The following post on The Secrets to Ultra-Sharp Photos is by San Francisco based photographer Jim M. Goldstein. Learn more about him at the end of this post.
As previously noted the best photo tip I ever received had to do with sharpness and up until the time in which I received this tip I had little understanding of how to consistently get sharp photos. I’ll never forget when I was a teenager I borrowed my mothers film SLR and ventured out into Yosemite valley while on a family vacation to photograph flowers, the landscape, etc. A couple weeks later when I got the film back almost all my photos were out of focus. Young and easily frustrated I cast photography to the wind for several years. These days digital cameras simplify not only your ability to see what you’re focusing on, but they also give you an immediate view of your photo enabling you to move on to your next photo or to try again. As great as these features are consistently getting sharp photos can still be a challenge.
Whether you’re using film or digital cameras the optics of lenses hasn’t changed as optics are all about math and physics. Don’t worry I don’t want to talk math or physics any more than you want to read about it, but there is a key principle that every photographer should be aware of and that is hyperfocal distance.
“When the lens is focused on the hyperfocal distance, the depth of field extends from half the hyperfocal distance to infinity.” - Photography, Phil Davis, 1972.
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Do you want to know how to photograph fireworks? With 4th July just days away I thought I’d refresh this article in which I give 10 Fireworks Photography tips to help you get started.
Fireworks Displays are something that evoke a lot of emotion in people as they are not only beautiful and spectacular to watch but they also are often used to celebrate momentous occasions.
I’ve had many emails from readers asking how to photograph fireworks displays, quite a few of whom have expressed concern that they might just be too hard to really photograph. My response is always the same - ‘give it a go - you might be surprised at what you end up with’.
My reason for this advice is that back when I bought my first ever SLR (a film one) one of the first things I photographed was fireworks and I was amazed by how easy it was and how spectacular the results were. I think it’s even easier with a digital camera as you can get immediate feedback as to whether the shots you’ve taken are good or not and then make adjustments.
Of course it’s not just a matter of going out finding a fireworks display - there are, as usual, things you can do to improve your results. With 4 July just around the corner I thought I’d share a few fireworks digital photography tips:
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Today Digital Photography School has made the leap into a new online medium - Twitter.
For those of you who don’t know Twitter - it is a social site that enables people to share short messages with their followers. It’s known as ‘micro-blogging’ because you only get 140 characters to write your message. There are millions of people ‘Twittering’ - it’s fun and quite addictive.
So today we started the Digital Photography School Twitter account.
It’s a place where we’ll post messages when we update our blog, announce new assignments in our forums, ask photography questions, take your questions and suggestions.
To follow the account just signup as a Twitter user and then ‘follow’ us.
Weekly Assignment
We framed our pictures this week using Natural Framing for the assignment. The goal was to use frames within the picture to help isolate the subject and draw your eye to it. There were a lot of great entries this week, but several of them really captured the idea of natural framing well by having a clear subject that stood out even better by the frame. Our winner this week was hlkljgk for her picture of her smiling daughter on a swing. The framing of the swing not only gave it a context but also brought the focus right to her smiling face. Our first runner up was lisa for her picture of one of her chickens coming into the hen house to looking for some food. Once again, the framing draws your eye to the subject and helps to give it context. Our final runner up was phillj for his picture, Looking Through. Even though the bright colours of the building really stand out, the stormy muted colours in the window create a contrast and draw your eye right out to the view you see when looking through. Well done everyone!
We started a new assignment this week too, and it is Feet. Look down and see what you can see. Feet are everywhere (not just on people and creatures). So show us what you see when you think of feet. While you can submit pictures at any time (and from any time), in order to be eligible for the mini-contest though, we ask that you take new pictures. So, in order to be eligible, your picture needs to have been taken between 18 June - 2 July 2008, the EXIF needs to be intact (it helps if you can include the main points in the text of your message), and your post must include the words “Assignment: Feet” somewhere in it. Next week’s assignment is “Sense of Scale” so find some way to make it clear how big (or small) that object that you’re photographing is!
Weekly Poll
This week we asked people if they geotag their photos. With more and more sites letting you put in location information with your photos, you are faced with deciding whether or not to geotag your photos. Most people answered that they didn’t, but there were a few that do. Here’s what they had to say:
waffles said, “I see it as nothing but extra work. And I think in some ways it can take away from the pciture. If I see something and think that it reminds me of somewhere I used to go as a little kid, then I’ll like it. But if I know it’s somewhere in Utah, then it loses some of the appeal to me.”
digirebelva on the other hand, said “if for nothing else, years later, I may not remember where the photo was taken, but I can always reference the tag for location..I learned that from my Dad..”Hey dad where was this taken”….”Don’t know been to long forgot”…Live & Learn”
And last but not least, Mandy73 said “I’ve just started Geotagging by hand on my Flickr account, basically because someone asked me where I had taken a photo. I don’t do all of them (at the moment) I’ve just been doing my favourites. I didn’t know anything about it because I thought you had to have the special gear and a GPS. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found out I could do it by hand and in my Flickr account. Very easy and nice and handy!”
This week, come tell us whether or not you carry a camera with you everywhere? Read the rest of this entry
This week’s reader question is - What Was Your First Photography Experience?
Think back to the first time that you held a camera.
- What was the camera?
- What were you photographing?
- Was it film or digital?
- What lessons were you taught in the early days?
Looking forward to reading your stories!
PS: I’ll kick us off. My first experience with a camera was when I was in primary school. I remember my parents entrusted me with the family camera (it was a film camera, I think it was a Kodak one) for a day because my class was going on an excursion.
The destination of the excursion (and the subjects of my first ’shoot’) was to see the Prince and Princess of Wales (Charles and Diana) who were visiting Melbourne. They were going to be driving down the freeway near our school.
My parents handed over the camera with the advice to ‘get close’ and ‘don’t take too many photos’.
My results were pretty average. I got two shots of the limousine as it drove past. One of them was framed by Australian flags which I was quite proud of at the time.
You’ve seen it before. It’s not the photographer with the biggest camera or the most artistic eye that wins in the world of wedding photography. It’s the best-practiced business photographer.
Smart businessmen or women know how to create their brand and or product, sell it, promote it - and all before 5pm (well, sometimes). For a wedding photographer, branding and creating a product is only half the battle.
One side of the photography business includes observing a plethora of legalities that will help you make the most of your business. One of those legal considerations is a Wedding Photography Agreement or Contract. This agreement will protect you from liability. It also will very clearly lay out expectations for both you and for your clients.
Many photographers have little idea what goes into a Wedding Photography Agreement. The length and content will largely depend on what type of services you provide. Here are a few non-negotiable inclusions:
1. Contract page
This is the basic contact information for both parties making the agreement. Think of this as a “cover page” with impertinent information including:
- Bride (client) name and all contact information
- Fiancé’s name
- Description of service acquiring (i.e. “8 hours of wedding photography and portrait services by photographer)
- Date, time, location of ceremony, reception, and other
- Place for signature and date signed
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