Learn tips and techniques part 1

So you've just bought a wonderful super specified SLR and want to do more than just take "happy snaps"?

Maybe you want to explore what your new camera is capable of?

What do all those settings on the command dial mean? What do they do exactly?

If you register for one of my classes, I will show you in simple terms exactly how to get the most out of your new (or even old) equipment.

 Learn simple but effective ways to alter flash images

What else can you do? The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Even the simplest of cameras can produce jaw dropping images. As long as you have some  control over your camera settings, whether its a compact or a high end DSLR, the end results can be rewarding.

Learn how to control speed & movemenrt

 As well as group sessions, I also offer one to one coaching for people who lack the time to attend regular classes. Give me a call today and find out how to take your photography to a new level.

Contact me today for more information.

Thanks for reading.

Lens focal lengths from 16mm fish eye up to 420mm telephoto

On a fine Summer's day last year in my village, I decided to see what the range of every lens in my collection was. I took a picture with each one and combined them into this 50 second clip. . .

At the start, I used my EOS 5D MKII and the Russian Zenitar 16mm fish eye. After the 300 mm  I switched to my EOS 7D to make use of the crop factor which gave me an effective 420 mm focal length.

Since doing this test, I have sold my old 300mm and my 70 - 200 zoom. They've been replaced by the Canon EF 100 - 400L  zoom so I may have to repeat it again!

Thanks for reading.

Photography courses for 2015

The planning is now complete. As some of you may be aware, I give regular photography related courses for the Klubschule Migros here in Switzerland. Courses include beginners photography, portrait workshops, street photography and even designing a photo book.

What I also do is run my own classes either in groups or on a one to one basis. 

Sometimes I get a specific request for perhaps someone who has just purchased their first DSLR and wants to get up to speed on how it works and what settings to use. Every course is tailored to the pupil after finding out exactly what he or she wants to know.

My students learn simple (but often misunderstood) techniques such as how to darken the background in flash photography.

 One simple technique to darken the background

Of course it works the other way too. You can make a background progressively lighter.

 My students learn simple techniques such as this

Another area we cover is accessories. What for example do you really need apart from a camera, lens and flash? This is a popular part of the course and helps the student decide exactly what they should take with them and what to leave behind (or not even purchase in the first place). 

Filters are also discussed. What (if any) are recommended? I give my opinion and we discuss.

 The before and after effect when using a polarising filter

Of course, no self respecting session would be complete without us actually going out and taking pictures. This is a large part of the course and I am always on hand to give encouragement and feedback. Afterwards we'll discuss everything over tea or coffee.

The final part of my course usually deals with software and in particular why I recommend shooting in RAW format.

 Learn how to rescue underexposed images using RAW

 . . .or even change an annoying colour cast

The courses can last from a couple of hours, for those of you who wish to maybe brush up on a particular technique, to the three week beginners course for the total beginner. 

Whatever your level of expertise, there will be something of interest for you.

You can find out more here. At the moment the site is in German but I am available for any questions you may have.

Thanks for reading.

Shooting a wedding

Many years ago when I lived in the UK, I did freelance wedding photography every weekend for a national company. I shot everything on medium format film (which was supplied in almost unlimited quantities) and simply covered the proceedings. At the end of the shoot, I'd mail all the film back to the company in a pre-paid envelope and receive a cheque a few weeks later.

This type of photography was a great tool in building up my confidence in dealing with people. Simply turn up at the bride's house on the morning of the wedding, introduce yourself and start shooting!

If there were any faulty images, the company would send me a contact sheet and provide suggestions such as "flash too weak here" or maybe "don't pose anyone in front of the ride in a group shot". 

I was supplied initially with a "shot list" from the company in the form of a contact sheet and carried this with me to all my early weddings, referring to it surreptitiously when no-one was watching.

After a while I discarded the list and made my own. This is a list that I try and get at every wedding that I shoot. It's by no means exhaustive and these not the only images that you should capture.

The best piece of advice I can give is to make contact with the best man and use him to gather the people necessary for your pictures. Tell him to stick with you. 

Naturally these aren't the only pictures you should take. You should always be on the lookout for candid pictures which help to tell the story of the big day.

I try and make the process of getting the group shots as fluid as possible so that people are simply added or removed from subsequent groups.

 Shot number 22 from my list.

EOS 5d MKII, 17mm lens, 200 ISO, flash 1/200 @6.3

Here are my "must have" pics.


Before the ceremony:

1. Bride at home getting ready, last pics with mum and dad.
2. Pic of bride and dad at the doorway. Possible taken from inside the house with them looking over their shoulder at you and one from outside.
3. Guests mingling and waiting outside the church.
4. Groom with best man waiting. (Maybe looking at his watch impatiently  :o))
5. Bride getting out of car. Dad helping her.

During the ceremony: This is dependent upon the location and the permission but normally includes:

1. The bride walking up the aisle from behind with the groom in the background.
2. Each person placing a ring on their partner’s finger.
3. The priest blessing the couple.
4. Signing the register.
5. Maybe a pic with the couple and the priest in the church.
6. A pic of the couple inside the car. Sit on the front seat and ask them to squash together.

After the ceremony:

1. Confetti as they come out of the church (let them get congratulated by guests etc., then proceed with these shots).
2. Bride and Groom together (bride on your right).
3. Bride and Groom together with her parents (boy, girl, boy girl).
4. Bride and Groom together with his parents (boy, girl, boy girl).
5. Bride and Groom together with both parents (his on his side and hers on her side).
6. Bride and Groom together with her parents plus brothers and sisters and spouses / partners.
7. Bride and Groom together with his parents plus brothers and sisters and spouses / partners.
8. Bride and Groom together with best man and maid of honour.
9. Bride and Groom together with his grandparents.
10. Bride and Groom together with her grandparents.
11. Bride and Groom together with both sets of grandparents.
12. Bride and Groom together with any special guest(s) (maybe someone from overseas).
13. Groom with best man.
14. Bride with maid of honour.
15. Bride and Groom together with bridesmaids.
16. Best man alone (full length plus three quarter).
17. Maid of honour alone (full length plus three quarter).
18. Best man and maid of honour together.
19. Separate pics of the bridesmaids.
20. Group photo of all bridesmaids together.
21. Group photo of all bridesmaids together plus best man.
22. Maybe one last photo of all guests together with the couple standing about six feet in front of them. (You have to get elevated for this one. I use a small stepladder).

You can also download this list in PDF form on my website here.

Thanks for reading.

Batteries and boxes

We photographers do tend to carry a lot of batteries around with us don't we?

For my flashes, which can't use an external pack, I normally have twelve AA size ones in my bag. Four will be in the flash itself and the other eight act as spares.

Sometimes, when things are moving fast and you need to grab another four penlights, what do you do? In the old days, I used to wrap an elastic band around them to keep them together . This wasn't the ideal solution because after a few months, the rubber would perish and the batteries would spill all over the floor.

Then I had the idea of keeping them in a slide box that originally held 36 mounted transparencies.

This method lasted me until I started using digital cameras and I also had to find space for the memory cards as well. I wanted to have something to store the penlights and the memory cards together.

I have now found the ideal solution. The German company Ansmann make a fantastic battery box that is light weight, slim and holds either AA, AAA's or memory cards or any combination thereof.

I bought three from my local branch of Pearl for Fr 4.95 each. 

 

Three boxes slotted together

Once the labels are peeled (very easily) away, you will see marking to indicate if the batteries are full.

All in all, a wonderful little accessory that doesn't cost much and will last a very long time. It's one of those things that will stay in your camera bag for years to come. Thoroughly recommended.

Thanks for reading.

Silk purses from sow's ears

Sometimes you expect something quite different from what you get when working as a photographer.

Sometimes the client will only allow me (because of security reasons perhaps), a limited time on the premises or maybe I'll only be allowed to photograph an office complex from the inside before it gets finished and the workers move in.

This was the case last April went I drove for one and a half hours to photograph a new office complex. We had been trying for a long time to get permission and finally it had arrived. I was to photograph the new work areas and was told that everything was "more or less ready" and that there was only a few hours to complete the job.

The building looked magnificent from the outside but unfortunately I couldn't photograph it because it was raining very heavily.

No sign of the rain stopping

I met with the architect and went to the building with him. The lifts didn't work so I should have realised that maybe all was not going to be well. I asked him which offices were finished and had our lighting systems installed. He hesitated.

"Well which ones are nearly finished" I asked.

"Maybe on the third floor" He replied.

We tried that particular floor and it was like a building site. There were holes, rubble, boxes and tape everywhere.

The architect made a quick telephone call to the construction foreman and asked where we might find a finished office space.

The sixth floor......................... perhaps.

So up to the sixth floor it was. Me, The architect, a Hasselblad camera case, my rucksack with EOS gear and two tripods. Thank goodness I don't use extra lighting.

I looked around on the sixth floor but and was at first disillusioned with what I saw. Holes everywhere , floor tiles missing and generally lots of rubbish consistent with this being a building site.

Leaving my gear (and the architect) behind, I set off alone to find somewhere that may be usable. I certainly wasn't going to admit defeat and go back to the office empty handed. Finally. One floor above I found a place where the mess wasn't too bad. I took a couple of reference pictures with my mobile phone.

At least the lights were working

For the next hour or so, we tidied up. I put floor panels back, wiped dust off wooden surfaces, swept the carpet and generally did as much as I could so that there wouldn't be too much to do afterwards in Photoshop.

Before and after the clean up (and Photoshop)

All the before images taken with a Samsung Galaxy

A similar problem occurred earlier this month when I was taking pictures in the french part of Switzerland. The company I work for had delivered lots of lights to the Beaulieu Halls in Lausanne. Again this was a work in progress but as I generally only go to that part of the World about once a year, I don't like to go back empty handed so I look at all possibilities.

Our guide (one of the workmen) told me that there were lots of lights installed in the children's area downstairs.

"it's a massive hall with lots of inflatable castles for the children to play on" he said.

"How many is "lots?" I asked"

"About twenty-five or so" he replied.

"And the lights are all working?" I countered.

"Yes" he replied. "Everything is working"

Sounded great. A massive hall, lighting that worked and time to work with because it was our last job of the day.

Except.

Except that NONE of the bouncy castles were inflated.

Going to be one of those jobs

After an initial disappointment I decided to work with what I had. The deflated castles, would, I decided add a splash of colour to the images.

Here I tried to fill some of the frame

with colour

More colour and a centre of interest

for the picture

So despite my initial misgivings, all it normally takes is a quick pause for thought plus (sometimes) some cleaning up and there you have it. A usable image.

Thanks for reading.

Tom

Make use of what's available

Last week I was making close-up images of various lighting products. It was a baking hot day and I carried all my gear over to the building where the lights are located. After getting everything ready I discovered that I'd left my Benbo tripod back in my studio.

I couldn't be bothered to go all the way back to fetch it so I scouted around and found a stepladder which did the job (together with a couple of books) perfectly.

 The setup

The image will now be used over a double page spread in a brochure.

The result

Thanks for reading.