Independence Day

I was off of work today though I didn't do much except play on the computer and go down to the park to meet James so I could give him back his flash. He is going to the hospital to take baby photos for a friend.

I'm excited about the new park downtown. I've been there a couple of days in a row now. The weather was bad today but it gave me a chance just to look for different compositions to shoot later. I hate the fact that people climb all over the artwork like it was some sort of backyard play set. I feel like it is disrespectful to the artist but what do I know. Anyway I get to enjoy it until they make up all sorts of equally silly rules at some point after somebody's kid is seriously injured.

My personal favorite and apparently quite a few others is Eros Bendato (Eros Bound) by Igor Mitoraj. It's very cool.

I shot this with a green gel filter over my off camera flash. The lights that illuminate it were not turned on the first night I was there. They don't do much anyway so that was no loss. They were on for this shot but my flash is easily wiping them out. I'm not looking forward to next Winter (even though it's hot out) but I do want to get a photo of this the next time it snows here.

I want to buy another flash but that Nikon SB900 is ouch expensive. It looks like a pretty cool tool though. I may pick up a couple more Sunpak flashes which do the job in manual mode which is what I use most of the time now anyway (at least for tripod shots). I do have the built in flash on the D300 but it's not any good for portraits because of the shadow it casts. It doesn't work for the 12-24 either, making a big shadow because of the size of the lens. Bottom line is I still need some sort of Nikon flash if I plan on using the automated flash features (or bounce flash mounted on the camera. The Sunpak flashes don't talk to the new cameras at all, not even in manual. I can always stick a wireless trigger on those but automated flash is good when things are moving around quickly and you can't take a bunch of test shots. I never was in love with the SB800 but it is a tank. Trouble is they don't manufacture those anymore and people are probably charging an arm and a leg if you can even find one for sale. I should probably just get two SB600 flashes for the same price as the SB900. The only reason to debate all these choices is because I can't actually afford any of them. The one you should choose is invariably always the most expensive.

Feels Like Summer To Me

It's hot outside and inside there is a constant drone from the air conditioner. I'm waiting for the next bit of inspiration to come to me and at the same time wondering why I'm not rich and famous yet. I'm sure there are lots of good reasons but I can't think of any at the moment. I suppose it's all a numbers game and I got no numbers. No hits, no views, nothing. Since I'm free of all (any) expectations I guess I can happily continue to do my own thing and have a good time. Celebrities don't seem to be any happier than I am, so there.

Meanwhile the camera batteries are charging and the memory cards have been formatted. There is film in the film camera du jour (a Sawyer's Nomad). I could go to Chicago on the weekend and take photos of tourists taking photos or just wander downtown waiting for something interesting to happen. I could stay at home and sleep late... Where is that Muse when I need her? I'll think about it at work today and see if I can come up with a plan.

All Thumbs Today

Photography Rules of Thumb - Dennis

Introduction: I’m not sure why rules of thumb are called rules of thumb. I do know that if you are an Eskimo who is building a kayak then you would use the length of your arm from your elbow to your fingertips as the measurement for the deck opening. So maybe thumbs were once used as some kind of anthropomorphic measuring stick for short things. For our purposes a rule of thumb is a technique or procedure based on experience and or common sense that is accepted as a broad standard that is generally correct but not bound to absolute scientific standards. In short, rules of thumb are mostly true most of the time.

I know several people who are “all thumbs” when it comes to photography and I can show you photos with their thumbs sticking in the frame to prove my point. So based on the concept that people who are all thumbs have ten of them, here are the Ten Photography Rules of Thumb.

1. Rule of Thumb: Shutter speed can affect the sharpness of hand held shots, especially when using longer focal length lenses. The safest minimum shutter speed should be reciprocal to the focal length of the lens in use, 1/200 second for a 200mm lens or 1/60 second for a 50mm lens. Better yet use a tripod whenever possible.

2. Rule of Thumb: A polarizing filter will almost always improve the color saturation of water and foliage in addition to cutting glare on glass and metallic surfaces. The affect is strongest when the filter is at a 90-degree angle to the sun. Using polarizing lenses on extreme wide-angle lenses can cause the color of the sky to look uneven. That is because the polarizing affect varies with the angle to the light source and a wide-angle lens covers more area of the sky.

3. Rule of Thumb: Landscape photos can often be more dramatic when shot in vertical format. It is often a good approach to make at least one exposure of an interesting subject in both orientations because people will want both. It’s not a bad idea to make a few in camera “duplicates” at the same time in case a negative or slide gets damaged. I like vertically framed shots in order to include a section of clear blue sky when there is haze near the horizon.

4. Rule of Thumb: When you include far and near subjects within the same image choose a small aperture to increase depth of field. Then remember to focus on a point about a third of the way between the nearest and furthest details. The range of focus is typically 2/3 more behind the point of focus than in front of it, so by focusing on the near or far details you are actually wasting a lot of the area of sharp focus. You may want to consider buying a camera with a depth of field preview feature.

5. Rule of Thumb: Try to frame photos of people and wildlife against simple backgrounds that do not detract from the main subject. Look for interesting backgrounds that include contrasting colors or shoot against a saturated blue sky. Watch out for bright highlights or distracting objects protruding in along the edges of the frame. Use large apertures to throw the background out of focus and make the sharpest area of focus on the eyes. Watch out for shadows falling on the subject unless it is for effect. Remember that film cannot see as wide a range of contrast as your eyes.

6. Rule of Thumb: Shoot at different times of the day. Beat the tourist crowds by getting up early and maximizing your shooting day. Have a long break at noon and then scout out locations for your evening photo shoot. Continue shooting until then sun goes down. Twilight is a great time for architectural shots because the light from the sky will be at about the same intensity as the light coming from inside the buildings, and you will still be able to see the outlines of the buildings against the sky.

7. When shooting sunsets it is best to aim the camera just above or to the side of the brightest part of the sky to exclude the sun from your meter reading. It is also a good idea to bracket your exposures in 1/3 stops for slide film and whole stops for print film. Try framing the shot so the sun is partially hidden behind another object and use a small aperture to create a diffraction star. Remember to keep shooting after the sun goes down.

8. Rule of Thumb: When taking photos of landscapes reflected in water it is best to use a ND graduated filter over the top half of the frame to equalize the contrast of the scene. I usually use my polarizing filter in conjunction with the graduated filter for maximum control. When using filters in combination it is always best to use a tripod for maximum support and effective composition.

9. Rule of Thumb: The major drawback of shooting photos with available light is extreme contrast. You can minimize contrast by selecting views that are framed to exclude the brightest highlights and the darkest shadows. Remember to selectively use fill flash if your camera has this feature, but use caution because too much flash can create an unflattering effect.

10. Rule of Thumb: The typical problem of using camera-mounted flash units is caused by the drop off in light intensity the further the light travels from the flash. To avoid underexposed backgrounds make certain that the distance from the camera to the subject is at least five times more than the distance from the subject to the background. Because we are accustomed to light coming from overhead it is often preferable to bounce the flash off the ceiling or a wall when it is practical.