Archive for the ‘lighting’ Category
Preventing Photo Underexposure
Posted on: 4 June 2010
Photography is one of the most important arts known since the previous century. Experts would define it as the art of capturing or recording light. It doesn’t get any plainer than that. When you press the “shoot” button and the light flashes, you just captured a moment—in that case, the light of that moment. However, capturing light on film or digital memory is not as easy as you might have thought. Photography is like an exact art that minor changes can have a profound effect on the outcome. One of the most common mistakes is shooting pictures with low amounts of light exposure, which causes less than impressive results.
Not-so-seasoned artists would lay the blame for dark photos on improper lighting and come up with a notion that adding a flash would fix the issue. But that seems a simple solution to a less than understood problem. Of course, the inclusion of the “flash” element would seem to be the forthright answer, yet it’s an understanding in the circles of professional photographers that enhancing the amount of light is not the universal solution. There are a lot of people who have spent a long time in the photography business who can tell you that there is more to dark images than issues regarding the film and flash.
What makes photos appear dark? Read the article on Photography Business Tips.
David Peterson of Digital Photo Secrets has a good article on capturing moving objects. It’s not so much a problem with today’s newer point-and-shoot cameras. Nowadays you simply select the action icon on the camera and have fun. However, if you’re a true professional photographer, you may want to understand just what is happening inside that camera of yours so that you have more control of the situation.
You’ve lined up the perfect shot and pressed the shutter at the right moment only to find out later on that everything is blurred. This is one of the biggest frustrations for beginner, and even experienced, sports photographers. It is the moment when people begin to question the camera setup they just purchased, often wondering if those hundreds and thousands of dollars could have been better spent elsewhere. There is no need for frustration. With an understanding of the environmental factors that come into play, you can anticipate the steps you need to take to capture the moment.
Read the article to learn more about ambient light, aperture, flash and iso.
- In: equipment | lighting
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I finally got around to covering a question that I get asked so often from readers here on the blog, and that is:
“What is the difference between off camera flash (like a Nikon SB-800 or SB-900, or a Canon 580 EXII), and a Studio Strobe?“
If I have time, I sometimes answer people back with a direct email, but I’ve gotten this question so many times, I haven’t been able to answer them all. So, I thought I’d put together an example to show you my typical response to the question, which is purely my own opinion on the subject.
What I usually say is something along the lines of:
“Whether you use a small off-camera flash, or a studio strobe, what you get is a bright flash of white light aiming toward your subject.” [via Photoshop Insider]
Read the rest of the story here. You’ll also find that Scott has done the work of listing the pros and cons of each as well as provide a budget should you be so inclined to upgrade your lighting equipment. Thanks Scott.
Scott Kelby takes you behind the scenes and shows how he works to achieve such masterful headshots like the one below. Check it out.
How to Make a DIY Ringflash
Posted on: 15 April 2009
- In: diy | education | lighting | tutorials
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This is a really cool tutorial. If you want a ring flash but don’t have the money to purchase one yet this could very well work for you. The materials needed include:
- A plastic bowl (not too thick) whose base is about 8 cm of diameter. Your lenses need to be able to go through.
- Another plastic bowl, but slightly smaller, but not under 8 cm. It needs to get inside the big bowl, but your lenses will also have to go through it.
- A piece of pipe (PVC gives the best results in term of weight and toughness) about 5 cm long and 8 cm of diameter.
- Some aluminum foil
- A pen
- A ton of big tape
- A cutter
- And you’ll need some hard glue.
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