Telephoto
Candid Moment
28/05/11 14:33
Candid Moment
ISO 1600, 210mm, f5.6, 1/320s, (Model - Unknown*)
The Story of the Photo
Some time ago I accompanied my oldest daughter to day camp. My plan for the day was to tag along and take some pictures of the kids at camp to document the experience for my daughter. While photographing the kids doing beadwork I began to pay attention to some of the junior camp counselors. They had congregated behind a tent and through a mesh window of the tent I could see them talking. I noticed the energy between the counselors and in particular I noticed this young lady who from time to time would catch a glimpse of an older Boy Scout. However, when the Boy Scout would look her way she seemed embarrassed and tried to avert her stare. After watching this scene play out over a series of minutes I decided to see if I could capture the teenage awkwardness of the situation.
I decided to shoot this image in black and white. When I shoot in black and white I often like a very grainy texture, so as to harken back to the days of black and white film. To accomplish this it is necessary to use a relatively high ISO setting. I choose ISO 1600 because it would give sufficient grain while retaining a modicum of details in facial expression. I chose a telephoto lens so as to be able to capture the moment without intruding on the space of the subject. The mesh of the tent window provided a degree of natural diffusion to the light. The challenge of the mesh was to focus through the mesh onto the subject so that the mesh became all but invisible. The mesh window is there in spirit only. It serves as a barrier between the subject and the observer. In preparation for this photo I waited until the Boy Scout crossed into the scene (dark figure on the left) and as he crossed the young girl’s stare was broken and she looked down. I pressed the shutter button and froze that moment of angst/awkwardness in time.
Overall I am exceptionally pleased with the composition of the photo and the choice to shoot it in black and white. I am not sure I would have taken the photograph had the mesh not been in the window of the tent. It provided me with a vantage point that did not disturb the organic nature of the photo. The mesh is really a metaphor for time. As an adult I am able to look back at teenage years and filter those experiences; yet, these teenagers were experiencing these feelings of awkwardness and angst for perhaps the first time. To me and the viewer, the mesh became like time itself- a divider or filter by which to evaluate the scene.
Photos tell stories and it is important to look for those stories in our surroundings and then be familiar enough with our equipment and techniques so as to be able to make split second decisions on how we can capture the stories that life presents to each of us.
Application Lessons from this Photograph:
-- Enjoy
*Unfortunately, I failed to get a model release for this image. Therefore, to sell the image or publish the image for anything other than news or education purposes is a grey area and is generally prohibited in most jurisdictions. So, in retrospect the one thing I would have done differently with this photograph would have been to obtained a model release.
ISO 1600, 210mm, f5.6, 1/320s, (Model - Unknown*)
The Story of the Photo
Some time ago I accompanied my oldest daughter to day camp. My plan for the day was to tag along and take some pictures of the kids at camp to document the experience for my daughter. While photographing the kids doing beadwork I began to pay attention to some of the junior camp counselors. They had congregated behind a tent and through a mesh window of the tent I could see them talking. I noticed the energy between the counselors and in particular I noticed this young lady who from time to time would catch a glimpse of an older Boy Scout. However, when the Boy Scout would look her way she seemed embarrassed and tried to avert her stare. After watching this scene play out over a series of minutes I decided to see if I could capture the teenage awkwardness of the situation.
I decided to shoot this image in black and white. When I shoot in black and white I often like a very grainy texture, so as to harken back to the days of black and white film. To accomplish this it is necessary to use a relatively high ISO setting. I choose ISO 1600 because it would give sufficient grain while retaining a modicum of details in facial expression. I chose a telephoto lens so as to be able to capture the moment without intruding on the space of the subject. The mesh of the tent window provided a degree of natural diffusion to the light. The challenge of the mesh was to focus through the mesh onto the subject so that the mesh became all but invisible. The mesh window is there in spirit only. It serves as a barrier between the subject and the observer. In preparation for this photo I waited until the Boy Scout crossed into the scene (dark figure on the left) and as he crossed the young girl’s stare was broken and she looked down. I pressed the shutter button and froze that moment of angst/awkwardness in time.
Overall I am exceptionally pleased with the composition of the photo and the choice to shoot it in black and white. I am not sure I would have taken the photograph had the mesh not been in the window of the tent. It provided me with a vantage point that did not disturb the organic nature of the photo. The mesh is really a metaphor for time. As an adult I am able to look back at teenage years and filter those experiences; yet, these teenagers were experiencing these feelings of awkwardness and angst for perhaps the first time. To me and the viewer, the mesh became like time itself- a divider or filter by which to evaluate the scene.
Photos tell stories and it is important to look for those stories in our surroundings and then be familiar enough with our equipment and techniques so as to be able to make split second decisions on how we can capture the stories that life presents to each of us.
Application Lessons from this Photograph:
- Know your camera and how to do things like set the ISO, depth of field, shutter speed, and recording modes such as black and white.
- Watch for candid photo opportunities.
- Use a telephoto lens so as to observe without intruding.
- Tell a story with the photograph.
-- Enjoy
*Unfortunately, I failed to get a model release for this image. Therefore, to sell the image or publish the image for anything other than news or education purposes is a grey area and is generally prohibited in most jurisdictions. So, in retrospect the one thing I would have done differently with this photograph would have been to obtained a model release.
Shoot the Moon
02/09/10 08:53
Shoot the Moon
Taking pictures of the moon can be a tricky affair. However, with a little practice it can be a success. Modern digital cameras that have a live preview make shooting the moon easier and safer than ever. The moon is bright, surprisingly bright. Next to the sun nothing in the sky is brighter and as such it may be dangerous to look through the eyepiece of your camera for long periods of time when shooting the moon. This is why I recommend using the live view function instead of the eyepiece when shooting the moon. The other added benefit of the live view feature is that on many cameras the live view will also preview exposure changes made to the photograph prior to shooting the picture.
Most first attempts at shooting the moon look something like this:
ISO 1600 / f5.6 / Shutter Speed 1/4 / 300mm
Notice the blown out moon and the ghosting of the moon. This is typical of what will happen if the camera is set to full auto. This is both an exposure and focusing problem. The image is overexposed and the focus is on the landscape in the near foreground. The focusing problem causes the moons image to reflect off the optics in the camera and provides the ghosted image. Don’t worry, this is easy to correct. Here is what you need and how to shoot the moon. You most likely will not even need to take the camera out of Auto mode.
Equipment:
Step by Step instructions:
Here is an example of the moon shot using exactly this method:
ISO 200 / f5.6 / Shutter Speed 1/160 / 300mm
Good luck and enjoy Shooting the Moon.
Taking pictures of the moon can be a tricky affair. However, with a little practice it can be a success. Modern digital cameras that have a live preview make shooting the moon easier and safer than ever. The moon is bright, surprisingly bright. Next to the sun nothing in the sky is brighter and as such it may be dangerous to look through the eyepiece of your camera for long periods of time when shooting the moon. This is why I recommend using the live view function instead of the eyepiece when shooting the moon. The other added benefit of the live view feature is that on many cameras the live view will also preview exposure changes made to the photograph prior to shooting the picture.
Most first attempts at shooting the moon look something like this:
ISO 1600 / f5.6 / Shutter Speed 1/4 / 300mm
Notice the blown out moon and the ghosting of the moon. This is typical of what will happen if the camera is set to full auto. This is both an exposure and focusing problem. The image is overexposed and the focus is on the landscape in the near foreground. The focusing problem causes the moons image to reflect off the optics in the camera and provides the ghosted image. Don’t worry, this is easy to correct. Here is what you need and how to shoot the moon. You most likely will not even need to take the camera out of Auto mode.
Equipment:
- Tripod (Optional but highly recommended).
- Zoom Lens or Prime lens of 200mm or greater.
- DSLR or Midrange Point and shoot camera with exposure adjustment setting.
Step by Step instructions:
- Access your camera’s exposure controls in the Auto or Program mode settings (this will vary from camera to camera and from one manufacturer to another. Some cameras allow no modification of auto settings; in this case, a program mode is usually available).
- Once inside the Exposure controls, you should find a section called Metering Modes. Most cameras have three metering modes, Multi-Segment (this is the default mode, it looks at the entire frame to determine the best overall exposure for a particular image), Center Weighted (this mode looks at the middle third of the image to determine the overall exposure) and Spot Mode (this mode will expose only for the area directly in line with one spot, often the very center, of the frame of the camera.
- Select Spot Mode. This will cause the camera to expose only for the moon and ignore the background information such as the dark sky behind the moon.
- Mount the camera on the tripod, use the live view functions and aim the camera at the moon.
- Center the moon in the middle of your view finder, zoom in as close as possible and press the shutter release. If you experience a shaky picture, even with a tripod, you might consider using an external shutter control button or using the self timer on your camera.
Here is an example of the moon shot using exactly this method:
ISO 200 / f5.6 / Shutter Speed 1/160 / 300mm
Good luck and enjoy Shooting the Moon.