Photography podcast – photography blog – Photography.ca

81 – Multiple exposure photography

Photography podcast #81 discusses multiple exposure photography. Basically multiple exposure in photography involves getting more than one scene on a frame of film or on a single digital file in camera. Many digital and film cameras can do this but if yours cannot, I briefly describe how to do this using a graphics program (that uses layers) like Photoshop. In this podcast, I use the word serendipity quite a bit. Just in case you’re not familiar with it, it means finding/discovering something that you did not expressly seek. It’s one of my favourite words in the English language.

Links /resources mentioned in this podcast:
Master multiple exposure photographer Jerry Uelsmann
Freeman Patterson -  multiple exposures (a few are on this page)
April 2010’s – Different point of view assignment on the Photography.ca forum

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If you are still lurking on our forum,
feel free to join our friendly  Photography forum

Thanks to Richard, SeanG,  Wickeddark, Jason, MrTim, and 42 who posted a blog comment about our last podcast. Thanks as always to everyone that sent comments by email about our last podcast. Although ALL comments are appreciated, commenting directly in this blog is preferred. Thanks as well to all the new members of the bulletin board.

If you are looking at this material on any other site except Photography.ca – Please hop on over to the Photography.ca blog and podcast and get this and other photography info directly from the source. I Subscribe with iTunes I Subscribe via RSS feed I Subscribe with Google Reader ISubscribe for free to the Photography podcast – Photography.ca and get all the posts/podcasts by Email
You can download this photography podcast directly by clicking the preceding link or listen to it almost immediately with the embedded player below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tags: multiple exposure, multiple exposure photography

Related posts:

• Multiple Exposure
• Multiple exposure in photography – Photo podcast #32
• Multiple Exposure – Podcast teaser

Multiple Exposure – Podcast teaser

I’ve been playing with in camera multiple exposures quite a bit lately and I’m really enjoying it. I used to do this quite a bit back in the day with my trusty Nikon FM2 film camera. Although the anticipation factor is dead with digital, there’s still something special about doing this in-camera. I’m having some fun re-experimenting and I plan to share my rediscoveries in the next podcast.

Inside Isabelle by Marko Kulik

BTW – The submissions in this month’s photo assignment ‘different point of view’ are very creative  – Thanks to all forum members for posting their fab work! Of course…if you haven’t joined, feel free to join – everyone is welcome!

Tags: multiple exposure

Related posts:

• Painting with light – blog post teaser
• Multiple Exposure
• Multiple exposure in photography – Photo podcast #32

Same subject different point of view

This month, again, we have a very cool assignment on our photography forum.
The goal is to shoot a subject from a different point of view. We just started this assignment and already have many cool posts. Here’s one from forum member Bambi that rocks. If you are lurking on our forum – we’re a friendly bunch so feel free to register for free and let’s see your creativity.

The Dogs' view of the trail by Bambi - Click to enlarge

Tags: photography, photography assignment, Photography.ca

Related posts:

• Multiple Exposure – Podcast teaser
• A Week With A View – a day anyway :)
• Point and Shoot cameras are good

80 – Clean your camera’s sensor – cleaning camera lenses

Photography podcast #80 talks about how to clean your DSLR camera’s sensor. It describes the wet technique and the dry technique and it’s not as scary as it seems. We also talk about how to clean your camera’s mirror as well as cleaning camera lenses and general camera care.

Links /resources mentioned in this podcast:

Original suggestion thread for this podcast from our photography forum
The visible dust website – Camera and camera sensor cleaning products
The Copperhill Method of sensor cleaning – They sell cleaning kits and products as well
SensorKlear by Lenspen demo on Youtube
Camera and camera sensor cleaning supplies at B&H
Lenspen SensorKlear to clean camera sensors at B&H
Air blower at B&H
March 2010’s Light and Shadow assignment on the Photography.ca forum
Hat tip to photographer Dominic Fuizzotto for his insight on sensor cleaning.

Please join the Photography.ca fan page on Facebook

If you liked this podcast and want to review it on Itunes, this link gets you to the main page

My Facebook profile – Feel free to “friend” me – please just mention Photography.ca
My Twitter page – I will follow you if you follow me – Let’s connect – PLEASE email me and tell me who you are in case I don’t reciprocate because I think you are a spammer.

If you are still lurking on our forum,
feel free to join our friendly Photography forum

Thanks to Jimmy Brown,  Wickeddark, jack label, Fortytwo and Zenon5940 who posted a blog comment about our last podcast. Thanks as always to everyone that sent comments by email about our last podcast. Although ALL comments are appreciated, commenting directly in this blog is preferred. Thanks as well to all the new members of the bulletin board.

If you are looking at this material on any other site except Photography.ca – Please hop on over to the Photography.ca blog and podcast and get this and other photography info directly from the source. I Subscribe with iTunes I Subscribe via RSS feed I Subscribe with Google Reader I Subscribe for free to the Photography podcast – Photography.ca and get all the posts/podcasts by Email
You can download this photography podcast directly by clicking the preceding link or listen to it almost immediately with the embedded player below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tags: camera cleaning, cleaning camera lenses, cleaning DSLR sensors

Related posts:

• Cleaning camera lenses – cleaning cameras – Photography podcast #51
• Point and Shoot cameras are good
• Quality of Lenses

29 other things to buy after your first DSLR

I recently did a photography podcast on buying your first DSLR. In that podcast I suggested NOT spending a whack of cash on your first camera body, and saving it for lenses and accessories instead.

Speaking of all those accessories…member masp from our photography forum started this thread listing other items you’ll need to go with that first DSLR if you want to get serious about photography. It’s a big list for sure but it will give newbies in particular a feel for what many advanced shooters consider to be essential gear, accessories and must have gadgets.

So hat tip to masp once more for this list! Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments if you feel anything is missing.

Here’s a partial checklist I’ve put together from my own research and listening to the podcast. I’m sure I’ve probably left something important out here or there, so please let me know if you spot any omissions or useful things I should include. Asterisks denote the stuff that is more important or cheap enough to buy first.

A. CAMERA PROTECTION
* 1. UV filter ($10 to 30 to $60?)
* 2. Padded camera case
3. Camera armor?
* 4. LCD screen cover if not included. (Included for Nikons)
* 5. Viewfinder cover and magnifier
6. Fancy camera strap, like the Black Rapid straps?
* 7. Lens hood for any lenses that lack one. (Also keeps stuff from banging into your lens)

B. CLEANING
* 8. Microfiber cloth and a “huff of breath” (Can’t be more than a few bucks)
9. Air blower. Marko says to buy from a camera store, but Ken Rockwell says a $5 air blower from a drug store may suffice. Any reason to disagree with Rockwell here? (I’m kinda cheap )
* 10. Also consider a blower brush or lenspen. ($5-10)
* 11. Silica gel – it eats moisture in humid conditions (A few bucks)

C. PHOTOGRAPHIC TOOLS
12. Polarizer and ND filters
* 13. Tripod ($50? – $140 + + No reason not to buy used though, I think)
14. Maybe a monopod for portability, but a tripod seems more useful.
15. Flash (consider buying the most expensive one)
* 16. Reflectors maybe, or just a cheap piece of cardboard wearing white clothing.
17. Light meter. Useful for studio work mainly.

D. COMPUTER STUFF
* 18. SD or CF reader. Can you go with a cheap one here? As long as is a high speed one, I *think* it’s okay, but I’d hate to corrupt my data.
19. Photo printer. Pictbridge?
20. A decent monitor that isn’t excessively blue, contrasty or bright (referring to calibration podcast)
21. Monitor and printer color calibration tools.
22. Photography software (I’m going to stick with what’s free for now, but I suppose I’ll eventually buy some software when I figure out what’s most standard)
23. Color calibration equipment ($400-$1400?). Some may be available for $200 or under. Consider buying one before you start doing a lot of editing.

E. MISCELLANY
24. Spare battery ($10 to $30 on Amazon, more for brand name)
25. SD or CF card ($20 to $40 depending on desired size)
26. Extra lens and body caps (losing the originals may lower the resale value of your gear?)
27. Plastic trash bags to cover your gear bag if it’s not waterproofed and it starts raining. White ones may double as reflectors if you don’t mind looking unprofessional.
28. Zip lock bags for holding your cleaning supplies and other stuff maybe.
29. Baseball bat for when some guy on the street tries to grab your camera. J/K J/K I don’t condone violence, except for the Three Stooges variety.

Tags: photography, photography accessories

Related posts:

• Point and Shoot cameras are good
• 75 – How to buy your first DSLR
• Let your skills rock the everyday scene

1 bloody good reason to try the camera before you buy

The answer is PAIN.

I recently upgraded cameras and purchased a Nikon D700. It’s an awesome camera and I love it except for one thing…it does not feel great in my hand. In fact, after using it for a month it has been causing me a good deal of pain in my shooting hand.

SHAME ON ME.

I should know better, I council people to try before they buy and yet I did not fully listen to my own advice. Here’s what happened – I actually tried the D700 for a weekend 4 months ago. On that weekend I shot with the D700 for two periods of about 1 hour and my hand felt fine. I did notice that it was a heavy camera but I felt fine so I figured all was good.

SHAME ON ME.

I mean when I go out to shoot normally, on a gig or for pleasure, I USUALLY shoot for 3-4 hours (plus plus). So testing on 2 periods of 1 hour was a huge mistake. But I was in a “rush” to test the camera as it was only on loan for the weekend..and weekends are often busy.

PLEASE LEARN FROM MY ERROR.

Before you spend a whack of cash on a camera, test it for the length of time that you normally shoot with. Trying it in the store or for an hour is better than nothing but it’s not an accurate test. Rent the camera you intend to buy for a weekend especially if it is an expensive camera. Many larger brick and mortar camera stores will deduct the rental price off your new camera if you end up buying it. For my own case, I think adding a battery grip will solve the problem as it will take the excess weight off my shooting hand and divide it more evenly…..but this could have been avoided if I had fully followed my own advice.

Tags: buying a camera, photography

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• Camera and grey card exposure example
• How Important are External Flashes?
• Point and Shoot cameras are good

79 – Customizing your camera for free

Photography podcast #79 talks about how to customize your camera using the custom settings functions in your camera’s menu. There are many, many, many useful ways to customize these settings for the way YOU personally shoot, but many photographers don’t use these settings or are afraid to touch these settings. Many features that your camera offers are set to OFF by default, and the only way to access them is by turning their custom function on in the custom menu of your camera. A quick and easy example is high ISO. On my former 30D from Canon, this setting was set to off so my highest normally available ISO was 1600. With one setting change in the custom function menu the highest available ISO becomes 3200.  This podcast encourages you to play with similar (and even better) settings in your camera.

Links /resources mentioned in this podcast:

The Nikon D700 at B&H
March 2010’s Light and Shadow assignment on the Photography.ca forum

Please join the Photography.ca fan page on Facebook

If you liked this podcast and want to review it on Itunes, this link gets you to the main page

My Facebook profile – Feel free to “friend” me – please just mention Photography.ca
My Twitter page – I will follow you if you follow me – Let’s connect – PLEASE email me and tell me who you are in case I don’t reciprocate because I think you are a spammer.

If you are still lurking on our forum,
feel free to join our friendly Photography forum

Thanks to Wickeddark, jack label, f8&Bthere, sephibox, Fortytwo and Casil403 who posted a blog comment about our last podcast. Thanks as always to everyone that sent comments by email about our last podcast. Although ALL comments are appreciated, commenting directly in this blog is preferred. Thanks as well to all the new members of the bulletin board.

If you are looking at this material on any other site except Photography.ca – Please hop on over to the Photography.ca blog and podcast and get this and other photography info directly from the source. I Subscribe with iTunes I Subscribe via RSS feed I Subscribe with Google Reader I Subscribe for free to the Photography podcast – Photography.ca and get all the posts/podcasts by Email
You can download this photography podcast directly by clicking the preceding link or listen to it almost immediately with the embedded player below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tags: camera custom functions, custom functions, customizing your camera, photography

Related posts:

• Camera and grey card exposure example
• 1 bloody good reason to try the camera before you buy
• Multiple Exposure – Podcast teaser

Photography forum image of the month – Feb. 2010

Every month on our photography forum members nominate images that they like. Then at the end of the month I choose an excellent image and talk about why it rocks. The photo I choose is not necessarily the best one of the month. I’ve come to realize it’s not really logical to pit images from totally different genres against each other. That’s why there are categories in photo contests. I just choose a photo that has extremely strong elements that we can learn from.

Message delivered by Michaelaw - Click for a larger version

This month’s choice Message delivered is by Michaelaw.

I chose this image for several reasons.

First off look at the great mood Michaelaw has created here. This is no accident; it’s a product of Michael’s attention to the the lighting. This mood helps create the story that ‘makes’ this shot. What IS the story? That’s up to the viewer, it’s helped by the title, but there is a story here. The bottle is without a classic paper message in it, it’s empty save for some water. Who sent it, why? Maybe the beer bottle itself IS the message – “hey I’m on a bender; that’s my message”. Maybe the shot is really about the environment and Man’s lack of concern over it. But there IS a story here, you just have to choose it for yourself.

Compositionally I like this very much. The curved patterned formations in the sand add interest to the shot. The diagonal slant of the bottle with specular edge highlights really give my eye something to cling to. The focus also works very well for me here and I’m digging the background blur. My eye is skillfully guided along the bottle toward the slanted water level collected at the bottom. At bottom of the bottle we see the sun’s reflection and it grabs you.

Exposure is handled very well here with a good range of tones and excellent highlight control.

For all these reasons, this is my choice for image of the month.

Since we all have opinions, some members may disagree with my choice. That’s cool but THIS thread is not the place for debate over my pick, NOR is it the place to further critique the image. The purpose here is to suggest strong elements in the photo that we may learn from.

Congrats again Michaelaw for creating this beautiful image!

I’d also like to include these 2 images as honourable mentions as they also came so so close to being picked.

Behind the mask by Chantelle

Day 3 – Banff  by casil403

Tags: fine art photography, image of the month, photography

Related posts:

• Photography forum image of the month – April 2010
• Photography forum image of the month – Jan. 2010
• Photography forum image of the month – May 2010

Let your skills rock the everyday scene

As admin of a growing photography website I look at a good 20-100 photographs most days of the week. The quality of work that I look at (both on our site and other websites) normally ranges from photography enthusiast to pro.

One of the things that separates amateurs from advanced amateurs/pros is the ability to create the image rather than waiting for something spectacular to happen or finding it through serendipity. Getting to this level involves 3 key things that are 100% attainable with a few months of regular practice.

1 – You need to understand basic exposure.
2 – You need to understand basic composition
3 – You need to understand basic lighting.

A person that practices all 3 of these things can create great shots from otherwise mundane scenes. IF they are waiting for something to happen (like waiting for great outdoor light),  they make sure they are waiting at the right time.

Sunset landing by Michael Wollen - Click to see larger version.

The image above by forum member michaelaw (real name Michael Wollen ) is a great example. How many times have we looked up at the sky to watch a plane land in the distance. Likely many times. It’s a common scene. Some might even call it banal. But take a look at THIS image. It is carefully crafted – NO accidents here.

Look at the beautiful light in the sky. Michael waited for this light. Look at the position of the plane in the sky. Michael waited to freeze the plane in that exact spot. Look at the landing pad at the lower part of the image, look at the foliage and shimmering water in the immediate foreground. They are there on purpose. They are there, because Michael put them there. Because Michael put them there at the right time,  in the right place, and exposed the image correctly – This photograph sings and is a pleasure to look at.

Practice the 3 basics listed above and you too will be armed with the skills needed to create great photography from commonplace scenes.

Tags: photography

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78 – Winter photography gear

Photography podcast #78 talks about how to enjoy winter photography. Many photographers avoid shooting in the winter because  it’s too cold and they feel uncomfortable. What a huge mistake. There are so many spectacular winter scenes to photograph and the cold can be tamed with the right gear. The majority of the podcast is dedicated to how to keep your entire body warm on a cold winter day. We talk about shooting at different levels of coldness including very cold temperatures like -20 degrees C (-4 degrees F) and colder. We also touch on tips like avoiding condensation and preserving battery power.

Winter photography gear

Links /resources mentioned in this podcast:

Le Baron – Awesome camping/fishing store in MTL. Great products.
SSG Silk Winter Glove Liners at Amazon
Fox River Four Layer Glomitt on Amazon
Polar Ex Glomitt Fleece Mitten/Gloves – Medium-Gray
Gordini Da GORE-TEX-« Goose II Mittens Mens
Heat Max Hot Hands hh2
Lorpen Hunting Extreme Primaloft Socks on Amazon
Toe-sters battery powered foot warmers

February’s song title to photograph assignment on the Photography.ca forum

Please join the Photography.ca fan page on Facebook
My Facebook profile – Feel free to “friend” me – please just mention Photography.ca
My Twitter page – I will follow you if you follow me – Let’s connect – PLEASE email me and tell me who you are in case I don’t reciprocate because I think you are a spammer.

If you are still lurking on our forum,
feel free to join our friendly Photography forum

Thanks to JAS_photo, Micheal van der Tol,  jacklabel, Zenon5940, f8&Bthere, Bambi, Jason, and Fortytwo who posted a blog comment about our last podcast. Thanks as always to everyone that sent comments by email about our last podcast. Although ALL comments are appreciated, commenting directly in this blog is preferred. Thanks as well to all the new members of the bulletin board.

If you are looking at this material on any other site except Photography.ca – Please hop on over to the Photography.ca blog and podcast and get this and other photography info directly from the source. I Subscribe with iTunes I Subscribe via RSS feed I Subscribe with Google Reader I Subscribe for free to the Photography podcast – Photography.ca and get all the posts/podcasts by Email
You can download this photography podcast directly by clicking the preceding link or listen to it almost immediately with the embedded player below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tags: winter photography, winter photography gear

Related posts:

• Winter patterns
• Shooting through glass is bad unless…
• February 2010 forum assignment – Photography and Song Titles

February 2010 forum assignment – Photography and Song Titles

This month we have one of the best assignments we’ve ever had in our photography forum; images that suggest a song’s title. There are already many extremely creative and well done images in this thread. If you are still lurking on the forum but have a creative idea, now would be a great time to join. Click here to register for free.

Here’s 2 images from the thread. First one is by member Bambi – Sunrise, Sunset (Fiddler on the Roof Cast). Second one is mine; Hazy Shade of Winter by Simon and Garfunkel. Who is the cutie in the frame? That’s yours truly taken in the early seventies when the song was still popular.

Sunrise Sunset by Bambi (T. Alexander-Arab)

Hazy Shade of Winter by Marko Kulik

Tags: photography, photography assignment

Related posts:

• 78 – Winter photography gear
• Photography forum image of the month – Feb. 2010
• Same subject different point of view

Photography forum image of the month – Jan. 2010

Every month on our photography forum members nominate images that they like. Then at the end of the month I choose an excellent image and talk about why it rocks. The photo I choose is not necessarily the best one of the month. I’ve come to realize it’s not really logical to pit images from totally different genres against each other. That’s why there are categories in photo contests. I just choose a photo that has extremely strong elements that we can learn from.

This month’s choice The Conversation is by casil403.

I chose this image for several reasons.
First and foremost, I was drawn in by the unusual angle and point of view of this shot. This angle works very well for me! I love how just above the left statue’s head the office windows are nicely lit. This gives me the feeling of a well-told story, better than the similar story told by the straight on shot seen many, many times. The story is office politics/or work talk etc.

I very much like the lines of the building’s roof and the lines created by the windows. I’m loving this interesting composition. The way that ‘roof-line’ cuts out of the scene to create an isosceles-like triangle at top left (hey I dug geometry) is fan-friggen-tastic. It adds interest to this scene and makes it dynamic.

The sky is beautifully controlled here. It adds flavour to the shot without overwhelming it in any way.

The black and white is very well controlled here and works for me with this subject matter. If I had one teeny nit, I might bring up the highlights in the statues’ faces and hand.

Thousands of people pass these statues every day and scores of tourists are likely snapping away daily… and none of them are likely to lie down on the ground or get on their knees to get this superb angle.

For all these reasons, this is my choice for image of the month.

Since we all have opinions, some members may disagree with my choice. That’s cool but THIS thread is not the place for debate over my pick, NOR is it the place to further critique the image. The purpose here is to suggest strong elements in the photo that we may learn from.

Congrats again casil403 for creating this beautiful image!

Tags: image of the month, photography

Related posts:

• Photography forum image of the month – April 2010
• Photography forum image of the month – May 2010
• Photography forum image of the month – June 2010