Photowalking Salt Lake City - October 6th

With a deserved nod to Thomas Hawk's semi-famous San Francisco Photowalks, I will be participating in a Salt Lake City Photowalk on Saturday October 6th. I"ve teamed up with several other Utah photographers to organize this outing. Here are the details:

When: Saturday October 6th at 5:00 pm
Where: Meet at the main entrance to the Salt Palace (100 S. West Temple) on the East side of the building under the tower (see today's photo)
Who: Anyone who wants to attend

This will be a non-competitive opportunity to photograph in and around downtown Salt Lake City and to get to know other photographers. You don't have to have the "latest-and-greatest" camera to participate. In fact, if someone wants to come and doesn't have a camera, I will have a couple of loaners available.

We will start at the Salt Palace and head out from there. I would expect it to last no more than 2-3 hours. Since it is LDS Conference Weekend, parking might be troublesome. I am considering riding the train into town to alleviate this concern.

If you have any questions or need to contact me about the activity, give me a call at (801) 259-3500 or email rich@leggnet.com (gutsy move giving out my info, eh?).

I hope to see you there!

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/100 second, f/7.1, ISO 50

Using Flash in Daylight

Today's image of a car (my trusty Saab) sitting on a forest road is an example of using flash during daylight to enhance your photos. When I first took this shot, the car appeared very dull since it was sitting in a shadowy area. The fix: add a strobe.

My goal with the exposure (after adding the strobe) was to make the car stand out, but not make it look artificially lit. To accomplish this, I adjusted the strobe to a power setting of one f/stop below the ambient exposure. This balanced setting lit the highly reflective car with just enough highlights to draw the attention I desired.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/50 second, f/4, ISO 100

Triumvirate

tri·um·vi·rate [tray-uhm-ver-it, -vuh-reyt]
-noun

1. Roman History. the office or magistracy of a triumvir.
2. a government of three officers or magistrates functioning jointly.
3. a coalition of three magistrates or rulers for joint administration.
4. any association of three in office or authority.
5. any group or set of three.

[Origin: 1575–85; L triumvirātus.]

Canon 30D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/60 second, f/8, ISO 100

Krystal

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/80 second, f/5, ISO 100

Afternoon Swim

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L with 1.4x extender - 1/640 second, f/5.6, ISO 125

Details, Details, Details

One thing that can separate a good photo from a great one is the details. This is an area that I have worked on improving yet still find that I have "Doh!" moments from time to time. Today's image of a formal dining room is one such example.

When arranging the lighting for this wonderful room, I completely missed that the window blind on the left is positioned differently than the other two. It is not too noticeable on the window, but the difference in reflection on the hardwood floor kills the shot. If I were to shoot this room again, I would adjust all three blinds so they give the same amount of reflection on the floor. In fact I would probably shoot it twice, once with bright reflections (like the right two windows) and once with dull reflections (like the left window).

One easy tip for catching details when photographing is to make a quick pass around the composition with your eyes prior to shooting. I like to think of the scene like a clock dial and quickly scan the shot beginning at 12:00 and moving clockwise around the frame. When photographing people, a quick scan around the outline of their body (especially the head) will alert you to any details that need correcting.

How about you? What do you do in your photography to catch the little details?

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/20 second, f/5.6, ISO 100

Kenneth Linge's New Blog

Kenneth Linge, an internationally recognized photographer and photography instructor, has started blogging. I met Kenneth last July when I attended his Wedding School and immediately became impressed with not only his photography, but with his openness in sharing his techniques. Here's a quote from his blog that illustrates this point:

"I try to live my photography life as a NO secrets photographer. I want to challenge all you photographers to always share of yourself with NO limits, so much of what I know came from being open and the people open up to you."

Kenneth's blog can be found at kennethlinge.squarespace.com. I've added it to my RSS reader and I encourage you to do the same.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/800 second, f/5.6, ISO 100

For Stunning Blue Sky Photos - Polarize!

I get asked occasionally how I create such a strong blue color in the sky of many of my outdoor photos and if it is created in Photoshop. The quick answer is: Nope, not in Photoshop but by using a Circular Polarizer filter.

A quick web search for this type of filter comes up with many explanations of what it does. Here's one:

Produces deeper colored blue skies, which at the same time creates a striking contrast with white clouds. Minimizes light reflections from glass and water. Reduces glare from non-metallic surfaces. Provides a general color saturation to both cool and warm tones. Can be used in extremely bright light situations to reduce the amount of light entering the camera; this enables more selective depth of field control. (source: Cokin)

In addition to the added color boost, the filter drops approximately two f/stops from the exposure. This works well in place of a ND (Neutral Density) filter for times when I want to limit the ambient light for a longer shutter speed or less depth-of-field.

When shooting in sunlight with the Circular Polarizer filter, placing the sun at around a 90 degree angle to the camera lens creates the optimal effect.

Today's image of a sunflower against the sky is an example of this technique. While the blue and yellow color of the scene was pleasing without the filter, its addition really made them "POP!".

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/100 second, f/6.3, ISO 100

Vegan Power

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/160 second, f/4, ISO 400

Listen to your Mother

(cell phone rings)

Me: Hello

Mom: Hey, I saw a picture on the news last night and thought you ought to make one like it.

Me: Really, what was it?

Mom: It was an American flag with crime scene tape in front of it.

Me: Hmmmm... not a bad idea.

Mom: Yeah, it was behind the anchorman on the screen.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/125 second, f/9, ISO 100

Take Your Photography Off-Level

One of the rules I follow when photographing, especially landscapes, is to make sure that the shot is level. There are few things that can visually throw an image off quicker than a slanted horizon. When editing my photos, I painstakingly use Photoshop's Lens Correction filter to ensure the shot is level.

There are times, however, when throwing a shot off-level can work in creating an artistic element to the photo. Today's image of an LCD projector is an example of this technique. By shooting the subject at a close distance and an angle, the resulting diagonal lines add a bit of pizazz to what could be an otherwise boring shot. Give it a try.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/125 second, f/14, ISO 100

Oh, the people you'll meet

One of the fun things about photographing in a major urban area is the people you have a tendency to meet.

I ran into this unique young lady while shooting a bridal session in downtown Salt Lake City over the weekend. After watching the bride being photographed for a bit, she wanted her turn in front of the camera.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/200 second, f/5.6, ISO 100

The Water Might Be Cold If . . .

Taken at Portage Lake, near Girdwood Alaska.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/500 second, f/8, ISO 125

The Climber's "Girn"

girn (gûrn) intr.v. girned, girn·ing, girns Scots

1. To contort one's face; grimace.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/200 second, f/4, ISO 250

Life is a Highway

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/125 second, f/13, ISO 125

Sepia Tone Photography

Most people know what a Sepia Tone photograph looks like. But do they know that the term originated with the use of pigment from a fish cephalopod?

Sepia tone is a type of monochrome photographic image in which the picture appears in shades of brown as opposed to greyscale as in a black-and-white image. It was originally produced by adding a pigment made from the Sepia cuttlefish to the positive print of a photograph taken with any number of negative processes. The chemical process involved converts any remaining metallic silver to a sulphide which is much more resistant to breakdown over time. (Source: Wikipedia)

Now you have some useless photographic knowledge to impress your friends with.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/200 second, f/5, ISO 100

Beauty is Everywhere

Yesterday as I was leaving one of the fine dining establishments in my town (read: Taco Time), I noticed how the sun was hitting this patch of sunflowers. The light was great so I hopped out and captured a few exposures.

The resulting image is a nice representation of a field of sunflowers on a warm summer day. What the photo doesn't show is the cell phone tower, parking lot and dumpster which surround the flowers.

Beauty is indeed everywhere, you just have to look.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/125 second, f/4, ISO 100

Bigger is not always Better: When an SLR is too much

On Friday night I got the chance to re-live some of the music from my youth when I attended a Def Leppard concert in West Valley City. Concerts are usually full of great subjects to photograph and this one was no exception. But if you've ever tried to walk in to one carrying a large SLR camera with a long lens you will find that they don't take too kindly to it.

This is one of the reasons I carry a small point-and-shoot camera, a Canon G7, in my kit. The G7 (which Canon recently replaced with the G9) is a high quality 10 megapixel camera in a small unassuming package. I simply dropped the camera into a pocket on my cargo shorts and walked right in to the show. The on-board image stabilization that this camera has is a nice bonus, especially when shooting in a low light environment such as a concert.

As for the concert, it was pretty cool. If I had had my preference though, Def Leppard could have taken the night off and let the opening band Styx carry the night :)

Canon G7 - 1/30 second, f/4.8, ISO 200

The Golden Key

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/40 second, f/5, ISO 100

Enjoy the Ride

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/320 second, f/4, ISO 200

Where'd the Shutter Lag go?

One of the major advantages of using a dSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera versus a EVF (electronic view finder) model is the perceived lack of shutter lag. Shutter lag is the delay between pressing the shutter release and the camera capturing the image. On a dSLR camera the shutter lag is measured in microseconds and is virtually undetectable. On an EVF camera (especially inexpensive point-and-shoot models), the delay can be over a second long. This can be especially maddening when trying to capture action shots.

When shooting today's image of an amusement park ride I wanted to capture the train at the top of the loop. It took several attempts to to make this happen. Even though the ride's support wires are not exactly centered, having the train lined up with them greatly improves the shot. The lack of shutter lag on my dSLR camera made this task much easier.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/1250 second, f/4, ISO 100

Where Does Your Inspiration Come From?

As a photographer who shoots nearly every day, coming up with inspiration can be difficult at times. Much like writer's block affects authors, there are days that I feel completely uninspired about what to shoot.

One way I combat this is to constantly be on the lookout for fresh ideas. Anyone who has spent time around me has probably noticed that I carry a small leather journal everywhere I go. Of the various things I keep notes of in this book is a list of photography ideas. During my day, when I think of an idea for a shot I jot down a note in the journal. These ideas can come from an idea while driving, a television commercial, a magazine, a scene in a movie, people walking down the street, etc. You get the idea.

Today's image of a woman working at a desk is an example of this form of inspiration. I recently came across a copy of the original 1984 Apple Macintosh Owner's Manual online. I was a huge fan of the original Mac (though I never owned one) and really enjoyed the figurative trip back in time by reviewing the manual. While going through the manual I came across a photo of a man working at a desk (with a Mac of course) shot from above (see the photo here). I really liked the image and thought that a similar shot would make a nice addition to my stock library. I made a note of the shot and then later when I had time I set it up in my studio.

Some might say that I wasn't inspired, but rather simply copied someone else's work. I understand their view and I could easily argue both sides of this discussion. In this case, I feel that using a 20+ year old image for inspiration and adding my own take on it is perfectly acceptable.

What about you? What do you do to inspire your photography? How do you keep from getting in a writer's block type of rut?

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/125 second, f/9, ISO 100

Knock, Knock

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens - 1/40 second, f/4, ISO 100

London Bridge

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens - 1/125 second, f/4.5, ISO 50

My Daily Carry Gear Bag

I get a few emails each month asking about my camera gear. In response, here is an image of my "daily carry" gear bag along with a list of its contents. The gear I carry is an ever-changing list, so this is as-of today.

Bag

LowePro Vertex 100AW backpack

Contents

Canon 5D body
Canon BG-E4 battery grip
Canon 24-105 f/4L IS lens
Canon 70-200 f/4L lens
Canon 1.4x extender
Canon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 lens (mainly for my backup 30D body)
Canon 100-300 f/4.5-5.6 lens (mainly for my backup 30D body)
Canon 50 f/1.8 lens
Mamiya 50 f/1.8 lens with Canon adapter
Sekonic L-358 light meter
Canon 430EX strobe
Canon G7 point-and-shoot camera (for being less obvious)
Apple MacBook
Batteries, chargers and cables
LiteDisc white/silver reflector

I have a couple other bags including a small one with my backup 30D, but this is the main rig. What do you carry when you can only take one bag? Any recommendations for me?

Canon 30D, Canon 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 lens - 1/30 second, f/5.6, ISO 100