Through the lens

Al Jazeera journalist held in Israeli prison - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

27 November 2011

Dorothea Langue: Documentary Photography or Photojournalism?

“One should really use the camera as though tomorrow you'd be stricken blind.”

“Pick a theme and work it to exhaustion... the subject must be something you truly love or truly hate.”

Dorothea Langue

Dorothea Langue is known for her work during the great depression era while working for the Farm Security. She was a documentary and photojournalist photographer. She was born on May 26, 1895 and dies October 11, 1965. She studied photography at Columbia University and apprenticed in several New York photography studios, later she moved to San Francisco and opened a portrait studio. During the depression, she went from her studio and watching the people in the street below her, to photographing the people in the street photographing the unemployed and homeless, “combing those who paid and those who did not”. Later, she toured the field with her husband who was gathering economic data for the government.

Many of the images she took became public domain because of her work for the Farm Security. Some of her images were “off hours” and became copyrighted to her name. Her images were to bolster support for the establishment of migrant camps.

Dorothea used a 4 x 5 Graflex D camera for most of her shots. She felt that the camera, “Teaches people how to see without a camera” Langue worked a lot by using her instincts, “to find out later how right your instincts were, if you followed all the influences that were brought to bear on you while you were working in a region.…It did happen more than once that we unearthed and discovered what had been either neglected, or not known, in various parts of the country, things that no one else seemed to have observed in particular, yet things that were too important not to make a point of.”

In the 1940’s she documented the forced relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps. In the 1950’s and 1960’s she produced photographic essays on Ireland, Asia, Egypt and the post-war boom in California.

Dorothea Langue interacted with her subjects, in order to capture a realistic, honest and truthful image. Langue was a patient photographer, sticking around, talking to the people, asking them questions, “where are you from?” remaining there, and sitting on the ground with them. She listened to the people that she photographed and tried to remember what they said so later when she went to her car, she could write down what they said. She would use their quotes with the images captions, she liked “using the words that came directly from the people’s mouths”. By the end of 1939 she had set the standard for photography captions.

While she was working for the government, they wanted images of a certain type, framing the subject to tell the story, while in the darkroom removing the “negatives” like brushing away a thumb, lightening some areas, darkening others and moving a cow skull to show evidence of a drought.

Dorothea Langue had a somewhat mystical approach to the problem of authenticity. She believed that through her camera she could see into the psyches of her subjects, and that by penetrating beneath a surface she could get at a truth that was deeper, more truthful, than were facts available at first glance. Taken literally, her notion that she had a kind of X- ray vision seems to absurd, but is a way of saying something about the role of documentary photography.

The debate about authenticity and objectivity may never be solved. It continues today whether the subject is literature or history or journalism or photography. Unfortunately today many people continue to worry more about whether a photographer has asked a subject to take off his hat or look toward her child than about whether the photographer’s interpretation illuminates truths heretofore hidden. Some of this concern comes from a confusion of documentary photography with photojournalism, some from increased public awareness of how easily and undetectably images can be altered.

We need to get straight what documentary photography has been and is: overwhelmingly often an art form inspired by concern for social justice and eagerness to participate in social change. It aims to see and show beneath the common-sense assumptions that so often prevent us from seeing the actual relationships that create both human and ecological erosion.

Related Articles:
Comparative Essay: The Great Depression/The Current Crisis
Ansel Adams: How Did He Do It?
Ansel Adams: Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox
Documentary Photography: Lesson 1
Documentary Photography: Lesson 2 Altering Images, How Far Can We Go?
Photojournalism Visual Lies
Street Photography Tips
What is the Difference Between Street Photography and Documentary Photography?
Ethics and Credibility

Comparative Essay: Great Depression/Current Crisis

2011-09-10T03:27:00.000+02:00

Scheimpflug theory

2011-08-21T19:16:00.001+02:00

Susan Brannon
21 August 2011
You read in my previous article on Ansel Adams, that one of the two techniques he used was the Scheimpflug theory. I will try to make this theory as simple as possible.

The Scheimpflug principle is a geometric rule that describes the orientation of the plane of focus of an optical system (such as a camera) when the lens plane is not parallel to the image plane.

Normally, the lens and image (film or sensor) planes of a camera are parallel, and the plane of focus (PoF) is parallel to the lens and image planes. If a planar subject (such as the side of a building) is also parallel to the image plane, it can coincide with the PoF, and the entire subject can be rendered sharply. If the subject plane is not parallel to the image plane, it will be in focus only along a line where it intersects the PoF. As in the image below.

With a normal camera, when the subject is not parallel to the image plane, only a small region is in focus.Image from Wikipedia.

When an oblique tangent is extended from the image plane, and another is extended from the lens plane, they meet at a line through which the PoF also passes.

Rotation of the plane of focus

With this condition, a planar subject that is not parallel to the image plane can be completely in focus.

When the lens and image planes are not parallel, adjusting focus[1] rotates the PoF rather than displacing it along the lens axis. The axis of rotation is the intersection of the lens’s front focal plane and a plane through the center of the lens parallel to the image plane, as shown in Figure 3. As the image plane is moved from IP1 to IP2, the PoF rotates about the axis G from position PoF1 to position PoF2; the “Scheimpflug line” moves from position S1 to position S2. The axis of rotation has been given many different names: “counter axis” (Scheimpflug 1904), “hinge line” (Merklinger 1996), and “pivot point” (Wheeler).

There are a lot more of mathematical equations to this principle, too difficult for me to understand, which means, if I cannot understand the mathematics of the principle, how can I try to explain the equations to you?

The bottom line?
A) When the lens and the image planes are parallel, the depth of field extends between parallel planes on either side of the plane of focus.
B) When the lens plane is not parallel to the image plane, the blur spots are ellipses rather than circles.
So if the planes are not parallel, then you will get blur spots down the horizon. This is the concept that Ansel Adams understood, that therefore he tilted his lens down, to parallel the image planes. You can buy tilting lens for this occasion, or use your tripod.

To get into this further here are some great links: Checklist for view cameras, by Howard Bond
How to Focus the View Camera by, Q. Tuan Loung
These articles are for large format photography.
Here is a nice page titled the Scheimflug Principle photo stream

Okay, so normally this principle is for large format cameras. What about Digital?
Good news! You can purchase a tilt lens for your digital camera.

This is what Nikon says, "Tilt/shift photography (specifically tilt/shift miniature faking) is a technique for making regular scenes look like miniatures. By artificially making the depth of field of a picture extremely shallow using a special lens, you can duplicate the effect of a macro lens, making the scene seem much smaller than it actually is, resulting in a really cool effect. You can also use the adjustable distortion to draw attention to specific parts of a picture, which is compelling for portrait photography."
Here is a great example of the differences:

For a lesson on how to focus your tilt lens see this article.

Basic Information taken from Wikipedia

Ansel Adams: How did he do it?

2011-08-20T18:44:00.002+02:00

Susan Brannon
19 August 2011

Ansel Adams; How did he do it?

Ansel Adams is known for his beautiful black and white nature images and for developing photography techniques in the development process of the images.

His first camera was a Kodak No.1 Box Brownie. This camera was first rollfilm camera bearing the new brand name "Kodak", patented and introduced in 1888. It used Eastman stripping negative film. The Kodak No. 1 of 1889 resembled the Kodak, but featured a more sophisticated shutter.

I must mention however, that a good images does not come from the equipment and all the gadgets, it comes from inspiration. Photography is an art, and your images must come from within. Adams said, "The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it."

It is the camera that catches your imagination. If you do not use your imagination, you will wind up with just another photograph. Where does the word image come from? It comes from the word "imagination". Not from lens, noise levels, sharpness, color balance. Ansel Adams did not have PhotoShop to play around with.

Ansel Adams, went into the wilderness for months at a time. He became inspired by what was around him. He wanted to reflect his inspiration through his images and use his creativity. He felt blogged down by all the commercial photography he felt forced to do for survivals sake.

Adams made sharp images seventy years ago without worrying about how sharp his lenses were. The lenses of the 1930's were much slower than they are today, about f/5.6. The equipment you use, only helps to get the job done faster and easier.

What did Adams do? He was eighteen years old taking a long trip into the wildreness, with a donkey, 100 pounds of gear and food, and a 30 pound sack of photographic equipment. He lugged tri-pods, camera's, and portable darkrooms.

In 1915, he used his Box Brownie
In 1916 he used a Pocket Kodak and a 4x5 view
He used a Zeiss Millifles
a 6-1/2 x 8 1/2 glass plate camera
4 x 5 camera
Hassleblands
35mm (he called miniture)
Polaroid

Adams said, "If we had very heavy cameras we simply didn't go so far or take so many pictures. Knowing what I know now, any photographer worth his salt could make some beautiful things with pinhole cameras."

He like using a large format camera 8x10. His favorite medium format camera was a 6x6. For the last 20 years of his life, he used a Hasselbland medium format, which he created the famous "Mood and Half Dome" image.

In his portrait image, he is holding a Hasselbland 500 C/M


Ansel Adams - Saguaro Cactus, Sunrise, Arizona 1946

Other than being inspired an having large or medium format camera's what did he do?
Adams liked to control the depth of field, by adjusting the film plane and the lens, with the relationships of objects in the frame, with tilt and rise and fall movements. Doing these things, he was able to alter the perspective to what he desired, controlling rise movements or increasing depth of field by making the lens standard tilt down.

Adams tilted the lens standard of his view camera in order to extend his depth of field, close to infinity. 1) by stopping his view camera down as far as he could and 2) using the camera's movements to take advantage of the Scheimpflug theory. (shift horizontally to make perfect parallel lines)

Typical digital lenses cannot achieve the same perspective as a view camera because of the physics involved. When the film plan and the lens plane are rigid, we can have a measure of control over the depth of field and perspective, but we are limited.

You can tilt the camera, with a regular lens on it and the parallel lines converge. Threes and other elements in the frame can look like they are falling backward. This is the rise and fall movements.

You can purchase tilt lenses, but you will need to use your camera on total manual. Forget the auto focus and sensors. The tilting, stretches out the depth of field so you can frame easier without distortion.

Adams developed all his own film, using a small space in his parents home, and while in the field. He first used matte and changed to glossy paper to increase the tonal values. He spoke often about using the natural light and small apertures with long exposures. Adams also suggested to "visualize" each image before taking it. This means, taking your time, walking around looking at things from different points of view.

Adams, was a promoter of "pure photography" "Pure photography is defined as possessing no qualities of technique, composition or idea, derivative of any other art form.' Soft focus lenses were prohibited, but in Adams earlier work of the Monolith, he used a strong red filter to create a black sky. Adams mounted a camera platform on the top of his station wagon, to get a better vantage point over the immediate foreground and a better angle for expansive backgrounds. Most of his images from 1943 forward were made from the roof of his car.

Adams developed the "zone System" of controlling and relating exposure and development, enabling photographers to creatively visualize an image and produce a photograph that matched and expressed that visualization.

Ansel Adams Technical Books:
    * Making a Photograph, 1935.
    * Camera and Lens: The Creative Approach, 1948. ISBN 0-8212-0716-4
    * The Negative: Exposure and Development, 1948. ISBN 0-8212-0717-2
    * The Print: Contact Printing and Enlarging, 1950. ISBN 0-8212-0718-0
    * Natural Light Photography, 1952. ISBN 0-8212-0719-9
    * Artificial Light Photography, 1956. ISBN 0-8212-0720-2
    * Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs, 1983. ISBN 0-8212-1750-X
    * The Camera, 1995. ISBN 0-8212-2184-1
    * The Negative, 1995. ISBN 0-8212-2186-8
    * The Print, 1995. ISBN 0-8212-2187-6 (Wikipedia)

Kodak No.1 Box Brownie

2011-08-18T16:37:00.003+02:00

Kodak No.1 Box Brownie

Susan Brannon
18 August 2011
The Kodak No.1 Box Brownie was Ansel Adams first camera.
This camera was first rollfilm camera bearing the new brand name "Kodak", patented and introduced in 1888. It used Eastman stripping negative film. The Kodak No. 1 of 1889 resembled the Kodak, but featured a more sophisticated shutter. It was discontinued in 1916.

The cost? $1!

In use, the shutter was set by pulling a string; the camera was sighted by looking along a V-shape on the top of the camera. The shutter was tripped by pressing a button on the camera's side. After exposure, the key was used to wind the film to the next frame. The film moved past a shaft, rotating it, which caused a pointer visible on the top of the camera to rotate, so the photographer could be sure of advancing the correct amount of film.

Once one hundred pictures had been taken, the user sent the whole camera back to Kodak for film processing and reloading - at a cost of $10[1]. A hundred round negatives with a diameter of 65mm came from each roll of Eastman American Film. The round image was a design decision, partly as a way of ensuring that the photographer didn't have to hold the camera exactly level with the horizon, and partly to compensate for the poor image quality at the corners of the image. These first Kodak cameras were designed by George Eastman in collaboration with a cabinetmaker, Frank A. Brownell, who set up the production line at Eastman's factory. They are beautifully built, with box joints and strong leather covering.
Of course, those were the days when a photographer had to carry all kinds of equipment along with him and develop his own film. I still like the medium format images the best for landscape, portraits and documentary photography. I still like to develop my own film and yes, I have used the dodge technique that Adam's designed. They sure do help the clouds come out fabulous!
Just for fun, I decided to look and see if I can find one of these boxes and how much are they now?
Well, I found one on E-Bay for 33 dollars, the person said that it was in "mint condition"
that was the only one that I found. Here you can find the history and development of the Kodak cameras.
If you find one of these camera's at a garage sale, look to make sure that it does not leak light. The No.1 uses 620 film which may be hard to get, but if you go to a professional camera store they can find it for you. You may be able to find the film online. The images are soft with a nostalgic feel to it! They will not look like digital images. Here is a link on how to use a Brownie Box! Where to get manuals and more the brownie website.

Al Jazeera journalist held in Israeli prison - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

2011-08-17T16:33:00.000+02:00

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2011-08-17T16:31:00.000+02:00

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Libyan rebels tighten grip around Tripoli - Africa - Al Jazeera English

2011-08-17T16:23:00.000+02:00

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2011-08-17T16:12:00.000+02:00

Ansel Adams: Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox

2011-08-17T16:11:00.004+02:00


Ansel Adams - Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox

Susan Brannon
17 August 2011
Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox- Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 1937 It was unusual in Adam's photography to include human beings in his images. When he did portraits, I feel that they were exquisite as reflected in this image of Georgia O'Keefe and Orville Cox. I must say that I really like this image, and it is one of my favorites. I adore the expression on Georgia O'Keeffe's face! The sky and clouds are high above their heads, their expressions are detailed and the lighting spectacular.
The story behind the image:
Orville Cox was the wrangler at Ghost Range and the guide on a several week trip taken by O'Keefe, Adams and others. One interesting point of the photo is that it was taken with a 35 mm camera.

In September, 1937, David Hunter McAlpin organized a month-long camping trip throughout the Southwest with his friends Georgia O'Keeffe and photographer Ansel Adams. The result of this camping trip, a unique and rare set of photographic proofs made by Adams and later given to his friend McAlpin.

The group included McAlpin's cousins, Godfrey and Helen Rockefeller, and Ghost Ranch head wrangler Orville Cox, who would be an interpreter and guide. Adams brought three cameras, two view cameras and a 35mm Contax. O'Keeffe filled a station wagon with painting supplies. The group was delayed for two weeks in Abiquiu, at the Ghost Ranch while O'Keeffe finished some work. Then they hit the road.

"Everyone knows the classic Adams photos of highly shadowed desert landscapes. O'Keeffe's fascination with the light, landforms, and artifacts of the Southwest is also noted," says Curator of the Exhibition Stephen Jareckie. "These proofs show that landscape - stark, isolated, magnificent - just as these two artists saw it. For us to see these pictures, the majority of which have never been exhibited before, is to glimpse a place that was crucial and inspirational to two major American artists."

"What's important about these photographs is both documentary and artistic. These are real Adams pictures. Though they're casual, and were clearly done on the spot, they still retain Adams's customary pictorial structure," says Jareckie. "But these aren't just landscape pictures. There are also numerous snapshots of the camping group, which include revealing portraits of Georgia O'Keeffe that have not been published."

After the death of Sarah Sage McAlpin in 2001 her heirs discovered a box containing nearly 300 small-format prints of photographs by Ansel Adams taken on this trip. Some of the images were probably as close as Adams came to taking "snapshots," but those displayed here are carefully prepared "proofs." In a number of cases Adams went on to make larger-format photographs of the same or slightly-altered views. The Ansel Adams Foundation has contact-sheets and negatives for many, if not all of these images, but in most cases these smaller images appear to be the only prints of these photos ever made by Adams himself.

Ansel Adams: Thunderstorm Espanola Valley

2011-08-16T15:28:00.001+02:00

Ansel Adams - Thunderstorm Espanola Valley © The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust

This images cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web site.

15 August 2011

Thunderstorm, Espanola Valley, 1961 - I could not find much information on this image, but for me, being a New Mexican, this image shows the intensity of the storms. Form this location, you can see the storm coming from miles away because of the vast horizon in New Mexico, and the big sky that looms over head. The light in this image is wonderful because you can see the suns reflections on the clouds and a bit of light falling on the hill. This is one of his later images, and by then he had hiked around New Mexico since the 1940's.

In 1941 the Secretary of the Interior, Harold Ickes, hired Adams to photograph lands and Native Americans under his department's jurisdiction. Adams intended to make some thirty-six photographic murals to hang on the walls of the Department of the Interior. He hoped that his powerful images hung in an emotionally progressive sequence would positively influence congressmen, lobbyists, and government officials. His job description read, "Photographic Muralist, Grade FCS-19, " and his contract was effective from Oct. 14, 1941 to July 2, 1942. At the same time Adams was saddled with his duties as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Advisors of the Department of Photography at New York's Museum of Modern Art which he had helped found in 1940. Thus, he was unable to start the mural project until June of 1942 when he headed west to make negatives. He planned to photograph in Colorado, Yellowstone, the Tetons, Glacier National Park, Mount Rainier and Crater Lake. Given his late start and the fact that World War II prevented his contract from being renewed, he made a number of now classic photographs, but never finished the mural project for the Department of the Interior.

I am sure that the New Mexican light had a lot to do with Ansel Adams returning to capture images. There is a magic in our light and landscape that seems to offer inspiration to artists from around the world.

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2011-08-15T22:48:00.000+02:00

Ansel Adams: Church Doors Taos Pueblo

2011-08-15T16:01:00.001+02:00

Church Taos Pueblo - 1942 National Archives, Department of Interior

Church Taos Pueblo - 1942 National Archives, Department of Interior (Angle 2)

Susan Brannon
15 August 2011

Church Taos Pueblo-Doors, and Angle 2 -Ansel Adams- 1942. This is a good place for photographing in black and white because of the light. In the first image, the walls line up symmetrically to the closed door of the church. In the second image, most likely taken at the same time, the church geometric s stand out and the door cannot be seen. A good photo, is knowing where to stand. We can see that Adam's shot the church from at least two angles. Which one do you like best? Both viewpoints have been made into posters and sold as prints all over the world.

Ansel Adams: Acoma Pueblo

2011-08-14T14:59:00.000+02:00


Ansel Adams - Acoma Pueblo - Public Domain Printed 1941

Susan Brannon
13 August 2011
Acoma Pueblo- 1933, Public Domain Printed 1941. Ansel Adams took this image while he was working for the Department of Interior. I believe that the photograph was taken just after a storm, because the pool of water on the dry Acoma mesa is an unusual scene. The image is now a part of the National Archives. The pueblo is a U.S. National Historic Landmark and Registered of Historic Places. Adams was drawn to the stark, elemental beauty of the natural and built environment. In this image, Adam's focused entirely on shape, form and the interplay of dark and light. The large, placid, oval pool of water in the foreground is balanced against a series of adobe buildings in the background. The middle is a transitional zone, that is created by the reflection of the architecture in the pool. The image transforms the cultural and political realities of the Pueblo into a quiet realm of timeless beauty.

Ansel Adams: Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos

2011-08-13T13:05:00.003+02:00

Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, c. 1929-© The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust This image is copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web site.

Susan Brannon
13 August 2011
Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, c. 1929 - When he first saw the church, Adams was impressed by it's "magnificent form" and its "rigorous and simple design and structure." The photograph of this church was shot from the rear, which was the angle that Adams thought made it "one of the great architectural monuments of America." He wrote in Elements, "it is not really large, but it appears immense. The forms are fully functional; the massive rear buttress and the secondary buttress to the left are organically related to the basic masses of adobe, and all together seem an outcropping of the earth rather than merely an object constructed upon it."

Though this church is not actually in the Pueblo, it held significance for the entire area. Constructed in 1776, it is in the little Mexican American settlement of Ranchos de Taos a few miles south of the Pueblo. It had been interpreted by many painters and photographers, and Adams said he could not resist the challenge.

Adams wrote in Elements, "We should never deny the power of intuition or hesitate to follow its revelations... It is essential that the artist trust the mechanisms of both intellect and creative vision. The conscious introspective critical attitude has no place in the luminous moments of creative expression, but should be reserved for later, when the work is complete." He stated, "I seemed to know precisely the square yard of earth on which to place my tripod." He said, "Some intuitive thrust made this picture possible."

Adams stated in Elements that "this image is an experience in light." He described how he had used yellow and red filters before in many images in special high-altitude light of the Southwest. "But on this occasion some gentle angel whispered 'no filter' and I obeyed." Taking the shot with no filter allowed the blue sky to appear quite light, and the shadows were softened... A darker sky would have depreciated the feeling of light." He asks a good question himself: "What mechanism of the eye and mind selects patterns and relationships in an unfamiliar world about us and composes them as expressive images?" He doesn't claim to have the answers.

    * Camera: 6 1/2 X 8 1/2 Korona View
    * Lens: 8 1/2 inch Tessar-type lens
    * Film: orhochromatic (sensitive only to blue and green light)
    * Filter: none
    * Paper: Dassonville Charcoal Black on mildly textured rag paper of highest quality Developer Amidol

Information taken from: HHMA

Ansel Adams: Moonrise Hernandez

2011-08-12T12:52:00.002+02:00

Ansel Adams - Moonrise Hernandez

Susan Brannon
12 August 2011
Moonrise Hernandez - 4:05 P.M. on October 31, 1941 Moonrise is one of Adam's most popular images. Why is that? Do you notice the white clouds, the moon, or the white gravestones first? Do you notice how the photograph is divided according to the "Rule of Thirds?"
Many artists believe it is boring to look at images that are absolutely symmetrical, with images divided exactly in half. In Moonrise, Adams has stimulated our eye by offering three layers, each with a different tone: the black sky, the white clouds, and the gray landscape. Adams made an interesting composition, which became very popular. It "combined serendipity and immediate technical recall." Serendipity means lucky chance. He "felt at the time it was an exceptional image" and when he took it, he felt "an almost prophetic sense of satisfaction." The scene has changed, there are still some of the same features, but the road is wider and busier. There are more modern buildings, but the graveyard is still there. When he was a young creative photographer, his original prints sold for $10, and in the 1960s for $50 - $100. The price for a print of Moonrise in the early 1970s was $500. Then the value of the creative photographs of Ansel Adams skyrocketed. At an auction in 1981, the sale of Moonrise set a record price for a photograph - $71,500! Ansel Adams was returning to Santa Fe, New Mexico after a discouraging day of photography. From the highway he glanced left and "saw an extraordinary situation - an inevitable photograph! I almost ditched the car and rushed to set up my 8 X 10" camera. I was yelling to my companions to bring me things from the car…I had a clear visualization of the image I wanted but…I could not find my exposure meter! The situation was desperate: the low sun was trailing the edge of clouds in the west, and shadow would soon dim the white crosses." He felt at a loss to guess the correct exposure, but suddenly realized he knew the luminance of the moon and quickly took the shot."

"
I was at a loss with the subject luminance values, and I confess I was thinking about bracketing several exposures, when I suddenly realized that I knew the luminance of the moon – 250 c/ft2. Using the Exposure Formula, I placed this luminance on Zone VII; 60 c/ft2 therefore fell on Zone V, and the exposure with the filter factor o 3x was about 1 second at f/32 with ASA 64 film. I had no idea what the value of the foreground was, but I hoped it barely fell within the exposure scale. Not wanting to take chances, I indicated a water-bath development for the negative.
Realizing as I released the shutter that I had an unusual photograph which deserved a duplicate negative, I swiftly reversed the film holder, but as I pulled the darkslide the sunlight passed from the white crosses; I was a few seconds too late!”
Paraphrase of John Sexton, Ansel's technical assistant from 1979 to 1982
In October 1941 Ansel Adams was 39 years old, probably in peak physical shape and certainly at or near the height of his field photography. He was well practiced in every motion, and the time that it takes to make a duplicate negative, to replace the slide, reverse the film holder, remove the slide and cock the shutter is less than 3 seconds. Given that the initial exposure was 1 second and the decision to make a duplicate negative occurred then, Ansel was very, very close to missing that image. It is a testament to his skills that we are able to appreciate it today.”

Camera: 8 X 10 view camera
Lens: Cooke triple convertible lens.
Light meter: lost!
Film: Speed: ASA 64
Filter: Wratten No. 15 (G) filter
Exposure: 1 second at f/32.
Development: dilute D-23 and ten developer to water sequences.
Years later - refixed, washed the negative, and treated the lower section with a dilute solution of Kodak IN-5 intensifier.

Ansel Adams: Aspens

2011-08-11T14:08:00.003+02:00

Ansel Adams - Aspens (no title)


Ansel Adams - Aspens Northern New Mexico © The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust

These images are copyrighted by The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust and cannot be printed or reproduced in any way. The use of the photograph is limited to viewing in the context of this web site.

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11 August 2011

Aspens- I believe that the second image was taken in Northern New Mexico in 1958. Adams took many aspen images while he was there, and with this photo, the lighting looks like it was taken at the same time as the known and famous image that Adams is titled, "Aspens of Northern New Mexico" I could not find the copyright on this one, nor a title, but I really like it. I chose this image because of the geometric of the trees and the lighting reflecting the fullness of the trees. The first image shows a mastery of a vast spectrum of shadow and luminous light within the simplicity of black and white. The single lit leading tree with many other trees standing behind it.

In this set of images, you can see how Adam's walked around to capture different views of the same subject. He used the natural lighting, and it could have been taken either at sunrise, or near sunset because of the light on the trees.

Ansel Adams: Roots, Foster Gardens, Honolulu

2011-08-10T14:48:00.004+02:00


Ansel Adams - Roots, Foster Gardens, Honolulu © 2004 by the Trustees of the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust. Courtesy of George Eastman House.

Susan Brannon
10 August 2011
Roots, Foster Gardens, Honolulu- 1948. This is one of Adams images that is refined with close up detail rather than the vast images of landscape. He worked with texture and abstract imagery in this image. The roots, draw your eyes to find the trunk of the tree.
Adams once said, "To photograph truthfully and effectively is to see beneath the surfaces and record the qualities of nature and humanity, which live or are latent in all things."

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2011-08-10T11:01:00.000+02:00

London riots - The Big Picture - Boston.com

2011-08-10T10:59:00.000+02:00

London riots - The Big Picture - Boston.com

London riots in photographs

London Burns in APOCALYPTIC Anti-Police RIOTS!!! (August 8/9th 2011 U.K.)

2011-08-09T20:14:00.000+02:00

A great series of photographs of the UK riots

Ansel Adams:Dunes, Oceano, California

2011-08-09T11:55:00.000+02:00

Susan Brannon
09 August 2011


Ansel Adams -Dunes, Oceano, California

Susan Brannon
Dunes, Oceano, California, 1963. The shadows in the sand dunes reflect the incredible patterns of the hills made from the timeless winds in the dunes. At first I thought this image was of the white sands in New Mexico, however, sand dunes are sand dunes and this image makes me want to jump in and leave my footprint!

Ansel Adams: Moon and half Dome

2011-08-08T18:50:00.002+02:00


Ansel Adams-Moon and Half Dome

Susan Brannon
8th August 2011
Moon and Half Dome - This image was taken at Yosemite National Park in 1963. Adams reahed for his Hasselbland and took his camera and tripod into the meadow looking for the spot where the elements come together; the full moon, the valley and the silhouette of Washington Column.

This image became a classic and one of the most love black and white pictures made. To make the same scene, you need to have the light, the moon and the shadow all in place. Adams made this shot in December around Christmas time, if you want to go and try it yourself!

Ansel Adams: Jeffrey Pine, Sentinel Dome

2011-08-07T13:27:00.001+02:00


Ansel Adams - Jeffrey Pine, Sentinel Dome

Susan Brannon
7 August 2011
Jeffrey Pine, Sentinel Dome - 1940. Adams too this image with his 4" x 5" view camera. Today, the hike up the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall is short, accessible, and heavily trafficked. John Muir, in his book " …it is a favorite with most visitors, doubtless because it is more accessible than any other, more closely approached and better seen and heard. A good stairway ascends the cliff beside it and the level plateau at the head enables one to saunter safely along the edge of the river as it comes from Emerald Pool and to watch its waters, calmly bending over the brow of the precipice, in a sheet eighty feet wide, changing in color from green to purplish gray and white until dashed on a boulder talus." The Mist Trail is notoriously wet -- standing in the rain can be drier. Adams would have faced challenges keeping his equipment dry while capturing this familiar icon of Yosemite .

If you want to take the picture and did not get there before 2003, when the tree finally fell over (it died during a drought in 1977), you're out of luck. However, people still flock to Sentinel Dome to take a photograph of this tree, I bet that It has since become one of the most photographed trees in the country.

Ansel Adams: Moonrise

2011-08-06T18:28:00.002+02:00


This image is copyrighted and is for the sole use of viewing on this website

Susan Brannon
6 August 2011
Moonrise, Hernadez, New Mexico - Was one of his most famous. The ititial publication of Moonrise was in U.S. Camera 1943 annual. For nearly 40 years, Adams re-interpreted the image using the latest darkroom equipment at his disposal, making over 1,300 unique prints, mostly in 16" x 20" format. Many of the prints were made in the 1970's giving him more freedom from the commercial projects that seemed to blog him down. He took this shot after the sun had gone down and the light on the crosses were rapidly fading and he could not find his exposure meter. He remembered the luminance of the moon, and used it to calculate the proper exposure. The exposure was underexposed, and the highlights in the clouds were quite dense. He found the negative difficult to print. The total value of this print exceeds 25,000.00 with the highest price for a singe print reached $609,600 at an auction in NY in 2006. He made this image on November 1, 1941.

Some of Adams images are owned by the U.S. Government because he worked for the Department of the Interior. However, it was his day off when he took Moonrise, so he had full ownership of the negative.

Photo Bucket List

2011-08-05T17:54:00.003+02:00

You won't believe this, but this is on the Arno in Florence!

Susan Brannon
5th August 2011

I heard about this on Alex Beadan's Photography Blog; that linked to PhotoFocus Blog I liked it so much that I decided to re-blog to share the Photography Bucket List for photographers!

"How about you? Do you have a photography bucket list? Starting one should be easy. It doesn’t have to be a formal list or look a certain way. You can make it anyway you like.

Some thought starters might help propel you to creating your list.

1. First decide what your photographic goals are
2. Think of the list not so much from the “before I die” point-of-view, but rather the “here are some goals” point-of-view
3. Don’t limit yourself to what you think is possible
4. Be honest – you don’t have to show the list to anyone else so don’t put things on there just to impress someone or leave something off just because you’d be embarrassed if someone saw it
5. Consider your first list to be nothing more than a first draft – let is stew for a bit then come back to it and refine"

Thanks to Scott Bourne for the idea!
I am going to make my own Photo Bucket List and post it later.
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Ansel Adams: Autumn Moon

2011-08-05T13:20:00.000+02:00

Ansel Adams - Autumn Moon

Susan Brannon
9 August 2011
Autumn Moon - 1948, the images was taken from Glacier Point at Yosemite National park on September 15 at around 7:03 pm. Adams is famous for recording details in this image. It is said that the full moon arching high in the northern hemisphere only occurs on every lunar Metonic cycle. The dates to be able to get this exact moon will be in 19 year cycles, 1967, 1986,2005,2024. Sorry folks, you will have to wait until 2024 to recreate this exact image.

Ansel Adams

2011-08-04T17:59:00.004+02:00

Susan Brannon
4th August 2011
Ansel Adams a Biography

Ansel Adams has been the environmental legendary photographer who captured Americas beauty through the lens. He is known for his black and white photographs that resound with shadows and light. In my opinion, he has been one of the best photographers in our American history.

He was born in San Francisco on February 20, 1902 and passed on in April 22, 1984. He was a traveler and environmentalist who had a keen passion for nature. It is assumed that Ansel Adams suffered from dylexia, because he had problems fitting in at school. Some others feel that he may have had ADHA, hyperactive disorder. His father decided to tutor him at home, and earned a diploma completing the 8th grade from Mrs. Kate M. Wilkins Private School.

He would wolk in nature in his childhood in the wilds near the Golden gate bridge or hiking the dunes along Lobos Creek and off to Bakers Beach. Later in life, he set out through America.

At twelve years old, Ansel Adams taught himself to play the piano and became his primary occupation. It could be that the training and discipline required to learn the piano influenced his view of photography.

His first camera was the Kodak No. 1 Box Brownie that his parents bought him. He would take the camera with him during his hikes and spent the first four summers from 1919, in Yosemite Valley as the "keeper" of the Sierra Clubs, LeConte Memorial Lodge.

The Sierra Club contributed to Ansel Adams success as a photographer because he first published photographs and writings in the club's 1922 Bulletin, and in 1928 he had his first one man exhibition in San Francisco.

in the late 1920's, the Sierra Club would offer month long trips in the Sierra Nevada, where the participants hiked each day to a new campsite, using mules, packers, and cooks. Adams, was the photographer of the outings and he soon realized that he could earn enough money to survive. By 1934, Adams was elected to the club's board of directors and was already established as both artist and director of the Sierra Nevada.

Ansel Adams met photographer, Paul Strand in the 1930's and influenced his work from "pictorial style" to "straight photography", using the clarity of the lens. Adams developed the development techniques of "burning" and "dodging" as well as the "zone system" to adjust the tonality of the images. In 1952 Adams was one of the founders of the magazine Aperture, which was intended as a serious journal of photography showcasing its best practitioners and newest innovations.

Although Adams was gaining in popularity, in the 1930's he still seemed to have difficulty with financial pressures. He was busy, as a commercial photographer, but the clients took control. He worked for National Park Service, Kodak, Zeiss, IBM, AT&T, Life, Fortune and the Arizona Highways magazines, shooting portraits to catalogues. He was loosing his track in photography because he was swamped with commercial work for practical reasons.

Adams was good with technical matters in photography as consulted companies like Weston and Strand, Polaroid, and Hasselbland. Ansel Adams was a activist of the cause of the wilderness and environment. Adams images became an icon of wild America. His images are no "realistic" of nature, but they have an intensification and purification of the experience of natural beauty. (Ansel Adams)
His compelling images came from inspiration!

Related Articles:
Henri Cartie'r-Bresson (article)
Henri Cartie'r Bresson (Images)

Tips for Beautiful Landscapes

2011-08-02T18:53:00.003+02:00

Susan Brannon
2 August 2011

There are many types of landscapes. Rivers, mountains, forests, desert, swamps and each place has their own personality. Find that personality, why is the Negev desert different than the Sahara desert? You want to reflect that in your image. Don’t just take an image of a bunch of sand blowing in the wind. Your image needs to show the places distinct beauty.

What is it that attracted you to that place? Do you love big trees or splashing waves? Find your passion in the place, the more you find that passion the better you will be at taking the images. Our admiration for the subject always seems to come out in our images.

As far as what lens to bring, really depends on where you are going. For example, if you are going to embark on a safari, you will want a zoom lens from 100-400mm. Your subjects will be far away and it will be difficult to get close to your subjects from your jeep. If you are hiking, you will want to bring a wide angle lens and smaller zoom. Using a f/4.5-5.6 is fine for landscape.

Here are some tips to help get the picture right!

•    If possible use a tripod, the stability of a tripod will sharpen your landscape image avoiding any shake.
•    Look at what you are looking at, why do you like it? What do you want to reflect in your image? Is it the tree silhouetted in the sunset? Is it the robustness of the stones in a tall mountain? Find what that is, then focus on that. Find a good angle for your tree or the stones that show its beauty. Make what attracts you, your focal point. Think about where you place it in your image.
•    Consider the sky – The sky is a part of the landscape. You may want the sky dominant or your foreground dominant in your image. If the sky is bland, then place your horizon in the upper third of your frame. If the sky is full of colors and beautiful clouds, then you will want to make your horizon lower.
•    Look at your depth of field and maximize it. Remember to increase your depth of field is to make your aperture setting small (the larger number) Remember that smaller apertures allow less light into your lens and you may have to adjust your shutter speed or ISO.
•    Look at your lines, where does the eye lead in the frame? Look through your viewfinder to find lines that lead to your subject. They also give a depth to your image.
•    Landscapes are not always still and calm, they have movements. Capture them! You will need a longer shutter speed (this is why a tripod is good) and lower your aperture. You can also use a filter to diffuse some of the light. Examples of movement are clouds, waterfalls, sea or birds.
•    Remember the “Golden Hours” Before sunrise and sunset. Read up and be prepared for when those hours are before you go. You will find that it is worth it.
•    Think about the rule of thirds while taking your shot.

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning

Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing

How to avoid Camera Shake

2011-08-01T18:17:00.003+02:00

Susan Brannon
1 August 2011
Avoiding Camera Shake

Why do my images turn out blurry? It is called camera shake, we all have shaky hands. To get a good sharp image:


For this image, I had to have my aperture wide open because of the night shot. I did not have a tripod to stop the camera shake.

Although I did not have a tripod and my aperture was wide open, I used what I could to try to eliminate the blur. I held my breath. However, this image is not as sharp as it could be if I had a tripod.

Here are some hints to avoid camera shake:
hold the camera very steady
use a tripod
gently press the shutter button
hold your breath while snapping the shot
lean against a nearby wall

Camera shake increases as the telephoto zoom setting increased because the leans automatically magnify the vibrations. A long telephoto and zoom lens are simply larger and longer making it more difficult to hold steady.

The normal limit of your shutter speed to reduce the "shake" is 1/60th/second or longer.
Breathe, stay calm, breath before you take your shot!

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Aperture and f/16 Rule
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Bracketing

Tips for Outdoor Photography

2011-07-30T19:30:00.004+02:00

Susan Brannon
6 August 201
Outdoor photography is similar to landscape photography. But more than landscape, you take images of mother- nature, animals, trees, or water!

Here are some quick tips to help you get out of the box:
•    Blur your background. Make your focal point that beautiful flower or bee using your macro lens, and open your aperture!
•    Create Abstracts: Look at the stones capture the interweaving of the mountain
•    Use the color around you, if you see bright purple flowers in the middle of a field; create a line with the flowers leading to the hills behind them. Take images of just the color of the object.
•    Use a Polarizer Filter- This is a must, to reduce reflections and haze.
•    Use a tripod- to get the sharpest image possible
•    Pay attention to your background- don’t let that tree stick out of the middle of your image from a persons head.
•    Get low- gives a great perspective
•    Use the “golden hours”- It is called that for a reason! These are the perfect times to take outdoor images. The colors can be so brilliant!
•    Have Patience, for those bird and animal images! A virtue.
•    Look at the verticals and horizontals- the tree trunks all in a row with the glitter of light shining down on them. Take a shot of just the trunks!
•    Symmetry and Balance- Balance your image
•    Keep it simple- don’t put too many confusing things in your image
•    Put people in the landscape. It can provide both a focal point and a perspective.
•    Dial down your exposure by a half-step. This can give colors a boost! Your blacks will really be black. Everything seems to come more alive.
•    Look down at your feet and see the details, like the cracked soil, or the small flowers growing from a stone. Slow down while you are walking around. Sit down and look around.
•    Try to take images without depending on PhotoShop. Really.

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Quick Lesson on Camera Filters

2011-07-28T18:39:00.004+02:00

Susan Brannon
28 July 2011
A Lesson on Filters

You can get some really nice and creative effects using filters during the actual shooting, rather than using your processing software. The filters are used normally for color correction, to compensate the effects of lighting that is not balanced. For example, a blue filter used in daylight, corrects the orange/reddish cast lighting. Filters are identified by numbers with vary from manufacture to manufacturer.

Here is a list of typical filters and what they do:

UV Filters: They are used to reduce the haziness created by ultraviolet light. They are normally transparent and can be left on the camera for nearly all shots. They are often considered good for lens protection as well. A strong UV filter cuts off the violet part of the spectrum and has a pale yellow in color, which are more effective in cutting the haze.

Clear filters: They are completely transparent in perform no filtering of incoming light. This is used solely to protect the front of the lens.

Polarizer: This filter is great for both black and white photography and color. The filter polarizes the light and reduces reflections, darken the sky and saturates the image more by eliminating unwanted reflection.

Colored filters: They come in almost every color, the yellows are good for portrait image taking while the reds are good for architecture. Instead of purchasing a filter of every color, I use the plastic filter squares that you use when developing your own film! I set the filter in front of my lens while taking the shot. The package for the filters are less expensive than buying each colored filter for your camera and actually quicker to use if you are wanting to play around and take many images using different colors.

Diffusion Filters: These are also called softening filters that give a misty quality to impart a romantic mood. They are good for portraits because they soften the wrinkles and blemishes. They have different levels of intensity, but the milder ones are the best. They work well with wide apertures because they increase the depth of field and softening effect.

Transparent diffusion: They are made of tiny globs of acrylic deposited on the surface to diffuse light. Some globs are inside of the filter and some on the outside. The filters are used for the dreamy or misty effect. You can also do this by adding petroleum jelly, optic cement and nail polish to a clear or UV filter.

Neutral density: has uniform density that attenuates light of all colors equally. It it normally used for longer exposer that creates a blur or larger aperture, for selective focus.

Split-field density filters: They have a graduated area of color across the surface. They typically come in one, two and three stop densities. they add a tinge of color to the sky, that you can see in magazine ads.

Star filters: have patterns from point of light sources, such as candles, and sparkles on water. They come in four, six and eight point configurations.

Grid Filters: Normally used to provide diffusion effects, for dreamy looks and contrast reduction. The grids on the filter are typically in squares or diamonds made from nylon. You can also create the same effect by stretching a piece of pantyhose in front of the lens.

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Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing

Perspectives in Photography

2011-07-26T18:16:00.004+02:00

Susan Brannon

26 July 2011

Photography Tips for Composition

Photography is not only cropping, cleaning and auto balancing your image to make that great shot. However, I understand that in commercial, portrait, and creative photography, cropping, resetting, and altering the images is the norm. Who wants to look at an advertisement for beauty cream with the face all blotchy and full of pimples? Have you ever seen a real live person that looks a perfect as they do in the magazine?

The secret for taking beautiful images lies in your aspiration, passion and admiration of the subject, if it be landscape, people, buildings or food. For some reason, when you are attracted to the subject it shows in your images and they reflect your passion. Using techniques such as composition, angles, light can help you to create a wonderful image, that can only be tools to help enhance your images. Using light can draw your focus onto your subject, the angle use can change the representation of your subject from short to tall for example.

Perspective is important while deciding on what angle to use, what light is best to set up your shot. Rule of thumb, take your time and never be in a hurry before taking a shot. Imagine in your mind that instead of using your digital camera that allows you to trash the images you do not like, you are using film. That precious film that costs so much to develop each roll and each shot depends on your angles, perspective, and lighting. This way, you can learn to be careful and think before snapping and shooting your image.

Here are a few important tips for enhancing your images:

Perspective:
Don’t just walk up to something that you want to take a picture of and snap a shot! Don’t only look at the subject from eye level! Walk around your subject, if you can, or take a one -meter step to your left, to your right, up and down while looking through your viewer. Do you see anything that stands out to you? Which position reflects what you want to show in your image? Take a series of shots from different angles. I saw a new stature in front of the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy and walked around it. Like This!

Perspective 1


Perspective 2


Perspective 3


Perspective 4

Perspective 5

You can see the difference with the various perspectives, just by walking around the statue and taking my time and looking at what I am seeing!
Which one do you like best?

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Four Easy Steps to Learn panning

Aperture and f/16 Rule
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Road, Nevada Desert

2011-07-25T14:07:00.000+02:00

Ansel Adams - Road, Nevada Desert - National Archives, Dept. of Interior

Susan Brannon
9 August, 2011
Road, Nevada Desert- 1960 This is a good example on perspective balance, again, plays a part. the pitch black desert is separated from the rough sky by the horizon. contrast obviously plays a role as well. the road running directly through the middle of the shot for what seems to be forever. To develop the images of the clouds, Adam's must have "dodged and burned" the sky area.

What is the Best Time for Taking Images?

2011-07-24T16:24:00.005+02:00

24 July 2011

Photographers refer to the best times as “the golden hour”. This refers to the first and last hour of sunlight. Some call it the “magic hour” and others simple call it the “best hours”.
This is for outdoor photography, documentary, travel, nature, people and culture, architecture, and panoramas.

Why is this so?
Because the quality of light, color and the special “glow” you see at that time of the day. Most of the time, the advantage is that you will not get overexposure's with your shots! The colors are not drained, or washy as in high noon image taking.
shadows compared to the shots taken when the sun is at its full height.

The sun is in its lowest position, so the shadows become more pronounced with a warm soft glow. At these times, you will think that you will not be able to capture any better shot that what you see, but if you are patient, you will have plenty of time to capture the soft glow, as the sun rises or sets. The light changes quickly and will fade into the night.

For sunsets, I have found that waiting until that last moment, is when I capture the best images.

Camera settings

1) Experiment with your settings. Switch off that Auto Mode!
2) Turn off the auto white balance and adjust manually the white balance to your desired mood.
3) Slow down the shutter speed a bit.
4) Bring a tripod with you when taking shots during the Golden Hour is important to avoid camera shock.

Check the Weather

You must always check the time of sunrise or sunset in your local area. Never assume. Always check for the weather forecast. If it’s too cloudy or it will rain, then there’s no point going out. Try again tomorrow.

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning

Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing

Tips for Travel Photography

2011-07-22T21:54:00.001+02:00

Susan Brannon
30 July 2011
Tips for Travel Photography

So, you want to travel the world and take great shots while you’re at it! Traveling around the world is one thing, taking great images is another…and selling your images is quite a different story!

Every place has its own look, culture, and lighting. Your images should capture all the qualities and the images should say something about the place. Our photographs should create memories, those that may be forgotten, the moment when you see your first glorious monument, of mountain to climb. When you look at your images, you will want to remember those moments as you did when you first saw it. In order to capture that moment, we need to think, feel and look at the setting when we are about to take the photographs. In spite of our physical and mental preparation, knowing and understanding the culture here are a few things that may help:

•    Take a polarizing Filter- My moto, “Never leave home without it” This reduces reflections, darkens a blue sky while allowing the white clouds to stand out. They also take away the haze. I like them for desert areas and water areas!
•    Bring a wide -angle zoom – another moto? Never try to take a landscape image without it! Set your lens at 17mm and your f-stop at 11. You will get the best depth-of field. I like the f/2.8’s they are flexible and I can shoot both indoors and outdoors.
•    Bring a telephoto Zoom- this helps with people images, documentary and isolating a part of a landscape. You can cut out the clutter on a crowded street when you want to focus on one beautiful subject.
•    Walk to out of the way places, down alleyways, don’t eat at tourist places, get out there into the local crowd. Stay out late and always have your camera with you and always keep your eyes open.
•    Keep track of when things happen. For example, you may be in a spot that is too crowded to take an image. Remember the time and go back at another time to take your shots. Find out when the sun rises and goes down. These are the best times to capture a beautiful glow in your image by using the natural light.
•    You must make time for your photography. If you are with a tour group, it will be difficult to take quick wonderful shots. You need to travel with people who will wait for you and let you take your images.
•    Read up on how to photography landscape, people and street photography before leaving. You will want to know how to take all types of shots.
•    Always, always, always…use this rule of thumb: when you see what you think might be a nice shot…walk one meter to your left, to your right, forward and backwards, up and down. Most likely, you will find a better shot.
•    Good image taking requires patience; I will say this again, good image taking requires patience. Wait for the right moment. Wait again. You will have to wait for the people to move, the light to change, the bird to land on the tree branch. Waiting and patience are the keys to good image taking.

Exposure

2011-07-22T16:05:00.005+02:00

22 July 2011

Exposure is how much light is absorbed into your cameras sensor. If the shot is exposed for too long, the image will be “washed out”, by letting too much light exposed to your film or digital sensor. If the image is too dark, then the exposure was too short.

Most cameras have a “light sensor” with a meter inside of your camera that you can see when you look through the lens. This meter will tell you how much light is being exposed to the sensor. Normally, there is a middle line which is telling you that the exposure is just right, if it is to the right, then it is too much, or to the left, there is not enough exposure.

If you learn how to control your exposure, you can create some beautiful images.
To do this, you will need to control your shutter speed (The amount of time that your shutter opens to expose the light) and your aperture (The size of the lens opening to let the light in)

Example: Lets say you are near a fountain in a garden and the correct exposure is f/8; 1/250s with a ISO of 100. You decide that you want to freeze the water coming out of the fountain, but you cannot make your image any darker (underexposed) or too bright (over exposed) What do you do?
a) Change your shutter speed to 1/500s, this allows ½ of the amount of light in. But you cannot stop there, because then your image will be underexposed. You must compensate to do this
B) Change your f-stop to 5.6, which will give you a larger aperture to let in more light.

Now you have the same exposure for the image, but your shutter speed is faster that will allow you to freeze the water!

Example: You are inside and the light is too low to obtain the correct exposure but the problem is that you camera will not be steady and your image will be blurred. Your settings are: f/5.6; 1/60s and ISO 100. The largest aperture for you camera is f/4, one stop faster that will result in f/4; 1/125s/ ISO 100. The shutter speed is still too slow and you will have camera shake. Since you cannot change the aperture anymore you will have to change your shutter speed and ISO to compensate. Change your ISO to 200 and up one step to f/250s. This will allow you to take your image and be sharp enough to take a photograph.

See? All three parts are related to each other the ISO, shutter speed and aperture. If you change just one, then your image will be either overexposed or underexposed. If you change both, you can keep the balance.

Instead of falling water, i included falling snow! This was taken at f/7.1; 1/25s and ISO 640

Overexposure:

This occurs when the sensor is exposed to too much light. The result will be white images or white around the areas of the light source. Sometimes it is impossible to expose the image without any overexposed areas.

Underexposure:

This is the opposite of overexposure, the sensor does not pick up enough light creating dark and black areas.

Note if you are using a digital camera, it is always easier to bring back shades and color from an underexposed image, than the other way around. (Using PhotoShop)

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning

Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing

Photography Basics

2011-07-20T15:52:00.003+02:00

Susan Brannon

20 July 2011

How a Camera Works Made Simple

The word “photography” is French derived from the Greek language, in English it means “drawing from light”. Photography is really all about light and how the camera works.
In a camera, light travels from the object to the sensor in film cameras. The light goes through the lens to the sensor.

When you set your aperture inside the lens, that opens and closes depending on how you set it, little or lots of light will hit your sensor. The aperture is controlled by “f stops” f2.8 is wide and f/19 is small. The lower the number, the more light will be let in. (Remember this and it will be of great help!) Once the light hits your sensor, and is absorbed and transforms into pixels.

The image that the sensor picks up is upside down and then flips it.

The shutter is what controls how long the sensor is exposed, the longer the shutter is open the more light can be absorbed onto the sensor. There are numbers that represent the speed of the shutter, 1/1000 of a second is fast and 3 seconds is slow. Remember, the lower the number the less light will be let in. The amount of light absorbed by your sensor is called “exposure”. There are two things that control the exposure, the shutter speed and the aperture.

In addition, you have film that has sensitivity to light; in digitals, it is your sensor that is sensitive to light. The film speeds of the film (sensitivity) are called ISO. A low ISO speed required longer exposures; a high ISO speed requires less time to give the same exposure.

One might ask, “Why are there all these controls? Can’t we just use one control to tell the camera how much light to let it?” Well, The various controls allow you to control other aspects of an image. A shutter speed can help to freeze the subject in motion; the aperture controls the depth of field and what is focused in your image.
Complicated? All this means is that you must understand, how much light you need to expose to your film or sensor in order to generate the type of image that you desire.

*Tip: Remember:
Shutter Speed: The lower the number the less light
Aperture: The higher the number the less light
ISO: The higher the number the more sensitive the film or sensor is to light.

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning

Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing

Common Photography Terms

2011-07-18T14:49:00.002+02:00

18 July 2011

AE
Automatic Exposure; Three kinds are available: programmed auto exposure, aperture-priority auto exposure and shutter-priority auto exposure.

AE Lock
Used to hold an automatically controlled shutter speed and/or lens aperture, in case you need to recompose your picture but want to retain an previous exposure reading.

AF (Autofocus) Lock
Used to prevent autofocus operation once the subject is in focus. This gives you more creative control by allowing you to focus, compose your image, and then capture the image.

Angle of View
The area of a scene that a lens can cover. The focal length of the lens determines the angle of view. A wide-angle (short-focal-length) lens includes more of a scene than a standard (normal-focal-length) lens or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens. Angle of view is basically the angle at which light rays can pass through the lens to produce an image on the film.

Aperture
The aperture is the opening formed by the blades of the iris or diaphragm in the lens, through which light passes to expose the film. Aperture size is usually given in f-numbers, the larger the number, the smaller the opening. Aperture size together with shutter speed determine the amount of light falling on the film (exposure). The aperture is sometimes called the “stop".

Aperture Priority
An exposure mode on an automatic or autofocus camera that lets you set the aperture while the camera sets the shutter speed for proper exposure. If you change the aperture, or the light level changes, the shutter speed changes automatically.

Aspherical lens
A lens with a curved, non-spherical surface. Used to reduce aberrations and achieve a more compact lens size. With a spherical lens, rays traveling from the lens periphery create the image before the ideal focal point and give a blurred image center. With an aspherical lens, even the rays traveling from the lens periphery converge at the ideal focal point, thus producing a sharp image.

B (Bulb) Setting
A shutter-speed setting on an adjustable camera that allows for time exposures. When set on B, the shutter will stay open as long as the shutter release button remains depressed.

Backlighting
Light coming from behind the subject, toward the camera lens, so that the subject stands out vividly against the background. Sometimes produces a silhouette effect.

Bracketing
Best explained as the photographer taking numerous photos of the same thing using a variety of different camera settings. Bracketing is great when you are struggling to get a shot with exposure you like and that suits the image generally and helps ensure correct exposure of a photo when lighting in a scene is difficult.
Camera Shake
Caused by even a slight movement of the camera as it records an image. Camera shake is the main cause of blurred images.

Candid Pictures
Unposed pictures of people, often taken without the subject's knowledge. These usually appear more natural and relaxed than posed pictures.

Close-Up Lens
A lens attachment placed in front of a camera lens to permit taking pictures at a closer distance than the camera lens alone will allow.

Coated Lens
A lens covered with a very thin layer of transparent material that reduces the amount of light reflected by the surface of the lens. A coated lens is faster (transmits more light) than an uncoated lens.

Color Balance
How a color film reproduces the colors of a scene. Color films are made to be exposed by light of a certain color quality such as daylight or tungsten. Color balance also refers to the reproduction of colors in color prints, which can be altered during the printing process.

Color Noise
Better known as chrominance signal-to-noise ratio. A measure of how accurately the color signals are reproduced. Poor chroma signal-to-noise ratios are evidenced in color fringing on edges of objects and what appears to be thousands of moving dots in large areas of highly saturated colors (especially red).

Color Output
The playback output level of the color (chrominance) signal after it is separated from the luminence signal. As with RF output, a low performing tape can lose color resolution due to increased percentage of noise.

Composition
The pleasing arrangement of the elements within a scene-the main subject, the foreground and background, and supporting subjects.

Contrast
The range of difference in the light to dark areas of a negative, print, or slide (also called density); the brightness range of a subject or the scene lighting.

Depth of Field
Refers to how much of a photo is in focus when the camera is focused on the main subject. Depth-of-field is controlled by a camera's aperture, in conjunction with the focal length of the lens. Deep (more) depth-of-field means that all or most of the picture is in focus from front to back. Shallow (less) depth-of-field means that a subject is in focus but objects in front and behind it appear out of focus. Depth of Field

Depth of Focus
The distance range over which the film could be shifted at the film plane inside the camera and still have the subject appear in sharp focus; often misused to mean depth of field.

Diffuse Lighting
Lighting that is low or moderate in contrast, such as on an overcast day.

Diffusing
Softening detail in a print with a diffusion disk or other material that scatters light.

Digital Zoom
This is a common term for small video cameras and digital cameras. Digital zoom is electronic zoom where the camera interpolates the sensor readings to simulate a zoom.. Many people consider this to be a poorer quality image. Also see Optical Zoom

Double Exposure>
Two pictures taken on one frame of film, or two images printed on one piece of photographic paper.

Electronic flash
Designed to provide light where the lighting on the scene is insufficient. Electronic flash requires high voltage, usually obtained through batteries and a voltage-multiplying circuit which discharge a brief, intensive burst. Generally considered to have the same photographic effect as daylight. Modern flash units have multiple TTL exposure control functions and auto focus control.

EXIF Data
Exchangeable Image File - Data that is stored in jpeg and TIFF image files, such as shutter speed, date and time, focal length, exposure compensation, metering pattern and if a flash was used a the time a photo was taken. EXIF data is very use when you are evaluating your photography.

Exposure Compensation
Increase or decrease the exposure an image from the exposure automatically selected by a camera metering system (see bracketing).

Exposure meter: Built-in digital camera meter that measures the amount of light when framing a photo and determines the best exposure. Matrix (Evaluative), Spot and Center-weighted are the main metering types; some digital cameras have all three.

F-numbers or F-stops
Numbers on the lens aperture ring and the camera's LCD (where applicable) that indicate the size of lens aperture. The lower the number the larger the aperture. As the scale rises, each number is multiplied by a factor of 1.4. Standard numbers are 1.0,1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32, etc., each change resulting in a doubling or halving of the amount of light transmitted by the lens to the film. The actual value is represents a relationship between the focal length of the lens. f numbers are calculated by dividing the focal length of the lens by the effective diameter of the aperture.

Fill-Flash
Exposure consisting of a combination of flash and "available light" balanced to produce a pleasing mix of the two.

Film Speed/ISO/ASA
ISO stands for International Standards Organization and numbers such as ISO 100 or ISO 400 etc. Film was always manufactured to be at a certain ASA. Digital cameras give you the ability adjust your sensitivyt to light or ISO. The higher the number, the more sensitive or faster the film. Basically, the slower the film (low ISO No.) the sharper and clearer the photograph. Grainy effects can be achieved with fast films (high ISO No.).

In a digital camera a higher ISO setting will mean the sensor is more sensitive to light and can allow faster shutter speeds. The negative side to this is that higher ISOs sometimes produce images that are noisy with digital grain.

Fisheye
An ultra-wide angle lens which purposely introduces barrel distortion so straight lines near the edges of the frame appear to curve out.

Filter
A colored piece of glass or other transparent material used over the lens to emphasize, eliminate, or change the color or density of the entire scene or certain areas within a scene.

Fixed-Focus
Describes a non-adjustable camera lens, set for a fixed subject distance.

Fixed-Focus Lens
A lens that has been focused in a fixed position by the manufacturer. The user does not have to adjust the focus of this lens.

Flare
Image degradation caused by stray light which passes through the lens but is not focused to form the primary image. Often caused by light bouncing off internal air-to-glass surfaces.

Flash sync speed

Most modern cameras have two shutter panels, a top and a bottom one. When you press the shutter button, the top one starts to raise, and then the bottom one starts to follow, till the both meet and light is shut out. The speed you set your shutter will determine the time between when the top door starts moving and the bottom door follows (your camera make/model also can affect this).

Your max sync speed is essentially the setting at which the top door has reached the top of the sensor before the bottom door has started moving. It provides an entirely unobstructed view of the sensor for the flash to come in. A flash's duration is around 1/4000 or higher, so it will always be fast enough to hit the sensor for only a fraction of your shutter duration.
Your camera has a maximum "sync speed" at which time the panels are separated. However, some flash units have special modes which allow you to go beyond the "sync speed"

Focal Length
The distance from the film to the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. Focal length on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimeters on the lens mount. On 35mm-format cameras, lenses with a focal length of 50mm are called normal or standard lenses. Lenses of 35mm or less are called wide angle lenses and lenses of 85mm or more are called telephoto lenses. Lenses which allow varying focal lengths without changing focus are called zoom lenses.

Focal Plane Shutter

A focal plane shutter exposes the image by moving two light-blocking curtains across the front of the image sensor. The first curtain slides open to begin the exposure, then the second curtain slide closed to terminate the exposure. In order to expose the picture from a flash, both curtains must be open at the time the flash is fired.

Frame
One individual picture on a roll of film. Also, tree branch, arch, etc., that frames a subject.

Lens
One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and transfer rays of light to form a sharp image on film, paper or a projection screen. In practical photography, compound lenses made of a number of elements of different types of glass are used. This enables the manufacturer to correct most of the faults (aberrations) found in simple lenses and provide images that are sharp across the whole picture.

Lens Shade
A collar or hood at the front of a lens that keeps unwanted light from striking the lens and causing image flare. May be attached or detachable, and should be sized to the particular lens to avoid vignetting.

Lens Speed
The largest aperture(smallest F-stop) at which a lens can be set. Fast lenses transmit more light and have larger openings than slow lenses. Determined by the maximum aperture in relation to focal length. Lens speed is relative: a 400 mm lens with a maximum aperture of F/3.5 is considered extremely fast, while a 28mm F/3.5 lens is considered to be quite slow.

Macro Focusing
Macro focusing, applied to zoom lenses, moves the lens group(s), enabling the lens to focus closer than the normal focusing distance from close-up shooting.

Optical Zoom
A true zoom. The focal length of the lens extends and retracts so an image is magnified by the lens itself. Whatever the focal length of the lens, image resolution stays the same. Optical zooms produce the best photo quality (see digital zoom).

Overexposure:
Improper exposure causing an image to look too light. There is a loss of detail in bright areas.

Panning
This refers to following a subject with your camera. If you are photographing a runner you would want to follow the runner with the camera. Done correctly, your subject will be in focus and the background will show motion. This adds motion to a photograph.

Perspective
Perspective is a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional scene. In photography this can be achieved by viewing 3-D objects from an angle rather than head-on. A photograph is also given perspective if there are objects in the foreground, middle distance and background, giving the whole scene “depth". For most photographers perspective refers to the relationship of the subject to the camera sensor or film plane.

Prime Lens
A lens that has one focal length. For example 135 mm lens is a prime lens.

RGB
An additive color model that starts with black, the absence of light. Computer monitors emit a combination of three colors: red, green, and blue to create a full color display.

Resolution
A word with many meanings. In digital imaging, it most often refers to the number of pixels per inch in an image file. It can also refer to printer resolution, digital camera CCD resolution, etc. In traditional photography, if refers to the ability of a lens or photographic material to reproduce small details and is measured in lines per millimeter.

Saturation:
The intensity, or vividness, of a color. Increasing saturation makes colors in photos look richer. The amount of saturation can be adjusted in some cameras. It can also be increased or decreased with image editing software.

Shutter Lag:
The delay that takes place between pressing the shutter-release button and the time a photo is actually taken. Shutter lag times vary from digital camera to digital camera. Often the less expensive the camera the longer the lag.

Shutter Speed
The shutter speed is the length of time that the light capture medium is open to the light. 1/30 is 1/30 of a second. Try to keep your shutter speed 1/90 - 1/125 or faster to avoid camera blur. Anything less than 1/60 and you will need to either use a tripod or be very aware of your camera movement. It all depends upon you. For some, 1/60 may be too slow a shutter speed while others can work at 1/25th. Also note that the longer the focal length, telephoto vs wide angle lens, the more camera movement will affect image sharpness.

To obtain a blur effect on running water a slow shutter speed is needed. Depending on the amount of flow, 1/15 - 5 seconds is usually sufficient. To do this successfully it is necessary to use a tripod to eliminate camera shake.

If you wish to obtain a crisp image of a moving object then you will need a fast shutter speed of at least 1/250 or higher.

Sidelighting
Light striking the subject from the side relative to the position of the camera; produces shadows and highlights to create modeling on the subject.

Single-Lens-Reflex (SLR) Camera
Light entering the camera through the lens is reflected up by a mirror behind the lens onto a ground glass screen above. This screen is viewed through the viewfinder and a glass pentaprism which turns the image the correct way up. Other camera functions such as light metering and flash control also operate through the camera lens.

Telephoto Lens
A lens that makes a subject appear larger on film than does a normal lens at the same camera-to-subject distance. A telephoto lens has a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a normal lens.

Underexposure
A condition in which too little light reaches the film or camera sensor. In general digital handles underexposure better than negative film. Underexposed film will producing a thin negative, a dark slide, or a muddy-looking print.

Vignetting
A fall-off in brightness at the edges of an image, slide, or print. This can be caused by poor lens design, using a incorrect lens hood, or attaching too many filters to the front of the lens.

Wide-Angle Lens
A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.

Zoom Lens
A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range. In effect, this gives you lenses of many focal lengths.

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning

Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing

Depth of Field

2011-07-16T13:30:00.003+02:00

15 July 2011

The depth of field is the amount of your image beyond and before your focal point that will be in focus. Normally, for landscape, you want a large depth of field and to have everything in focus to capture the beauty of the scene. In portrait photography, a small depth of field is often used to limit distractions of the background from the main subject.

There are a few factors to determine your depth of field:

1) Your aperture
2) Your lens
3) the distance from your subject.

The Aperture
The aperture controls the depth of field, which is what is in focus in your image. You can draw attention to one subject, with a blurry background using a low f/stop or to focus everything in an image with wide f/stop.

This is f/5.6 with a close distance

Here I widened the apurture to 7.1 and stepped away a few feet. Notice how the baby's hand is not in focus, this is because my focal point was broader than the movement of the hand.

Remember:
• The higher the number for your f/stop the wider your depth of field (f/16) the lower the number for your f/stop the more shallow is your depth of field. (f/8)
• The closer to your image, the shallower is your depth of field as in using a micro lens for nature photography.

Here are some other shots, showing the depth of field using higher/lower f-stops.

This image was taken at f/16 a smaller aperture. Notice how you can see more details of the dark Cyprus trees in the background compared to the image below taken at f/13. This image has a "broad depth of field"

Taken at f/13 you can still see the background, but the trees and wall are not as "sharp" in focus as the f/16 shot. I call this a "medium depth of field".

This image was taken at f/8 you notice how the garden in the front is the main focus, while the background is blurred. This image has a "shallow" depth of field"

Your lens:

• The longer your lens (200mm) the more shallow will be your depth of field. The shorter your lens (55mm) you will have more depth of field. This is termed as Focal Length.

The Distance:

• The closer you are to your subject, the less amount of depth of field you will have. The farther away, the more depth of field. (as described in the image of the baby's hand and other image with the mother above)

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning

Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing

Focus Bracketing or Photo Stacking

2011-07-14T12:17:00.010+02:00

Focus Bracketing: (or Stacking)
Susan Brannon

This is useful with limited depths of field mostly used in macro photography where you can focus the subject at different positions. Take several images of the same subject each with a different focus spot. For example, take an image of a flower and let your camera automatically bracket your image. You will notice that the image may be focused in the front (closest) to your camera, and blurred at the back. Now, take that same flower, and bracket focus on the back of the flower instead, manually. The front of the flower is blurred, while the back is in focus.

There is a term “focus stacking” that by taking a sequence of various parts of the subject in focus and combining them together to create the entire subject in focus. This is not easy to do, because it requires delicate use of PhotoShop to combine the images!

Some tips:
1) Focal length - The longer your lens, the more shallow your depth of field is.
2) Distance to the subject: The nearer you are to your subject, the shallower your depth of field is, especially with a macro lens.
3) Aperture settings: The more you open the aperture, the shallower your depth of field will be.

How do you do this?

A) Use a steady tripod.
B) A macro lens, to get really close.
C) Super precision: Lock your camera on your tripod, so you cannot move your camera.
And rely on your in camera focus points to focus on different parts of the image.
D) Patience: This process takes quite some time
E) Post processing software, that can handle focus stacking.
F) Create a file with layers, stacked on each in a linear arrangement. Do not jumble the sequence of focused images.
G) Align layers
H) Blend layers

Image below from Wikipedia:

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning

Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing

Tips for Night Photography

2011-07-13T17:52:00.002+02:00

Susan Brannon
26 July 2011
It is difficult to take images at night and in low light, but to do so, is the fun challenge in photography! Once, you set out and “practice” you will find your technique and afterwords there will be not a time in the day when you think, “I cannot take a photography because of the light!”

1) For night photography, you will definitely need a tri-pod! This will stabilize (duh) your camera and allow for longer exposures!

2) Take if off Auto mode (you can keep the focus on Auto mode and place with the focal point) This way you can play with your shots, reduce the brightness of the lights, and add some creativity to your images.

3) Set your exposure to -2 or -1

4) Avoid using flash. This flushes out the natural light, and it may overexpose the image you are trying to shoot. (Or flood out the background)

5) Set your ISO to the maximum. The higher the shutter speed the shorter the exposure you can use. This is important for night photography.

6) Experiment, take as many images as you can, alternate your exposure levels and doing this will increase your understanding in night time photography.

Tip: If you are out running around in a beautiful place and decide that you really want to take some images but do not have your tri-pod. You can always find a flat spot to place your camera that just may steady it enough to allow you to take your shot!

Remember: Check the weather, for rain and/or clouds. See when the sun sets and the moon rises. Think of where you want to set up shop, and bring bug spray for the summer!


This one was not taken in the summer, but when it snowed in Florence, Italy I could not but help to run outside to capture this moment. However, my film was black and white, so the glow from the night time light did not bounce off of the snow.


For this image I wanted to capture the glow of the buildings. The camera was set at: f/5.6; 1/6s and ISO 640

A rare moment in Florence History, The Duomo covered in Snow, with a beautiful orange sky in the background. This image was taken at f/5.6; 0.4s and ISO 640

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning
High Noon Photography Tips

Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing

Bracketing

2011-07-13T12:13:00.002+02:00

Bracketing

Susan Brannon

Cameras do not see the world the way that we do, and sometimes we find that an image is too dark and you cannot distinguish any detail. The camera is based on the different hues of gray. You use bracketing when the lighting condition is difficult for your sensor to read, creating under or over exposures. For example, taking images in the snow, you camera will automatically make things darker. How do you resolve this problem? You must tell the camera what exposure you want to use.

Slide, film and digital work in different ways. Slide is very sensitive and where you would set your exposure for your digital, will not work for the slide; your image may not even show up! Film you only see the effect when it is pronounced.

The term bracketing usually refers to exposure bracketing: the photographer chooses to take one picture at a given exposure, one or two brighter, and one or two darker, in order to select the most satisfactory image. Many digital and film cameras, can automatically shoot a bracketed series of pictures.

Exposure bracketing is dealing with high-contrast subjects with a limited range or sensor.
Exposure bracketing is using your camera to create a high dynamic range that exposes the portions of the image by different amounts. (Also see exposure)

You can set your bracketing setting on your camera to different stops,-4 stops -2 stops, +2 stops etc…This is what allows different amount of light into your sensor and changes your exposure.

Like This:

This is at the automatic setting with zero adjustments for exposure

-2

-4

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?Four Easy Steps to Learn panning High Noon Photography Tips Tips for Night Photography

Aperture and f/16 Rule Shutter Speed Basics Bracketing

Focused Bracketing or Photo Stacking Exposure

GMO Food Petition

2011-07-03T13:55:00.001+02:00

This is the radical side of me aside from photography....Please Sign the petition posted on this website to request the labeling of GMO food products in the USA. This is an important national health concern. We cannot allow the government to provide us with food that has been proven through research to be damaging to our families, Americans and our own health.
Pass this petition around, by getting a widget to put on your own blogs and websites, Facebook, and Tweet! You can make your own flier, that references to the petition and leave it around at the health food stores in your area! Thanks!
Related links:
The Story of GMO Seeds
Brands that have GMO Ingredients

Rule of Thirds

2011-06-26T16:32:00.002+02:00

The rule of thirds helps you to produce better images. It is something most people learn in beginning photography classes and is a useful rule to remember when framing your subject! Of course, rules can be broken, but if you break this rule, remember the rule and know why you are breaking it!

This rule is actually very simple.

1) Take your frame and divide it into 9 equal squares like this:

2) Now take the intersections of the lines as your points of focus:

Also take the lines as a point of interest. Studies show that our eyes naturally go to one of the intersection points, rather than the center of the shot.

3) Then imagine going in the direction of the “eye” lines that we call power points: by placing our subjects near the power points we can give a balance to a composition making it more engaging to the eye. Here are some examples:

Tree is to the left of the center, notice how the focal points are at the lines.

This tree is focused on the center.

The same tree is on the right line.

Which one do you think is best? Which image draws your eye through the image? Which one looks umm sort of boring? When you center your subject, it gives the impression that something is missing, the image is not complete. The image with the same tree on the left gives more depth to the image, and draws you to different focal points. The same tree on the right, does the same thing, only with fewer trees!

Avoid making the horizon in the center of the frame, putting it either 1/3 higher or 1/3 lower than the center. You can use this rule either horizontal or vertical. When doing this you want to create a visual path. Here are a few examples:

Again, when you put the horizon in the center point of the image,

most of the subjects are missing the focal points, the image looks cut off and not complete. Of course, when you put the horizon at the bottom 1/3 you will have more sky, creating a different feeling than when you focus the horizon at the upper 1/3 line. In this case, it depends on what you want to represent. The land and lines of the olive trees? Or the vastness of the countryside with a broader sky?

When you look through your lens, look at the focal points and imagine the lines move your camera to see which angle you like best before taking that shot!

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning
High Noon Photography Tips
Tips for Night Photography

Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing

High Noon Photography Tips

2011-06-17T09:38:00.003+02:00

Susan Brannon
17 June 2011

High Noon: Hard Light
What do you do if you am somewhere when the light is the strongest and you really want to take some images? Remember, photography is based on the amount of exposure of light that is absorbed to your film or sensor. Taking images in the harsh sun can wash out your images, making the colors dull and drab. There are a few ways to get around this problem and still have nice results.

A way to work with light is to play with your ISO, shutter speed and aperture. You can adjust the settings according to the situation. As a rule of thumb, I like to start on f/16 for sunny bright days and then adjust from that point. I also like my ISO as low as possible, because I do not like much grain in my images, the higher the ISO the more grain. Normally, I start with my shutter speed at 30 and go from there. This speed allows for movement to occur around me and can freeze the subject. Also, if the shutter speed is set to low, too much light will get in and you can over expose your image washing it out even more than the natural sun would do.

Above are two images take a few minutes apart. The one on the left was taken at f/16 at 50 shutter speed with ISO 125. The one on the right was taken at f/16 at 80 shutter speed with the same ISO. The one on the left is all washed out and bright. On the right there is more contrast and brighter colors.

*Tip: Remember:
Shutter Speed: The lower the number the less light
Aperture: The higher the number the less light
ISO: The higher the number the more sensitive the film or sensor is to light.

Other High Noon Photography Tips:

•   You can use a polarized or warming filter to help diffuse the light. I use the polarized lens when I am near water or in the desert. It softens the harshness of the light and really helps to bring out nice colors. If you are doing street photography or photojournalism, a polarized lens is a must because you will not have time to tinker with your settings.
•   Go to the shade! When the sun is the strongest, take images in the shade. This will remove the harshness of the image and improve your contrast.
•   Use your Lens Hood. If you cannot take images in the shade, put on your lens hood. This will help with sunspots on your images.
•   Use a reflector when taking portraits, this will help remove the unattractive shadows under the eyes, nose and neck!
•   Play with shadows! When the sun is at high noon, you will notice clear and crisp shadows. Play with them, use them to enhance your images and be creative!

Above, I used shadow as part of the composition for the images. You can take a simple weed growing along the wall and create a nice image from it.

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning

Tips for Night Photography
Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics
Bracketing

Common Photography Terms
Focused Bracketing or Photo Stacking

Shutter Speed Basics

2011-06-13T15:14:00.003+02:00

Susan Brannon
13 June 2011

The shutter is what controls how long the sensor is exposed, the longer the shutter is open the more light can be absorbed onto the sensor. The shutter speeds are controlled in seconds and fractions of seconds. There are numbers that represent the speed of the shutter, 1/1000 of a second is fast and 3 seconds is slow. Remember, the lower the number the less light will be let in.

You can see on your manual camera, or digital various settings of numbers that represent the shutter speed.

These are called full stops:

1/1000 s 1/500 s 1/250 s 1/125 s 1/60 s 1/30 s 1/15 s 1/8 s 1/4 s 1/2 s 1 s

A fast shutter speed (faster than 1/500th of a second) will allow you to freeze or stop motion while shooting movements.

The term “long exposure” normally refers to the amount of time the shutter stays open, for 1 second and over. It is difficult to shot long exposures without a tripod because your camera will pick up the slightest movements. It is difficult to shot a photo at anything from 1/60 and lower. Sometimes a good trick is to lean against something like a wall, and hold you breath while making the shot. You can also find something nearby to set your camera on for the shot.

I made some samples of a fixed f-stop with different shutter speeds in the daylight.

f/16 at 1/10 shutter speed

f/16 at 1/13 shutter speed

f/16 at 1/15 shutter speed

f/16 at 1/20 shutter speed

f/16 at 1/25 shutter speed


f/16 at 1/30 shutter speed


f/16 at 1/40 shutter speed


f/16 at 1/50 shutter speed

f/16 at 1/60 shutter speed

With the samples, you can see the difference with how much light the shutter speed is absorbed to the sensor or film. When there is too much light, the colors are all washed out as in shutter speeds 10/13/20 and 25. The images are too dark when there is not enough light as in shutter speeds 50/60. The foliage in the background has lost its details and dimensions.

*Tips:
Action: It is good to set your shutter speed at the fastest speed you can depending on your lighting.

Landscape: You will want the slowest shutter speed possible with a higher f-stop to generate a good depth of field.

Night shots: You will want the slowest shutter speed possible (good to use a tripod!) turn off the flash, and use the fastest film speed.

Related lessons:

What is the difference between Street and Documentary Photography?

2011-05-25T20:22:00.005+02:00

Susan Brannon

“In photography there is a new kind of plasticity, the product of instantaneous lines made by movements of the subject. We work in unison with movement as though it were a presentiment of the way in which life itself unfolds. But inside movement there is one moment at which the elements in motion are in balance. Photography must seize upon this moment and hold immobile the equilibrium of it.”

*Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Decisive Moment

There are various opinions between photographers between street, photojournalism and documentary photography. The discussions can become confusing thus leaving the person who asked the questions without any real answers. Some would argue that street photography is documentary, because they are documenting something in turn, when they are doing street photography they are then doing documentary as well. Others would argue that photojournalism is documentary photography in the simple case that the photographer is documenting something and telling a story.

The definitions:

Street Photography – Wikipedia says, “Street photography is a type of documentary photography that features subjects in candid situations within public places such as streets, parks, beaches, malls, political conventions and other settings.” A.D. Coleman says, ““more and more photographers took to the streets with concerns that were not those of the reporter but rather those of the novelist and poet—a search for resonant contrasts, rich metaphors, and found dramatic scenarios.” Susan Brannon says, “I view street photography as get up and go, snap and shoot, with a light weight camera taking images of things that intrigues the photographer of happenings in the street or in public places. It is an image of something that was not planned, and generates some type of emotion.”

Documentary Photography – Walker Evans, “where true "documentary photography" would be photographs that served a function.” Wikipedia says, “usually refers to a popular form of photography used to chronicle significant and historical events. It is typically covered in professional photojournalism, but it may also be an amateur, artistic, or academic pursuit. The photographer attempts to produce truthful, objective, and usually candid photography of a particular subject, most often pictures of people.” Susan Brannon’s says, “It is telling stories that are not necessarily newsworthy, it is the documentation of an event or occurrence.”

Street Photography

There are no rules, expectations, limitations or steps of order with street photography. These images do not need text to accompany them. The images are normally of people interacting, or alone in some particular environment. The images speak for themselves, however one may not know where or when. The images create some type of emotion and are normally reflect something that occurs at that moment that was not planned.

The images below are from walking around Florence, Italy.

Documentary photography is when the photographer wants to “document” something some event, or” how to do something”. The images in documentary photography need to be accompanied with text of explanations. It takes some planning, maybe making appointments, setting up your camera with lights and interviewing the person. Such as “How to make tiles” , “Women over 40 in NY City” or on the fly as, documenting your injured car after an automobile accident for proof of insurance. Some good samples of documentary photography are from Mary Ellen Mark.

I decided to run outside and take some images of Fashion on Salah ed-Din Street in E. Jerusalem as an example of documentary photography.

The Holga Camera

2011-05-22T14:29:00.005+02:00

Susan Brannon
20 May 2011

The Holga camera is an inexpensive medium format “toy camera” made in China. The camera is known for generating pictures of blur, leaking light, distortions and vignetting (clear in the center and fades in the edges). Some photographers have won awards using the Holga camera in news and art photography.

The camera first appeared outside of China in 1982. Once the Holga hit the foreign market, photographers started using the Holga for its surrealistic, impressionistic scenes for landscape, still life, portrait, and especially, street photography. David Burnett won a prize for the image of former vice-president Al Gore during his campaign using the Holga camera.

There are several types of Holga camera’s; light weight, fixed shutter speed, plastic lens, glass lens, built-in-flash, color flash, twin-lens reflex, 6x4.5 or 6x6 format, pinhole versions, 26mm versions, switchable from standard to panorama format, in 110’s, 120’s, and 24x36. There is an aperture setting switch from sunny and cloudy, with a normal value of f-11 and f-8/

My advise is to use ISO200 speed films and shoot in the sunlight for best results. With the Holga you can shoot 16 exposures with a 6x4.5 format or 16 exposures with the 6x6 format, that you can choose the option on the backside of the camera.

However, when choosing the option by viewing the “window” do NOT look next to the red window but instead pointed to the arrow on the switch.

Using the Holga is pure fun, and you can adopt the camera to suit your needs, by learning to change its parts. The plastic lens breaks up the sterility of the digital lens and creates colourful and blissfully innocent images.

Here is a great link to learn to “hack” your Holga, troubleshooting, and techniques for the Holga at Life through the Plastic Lens. http://www.squarefrog.co.uk/

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning
High Noon Photography Tips
Tips for Night Photography

Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing

Tips on How to Use our Disposable Cameras

holga commercial

2011-05-22T13:57:00.001+02:00

This is not an official commercial for Holga

Henri Cartier-Bresson

2011-05-22T13:41:00.002+02:00

Henri Cartièr-Bresson

2011-05-22T13:28:00.002+02:00

Susan Brannon

"To take a photograph is to align the head, the eye and the heart. It's a way of life."

Henri Cartièr-Bresson was considered the father of modern photojournalism. He used the 35mm format, and mastered candid photography. He helped develop street photography or

“real life reportage”. His style of photography influenced photographers from then on.

He was born in France on August 22, 1908 and died on August 3, 2004 at 95.

He started out as a painter, then later experimented with photography His work was influenced by the Surrealist movement in the 1920s and he started hanging out with the surrealists in France and felt to crush tradition and photograph things as they really are.

After a trip to Africa and studying literature in the UK, he returned to France in the early 1930s.

He is quoted as saying “The only thing which completely was an amazement to me and brought me to photography was the work of Munkacsi. When I saw the photograph of Munkacsi of the black kids running in a wave, I couldnt believe such a thing could be caught with the camera. I said damn it, I took my camera and went out into the street”

It was then that he stopped painting and took up photography seriously. He purchased the Leica camera with a 50mm lens that was his camera for many years. This is what made the Leica so famous for street photographers!

For a great link to Cartier's images click on Magnum Photos
Related lessons:

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning
High Noon Photography Tips

Street Photography Tips

2011-05-17T18:47:00.007+02:00

Street Photography!

· With a 35 or 50mm lens, you will have to get close to your subject in order to make them the primary object in the frame.

· Gain trust by talking with the people you want to photograph to get them relaxed.

· You will tend to get nice photographs when you are part of the scene and reacting to the emotions around you.

· Try to choose places where the camera is “normal” such as a park, the zoo, a tourist attraction and sporting events. You will blend in with the crowd.

· Avoid touristy shots! Get behind the scenes and real life situations.

· Expect the unexpected, keep your eyes open and be ready for that shot!

· Best to go auto focus

· Adjust your shutter speed according to the light changes as you walk around.

· Always remember to have your hand on the camera and ready to click away, if you have to spend all your time adjusting the focus, the frame, the shutter speed…your shot and subject will be gone.

· If you have a digital, show your subjects the images you took of them they will love it and probably let you take more!

· Blend in with the crowd, don’t wear a mini skirt or high heels, or professional photo gear draped all around you that gains attention.

· Keep yourself light for fast movement.

Angles and Framing:

· Don’t be afraid to go diagonal.

· Find ways to go high and low.

· Stand on a wall, or lay down in the park.

· Experiment with angles before shooting.

· Exaggerate the moment, make the background blurry and the subject crisp!

· Look for the composition. A person standing near a sign that points to her, etc…

Your mindset:

· Don’t worry too much, relax and enjoy the moment, the environment and the people!

· Observe the moment and the people around you.

· Don’t feel shy or timid, it will show in your images and the people around you will feel it.

· Be creative, have a since of humor, view the fun part of life and humanity it will come out in your images.

People:

Photograph different ages, genders, situations that are representative of that culture.
Don’t just take images of one person, but two or three interacting.
Get close and fill in your frame of the persons face, then show them the photo!
Pay attention to the background, don’t put a pole coming out of the persons head!

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning
High Noon Photography Tips
Tips for Night Photography

Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing

Street Photography and Cameras

2011-05-17T15:20:00.004+02:00

Susan Brannon

Normally, in street photography, the photographer wants a natural look of the environment. You don’t want to pull out your 24-70 mm lens when trying to create the natural environment because it grabs too much attention! I like using small, non evasive point and shoots with either a wide- angle or 35mm lens. For my Crossing Borders Project, I distribute disposable cameras with a 35mm lens and surprising enough they take wonderful images.

Outside of the project, the ultimate dream camera is the Leica M9, the new digital camera or the older manual . This camera gives the totally manual feel. It has the components a street photographer would want: it is non invasive quick, silent in terms of the shutter sound, can control your exposure through aperture and shutter speed and built like a tank! However, with this rangefinder, the lens window does not reflect how your image will show up. Inside there are lines showing the borders of how much of the frame your camera will actually capture. The new digital is a replica of the classic 35mm. However, the camera is very expensive to buy but do not fret! There are many other options to choose from.

There are the disposable cameras, automatic, in color or black and white that are small. However, with these camera’s you need to look at the lens window, and give some room for the “real” lens view. The windows are normally a bit higher than the lens, so the photos do not turn out like the view that you see. You will need to compensate for that difference. Sometimes these cameras work best in the natural light when the subject is in the sun. The flash distance is not very far and normally unless you are right next to your subject, the flash will not cover the subject when photographing inside or in the shadow.

Holga’s can be quite fun for taking images in the streets. I have the Holga that has a medium format. It is small, but because it is film and automatic I found that it is best to take images in the sunshine! However, each Holga is different and the fun of it is that you never quite know what you are going to get. I have three Holga’s when I go out and about.

What camera to use, really depends on the photographer, their mood, and the type of essence they want to capture through the lens. The camera arena is wide open for a street photographer. It is quite possible, to set up a SRL with a telefoto lens onto a tri pod and stay in a public place to snap shots. After awhile the crowd will get used to you and life will continue as normal.

What is the difference between Street Photography and Documentary?
Four Easy Steps to Learn panning
High Noon Photography Tips
Tips for Night Photography

Aperture and f/16 Rule
Shutter Speed Basics

Bracketing