|
Quality English Setting... July 1997 [Canon EOS 50, slide]
Some Simpson Lugers... October 1998 [Canon EOS 50, slide]
Thames Sphinx... March 1981 [Canon EOS 50 print]
Pier at Koh Samed... October 2001 [Nikon
990 digital]
Brisbane riverside... March 1998 [Canon EOS 500, print]
Jomtien beach... December 1999 [Canon EOS 50, Ektachrome slide]
Cabarita surf... October 2002 [Canon EOS 500, Kodak Gold film]
Ministry of Defence Pattern Room...
September 1999
[Canon EOS 50, slide]
Ruined English castle...
April 1990 [Canon EOS 50, slide]
U.S. Interstate 40... April 2001 [Nikon 990 digital]
U.S. Interstate 40... April 2001 [Nikon 990 digital]
Civil War battlefield drive... May 2001 [Nikon 990 digital]
Columbia River, Portland... April 2003 [Nikon 990 digital]
East coast architecture... August 2001 [Nikon 990 digital]
Highway I 94 , Michigan... March 2000 [Canon EOS 50 slide]
Good photography
comes with experience and practice. While some great and quite effective shots
may happen from 'accidents', the more photographs that you take, the better a photographer you
are likely to become. Many opportunist shots occur in the passage of everyday
life and travel, so a serious or keen photographer should have at least one camera available as
often as possible, at work or at play.
New
digital photography is wonderful for practice because any bad or marginal shots can be
deleted in camera; a full cartridge or card can have some frames deleted to make
room for
more shots too. With digital, the results can be viewed instantaneously and any
ongoing expenses are nil,
using rechargeable batteries.
Digital
disadvantages? Slower generation time, limited
manual control and a higher incidence of out-of-focus shots, especially in close-ups,
with the less expensive models.
New higher grade digital cameras continue to improve these problems. And the advantages? Instant pictures that can be readily shot again if
any aspect is not entirely satisfactory. The portrait shot of the startled
pheasant and pattern of shotgun barrels (above, right hand column) was made through a glass display case at
the Davis Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma. Using a digital camera permitted ready
viewing of the degree of reflection on the glass case front, which
enabled successive improvement of the
shot over three or four tries.
There are negligible running costs with
digital. Instant
loading onto a computer enables you to sort, crop, colour balance, sharpen, add
effects and print selected shots on a colour printer. Lower available light with digital
cameras is also less of a problem compared with print and
slide. To print out digital photos at home using special paper like commercial prints,
generally renders the unit cost per photo at nearly the same, but you can choose which ones to print and also do post-production
work which is not available at commercial labs, unless you pay through the
proverbial nose.
For
website posting of photos, any inexpensive digital is sufficient but for more serious work,
archiving or recording good detail of your collection, it is best to purchase a
camera of at
least 1 megapixel capability. My Canon EOS 300D is rated at 6+ megapixels and higher ratings
are increasingly more available. However, retail prices for the higher bracket cameras start at about
US$500 and continue to fall.
Subjects
are not usually spontaneous when trying to capture good portraits, especially
with (dare I say 'shooting') children or animals. The photographer needs to be inventive,
suggesting or creating a mood which reflects in the shot. Idle hands are
often a problem; give the subject something to play with, a toy, food, telephone,
a book to look at, et cetera. For facial expressions, verbal or physical
interaction between two people or more, crack a funny, or even say something rude. Anything
(almost) for a subjective response.
Open shade or an overcast day is best;
the direct sun makes people squint and another alternative, flash, usually looks
lifeless, rather flat and artificial. The flash effect can be softened using a high-speed film, e.g. 1000 ASA,
because the auto settings on a camera cut back the
intensity of the flash and there are better, less flash affected results. Or you can bounce
the flash off a
light coloured wall or ceiling, or use an attached reflector or soft box
over the flashlight lens.
|
My favourite cameras... 35mm Canon
EOS Elan 7e (with Kodachrome Elite slide transparency) and Canon 300D (digital). Scans
here via HP, processing via Jasc Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop.
Pholix PhotoPhilia is
great new software I use for most filing, sorting, thumbnail indexes and internet applications
(visit their website and download a trial
program for 30 days free PhotoPhilia 1.8 at http://www.pholix.com).
While digital photography certainly has advantages, it has shortcomings
too compared with conventional film. So I
usually shoot with two or three cameras, using slide, print and digital
media. It is also insurance against incorrect settings or problems with
any camera, film, printing or storage media. Recent advances in high definition
print 35mm film also gives it some advantages over transparency.
I rarely use a tripod and
seldom
use
professional grade film. I prefer Kodak for warm reds (skin tones and firearm
stocks) and Fuji for vibrant greens (e.g. landscapes). Slide transparencies seem to
have more latitude for exposure and are preferable for publishing of colour
photographs. I regularly use 35mm Ektachrome Elite (transparency) and Kodak Gold
(print), 100 ASA rated. Commercial outlets push faster (higher ASA rated)
film more now, which also costs more. Faster speed film is more grainy and I reckon
it is not worth the extra expense for an f-stop
or two.
Hand-held
is easier with modern film although indoors or low light needs a steady hand
if you don't want to lug a tripod or monopod about. Interior shots below of
the Enfield Pattern Room and subsequent MOD Nottingham were hand-held at f 5.6 of f
8 with speeds as slow as 1/2 second under fluoro light. To avoid motion blur at slow speeds, brace your
body against anything solid, stand with legs well apart for balance, tuck
your arms into your sides or rest an elbow on a wall or furniture, then slowly squeeze the shutter off; like taking a long distance shot with a rifle,
breathing out slowly. And bracket or take a shot or two extra, just in case.
Bracketing
is sensible if you are taking important photos or find that 'once on a trip'
shot. Bracket the f-stop so if your camera reads f 5.6, shoot
it at one stop over and one stop under too. The option of three different settings
is worth the extra insurance for correct exposure.
Shooting arms
& accoutrements, I prefer aperture priority set on f 8 for a regular depth of
field (focus). Rarely having the luxury of photo lights or glass table lit
from below, I prefer open shade or overhead light,
outside on an overcast day. A silver reflector board is a regular
accessory to fill in shadow. I find the best backgrounds are a steel grey or
mid-blue paper roll or window blind; this is only 1 f-stop off the object reading.
A white background gives 2 or 3 f-stops over the subject and false auto exposure
reading, making for dark subjects with less detail. Black backing paper
makes an interesting change and has the benefit of not requiring exposure
compensation. A roll of window blind material is better than paper, easier to
carry and store too. It does not mark or damage as easily as paper and is
available in pastel colours.
Portraits and
figures are better with a lesser field of view, say f 4 or less, to render
the background softer and slightly out of focus. In low light, auto exposure
cameras will automatically shoot with the more open aperture settings anyway.
For black & white shots, best
use b&w film such as T-Max or the new Agfa; b&w processing is more
expensive and not always available. New Kodak b&w film is available that
processes in C41 (colour) chemicals and you can request a contrast b&w or
even a sepia colour print. Shooting in colour and then transferring to
b&w results in a loss of some detail, particularly the contrast in the extreme black and white
tones. Using two cameras facilitates the use of two film types, one for colour, the other
for b&w. Or one for slide transparencies and the other for film prints. Most digital cameras
now have options to record in
either colour or b&w or even in sepia for
each shot; this facilitates storing both colour and b&w in the same memory
card. Another advantage of using digital.
Framing
shots is important which makes modern zoom lenses great for quick
work. I carry three lenses, 28-80mm zoom, 75-300mm zoom and 50mm macro for close-up
and a backup. 28mm wide angle is sufficient to squeeze in a 39-in. barrel
musket without standing on a chair. All three
auto-focus lenses
are interchange- able on my two Canon EOS bodies.
Flash
units are a handy accessory but leave shadows and often show 'flare' from
reflective surfaces. It also results in a flat, lifeless look, especially when shooting
people's faces. If the subject is far enough away from the backdrop, shadow is minimized
but it is best to bounce flash from a white card, a light-coloured ceiling or walls, or
through a soft-box or brolly (umbrella). Another remedy is to use high speed
film with the flash; I've had better results with 400 or even 800-1600 ASA
'fast' film for flash because it automatically cuts down on the amount of flash
applied, resulting in a less 'flat effect' and without the strong shadows.
When
taking a great shot, particularly of an object or scene, try moving to either side, or
sighting from low or high angle. Take a few shots from various heights or
positions. Even hop onto a table or a stepladder. A different perspective often makes a
winning shot. Landscapes, roads and fences which stretch to the horizon look more
dramatic
if you take the shot lying on the ground. My shot of the jetty (at left) and civil
war battlefield fence (near the end) were very low angle. When traveling
in scenic country, look behind occasionally; great views are
often missed in the rear vision mirror.
Try shooting the same shot in close-up and wide angle if you
use a zoom
lens. The differences can be dramatic, worthy of doing a few shots of the same
scene. Even shooting it landscape as opposed to portrait format is worth it for
a good frame (Portrait is with the camera held up at 90 degrees, landscape is
with the wider edge horizontal). Imagination has no bounds and the more
imaginative you are, the better and more interesting your photographs will be.
Light
is the key to photography, effective use of natural light the most
convenient. Morning and afternoon sun gives a different
perspective with contrast in the colours and shadows. Overcast days are great
for indirect light and soft shadows. Fog, mist and snow also provide
unreal effects to capture on film. Always be aware of the sun and light
conditions, learn to use it and capitalize on it.
Swe Dagon pavilion, Yangon...
March 2000
[EOS, Ektachrome slide]
Sarong & boat... March 1999 [EOS print]
Oops! Davis museum... October 2000 [digital]
Golden Mont... August 2000 [EOS slide]
Laos
traditional... May 2001 [EOS print]
Snow
playground... March 2000 [EOS slide]
Lines & curves... October 1997 [EOS slide]
Sunrise, Broken Hill... July 1987
[EOS slide]
|