Photography for Bloggers. Vanessa Hewell /

Transcription

1 Photography for Bloggers Vanessa Hewell / 1

2 Read your camera s manual! Your camera s manual is full of useful information. Take some time to sit down with your manual, camera, and an object you can photograph. Learn what all those little buttons and dials do! Take some test shots and get a feel for your camera. Learning all the technical stuff like shooting in manual mode will be much easier if you know how to change settings. I promise it will be worth the time and trouble! If you ve lost your manual, check online as most manufacturers have them available for download. 2

3 Light: T h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t a s p e c t o f photography is light. Always start a photo session by first finding the best possible light. Light trumps location! Of course, there are ways to augment/improve lighting but it will require more planning, work, equipment, etc. A few tips: #1 Turn off the built-in flash. It s much too harsh and will not do you any favors. If using a Speedlight, angle it to the side and bounce it off a white card/board. This will diffuse the light for a more natural look. While most of t h e s u b j e c t i s properly exposed, because of the dappled lighting, the leg has spots that are extremely o v e r e x p o s e d (blown highlights). These bright areas can not usually be corrected with editing and are e x t r e m e l y distracting. #2 Avoid dappled light. This is the type of light you ll often find under trees or through windows- it s a patchy mix of harsh light and shade. 3

4 #3 Avoid direct sunlight. Look for indirect window/door light indoors or open shade when shooting outdoors. #4 When shooting indoors, turn off any overhead lights/lamps/etc when utilizing natural light. Mixing different light temperatures will cause white balance issues. #5 When photographing people, especially up close; try to make sure you see catchlights in the eyes. Bright, shiny eyes are more attractive than dull, flat eyes. A reflector can help add light to eyes. Have your subject turn while you watch and stop them when the light falls on them in a pleasing way. #6 Cloudy/overcast days can be great for outdoor photography. The clouds act as one big diffuser which creates soft, even lighting. iso mm f/2.2 1/160 sec The catchlights in the baby s eyes are a reflection of the window facing her. 4

5 Direct Sunlight: iso mm f/2.5 1/400 sec When shooting in harsh, direct sunlight; one solution is to place your subject s back to the sun (backlighting). You then meter for the subject s face (using spot or center weighted metering) to properly expose it. A reflector can help fill in any shadows on the subject s face. If you don t have a reflector handy, try placing the subject on a light colored surface (sidewalk) or facing a light colored wall. 5

6 Open Shade: Open shade comes in handy for getting well exposed shots outside on sunny days. Look for areas where bright light and shade meet. This creates a pocket of soft and even light. Place your subject in the shaded area right at the edge of it and have them face the light. Likely spots: porches, covered patios, garages, overhangs, alleys, etc. 6

7 Cloudy and overcast skies can provide soft, diffused lighting when shooting outdoors. I find this is the easiest light to work with photographing people. 7

8 Auto vs Manual: iso mm f/2.8 1/50 iso mm f/3.5 1/125 What happens when you let your camera make all the decisions for you? Sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you don t! In this case, the camera chose too low a setting for iso and too slow a shutter speed. The slow shutter speed is to compensate for the low iso...but it didn t quite do the trick. What I e n d e d u p w i t h w a s a v e r y underexposed photo. The low shutter speed can lead to blurry photos as well. When using manual mode, you have complete control over the settings and often end up with a better result. The higher iso setting allowed me to choose a faster shutter speed and smaller aperture to avoid blurriness while also getting a correctly exposed photo. 8

9 exposure triangle: iso: sensitivity to light / the higher the number, the more light is let into the camera. Use lower settings in bright light and higher settings in low light. Keep in mind that the higher iso settings can lead to noisy images shutter speed: amount of time shutter is open / the longer it is open, the more light is let into the camera. Lower shutter speeds blur motion while faster shutter speeds freeze motion. A general rule of thumb for hand held photos is to use a shutter speed at least 2x the focal length. ex. 1/60 sec for a 30mm lens. When photographing kids, it helps to use a faster shutter speed to capture photos of those fast moving targets! 9

10 aperture {f-stop}: the size of the opening in the lens when photo is taken - the larger the opening (smaller numbers), the more light is let into the camera and the smaller the number, the less light is let in (larger numbers}. Aperture also controls how much of the image is in focus: A shallow depth of field (ex. f/1.4) will result in a blurred background while a deeper depth of field (ex. f/16) means more if not all of the image will be in focus. 1)iso mm f/1.4 1/320 sec 2)iso mm f/4 1/100 sec 3)iso mm f/16 1/50 sec 10

11 Metering: *This is a Canon camera/meter. Nikon s meters are opposite. When shooting in manual mode, utilize your camera s built in light meter to determine the best settings (you will see it in the viewfinder). Although the meter isn t always spot on, it will give you a starting point and you can fine tune from there. Generally, when the tick mark is underneath the (0), your image is properly exposed, the further to the right (+2) the brighter, overexposed the image will be, and the further to the left (-2) means your image will be darker, underexposed. Tip - if your camera has spot metering as an option, use it! It will allow greater accuracy when metering. Instead of the meter taking all the light from the scene into account, it will instead meter only from a small area (usually a small circle in the middle of the viewfinder). 11

12 How I meter: I usually start by setting ISO. When shooting in brighter light, I set a low ISO and when shooting in darker conditions, I set a higher ISO. I strive to set as low an ISO setting as I can while still allowing me to capture a well exposed image using acceptable aperture and shutter speed settings. My camera is set to spot metering and this allows me to adjust my camera s settings more accurately. If I am photographing a person, I meter off of their face/skin. If I m photographing a sewing project against a white background, I meter for the project. Once I have ISO set, I choose an aperture setting. When I need to let in as much light as possible or want to blur the background, I choose a low/wide aperture such as f/ 2.8. Finally, I adjust the shutter speed until the meter shows I will have a properly exposed image. If the shutter speed is too low, I can then either choose a lower aperture setting or increase my ISO. Changing one setting will affect the others. iso mm f/3.2 1/640 sec 12

13 White Balance: Adjusting white balance allows you to get the colors in your images as close to what you see with your eyes as p o s s i b l e. L i g h t h a s d i f f e r e n t temperatures which can make photos appear too yellow, orange, blue, etc. You can make adjustments in your camera before shooting to set accurate white balance or while editing (easier to do with RAW files). 13

14 DSLR cameras (and some P&S cameras) have several built in options for setting white balance such as: auto, daylight, cloudy, shade, tungsten, fluorescent, and flash. Most will allow you to set a custom WB setting and some allow you to choose a Kelvin setting. It is best to have an accurate WB set in camera while taking photos. You may have to change the white balance settings if you move from one area to another and light conditions change. 14

15 LR - RAW LR - RAW/JPEG PS/PSE ACR iphoto Since RAW files contain much more information than JPEG, they allow for any in-camera white balance setting to be applied after the image has been taken - while editing. You can also adjust WB using the Temperature/Tint sliders or using the eyedrop tool - these methods apply to JPEG files also. Use the eyedrop tool to click on an area in the image that is neutral colorwise - white or grey usually. 15

16 COmposition: In the rule of thirds, photos are divided into thirds with two imaginary lines vertically and two lines horizontally making three columns, three rows, and nine sections in the images. Important compositional elements and leading lines are placed on or near the imaginary lines and where the lines intersect. -Learn Pro Photography Consider this rule as more of a guideline but definitely keep it in mind when you are composing your images in camera or when cropping after the fact. It can take an image from blah to wow! Also, make sure to leave breathing room in your composition. Negative space can be pleasing in an image. 16

17 Which image catches your eye? The subject in the top photo is centered and one dimensional. The photo on the bottom was composed with the rule of thirds in mind and has m u c h m o r e d e p t h. W h e n photographing items; in particularly for shop listings, think about shooting from different angles to help highlight the details and to draw the viewer in. iso mm f/2.5 1/400 sec Set up: foam core board as background - facing window 17

18 supplies/equipment: white foam core board* poster board reflector step stool fabric kraft paper seamless paper scrapbook paper bulletin board paper wrapping paper clamps tripod backdrop stand / garment rack / diy stand cute coat hangers 3M Command strips / hooks 18

19 Reflectors/diffusers: A reflector is probably the most useful and inexpensive photography tool you can purchase. It can be as basic as a white piece of foam core board - this can also double as a backdrop. For a bit more money, you can get a collapsible, 5-in-1 disc reflector/diffuser or a double sided reflector with a handle. The 5-in-1 reflector has a cover with several surfaces (white, silver, gold, black + a diffuser) that offer different effects. I use the white side the most as it provides more even brightening vs. the silver side. The diffuser/scrim is helpful in softening harsh sunlight. 19

20 reflectors in action: Window is to the left. I placed the reflector to the right of the pouch to bounce light back and soften shadows. 2. SOOC 3. edited in Lightroom to brighten and adjust white balance iso mm f/2.8 1/200 sec 20

21 Brighten up your space: Want to light up a whole room? Place either a white piece of foam core board or the white or sliver side of a large reflector so that direct sunlight bounces off of it. This will work best with smaller rooms with light colored walls but give it a try and see how it works in your space. It may help to use a prop to angle the reflector towards the item/model you will be photographing as that will direct more light to that area. 21

22 For this set up, I used the silver side of my reflector to spotlight the quilt I was photographing on a wall. I use whatever is handy to prop up reflectors as needed - in this case, Clifford the Big Red Dog. iso mm f/2.5 1/160 sec 22

23 Diffuser: If your favorite spot for taking photos is unusable due to harsh sunlight, grab the diffuser and place it so that it softens the light. Problem solved! This will also work well outside when photographing models in full sun. You ll most likely need someone to hold the diffuser for you, but this will give you an area of open shade where there might not be other options. 23

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25 Set up: 1 diffuser, 2 reflectors, and barnwood floor paper* as background. Window is to the left with diffuser placed in front to diffuse harsh light. Foam core board is placed behind subject as a back drop and to bounce light. I placed an additional reflector to the right of subject for fill light. This reflector is clamped to a stand. (*available at Michaels/Hobby Lobby - with a coupon it s about $5) previous page: iso mm f/2.8 1/160 sec this page: iso mm f/ 2.5 1/400 sec 25

26 Lighting: subject photographed in same lighting set up as photo in previous slide 2. removed reflectors and shot photo using same settings as photo #1 to demonstrate how much light was added using reflectors 3. photo #1 edited in Lightroom 3 iso mm f/2.5 1/

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28 Set up: Diffuser is placed in front of the light source / window and black foam core board is placed behind the subject. The black foam core board helps to increase contrast by deepening shadows. Using a wide aperture setting creates shallow depth of field which helps to blur the background and make the subject stand out in the image. previous page: iso mm f/1.6 1/250 sec this page: iso mm f/2.5 1/200 sec 28

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30 Pop Up Photo Studio: A backdrop can be as simple or elaborate as you want it to be! My kitchen window lets in great light in the afternoons but I don t like the wall color so I created a white wall using materials I had on hand. The set up: Backdrop - white foam core board taped to refrigerator Lighting: Window light to my right, reflector facing subject Editing - cropped / straightened / adjusted white balance / creative edits / sharpened for web iso mm f/3.2 1/80 sec 30

31 Faux Flooring: Don t have photo-ready flooring? No worries...fake it! Laminate snap and click flooring is a great option. For under $20, I was able to create the look of hardwood flooring that is easy to put together, portable, and can be unassembled for storage. iso mm f/3.2 1/100 sec 31

32 BACKDROP STAND: 32

33 Set up: Backdrop stand with paper, foam core board underneath the subject, source of light = window camera left, white foam core board as reflector camera right, and hand held silver reflector in front of subject. Using a backdrop stand and paper/fabric, you can create just about any background you want for your photos. The best part is that it is a very portable system so you can set up photographs wherever the light is best. iso mm f/2.2 1/125 sec 33

34 This was shot with a Point and Shoot camera under the same lighting conditions as the previous photo. To help create a blurred background using a P&S camera set the camera to the Macro or Super Macro setting and have the subject as far from the background as possible. It also helps to take the shot close up to the subject. I did have to brighten the photo a fair amount while editing. 34

35 Styling/Staging tips: While clothes, bags, and other accessories usually look best on a model, we don t always have that option. Instead, spend a little time styling the item so that it will look it s best in photos. Stuff bags/ purses with tissue paper or fabric. Stand them upright or hang them up if possible... Tip: Ditch the wrinkled bed sheet as a backdrop! Instead, if you must photograph items laying flat, use a piece of poster board or foam core board---no wrinkles! 35

36 When planning to take photos of this bag, I knew I wanted to have the bag hanging on the wall. I picked up a wood peg rack from Hobby Lobby ($5/ or $2.99 with coupon). I attached the rack to the wall using 3M Command strips so that it would be easy to remove. These racks are cheap enough that you could buy several and paint them in different colors. Use them to hang and photograph bags, clothes, crochet/knit items, and more. 36

37 While I often stick to simple white backgrounds for my photos, I think staging is a great option as well. Setting up a scene gives your subject a context. The example below is a kitchen scene set up as a setting for handmade potholders. This kitchen scene was actually set up in the living room because the light was best there. (photo credit - Virginia Lindsey / Gingercake) Create faux walls/table tops/floors to use in your photos by painting pieces of wood or paneling. 37

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39 photo credits: Anna Graham / Virginia Lindsey 39

40 Preparing Photos for the web: Your photos will look better and load faster if you resize them before posting them on the web. Uploading photos directly from your camera usually means that you are uploading huge files. A typical RAW file from a 15 MP camera is 22.4 MB. A JPEG file from a 10 MP camera is about 3.7 MB. Image files this large are going to take a long time to load on your blog and will be compressed to fit, which Photoshop PSE means that image quality will suffer. To avoid a slow loading blog and to retain image quality, resize the pixel dimensions of your photos before you upload them to the web. For example, I resize to 700 px wide and save as any photos that I plan to add to blog posts. Not only does that mean that the files sizes are much smaller and that my photos look the best they can, it also means that my blog posts are consistent ~ all my photos are the same width. 40

41 To resize in Photoshop: From the top menu bar, click IMAGE, then IMAGE SIZE. Make sure all 3 bottom boxes are checked, then enter in desired pixel width To resize in PSE: From the top menu bar, click IMAGE, then RESIZE, then IMAGE SIZE. Make sure all 3 bottom boxes are checked, then enter in desired pixel width. iphoto To resize in iphoto: From the top menu bar, click FILE, then EXPORT, then SIZE and choose the CUSTOM option. Choose Max WIDTH and enter in desired pixel width then EXPORT. To resize in Lightroom: From the top menu, choose FILE, then EXPORT, and under IMAGE SIZING check the box that says RESIZE and enter values. Click EXPORT to finish. LR 41

42 My Gear: *Updated JAN 2018 Canon 5D Mark II Canon 50mm f/1.8 Canon 85mm f/1.8 5 in 1 Multi Disc Light Reflector Triangular Reflector with Handle white and black foam core board Backdrop Stand Tripod Wireless Shutter Remote Kelly Moore B-Hobo Bag Ona Roma Insert Martilena Insert Photoshop CC Lightroom CC 42

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