Improve Your Photography - Part 12, Creative Techniques

Once we know the technicals of photography, we can now venture out with creativity and
capture scenes. However, there are still a few techniques that can be used to increase the
quality of your images. What is important is that when you see a scene, and you want to
photograph it, you must have the ability to know what technique works for that scene.
Basically it is applying the correct technique to the correct scene to get the best result.

Flash
Probably the most misunderstood of features on a camera, the flash is there to light up a
scene when the camera deems a situation too dark for it to take a decent picture.

There are a few types of flash: Normal, Fill in Flash, Red eye reduction and Rear curtain sync
flash.

Normal flash
This is the everyday flash that occurs when you pop you flash up. It is designed to illuminate
the entire scene that it sees. This means that anything that is in front of the scene will be over
exposed, as it will receive too much light. This is often the case with portraits of people as
they are too close to the camera and in front of everything else. The way to prevent this is to
have the flash dialled down a bit so that the flash is only powerful for short range. This will
give a better overall effect. It also helps the recycling time of the flash, as it does not use as
much power as normal flash- so it allows you take images faster and it saves your batteries.

Red eye reduction
The closer the flash is to the lens of the camera, the more chance of Red eye being prevalent.
Red eye is caused by the reflection of the flash into the lens.
How to reduce red eye:

• Have a hot shoe flash and bounce flash off ceiling or hold flash away from the camera
and direct it onto subject. Of course this is not always possible.
• Red eye reduction mode on camera. Camera pre fires flash so that subject’s pupils
dilate and then the camera takes an image with flash.
• Subject looks into bright light before taking picture- effect is same as red eye
reduction.
• Post processing- this is done on the computer.

Fill Flash
Fill flash is a small amount of flash that the camera emits to help the image. It is one of the
most useful ways to improve your daytime images. It is best used in shadows, under trees and
in harsh day lighting. What is important is to realise that fill flash is there to fill in shadows
only. This means that it is a subtle effect and if a viewer cant see that flash was used, then the
effect is successful. I am a firm believer in Fill flash. It turns horrid daytime photos into
acceptable images that you can use for family albums. Must also remember that many
weddings are taken in full daylight, so this is where fill flash saves the day for those
photographers. Probably its most creative benefit is that of when used when shooting against
the sun. The fill flash fills in the detail of what would normally be a silhouette. This gives an
image a lot more substance and evens out the contrast in an image.
Rear curtain sync
This is the most creative flash effect and it produces ethereal and mystical effects. What
happens is the shutter opens for the exposure and the Flash only fires at the end of the
exposure. If used with a slow shutter speed, can create beautiful effects and blur is created by
the slow SS, but the flash freezes the subject when it fires.
Best results are had when used with a support- being a tripod, beanbag or by resting against a
pole or wall.


Filters
Filters are pieces of glass that fit onto the front of a lens, either by screwing on or via a drop
in system. There are many types of filters and they provide many types of effects, many of
them not natural in look. I will concentrate on two types of filters that re very useful and help
in producing better and more balanced images.

Polarising filter

This is a circular filter that screws onto your lens. The front section of the polariser turns,
increasing and decreasing in strength of polarisation as it turns. It gives the best results are
when used at 90 Deg to the sun. The polarizer is best used in mid day light conditions, forests
and over water.

What it does:
Daylight: Adds contrast and saturates colours
Forests: It reduces the leaf shine (glare) on wet leaves- makes for a much better
resultant image
Water: Reduces glare over water- excellent for “seeing” into the water.
The graduated Neutral density filter

Used mainly traditionally for landscapes, but it use is not confined to scenery. I find this one
of my best travel lenses. The filter is one half clear glass and the other half a dull grey colour.
What it does is balance the exposure of the sky with that of the land. This balances the
exposure so that the entire scene is made equal and you dint get an image of a dark
foreground and a bright sky.
Panning
This technique is used for capturing various forms of motion. It means that you follow your
subject, as it is moving. It is important to try and keep your movement as smooth as possible
with the moving subject. There are various ways types of effect that you can get from
panning, depending o your shutter speed.
Most common:
Pan with subject to get your subject sharp and background a nice blur. This type of shot is
good to start around 1/250 sec.
It is sometimes nice to make your subject a blur. This equates into a very abstract effect and
uses a much lower shutter speed. Anything from 1/10 sec will give you a blur of movement.
It must be remembered that this is a difficult technique and the success rate can be quite low.
Luckily you have a digital camera and you can practice and adjust our settings to get the
desired result.



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Improve Your Photography - Part 11, Patterns and Creativity

Creativity is considered as being divergent thought to create a solution. Thus it means
‘breaking ‘ the rules, but still being aware of those rules, especially when it comes to
photography.
The word pattern is a very diverse one. In photographic terms, it could be described as
something worthy of repetition, an artistic or creative design or a composite of traits.
It is clear that these two combine together in the creative realm of photography. The outdoors
are full natural patterns that we just need to open our eyes to and photograph. This is where
your knowledge of the camera comes in. if you can see a pattern, you can make it more
evident through the camera and the control you have over the camera, especially aperture.

How aperture affects the way you see patterns

Aperture determines your DOF.
By selecting your DOF, you can create even more impact in an image. It can add great DOP
throughout an image and show a pattern in its entirety, or it can select one part of a pattern
and leave the others a soft out of focus blur. These selections may seem simple, but they are
extremely effective in creating a stronger impact in your image.
Using aperture you can also select certain subjects and isolate them from a scene. This is
probably the most powerful manner that a selective aperture can influence an image and is
extremely effective in isolating subjects from the image or the background.

Creativity with Shutter speed

Shutter speed determines if you freeze or blur your photograph. This obviously lends itself to
more creative applications. A fast shutter speed freezes motion and is thus good for action
A slow shutter speed causes blur: so when used on a tripod, it can be used for some really
creative effects.

Shutter speed selection

Still Portrait - 1/60 sec
moving portrait - 1/125 sec

Action
Walk- jog- 1/250 - 1/500 sec
Sport and fast action - 1/750 - 1/1250
extreme action- birds in flight, snowboarding etc 1/1250 - 1/2000

Blur - (Tripod required)
Slight water blur - 1/30 sec
complete blur - 2 sec and more

Night Photography

This is a great way of experimenting with your photography, as the results are fascinating. A
tripod is essential here as well as a cable release, but a self-timer on the camera will also
suffice. Night colours are very warm and saturated, making for strong images, especially if
there are moving lights in the picture.
A few tips:
• Shutter speed can be from a few seconds- through to a few hours
• If you are taking a photograph of a city scene- results are much better after recent
rain, as the streets will reflect the lights nicely in the image.
• Use a low iso (200). You want the best image quality and your camera is on a tripod.
• In the evening and especially so in winter, there is a ‘blue hour’ about an hour after
sunset. This is when the sky is still slightly blue, but not yet completely dark. It is the
best time to take night images, as it adds ambiance to the image.
• Dusk and dawn, are excellent times to do night photography. This is because the light
colours are extremely beautiful and subtle. Our eyes don’t actually realise these
colours and cameras render them a beautiful colour.
• When shooting stars: for a circular trail of stars, aim your camera to the south
(southern cross) and the whole sky will whirl across your frame.

For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

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Leopard Portrait, Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana

Its funny how things work out. I’ve always ascertained that the large cats are over photographed. In that vein, for my personal work, I try to keep away from them and focus on the smaller things.
Fortunately though, I do come across the big cats relatively often and have had the pleasure to witness and photograph some spectacular interactions. These are wonderful to photograph and see, but it is one part of the wildlife world where I know “everything has been covered”.

There is no denying that these large cats, and the leopard in particular, are very special creatures, and have a special charisma about them. It is also no wonder that they have dedicated followers, with safari goers and photographers alike stalking them out from behind every bush. Indeed, if a reserve or lodge has good, relaxed leopard or lion sightings, the “value” of the lodge increases greatly! The demand to see these cats reaches such a fever pitch that there is a term coined when people get leopards into their heads. Its called “spotted cat fever”, and I have a seen a few instances where people actually start hyperventilating whilst stalking a leopard in thick bush. I’ve also seen photographers trying to put their flash on backwards, so much was their excitement that they could not even perform a simple function in the anticipation of this spotted denizen of the forest!

Due to the fact that there are so many people out photographing these big cats, I do tend to give them the slip. That is unless they are actually doing something and are photographable… if not, I would rather be photographing insects backlit. Far more challenging and rewarding!

There are however the exceptions. I was privileged enough to be at one of the best leopard setups and sightings recently. I was leading a photo workshop up at Mashatu, in Botswana with C4 Images and Safaris. We had come across this young male leopard on the first night and knew he was very relaxed around vehicles. On the second evening, we heard that this same leopard had been discovered by the other photography vehicle, led by Isak Pretorius (our other photo guide). Luckily we were only a couple of minutes away and as we headed around a corner of the dry river bed, the scene opened up in front of us, just as it has before in all my dreams of the perfect set up.
The river ran east-west. The leopard was sleeping on top of a dead log, washed down by the recent floods, in the middle of the river. It was facing west, into the setting sun, the bank behind it was already in shadow, making it stand out and glow in the evening sunlight. There were no branches or other distractions to the scene. It was simple, clean, and by golly, damn beautiful. It is at these times that you take a breath, take a step back and just enjoy the pure beauty of such a scene. All the ideals of not taking pictures of large cats go out the window and the camera started working. This is a studio set up in the bush. Things could not get more beautiful or better set up! We all had spotted cat fever trying to get the best images. I actually realised how hard it was to do the scene justice, as it was so well set up.

It was then that the real action started. A porcupine walked into the scene… (I wont deal with that here- you can read more about on my blog.) But we had just witnessed such a stunning set up and it’s in times like these that you realise why there is never the “perfect shot” of any species of animal.
A leopard sighting like that one was a very refreshing slap in the face. Im all for the different animals and shots, but when a scene comes along like that, it makes you feel like a beginner again, shaky, excited and damn happy to be a part of such beauty!

Exposure information
Nikon D3 - 200-400mm lens
Exposure – f 4 Shutter Speed: 1/20sec
Exp. Comp. -0.3. EV
ISO - 1000
Flash - none
Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 400mm
Beanbag support

Shem Compion

This essay first appeared on shemimges.com

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Wild Dog Ghost -Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana

This may be the shortest essay yet, as this months image is one that “just occurred” through a bit of playful experimentation- even if the sighting was pure bliss.

I was hosting a photo workshop at Mashatu through my company C4 Images and Safaris and we had just spent the last hours of the day photographing a pack of African wild dogs in glorious sunlight. The scene was perfect, with the dogs awake, alert and at times very curious, walking to within a few feet of our vehicle- perhaps attracted to the sound of the clicking shutters, as all of us composed and photographed away.

After the sun had set, we watched the dog’s disappear into the mopane bush setting off on a fast trot. We drove off, content and happy and ready for a sundowner. It was here where we were chatting excitedly away about how stunning these dogs were to photograph when we noticed behind us, in an open plain some movement.

It was about 30 minutes after sun set, so the dusk was quite full, yet through it we saw 16 wild dogs trotting silently not 10 meters from us. They totally ignored us and trotted alertly past as we stood, stunned by the silence and the proximity of these charismatic creatures. I picked up my camera, aimed the lens and fired one frame. Being so dark, I knew the exposure would be long, so I just panned with the movement of the dog as it ran along.

This is the result. Probably not to everyone’s taste, but it brought back to me the same feeling as when I was there and the feeling of elation in seeing them so close and on foot. These ghosts of the dusk hour, shadowing through the bush portray to me a beautiful sense of movement and also reflect their conservation status, as they are critically endangered. To me it seemed a fitting metaphor.

It goes to show what playing around with a camera can produce- never a dull moment when you are prepared to push the boundaries and add another element to a scene.

Exposure information
Nikon D300 - 200-400mm
Exposure – f 4 Shutter Speed: 2 seconds
Exp. Comp. 0
ISO - 800
Flash - none
Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 400mm
Handheld
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Improve Your Photography - Part 10, Aperture and Shutter Speed

For any control over the camera, one has to know how aperture and shutter speed combine to
create an exposure.
An aperture is defined as: The device that controls the amount of light entering a camera.
It controls the amount of light entering the camera through a circular diaphragm designed
blade.
The aperture opens in a circular manner. The wider the aperture, the more light it allows
through. And vice versa for when it is closed down.

Shutter speed: A shutter blade that allows light to enter the camera for a determined time.

Exposure:
Exposure is the resultant image that a camera produces once the shutter release is pressed. It
is the resultant image that comes from a combination of the shutter speed of the shutter and
how much light the aperture let through the diaphragm.
Aperture and shutter speed are the two controls a camera uses to make an exposure on the
film when you "take a picture". Shutter speed is the speed with which the camera's shutter opens when the picture is taken. It is the "click" you here when you push the button.

You probably have seen a dark picture or light pictures; these are illustrations of incorrect
exposures. With Compact cameras, these properties are most of the time beyond your control,
as the camera is working in “auto” mode. The more control you have over an image, the less
incorrect exposures you will have. We are lucky that cameras produce good results 95% of
the time- allowing us to enjoy our photography without worrying too much.
However, creative control comes with you controlling the camera, so your camera will have
to move off the “auto mode” and start working in Aperture” and “Shutter” Priority modes on
your camera.
These modes give you control over what aperture to use and how you can control the
resultant image, allowing extensive creative control.

Added to this equation is Depth of Field (DOP).

Aperture also controls Depth of field. The smaller the hole in the diaphragm; the greater the
DOP. The larger the hole in the Diaphragm; the narrower the DOP. We will cover this later,
for now lets look at shutter speed.

Things to consider when choosing a shutter speed:
There are some basic rules that we need to know:

• Most individuals cannot hold a camera steady (without blur in the photo) for anything
slower than 1/60 of a second.
• Subjects need to be extremely still/steady in order to not show motion/blur in the
image less than 1/60 sec
• Fast moving subjects tend to need shutter speeds of 1/250 of a second or faster into
order to freeze motion or prevent blur.
• The faster the subject, the faster the shutter speed needed
• Low levels of light limit one to a slow shutter speed
• High levels of light may limit one to fast shutter speed
• Thus for low light- one needs support to get a steady shot (or flash)
• For High light levels, can hand hold and good for action shots
ISO
Iso is the digital cameras sensitivity to light. As with film, and asa, iso is determined by an
increase in numbers. As each number doubles, so does the sensitivity of the sensor.
Ie: iso goes up as 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 etc
With each increase, the sensitivity of the sensor increases.
If all other factors were to remain constant and iso had to increase, then the shutter speed
would have to also increase. For each increase in iso, the shutter speed would halve. This is
due to the sensor being twice as sensitive to light (it needs half the amount of light to make an
image) and thus the shutter speed halves.
One problem with iso is that as it increases, so does images quality decrease. Thus it is almost
not worth taking photographs at iso’s above 800, unless you are going for a specific effect.

Conclusion
Shutter speed, aperture and iso go hand in hand in determining how your creativity. You need
to know how they affect one another and how you can use them to your advantage.

For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

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Improve Your Photography - Part 9, People

2. People

People are probably the most photographed subjects around. Photos are always taken at
gatherings of friends and families. Thus it makes sense that you need to photograph it
properly.

A few ‘ rules’ when taking portraits of people:
1. Fill the frame
2. Make sure your subject’s eyes are open. A tip is to take two photos, the second
right after the first, so that you capture the open eyes, or else a more relaxed
expression.
3. Turn the shoulder towards the camera. Have you ever thought why models
always have their shoulders towards the camera? It’s because it creates a leading
line and opens up the image, instantly bringing in depth into the image. Ok you
don’t have to pout…
4. Raise the chin. This is not a given, but it also a trick from the modelling industry. A
raised, lifted, or chin pushed slightly forward make the person look a bit more alert and it makes them open their eyes more. It is important to not overdo this
technique, as a high raised chin does not look nice at all.
5. Choose your background. Portraits are the one time when you can choose your
setting, so make sure you have the best spot available. A dark background with even
colours is always a nice start. Look out for bright spots in the background that may
be a distraction in the picture.
6. Make your subject laugh or smile. Any relaxed person is going to be easier to
photograph. A few test shots with the camera will also help them relax whilst you
talk to them, show them a picture on the LCD and get ready for a better shot. One of
the most famous portraits of all time, of Sir Winston Churchill, was taken in a light
moment. The photographer, Karsh, stopped Mr Curchill and asked for a photograph,
Winston reluctantly obliged. Karsh set up the shot and then grabbed the cigar out of
Winston’s hand. As he did so, he took an image. As soon as Winston realised that it
was a joke, he broke out into a broad smile, and Karsh grabbed the next shot. Only
two images taken and both were to become legendary.
7. Get to the level of the subject. If you take a picture of a child from adult level, you
will get a picture of a child from adult level, and not a very flattering one. Get down
to the level of the subject and take the photo at their eye level. This increases the
intimacy of the image

Portraits in the environment

This is where you can use a wide angled lens to photograph people. Use the mantra, ‘get
close, go wide’. Meaning get close to your subject and use a wide angled lens. This technique
shows the environment where the along with the person. It can often show a picture of a
person in their work environment. Another benefit is that you can combine this technique
with other composition techniques to increase the overall impact of the image

Candid Photography
Similar to environmental photography, candid images are those that capture scenes or
happenings when people are unaware.
It is the type of people photography that focuses on spontaneity to make the image rather
than a proper set up of camera equipment. This is the typical “fly on the wall” type of
photography and is extremely enjoyable when nice images are captured. Children are easy
candids, as they often play in the own little worlds. They are good to practice on.
Its important to note that in many countries today it is illegal to photograph people who you
don’t know in public places. This law is in effect in many first world countries and relatively
strictly enforced.

Action and sport
Sport and action are always the most difficult photos to get. Use the sport mode in your
camera to make sure you get the fastest shutter speed. Also use the burst mode to get as
many frames per second to capture the action. A good technique to learn is to pan with your
subject, as it is moving. If the subject is running from left to right, then keep a steady pan in
the same direction. Even if someone is on a trampoline, pan up and down to catch freeze the
motion of the person jumping. When there is action, always remember to keep your eye on
the viewfinder so as to be ready for the shot you want.

For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

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A Landscape of Insect - Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

Two years ago, I met good friend Duncan MacFadyen for a birthday drink one Thursday evening. For a present, I gave him a fine art print of an image I had taken at Tswalu reserve, a stunning reserve in the Kalahari of which Duncan manages all the conservation research for. In the excitement of the moment, we decided there and then that we would work together to produce a book- him doing the text and I the photography. It was seemingly innocent talk, but waking up the following morning, we both had that nagging feeling that we had started something that would not go away. That evening was to be the spark for “A Landscape of Insects”.
Over the course of these last two years, Duncan and I have worked through numerous proposals; ideas and processes of how produce this mass of work. We are both new to this game and it all meant a lot of meetings and e-mails flying back and forth planning new ideas and solutions.

Both of us being “bush people”, the real part was when the fieldwork was to begin. To both of us, this meant the project had really begun and we were on our way to actually, physically producing something. During this process, we have been able to visit and work on some spectacular reserves across South Africa. These properties cover varying habitats, meaning we are seeing and photographing a great diversity of insect life. I was relatively new to the “insect world”, but with the help of Duncan and Ruth Müller from the Transvaal Museum, I have learnt to distinguish a Graphipterus from a Graphiurus and no longer squeal at handling a ground beetle! It’s been a great experience and one that has taught me a lot of the natural history of insects, as well as photographing them.

Photographically, it has been a great challenge for me. Macro work is traditionally a technical realm of photography. My aim though, was to make it an artistic realm- One that a reader could relate to and see the insect within its environment; not just on a black background. Zendré kept repeating to me: “Context, I want to see context.” Naturally, I listened…

So a few rules were established.
We would always photograph in natural light. No set up studios. (Except for some real close ups done with specialised equipment)
Insects were photographed in situ, in the outdoor environment, where they naturally occur and the insects would be doing something. We didn’t want any insect stuck onto a plant- all our insects were to be alive in their own environment.
This proved tougher than expected. One thing we learnt very quickly, is that insects fly- and fly very fast! Needless to say though, we persevered and have managed to get some excellent results- of which all will be in the book when it launches in December.

I was still adamant to break new boundaries though- test the limits of equipment and try new angles. I consulted with various photographers in the industry and decided to try a fish eye lens in the insect world. A fish eye lens is an extreme wide-angle lens that has an angle of view of 180°. It requires extreme care when working with it to not get ones own feet in the shot!

Our latest field trip was to Tswalu and the reserve was in full summer bloom. Every blade of grass was green, the devils thorn flowers were out in bloom and very importantly, insects were everywhere.

It took me a short while to locate this blister beetle feeding in a patch of tribulus flowers. Getting down low on my stomach and 5cm from the beetle, the fish eye lens opened up a new world to me. In the foreground was a beautiful flower, whilst it still captured one of the icons of he Kalahari: A camel thorn tree with a sociable weavers nest. The image came together instantly and I got up covered in thorns and red Kalahari dust.

As I down loaded, I immediately knew the new lens had done what I wanted. This image, to me, captures the essence of what we are trying to achieve with our book. It shows an insect going about its daily business in a landscape that we all know, and many of us love to visit. But the beauty extends beyond the tree and the nest (and the lions), it too extends to the beautiful spotted blister beetle feeding happily away amongst some yellow flowers. That is exactly what we will be showcasing in our book.

Exposure information
Nikon D300 - 10.5mm fish eye lens
Exposure – f 18 Shutter Speed: 1/250sec
Exp. Comp. -0.3. EV
ISO - 200
Flash - SB900 -0.7 TTL BL FP
Exposure mode– Aperture priority, Metering Mode– Matrix
File type– NEF (RAW)
Focal length: 10.5mm

This article first appeared on Shemimages.com

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Improve Your Photography - Part 8, Colours, Shapes and Patterns

Introduction

With the knowledge gained from recognising the different types of light and the basics of
composition, the next level is to start applying these skills in the great outdoors. We are
blessed with a climate that begs to be photographed and I always believe it a sin not to take
advantage of the great weather that we have. This section is dedicated to showing you how to
take better images of everyday scenes. Pictures that we like to take while on holiday, portraits
of your children, and other examples are covered to help you enjoy your photography more.

The section is broken up into three headings:

1. Colour, shapes and patterns
2. People, portraits, candids and action
3. Travel, holiday and landscapes

1. Colour, shapes and patterns

Our eyes see a multitude of colours and shapes every day. The secret is to be able to
recognize the ones that compliment each other and then frame them in an image. Below are a
few types of ways to create balance in an image. The more you recognize such shapes
patterns and colours, the more your mind will be stimulated; It’s an ongoing learning process.
To be able to train your eye is an essential part of improving your eye for colour, shape and
patterns.

Balance by colour- Eyes are attracted to colour. A small area of bright colour can balance a
much larger area of duller colour. Typically, your three primary colours of red, green and
blue compliment each other and one another.

Balance by value – the contrast between light and dark often makes for a nice balance

Balance by shape – complicated shapes are much more interesting to the eye and it lingers
on it compared to simple shapes.

Balance by texture – a variegated dark and light pattern is much more interesting than a
smooth pattern

Balance by position – a large item closer to the center of an image can be balanced by a
smaller item closer to the edge. In western art a heavier subject is placed on the left and
balanced by a smaller item on the right due to the fact that we read from left to right.

Balance by eye direction – heavier elements can direct your eye towards a smaller item

Patterns

Patterns occur naturally, we just need to look to find them. Again it is a matter of training
your eye. Flowers on a bush can make for very simple patters in a natural setting, whilst
people can be placed behind one another to make a pattern for an image.

Patterns are typically seen as:
• Repeat of the same form or shape. Triangles and circles are often repeated in nature
• The repetition of lines
• Repetition of a structure
• People behind one another
• Stacks of objects piled up together
• A row of buildings
• A stand of trees

Patterns can also be isolated and reflected as an abstract. Most abstracts are derived from
close ups of repetitive forms.
For more information on Photography courses and how to improve your photography see here.

All text copyright C4 Images and Safaris

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