The following post on 9 Lighting Types is by San Francisco based photographer Jim M. Goldstein. Learn more about him at the end of this post.
In my previous article “Make the Best of Bad Weather - 6 Challenges for Photographers” I noted how photography is all about the light. Sounds easy enough on the surface but as photographers we tend to be subject focused rather than light focused. What I mean by that is we’ll see something unique or different and focus on that rather than the lighting and resulting exposure needed to transform your subject. The right lighting can make or break an image setting the stage for others to see it as a snapshot or a photograph.
Just as finding and seeing a subject is challenging, so too is finding lighting conducive to taking dramatic photographs. The Golden Hour is always referenced as a great time to take photos, but its not the only time to take photos with dramatic lighting. Training your eye to see dramatic light and the different variations of it takes some self-training.
Side Lighting
As you might expect Side Lighting is when the lighting is coming from the side. This usually provides a great deal of contrast, can create long shadows and adds depth to the image. This type of lighting can add a dramatic flare to architectural and portraiture photography.
Back Lighting
Back lighting is when light is behind your subject and is directed at you and your camera. This type of lighting creates silhouettes quiet easily. Combined with certain atmospheric conditions such as fog or airborne dust you can get dramatic lighting effects.
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Tags: lighting, photography, tip
Weekly Assignment
Circles has us spinning around in them this week. There were lots of great entries, and yet we managed to pick 3 that we thought really stood out. Our winner was amy-rose for her picture of a baby in a basket which really stood out for the black & white and simplicity of the shot. Our runners up were AKG83 thinking out of the box and not only showing what a circle is, but defining it at the same time, and liliann for her picture of the little boy blowing the seeds off a dandelion that used to have a perfect circle.
Whether it’s 90, 180, 360, or something in between, this week’s assignment is Angles. In order to be eligible for the mini-contest, your exif needs to still be intact, the image must have been taken between 16-30 April 2008, and your post must include “Assignment:Angles” to show your permission for it to count in the contest. Feel free to include other shots, but if they do not meet the contest requirements, do not use “Assignment: Angles” in your post. Next week’s assignment will be Converging Lines.
Weekly Poll
Wow, I think this has been one of our most popular polls and it’s great to see so many people participating in them. This week we asked if you started with film or digital.
BlueSage started out with film and shared this story: “I started photography as a kid with point and shoot cameras and my parent’s Pentax 35mm. I took photography as a 4-H project and learned some basics like framing and the rule of thirds. In college I took a basic photography class and learned a few dark room tecniques. In 1996 I bought a good film camera of my own. I’ve always been the family photographer, taking tons of pics and getting everyone together for photos. My Dear Husband had a good Canon film camera, but after dropping it in water for the second time (while taking pictures of the fish he was catching) it was unrepairable. About 5-6 years ago, DH and I purchased an early digital camera (used) from a friend.” Read the rest of this entry
“What Digital Camera do you use?”
It’s a question that I get asked a lot any time that I mention I run a photography website or meet anyone who shares my passion for photography.
So today I’d like to ask YOU what camera you use and what other accessories are a part of your regular kit. I also thought I’d kick things off with a quick exploration of my own photography kit.
My Digital Camera Kit
Camera Bodies:
I have been using Canon DSLRs since I first upgraded from a point and shoot digital camera a number of years ago.
Canon EOS 5D (pictured left) - this is my primary body and I use it 95% of the time unless I need something lighter, compact, with an inbuilt flash and/or need a backup body. It has everything I need in a DSLR although I do sometimes look at some of the newer Canon bodies with auto dust reduction and faster burst mode and wish my 5D had features in those areas.
Canon EOS 20D - my first ever DSLR and still a great camera. It’s handy to have this one around. As I mention above it’s lighter and more compact than the 5D and has an inbuilt flash. It’s also handy to have a camera that doesn’t have a full frame sensor. Of course the 20D has been somewhat superseded by the 30D and 40D from Canon - but still takes a lovely shot.
Leica D-Lux 3 - I picked this up recently before a trip oversees when I knew a DSLR wasn’t really something that I could fit into my luggage (I was packing VERY light). I’d always wanted a Leica so decided to lash out. It’s a good camera although not as compact as some point and shoots out there. I also realized how spoilt I’ve become to have a DSLR with the ability to use a speedlight flash at night. I was a little disappointed with evening shots - but in well lit conditions it’s excellent.
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Natalie Norton recently authored a post entitled Blog Power: Why you should consider setting up a photoblog. This post is a follow up to that article. Here Natalie discusses 10 ways anyone can create a photoblog that will really shine!
Goodness me. Goodness me, oh my. The anticipation! I’ve been chomping at the bit over this post. I’m SO excited to share the follow up to the popular post Blog Power that went up early last week here on DPS. The response to that post was phenomenal. Comments both here and on my personal blog as well as emails galore asking follow up questions-I even got a couple of phone calls! WOW! It seems you’ve all caught the vision and are rip rearin’ to GO! AWESOME! I dig the enthusiasm. The tips compiled here are tried and true, both from my own experience as well as other industry greats. I actually contacted a handful of my industry friends who I feel have incredibly successful photo blogs to get the 411. You ready to rumble? Well then let’s go!
1. Keep it Fresh
You’ve GOT to post often. Period. If you want your blog to achieve and maintain high traffic you should plan to post a MINIMUM of twice or three times a week, ideally every day. I post every day except for Sunday as that’s my church and family day. Occasionally, come flood or high water…or sick kids…I may skip out on a day or two. But 99% of the time you can count on the fact that I will post daily. This is important in more ways than one.
- Clearly you’ve got to get readers excited to stop by for a visit. There’s nothing like hitting up a blog fav and finding something NEW! You know the feeling. It’s like your daily blog fix. Instant happifying bubbly. Yum. . . or should I say “Cheers!”? If people start getting that feeling every time they come by. . .you can count on the fact that they’ll keep on comin’. Mark my words. . .unless your blog is crap. . .but no worries, it won’t be by the time I’m done with you. “Muahaha!” she said with a sly little grin as she threw her head back in hearty laughter. (Yes, ok, that’s why I’m not a novelist). Moving right along.
- Say it with me, “Gew Gul Rank ing.” Very good. Google ranking. This is SUCH a broad, highly complex topic. I can not possibly address it in its entirety here. There are too many search engines and too many processes to even skim the surface. Just know that the more you post, the more your name will come up in search engines. It’s a fact. We’ll discuss other ways to optimize yourself. . . in search engines that is. . . below.
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April is a special month here at DPS. We’ve just celebrated our 2nd birthday and are giving away the biggest prize we’ve ever done before over in our forums.
There’s just 1 week to go until we give away the Nikon D60 DSLR worth over $700.
All you have to do is visit our forums, join up as a member and participate. Every time you post a genuine comment, question, photo, review etc - you go in the running to win!
Get full details on how to put yourself in the running for the DSLR here.
In this post portrait photographer Christina Dickson tackles the topic of Urban Portraiture.
Within the photography world it is commonly expressed that the camera may be used to bridge the gap between people. In my own experience, I never fully realized this truth until this month.
This March, I have had the experience of becoming a street portraitist. Over a span of five weeks, I took to the streets of Portland for 3-5 hours every day, taking portraits of the homeless street community. I was not out to practice my portrait photography in a journalistic setting: my mission was personal.
I went out to answer a question that every portraitist must face:
Is it truly possible to capture the beauty of humanity even when one’s subject is a hardened, drug-addicted prostitute? Can I capture a portrait and cause my audience to see past the evidences of meth addiction, the multiple face piercings, and the glazed over eyes of drunkenness?
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