Are you in a photographic rut? Shooting the same subject over and over? Seeing the same people, the same streets, the same scenery day in and day out?
How about an exotic, inspiring, stimulating vacation to perk up your pixels! Not an option right now? Well, you can still change the way you see your familiar surroundings and get excited about your regular photo walks by giving yourself a photo assignment!
A photo assignment is a self-driven project that can require one hour or several months – it’s your assignment, so it’s up to you! It’s a way to get out with your camera and improve your skills by challenging yourself. Most importantly, it’s a way to keep your passion for the craft fresh and alive!
Several photo assignment ideas come to mind. The first is to simply pick a different theme for each photo walk. This is a great idea if you get bored easily or need help staying focused, even for a short time. You might shoot only textures or patterns one day, people with their dogs another day or situations that bring a smile to your face! The list is endless! Your photo walks will soon become a treasure hunt, whether you are alone or with a photo friend.
Then there is the 365 day project – a big commitment which can be a lot of pressure. A good way to ease into that would be a 52-week project. These always seem like “a good idea at the time,” but both options are a year-long commitment. Be sure you want to take that on and that you don’t set yourself up for failure. Remember – these assignments are supposed to be fun!
If you’ve done the themed photo walks and maybe a year-long project, then consider a challenge on a different level – a photo-journalistic assignment. This can be a one-day event project or a story told over time. An example subject would be a street musician you’ve seen many times on the same bridge. Start a conversation. Watch folks passing by. Create a photo essay by including environmental portraits as well as detail shots. You can make a simple project more in depth by following an important or touching story for a few days. Again, the options are limitless. Maybe it’s the story of a lost dog you meet at the animal shelter who finally finds a new home. Or a landmark that is being torn down to make space for new developments and the impact that has on the local community. Or tell a simple but fun story with a series of images from your local farmer’s market. Arrive early, document the merchants setting up their stalls for the day, their interaction with the customers and closing up. You will catch an interesting variety of lighting throughout the day plus wide shots of the trucks coming and going and activity in the stalls. There will be much to shoot – details of the produce, hands exchanging money, children’s smiles and so on. You can just picture it in your head already, am I right?
The goal of the photo assignment exercise is to see your familiar environment with new eyes, and to fall in love with being a story teller with your camera all over again. Oh, and to have fun, too!
Pick a color and only shoot things in that color during your photo walk!
Collections of identical items are fun to look for and photograph.
Add a tactile dimension to your photography and try shooting some textures, experiment with depth of field and improve your skills in the process.
Another day, another theme… Why not look for clocks?
Sometimes the theme of your photo walk will just present itself to you! That day I met Curtis, the dog walker, and I looked no further. I had a dozen new canine friends to focus on!
"I'm tired, but I'm going to sit here and look cool!"
Absolutely anyone can take pictures underwater, either with a cheap disposable or with a standard digital camera inside a waterproof plastic housing. It’s not easy to get really amazing shots with a disposable camera (as with all things, you get what you pay for) but good quality housings are available for many of the popular digital compact families so there’s usually no need to buy a whole new setup for underwater work.
However, there is a world of difference between being able to take decent photos and getting really outstanding shots. Here are a few tips to help you make the best of your underwater photography:
1) Macro shots are by far the easiest to get right
Taking closeups makes lighting easier and reduces the effects of water that isn’t 100% clear. Shooting through a lot of water will tend to wash out colors even if it looks pretty clear to the naked eye, so the less water there is between the camera lens and the subject, the more vivid the images will be.
2) If you don’t have to use a flash, don’t
Although a flash can be used restore washed-out colors, artificial lighting is hard to get right underwater. First among the problems is backscatter. Light from the flash bounces off tiny particles suspended in the water and comes back to hit the lens, and shows up as a sprinkling of white dots across the image. You might be able to get rid of backscatter in the editing phase but it’s never easy and it’s best avoided. Sometimes natural lighting is all you need.
3) If you do have to use a flash, pay careful attention to angles
A flash coming from off to one side or above your camera will mean that reflected light bounces away from your lens rather than coming right back at it. In this way, you can eliminate backscatter by moving from an internal flash to an external strobe.
Most pros recommend using two external strobes, one on each side of the camera. Aim them both so that the edges of the beams just hit the subject rather focussing on it.
4) Side lighting can also bring out textures
This tip is particularly good for corals, which tend to be richly textured. Either extend your flash as far to one side as possible or get a buddy to help you out and hold your light source a few feet away. Experiment with the angles and you should be able to get all kinds of interesting shadow effects.
5) Check your setup on the surface
From time to time every photographer runs out of power or memory space. Usually that means nothing more than switching to a spare battery or putting in a new SD card, but when you’re shooting underwater, it’s impossible to do either without going back to dry land and towelling off. A 30 second check before you get wet could save an irritating half hour later.
Jess Spate is a scuba diver, a surfer, and an underwater photography enthusiast. She writes for Mozaik Underwater Cameras.
Wedding photography is joyful beyond description! In fact, it’s all the rage in the realm of digital photography, and you can turn a pretty penny as well! But professional wedding photography definitely isn’t for everyone. Here are 10 things you should know about being a professional wedding photographer, before you take the leap and quit your day job.
1. Know Your Gear.
I hate to even include this on this list, because it’s clearly a given. However, it bears repeating, and repeating (and repeating). If you plan to represent yourself as a professional, you need to have a professional level understanding of your gear. This may sound contradictory if you’ve read my post, Photographing Your Best Friend’s Wedding, so allow me to clarify. There is a significant difference between representing yourself as a professional VS setting clearly defined expectations and allowing a friend or family member to hire you with eyes WIDE open to your level of inexperience. If you’re going to market yourself as a professional, you’ve got to know your gear up, down and side to side.
That said— I BELIEVE IN YOU!!! Wholeheartedly! If you don’t know your gear YET, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn! If professional wedding (or portrait, or journalism, or travel, or commercial) photography is your goal, I say “Go for it!” I don’t care who you are, or where you come from, your goal can become your reality if you are willing to WORK for it!
2. Wedding Photography is Collaborative.
Remember, wedding photography is a collaborative effort between the photographer, the bride and groom, the planner, the parents, the guests, other vendors and more! You’ve got to understand this foundational information if you’re going to be successful. I’ll elaborate throughout the points below, but take this wisdom and let it sink into your core. It is essential to your success.
3. Know Who You Work For.
You’ve got to know who you work for. Do you work for the bride? Do you work for her mother? Do you work for a planner? You’ve got to clearly understand (and articulate your understanding) to all the parties involved in the event. Generally speaking, at the end of the day, even if the referral came from a planner, you work for the bride, and SHE is the one you’re aiming to please. Meet her every need, with your whole soul, she deserves it. It’s her big day. . . Additionally, she’s the one signing your check. It pays to make her happy (pun unintended, but welcomed nonetheless).
Kellin and Sean’s beautiful wedding: Kona, Hi.
4. Remember: Wedding Photography is Relationship Based.
Wedding photography is relationship based—referral based. You’ve simply got to over deliver, at every single event. This goes for delivery of self (more on that to come), images, correspondence, and final products. You hold the holy grail for these people: IMAGES! You are documenting their memories for a lifetime, and in terms of vendors, you are helping build their professional portfolio.
Share, give, collaborate, always.
NOTE: Above I mentioned knowing who you work for. Don’t mistake me to mean that you shouldn’t respect, revere and do your very best to accommodate a planner. They take on the lion’s share of the work involved in the wedding day. They’ve been working for months and months (sometimes a year or LONGER) putting all these beautiful details together. Offer them the respect they deserve. They are wonderful people (and have the potential to be wonderful resources to you as your progress as a photographer).
5. Take Care of Yourself (yes, you heard me right).
As I mentioned above, and have continued to illustrate throughout this post, wedding photography is a collaborative effort. You’ve got to show up at your BEST—mentally, emotionally, physically and creatively. Make sure you’ve prepared the most important piece of gear you own: YOU!
Show up as the best version of yourself, ready to work HARD, focus fiercely and listen carefully to ensure you anticipate the needs of your client completely.
6. Be Prepared for the Time Commitment.
Wedding photography requires an astronomical amount of work. Yes, I know your mind flows directly to editing, and yes, that can be extremely time consuming, but I’m not referring only to post production. I’m referencing the booking process, the email correspondence, facilitating questions, managing expectations, shooting, editing, providing images and other products. You’re committing to being completely accessible to your client for MONTHS leading up to the event and months after the big day. Make sure you don’t over commit and thus find yourself less available to your clients. Remember, this industry is relationship based. The better care you take of your current clients, the more likely they are to refer you to their friends. I equate more than 80% of my business to past client referrals. That’s pretty darn significant. Wouldn’t you say?
7. You’ve Got to Work to Refine Your Style.
Part of setting clearly defined expectations for your clients and collaborating effectively, is for you to have a clearly defined style—a clearly defined artistic voice. Heaven knows that this is an organic process and that you will constantly refine and re-refine yourself artistically, however your clients need to have clear expectations as to what they will receive from you. If you want to achieve consistent bookings from enthusiastic clients, who are willing to pay you fairly, you’ve got to present yourself to them consistently and effectively.
If you don’t do the work necessary to refine your style, this industry will soon become filled with a million “minis.” Minis are watered down versions of other photographers. This industry does not need a zillion photographers simply regurgitating each other’s work. This industry needs YOUR creative voice, YOUR unique vision. Refining your style lends itself to better clients—clients who you really resonate with, because they have hired YOU because you’re YOU! They love your unique style and want to work with you. You become a scarce commodity, rather than just another photographer, and while this isn’t the motivating end in mind, the truth of the matter is that it does make you worth more money. Yay!
8. It’s Not Always as Glamorous as it Seems.
I vividly remember being on a flight to shoot my first celebrity wedding. I was 8 months pregnant, sitting in the back row of the plane, my seat didn’t recline, and I was nestled in between 2 fairly large gentlemen flyers. Not quite what I’d build that moment up to be! Ha!
Be prepared to WORK. Hard. It’s not all glamor and glitz. You’ve got to give your absolute ALL, to every single client, at every single wedding you shoot, ALWAYS. Don’t get jaded. Don’t lose your creative edge. Fight to stay in your best creative space (by caring for yourself as mentioned above). Each client deserves the VERY BEST you have to give—without exception!
My friend Gina and I, after aಊ hour wedding in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Exhaustion.
9. Don’t Be Discouraged By Rejection.
You’re not going to book every single client who sends you an inquiry. Get used to hearing “no.” It’s not an indication of your talent or lack there of. Not every client is “your client.” Remember, you’re not looking for every single client the world over, you want to find the RIGHT clients for you. The clients that you can really connect with and thus COLLABORATE with effectively toward your very best work. Remembering this, that you’re not looking for every client, just the right ones—helps you keep your head on your shoulders when you are inevitably turned down from time to time.
NOTE: If you ARE booking every client that comes your way, that’s a clear indication that it’s time to raise your prices! You should really only be booking approximately 50% of the inquiries that come your way.
10. Enjoy Every Minute of It!
You’re living a dream! Photographing weddings is such a joyful experience! Yes it’s tough, yes it’s WORK, but it’s completely and totally fulfilling as well. It’s absolutely worth any and all the sacrifices it requires in order to be an integral part of such a significant time in someone’s life. Every day, my clients remind me how to love . . . completely. Who could ask for anything more?!
Me, jowling in a wedding photo booth. Enjoying every minute of it! I love my job!
Today I’m really excited to announce a competition here on dPS which gives you the chance to win one of two digital photography courses from one of our advertising partners – New York Institute of Photography.
Win These Two Prizes
The prizes are designed so that one be helpful for different levels. One of each of the following two courses will be won by a dPS reader:
Fundamentals of Digital PhotographyComplete Course in Professional Photography
Both courses include comprehensivee and beautifully illustrated lesson books, CD Audio Guides, DVD Video Training, Photo Projects with Professional Evaluation and Personal Student Advisors.
How to Win
To win this competition you’ll need to:
visit the above two course information pages and choose which of the two courses suits your needs more. Choose one that you’d like to win.leave a comment below and tell us which one you’d like to win and WHY you’d like to participate in the course. Please note: there is a limit of 1 entry per person.do this in the next 8 days and on Friday 16th March we’ll choose the best 2 answers and announce the winners.
By ‘best’ – we’re looking for people who have an understanding of what the course offers and how it suits their needs. So you’ll need to check out the course pages to put yourself in the best position to win.
There’s no need to write essay length comments to win – but we’re looking to hear what you like about the course and how it would help your development as a photographer.
This competition is open to everyone around the world no matter where you live – but there is only one entry per person.
If you envy your friends their iPhone Instagram app and their iPad grunge photo editing apps then PSKiss has the solution. PSKiss recently released its PSKiss Photogram which is the first ever (at least as far as I’m aware) app like extension for Photoshop. It has all the coolness of an iPad app and it works on the desktop.
PSKiss Photogram is an extension so it installs like any extension and, when running, you see an iPad style interface with Instagram like features all running in a panel inside Photoshop.
You can download the extension from pskiss.com and right now the starter price is $9.90 which is comparable with many iPad apps. The extension is called Photogram and it has a distinctly retro look – it’s tag line is “Bringing the 70’s into Photoshop”.
Once you’ve downloaded the zip file, unzip it, fire up your Adobe Extension Manager and install the ZPG file. If you are using Windows 7 or Vista you may need to run the Extension Manager as an Administrator to install the extension in the correct location. To do this, right click the Adobe Extension Manager in your Start menu and choose Run as Administrator.
Once installed, close Photoshop if it’s open and then re-launch it. Start by opening an image that you want to work with. I grabbed an image of some graffiti I shot this morning with a view to using it with this extension.
Run the extension by choosing Window > Extensions > PSKiss Photogram. The panel opens showing a series of image effects including Holga, Expired Polaroid, PolaroidPZ, Wrong Velvia and others. They are a mix of faux retro camera effects which are guaranteed to give your photos a very different look.
In addition to applying effects you can also crop your image to one of a number of crop ratios including No Crop, 1:1, 4:3, 2:3 and 16:9.
The app also lets you add light leaks by turning on the Light Leaks switch and add a date stamp which is set using the image metadata.
To apply an effect to an image, set the crop ratio, set the date stamp and light leaks switches then click an effect. You can wind back the processing using the History palette so click on Open in History to revert to the original image. If you choose a different effect it replaces the one you just applied and isn’t added to it so you don’t need to wind back your changes if you want to experiment with different effects.
The light leaks are random so they move around each time you click to add an effect.
If you want the same effect but a different crop, select a different crop and then reapply that same effect to it. You can tell which effect is in use as it has a glow around it and the title bar of the image indicates which effect is in use.
When youre done, you can save the image as you would any regular image.
We had a great discussion last week on our Facebook page about this so I thought I’d ask the question here on the blog too:
Is your photography done in sporadic bursts or are you a steady shooter?
I’m not talking about when you’re on a shoot and shooting fast – I mean do you do no photography for days or even weeks and then go through a burst of heaps of it in a day (a Binge Photographer of sorts) – or are you the type of photographer who shoots a few photos every day (a Snack Photographer)?
This one isn’t strictly ‘digital photography’ but it I’m sure you’ll forgive me once you see what it is.
What happens when you take a GoPro HD video camera, GPS unit, a lego space shuttle and strap it to a Weather Balloon filled with helium.
What happens is a spectacular video and possibly the first lego space shuttle into the Stratosphere!
Hopefully you’ll forgive me for a non strictly digital photography entry. One of the guys behind the launch is a friend and I thought dPS readers might enjoy it as it is visual and is a pretty incredible example of a DIY project which I know many readers here love.
Read the full story behind the launch here.
Update: for a similar project – check out Project Stratos-Sphere. More cool videos and still photography with a similar concept. Thanks to Matt in comments for the link.
Today I am starting a new (semi-)regular series on DPS. On this site we have great content with step by step instructions, gear reviews and information on all forms of post processing. I want to add to that content a form of inspiration that mixes practical tips for every day shooting and an appreciation for the wider world around us. It will be a form of travel voyeurism and exploration, one country at a time.
While I will be starting with countries I have visited and have familiarity with, that list will only last so long. I want this to be more of a community project and I will be contacting various photographers with expertise in a particular country(ies) to be highlighted in posts. I will be looking for great images that represent the chosen country and will gladly accept images from professionals and amateurs alike. Anyone with a high quality image and information on how to help others take the same shot are welcome to apply.
To that end, I will be taking initial submissions via a contact form on my site. If you have outstanding photos and helpful knowledge for a particular country, please let me know. I will then be in direct contact with you if your content matches the caliber of shots for DPS.
You will retain all rights to your photo if it is used and you must be the copyright owner (and must have taken the shot). You will also be asked to submit a short two sentence description and information to help others achieve the same shot. I want this to not only be about wonderful travel photos, but also about helping each other in the process.
Each post will have 10-40 images that show an unfamiliar side of the country. No postcard shots we’ve all seen before. If submissions for a particular country are high, I will include a photo from as many different photographers as possible. If not many people have traveled to a particular country, more images from each photographer will be included. It’s about quality and opening things up to as many different points of view as we can.
Once the project is in swing, this post will be updated with a list of posts per country. It would be a good idea to bookmark it now and check back every week or so if you are not already subscribed to the DPS RSS feed.
I look forward to not only highlighting the beauty of this world, but also the gritty reality and fascinating variety it holds. I also look forward to showcasing great photographers from all parts of the globe right here on DPS.
Happy Valentines Day! In celebration we thought we’d publish this post on the romantic topic of Candlelight Photography!
Have you ever tried to photograph a candle lit scene with your digital camera?
The results can be stunning with the warm glow of flickering flames reflecting off your subjects face (can you feel the romance?) but the shooting in such a low light environment make it can make it a challenging situation.
Here are a few tips on how to get that perfect candle light portrait!
1. Turn off Your Flash
Lets start with the obvious ones and work our way back. We’ve all taken shots using a flash in low light situations and have been disappointed by the way it totally destroys any ambient light in a shot. If you want to get the warm glow of candles it’s essential that you switch your flash completely off. There is of course an exception – see point 15 below.
2. Use a Tripod
Stating the obvious again – but shooting by candlelight means you’re shooting with very little light which in turn means you’ll almost certainly be shooting with slower shutter speeds that increase the impact of camera shake on your shots. Make sure your camera is as secure and as still as possible during shots by using a tripod and by considering the use of a remote shutter release to take out any vibrations from hitting the shutter.
3. Extra Candles
The biggest challenge with candlelight photography is the lack of light you have to work with. Using more candles will obviously produce more light which gives you a little more flexibility when it comes to shutter speed, ISO and aperture settings.
4. Spread Your Candles
Using a single candle or positioning multiple candles all closely together in one position will cause there to be harsher shadows cast upon your subject’s face. This might be the look you’re going for, however in most cases you’ll want a more even spread of light on their face. This can be achieved simply by spreading the candles out a little. I would still recommend more candles on one side than the other as this will create a nice side lighting impact – however don’t get the sides too uneven unless you’re after a pretty dramatic impact.
Image by carf
5. Natural ‘Reflectors’
The few times that I I shot by candlelight I made an accidental discovery that has been helpful since. I noticed that those times I shot my subject sitting at a table with a white table cloth that the shots were better exposed than those without a white table cloth. Obviously the table cloth reflected light back up into the face of my subject. Similarly white walls and ceilings can have this type of effect also (it’s slight – but everything helps when you’re shooting in such low light situations).
6. Fast Lenses
If you’re shooting with a DSLR and have multiple lenses choose the ‘fastest’ one you’ve got as this will allow you to use a larger aperture and let more light into your camera. My personal preference for this type of shot would be one of my 50mm lenses (f/1.8 or f/1.4). I would then generally shoot with the fastest aperture setting possible (or close to it) which enables a faster shutter speed and lower ISO. Keep in mind however that the larger your aperture the smaller your depth of field will be and the more spot on you focussing will need to be.
7. Zooms and Aperture
Keep in mind that when you’re shooting with many zoom lenses that the maximum aperture changes throughout the focal length range. ie shooting at the widest setting on many zooms will give you a larger aperture than when you zoom in. As a result it might be better to move in closer to your subject with a wider angle focal range than using the zoom.
8. Context and Backgrounds
Compositionally I like to keep these types of shots as uncluttered and simple as possible. I will generally shoot in front of a white background (keep an eye on harsh shadows cast by your subject and consider one or two behind them) and with minimal props. It might be appropriate to include a glass of wine and some basic table settings if you’re going for a shot at a table – but the less distractions that you have in the shot the better.
Image by fast eddie 42
9. Shutter Speed
An obvious way to let more light into your camera is to choose a slower shutter speed. Keep in mind that as you decrease shutter speed you increase the chances of capturing any movement (both of your subject, the flames of candles and movement of your camera). If the environment is completely still (so flames are not flickering) and with a subject keeping as still as possible you might set your shutter speed as slow as 1/15th of a second – but any slower and you might be asking too much of your subject.
10. ISO Settings
Another way to compensate for low light environments is to increase the ISO settings on your camera. Of course the trade off of doing this is shots with more grain (noise) in them. Attempt to keep your ISO under 400 if you can and you should get reasonably clean shots. Any higher and you’ll start noticing the noise – especially if you’re blowing shots up to larger sizes.
11. Expose
If candles are in the shot, your camera will usually underexpose the shot as it’ll see them as such a bright spot. You might want to try overexposing by a stop from what the camera recommends. Don’t beef up exposure too much however or you’ll end up with your candles being burnt out spots in your image.
12. White Balance
It is well worth experimenting with white balance when shooting by candle light. Candles emit a very ‘warm’ light – something that you’ll want to include in your shots as it creates a wonderful atmosphere. However your camera may want to get rid of this warmth if you have white balance set to ‘auto’. Try different settings to get the right level of warmth (I find ‘indoor’ or ‘tungsten’ settings can work). Alternatively shoot in RAW and you’ll have a lot more flexibility with white balance in your post processing.
Image by Sara Heinrichs
13. Composition of Candles
There are two main ways to deal with candles in a compositional senses – you can include them in the shot or leave them out unseen out of the frame. Both alternatives can create lovely shots so experiment with both.
If you’re including candles in the frame remember that they’ll impact the settings your camera wants to us (see section on ‘exposure’ above) but that they’ll also create points of interest in your shot that can potentially draw the eye of those viewing your image – competing with your main subject. As a result you’ll want to position your subject in a prominent position and consider placing candles in a way that doesn’t distract too much.
If candles are in the frame you’ll also want to make sure they’re nice ones. Smaller details matter in portraits and ugly candles might prove to be a real distraction.
14. Other Light Sources
Sometimes candles just won’t product enough light on their own. If this is the case and the above techniques still don’t leave you with enough light consider adding a little extra from another source. You might have a lamp or a dimmed light that you can use for example. For best results try to give your extra light a warm glow by using some red or orange material to drape over it (be careful of heat).
15. Using a Flash with a Colored Gel
In point number 1 I talked about turning off your flash to help you get that warm glow from the candles rather than a bright flash blowing out the image. The only exception that I have seen people use for this using some sort of a warm (red or orange) gel over your flash. This dims the impact of the flash and gives it a warm light. You might also want to decrease the output of the flash manually if you have control over this. Experiment with different color gels to get the color just right.
OK – so now it’s over to you to experiment with Candlelight Photography! Post your results over in our forum’s Share Your Shots section.
Absolutely anyone can take pictures underwater, either with a cheap disposable or with a standard digital camera inside a waterproof plastic housing. It’s not easy to get really amazing shots with a disposable camera (as with all things, you get what you pay for) but good quality housings are available for many of the popular digital compact families so there’s usually no need to buy a whole new setup for underwater work. 
This tip is particularly good for corals, which tend to be richly textured. Either extend your flash as far to one side as possible or get a buddy to help you out and hold your light source a few feet away. Experiment with the angles and you should
Today I’m really excited to announce a competition here on dPS which gives you the chance to win one of two digital photography courses from one of our advertising partners – New York Institute of Photography.
Today I am starting a new (semi-)regular series on DPS. On this site we have great content with step by step instructions, gear reviews and informati
Image by Sea Eye
Image by carf
Image by fast eddie 42
Image by Sara Heinrichs
