July challenge...Low light photography

"All the technique in the world doesn't compensate the inability to notice." -Elliott Erwitt

This month the July challenge will be creative.  We will be exploring low light.  It should be fun since we will be celebrating the birth of our nation on July 4th...perfect for our low-light challenge.

We, as photographers, know great pictures are all about capturing light.  That does not mean you have to stop shooting just because the light starts to disappear.  Some of the best, dramatic, moody, and stunning photos are done in very low light situations.  Good low light photos takes understanding your exposure triangle: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

Most low light situations will be indoors (day or night), or during twilight or predawn hours.   Your challenge will be finding a wonderful low light situation, and documenting it.  Some ideas for low light situations: photographing the stars, Milky Way, candle light, indoor activities, night scenes, and cityscapes.

Here are a few tips for getting great low light photos.

Use the automatic feature:
Most cameras manufactured now have programs for specific lighting situations: fireworks, night, indoor, etc.  All one has to do is put your camera on the specific mode that matches your lighting situation.  This would be the easiest method if you do not want to worry about your settings.  Your camera will automatically adjust the settings.  You pay a lot of money for your camera. You might as well use all its features, and technology.

Use manual mode:
Aperture:  because one needs to let as much light in as possible, the aperture needs to be wide open, which means the opening in the aperture is open to its largest capability.  It is best to use a lens that has f/2.8 or smaller.  If you do not have a lens that goes that low, use your lowest f-stop.

Shutter speed:  since lighting is low, it is important to use a long shutter speed.  Depending on your lighting situation that may mean below 1/60.

ISO:  Crank up the ISO.  The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the camera's sensor is to the light hitting it.  (Warning: the higher the ISO, the greater the noise, or grain in the photo.  Some of the newer high end cameras can tolerate a higher ISO with very little noise)

Use a tripod:
When the shutter speed is lower than 1/60, there is greater possibility for camera shake.  We cannot hold a camera steady as such a slow speed.  Therefore, it is necessary to use a tripod.

Use the remote trigger, or timer for shutter release:
Because there may be movement of the camera when the shutter release button is pressed, it is wise to use the delayed timer feature on your camera, or a remote release.  Refer to the instruction manual if you do not know how to use it.

Rules:

• No Archival photos.  All photos MUST be taken between the June and July meetings

• No more than 2 pictures may be submitted

• Any form of media is acceptable: print, CD, thumb drive

• If asked, be able to explain about data (Aperture, Shutter speed, ISO, focal point)

• Explain any special information about the photo...how it was taken, and the post processing.

Here are some examples to help you get your creative juices flowing.

Photographing the stars.  This may, or may not require light painting.  Make sure if you go out at night, to take someone with you to be safe.  Also, be aware of snakes.  

Bottomless Lakes

Storms are another wonderful low light situation.  Again safety is of utmost importance.

By Bitterlakes

The following photos were taken indoors.

Side light

Evening as the sun goes down

Lighting from the small Christmas lights

Lighting from a lamp, and my monitor.

The golden hours either early morning, or evening are perfect for silhouettes, and drama.

Sunrise

Sunset

Sunset

Evening photos...

fair photos

I hope these photos give you some ideas of subjects and environment for low light photography.  Grab a friend, and get out to get your awesome photos.  Click!

June challenge...P

"A great photo is about depth of feeling, not depth of field." -Peter Adams

Photo by StephanieDeFranco (using iPhone)

Even though the quote I used stated that depth of field (DOF) doesn't make as great a photo as feeling, our challenge for June is all about depth of field.  The challenge is technical rather than creative.  Very simply, DOF is defined by the area of a photo that is in focus.  It is the amount of a scene that is in focus... in front of, and behind your point of focus.  DOF is made up of three parts:

• Aperture (the f-stop you're using)
• Camera to subject distance
• Focal length

There are two ways to describe DOF: shallow or deep

Aperture not only controls the amount of light coming in, it determines depth of field.

• the wider your aperture (a smaller f-stop), the smaller the DOF.
• the more narrow your aperture (a larger f-stop), the deeper or larger your DOF

Camera to subject distance: 

• the closer your camera is to the subject, the smaller/shallower the DOF
• the further away your camera is to the subject, the larger/deeper the DOF

In the picture on the left I was lying on the pool deck right at the edge.  The subject was about 2 feet away from me.  In the picture on the right, I was about 15 feet away from the subject.  

Focal length:

• the longer the focal length of your lens, the smaller/shallower your DOF
• the shorter the focal length  of your lens, the larger/deeper your DOF

The challenge for June is to take two photos.  One showing a shallow depth of field, and one with a deeper depth of field.  In the example below, I chose to use aperture to demonstrate DOF.  The flowers on the left have an aperture of f/1.8.  You will notice that not all the flowers are in focus.  The flowers in the back, as well as the background are blurred,  hence a shallow depth of field.  The flowers on the right have an aperture of f/6.3.  The flowers as well as the background is in focus, hence a deep depth of field.  Please pick one of the three ways to show depth of field: aperture, camera to subject distance, or focal length. 

Rules:

• No Archival photos.  All photos MUST be taken between the May and June meetings

• No more than 2 pictures may be submitted

• Any form of media is acceptable: print, CD, thumb drive

• If asked, be able to explain about data (Aperture, Shutter speed, ISO, focal point)

• Explain any special information about the photo...how it was taken, and the post processing.

Go out, and try your hand at DOF.  

May challenge...

First, I found a funny quote on doors...which, by the way, is our May photo challenge.

"I have six locks on my door all in a row.  When I go out, I lock every other one.  I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they are always locking three." -Elayne Boosier

Now a more serious quote.

"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential...these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence." -Confucius

It does not matter if you are a professional photographer, amateur, or hobbiest, we should, and must strive for personal excellence in our photos.  Practice, experimentation, and failure are some of the doors we walk through to get to the next level in our photography.  Therefore, I decided it might be a lot of fun taking pictures of doors.  Look at them as an opportunity.  They are everywhere: old, new, interesting, and unique.  This month's challenge is creative: take a picture of a door.  This is really a no brainer, and it should be fun.  Knowing the members of our photo club, I am sure there will be some very interesting photos.  Let your imagination be your ticket through the door.

Rules:

• No Archival photos.  All photos MUST be taken between the April and May meetings
• No more than 2 pictures may be submitted
• Any form of media is acceptable: print, CD, thumb drive
• If asked, be able to explain about data (Aperture, Shutter speed, ISO, focal point)
• Explain any special information about the photo...how it was taken, and the post processing.

Here are some examples to help you get your creative juices flowing. 

They can have people...

(photo by Stephanie DeFranco)

 (photos by Rob McKelvy)

or no people...

Walk, drive, bike, or run, but get out with your camera, and look for doors.  Now go out and get clicking.  

April photo challenge...

"I have never taken a picture for any other reason than at that moment, it made me happy to do so." -Jacques-Henri Lartigue

2015 is marching right along.  I cannot believe it will soon be April.  Since we are getting into warmer weather, it will be easier to get out to get some great photos.  Let me encourage you to call someone from the photo club, and go out together to look for this month's challenge.  It is so much more fun if you have a fellow photographer with you.  The added benefit is that you both see things differently, and sharing your perspective helps the other person grow.  You might even learn something from the other person too!  Imagine that!   You will get extra points if you call someone to go with you, and get 10 extra points if you actually bring one of your pictures to the April challenge.  

This month is a technical challenge that I think you are going to find is a lot of fun.   We will be exploring the technical aspect  of using natural frames to highlight our subjects.  Natural frames are found everywhere.  You just have to be on your toes to spot them.  In photography, a natural frame is anything that forms a border, or part of a border around your subject.  It can be a tree, tree branches, bushes, doorways, arches, archways, a bridge, or slats of a fence.  Using them in photos can help draw the viewer's eye into your image, and create a sense of depth, dimension, and importance.

April challenge: natural framing of a subject

Rules:

• No Archival photos.  All photos MUST be taken between the March and April meetings
• No more than 2 pictures may be submitted
• Any form of media is acceptable: print, CD, thumb drive
• If asked, be able to explain about data (Aperture, Shutter speed, ISO, focal point)
• Explain any special information about the photo...how it was taken, and the post processing.

Here are some examples to help you get started:

The frame in this photo is the tree to the left, and the bush to the right.

The pipe frames this little boy quite nicely.

Does anyone recognize this person?...the window, and the tiny slats in the window act as a nice  frame here, sort of a frame within a frame.

Photo by Stephanie DeFranco...she used the columns to frame her subject here...do you recognize this person too?

Another window frame.

The tree and the stairs frame this subject.

Bricks surrounding the cat frame her quite nicely...the mortar acts as leading lines drawing your eye into the subject.

The rearview mirror frames this subject.  This is what you do when you are the passenger, and are bored...take selfies.

I hope these examples help you formulate how to use natural frames found in nature, and architecture to draw the viewer's eye to your subject.  It is fun to see how you, as the photographer, can create a one of a kind photo using objects found in everyday life.  Look, seek, find, and photograph.  You will be glad you did!  I cannot wait to see what you find to naturally frame your photos.  Go out, and get clicking.  

March Challenge...spring is in the air...

"In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours." -Mark Twain

Mark Twain must have visited our neck of the woods, because the weather can change within an hour or two in our state.  I remember one time I was taking my son to look at colleges.  When we left Roswell, it was about 72 degrees.  By the time we reached Vaughn an hour and a half later, we were in a blizzard.  It was crazy weather...and we were not at all prepared.

Our photo challenge for March is creative...with the theme being "Spring is in the air."  This theme leaves it pretty wide open for interruption.  The photo can be pretty much of anything that occurs in spring time.  Spring is synonymous with new beginnings.  Here are some ideas to get you thinking outside the box.

New babies...human, animal, reptile, bugs, or any other creature.  This could include eggs of all kinds, and nests.

This hawk and its mate were building a nest...

Mama and her babies...

Owl...I could hear him hooting...I was so happy when I finally found him.

The schools have spring break...document family activities during spring break.

Baseball season always starts in the spring...

Fun activities with loved one...see the buds on the tree behind my granddaughter.  We did a spring photo shoot...

Storms...

Get brave, and go photograph them...

Trees budding, and flowers...lots of flowers...

There are lots of photo opportunities with the budding of trees... drive around Roswell...there are lovely trees...

I love tulips...

and weeds...pesky weeds...but they make nice bouquets, and interesting photos...

During one of my walks, I found these weed flowers on the side of the road after the city had mowed them down.  I went back to pick them up, arranged them in a vase, and took pictures of them.  They smelled pretty bad, but they looked pretty...

What can be prettier than a dandelion with all its seeds in a nice globe...

Insects...maybe even try photographing ants...in their ant bed, or carrying something that is 10 times their size...just be careful and don't get bit.

grass turning green...and morning dew...

Fun in the sun...

and planting the flower, or vegetable garden...

The sky is the limit.  You are only limited by your imagination.  Try some new photo techniques...get down low, get high.  Look at your world with new eyes...for the new spring.  Make this your new beginning to see, to observe, to document life, and to enjoy God's creatures, and creation.  Go out and get clicking...

Rules:

• No archives...the photo must be taken between February and March meetings
• Any form of media is acceptable: print--framed, matted, or just printed, CD, or jump drive
• Please no more than 2 photos due to time constraints 
• Know data info in case you are asked
• Explain post processing, or detail of the photo