!
- Digital
imaging presents problems and fixes alike. You never
need to worry about daylight or tungsten film. Just
set it to that light source or correct it later. Some
even adjust for florescent light sources.
- Digital
cameras don't like contrasty light
(bright sunlight with hard shadows). A hazy day
will give you better shots. As soon as the sun
goes behind that cloud start blastin'. They are
great in late day sun. But if the event happens
in less than desirable conditions, of course let
'er rip and hope for the best.
- Digital
Cameras devour batteries in obscene quantities!
Be prepared.
- Some
digitals show a larger image in the viewfinder
than you get in the image. Experiment! Look for
the brackets.
- Most
pocket models are rangefinders, which means they
focus by triangulation (you hardened 'ol sailors
will know what that is) and you need to shoot
straight on or your subject might be out in left
field in the actual image. This is called parallax
error.
- Digital
cameras see light in ways that film doesn't. A
little bit of color adjustment in an image editing
program is sometimes needed.
- This
is, of course, a virtual and not literal axiom of
professional photographers. Scenario: exactly three
minutes after you rip away those last two shots to
finish the roll, the Uranian mothership appears out
of the clouds, touches down on Earth and asks for
directions to Chick-Fil-A. Noooooooo!
No more
film: SHOOT! No batteries: SHOOT! No Camera:
Yell Click!! There is always hope!
The last frame might have choked and now it's ready to
fire again. A lousy shot is still a shot, which puts it
miles ahead of an excuse. If it turns out lousy, call
it art. It just requires a little explanation "I
was going for an effect". Then hope they'll buy it!
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