Oct 27 Fall Family Session

Well another successful session under my belt.  What a fantastic family to work with which makes my job of making them look good so much easier.  I am definitely loving the amount of work I am getting as it keeps me keen on my photography skills and gives me a much needed break from the reality of the ER.  I just hope I don't run out of people to photograph.  I have found a great little model out of this session definitely a keeper as she is a natural in front of the camera and extremely photogenic.  You will be seeing her more as I will be doing some promotional sessions with her for the business.  I have a few more sessions set up for the end of Oct and into Nov. a wedding to attend in Dec. and hopefully a wedding to photograph in Jan.  Even my husband is surprised at how well I have been doing even in tough economical times.  But, I stay humble and just look at this as a gift and know that I may be doing well now I may slow down.  Still I hope that I don't as I am having the most fun sharing what I see with my clients.  Today's photo is of the family session from Oct 18 definitely a fun session.

Today's Photo Tip: Ok so we have now talked about ISO, F-stops, and shutter speed but those are not the only keys to great photos there is also composition.  That is today's lesson but remember knowing the basics is half the battle knowing when to bend or break the rules is the other.  That I cannot teach it is something that you must learn by experimenting and playing around.

Photography: The Rules of Composition

           Composition is the combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole.  In photography that thought is very important in taking good pictures.  The following guidelines are just to be thought about though, it is not necessary to try to use them with every picture you take or there wouldn't be any creativity in your work.  Once you learn these rules and strategies you will be more prepared to find great picture spots and opportunities.

           Before you just step up and take a picture you should consider what you want your viewers to look at and how you should display main points of interest.  You should ask yourself, what is the main subject?  What angle should the light be hitting in my picture?  Is there anything that could accentuate the main subject?  Where should the main subject be in the frame?  These are all important things you should consider, but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to follow the rules exactly.

           The Rule of Thirds has been used for centuries and is probably the most important of all the composition techniques.  The Rule of Thirds means that the frame can be divided into three horizontal sections and three vertical sections and therefore, where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect makes an ideal location for the more important parts of your picture.  By locating your main subject at one of the four intersections you give the subject more emphasis than if it was right smack in the middle of the picture.  This is also a good technique if you have more than one important subject, the intersections can still work even if there's a subject on more than one.  The divisions can also be helpful in setting up a picture, they can for example, help you determine how much horizon you want.  Most famous photographs or paintings in the world today have the rule of thirds applied to them in some way.

           Simplicity is the method of keeping the information in a photograph relatively simple.  If your main subject is close, then your background should be very simple to avoid distractions.  You should try to keep everything not important much less interesting than what's important in the frame.  Especially avoid lines or objects that lead the eye away from the subject.

           Framing is the tactic of using natural surroundings to add more meaning to your subject.  It could be anything such as bushes, trees, a window, or even a doorway like in the picture at the top of this page.  In the process of doing this you need to be careful that you don't only focus on what's framing your subject.  Make sure you focus on the main subject, and also it is a good idea to use a narrow aperture (high f/stop) to achieve a high depth-of-field.  It also wouldn't hurt if the part of the picture framing the subject was darker so make sure you take your light reading on the main subject.

           Texture can add a significant amount of interest in any picture.  When people see texture in pictures they start imagining what it feels like to touch what's in the picture.  Texture is a good idea when your taking pictures of rocks, walls, surfaces, someone's hands, or leaves.  In order to make a picture reveal a texture you must make sure the light is coming almost exactly from the side of the surface so it creates shadows in places key places.

           Leading Lines are used to lure the eye deeper into a picture or to an important subject.  Straight, curved, parallel, or diagonal lines are all good at promoting interest.  Good examples could be roads, rivers, streams, bridges, branches, or fences but there are endless things that could be used.

           Colors are what add heart and emotion to your pictures.  Certain color configurations can inspire awe and amazement in onlookers.  Colors can be used to add all sorts of accents and effects, but you must be careful to not draw attention away from the main subject.

It might not be a bad idea to keep these key terms with you when you practice taking pictures.  The best way to learn and improve your composition is just lots of practice and experimenting.

Oct 12 Another successful session.

I am totally happy with the direction my business is going with every successful session comes another session. I am having the time of my life getting to be creative and help spread joy to those I photograph. So yesterdays session was originally planned for outdoors then the Kansas weather stepped in and forced us indoors. So I didn't get to be as creative as I would have liked but am happy with the results and so is my client which in the end is all that matters. So 2 beautiful girls and a beautiful mom later I had a collection of photos with edits that I am happy to post as mine. For the common public you will only get to see one photo from the session as the album on my website is password protected to you will get the sneak peak version. My session for tomorrow has been rescheduled again Ks weather has stepped in only this time the client wants to stay outdoors so has been moved to the weekend when the weather is to be most favorable. I am excited with anticipation as outdoors is where I feel I really shine and I can get the most candid of shots. So am very eager for the weekend to come. Today's photo is your sneak peak to yesterdays session.

Today's Photo Tip: Bringing it all together. This tip goes with the two previous about ISO and aperture.

Quick Guide to Understanding Shutter Speed

Written by Ron Risman

In a film camera, light travels through the lens opening (aperture) and past a shutter that opens and closes to allow light through to the film. While a digital camera doesn't have a mechanical shutter, it does use electronics to simulate this same process.

As light travels through the lens opening (aperture), the shutter opens and closes in a timed fashion to determine how long the image sensor ("film") gets exposed to a scene. A faster shutter speed, similar to blinking your eye more quickly, helps to reduce the amount of motion the cameras image sensor will capture. If the shutter stays open longer, it will allow more potential motion in the captured frame. Any movement during the "capture" process of a scene will end up as a blur. If it's camera movement then the entire photo will be blurred. If only the subject moves then only the subject will be blurred.

In order to capture blur-free "action" photographs (Sports is one example), you'll need to make sure the camera is using a high shutter speed. Typically a shutter speed setting of 1/125th of a second (shutter speeds are measured in fractions) is considered a "high" shutter speed, although the setting will depend on the speed of the action that you want to "freeze". Example: To capture a golf swing you might need to use a 1/500th speed shutter, while trying to capture kids playing basketball might only require a 1/125 or 1/250 shutter speed.

Important: Less light gets through to the imager (or film) as the shutter speed is increased, thus it's very difficult to use higher shutter speeds in lower light situations. There are ways to improve the speed of the shutter in these situations. One is to allow more light to pass through the lens (aperture setting), the other is to increase the ISO sensitivity of the imager.

Oct 10 Brrrrrrr it's cold out there baby.

Man talk about freezing. 29 with wind chill and my crazy butt is out there doing a session. What were we thinking. Although it was chilly you can not tell by the photos that turned out great. I am posting my favorite one for my photo of the day. I love bridges and am glad there are some close. May try to shoot again if not too chilly because I would really like to get a few more of this senior. I have another shoot tomorrow thank heavens it is indoors.
No tip today will be posting again in the next few days so will post my tip with that one.

October 8 Business is Thriving

Another end to a beautiful week. With my new version of Photoshop to play with I can offer so many new photo enhancements it is insane. Definitely lovin CS4 and getting new plug ins everyday to expand my creative edge. Have 3 sessions coming up I am very much looking forward to one Sat., one Sun., and one Tues evening. The only downside to them is the weather is getting colder and will prove to be chillier sessions than I am used to. But, so is the life of a photographer you take the good weather with the not so good weather when shooting outside. I just am hoping for no more rain as that just ruins any chance of shooting cold I can handle rain is a big fat no way. So todays photo is of me playing with my new lens and the mirror. Such fun to do odd ball things and then experiment with the outcome. I did a glamour enhancement to the photo so you can't see too many smile and frown lines.

Today's photo tip: Going along with last times tip here is a bit on aperture or f-stop.

Quick Guide to Understanding Aperture

Aperture Information

In the dictionary the term Aperture has this definition: "a usually adjustable opening in an optical instrument, such as a camera or telescope, that limits the amount of light passing through a lens...."

All lenses have an opening (Aperture) that allow light to pass through to the camera's image sensor (digital) or film. A larger aperture, (measured in fractions: i.e. f/3.5) allows more light to pass through while a smaller aperture (F/22) allows less light to pass through. The size of the aperture, or its range is determined by the lens itself. If you look around the front of the lens on your camera you might see "f-stop" numbers listed. An example may be: F3.8 - 5.4. These number tell you how large the opening of the lens can get at wide angle (F3.8) and at the telephoto setting (F5.4). In this example "zooming in" will allow less light to pass through compared to shooting the same scene at wide angle.

The smaller the F-stop (fraction) the larger the aperture (opening) of the lens can be. An F-stop of F2.0 lets in more light than a setting of F2.8, etc.. A lens with a maximum F-Stop of F2.8, F2.0, or F1.8 are considered fast. Most consumer priced cameras usually offer a maximum opening size of F3.5 or F3.8 which are fine for normal everyday shooting but not great when trying to reduce motion blur in lower light situations (school plays, indoor sports).

A larger lens opening (brighter lens) offers the following advantages:

• You'll be able to shoot more often with just natural lighting. This helps to reduce harsh shadows and red-eye caused by flash. A flash will still be needed when the scene is too dark, even for the bright lens.
  
  
• By allowing more light to pass through, the camera will be able to choose a slightly higher shutter speed which helps to reduce motion blur when shooting in less than ideal lighting conditions.
  
  
• A larger aperture (F/5.6 in photo example) helps to reduce "depth-of-field" (the amount of area from front to back that stays in focus) which makes for beautiful portraits (sharp subject, blurred background).

Sept 30 Went for a walk today.

So instead of going to an optional Disaster Drill for work I caught up on all the things today that I wanted and needed to do yesterday. Both boys were home sick from school so had to stay homebound on the day I had planned on getting all my stuff done on. So yesterdays walk turned into today's walk. Very lovely as I am a huge lover of fall and all the beauty that comes with it. Kansas turns so many different colors in the falls. Oranges and reds, yellows and browns the colors will take your breath away if you let them. So today's blog will be special as I will share my favorite 3 photos taken today instead of just one. So as the weather and colors change so does my business I am getting busier and hope the momentum carries me into the holiday seasons. I am loving every minute of it. I feel I have finally reached my true potential and what I was meant to do with my life. Yeah it is slow going and a labor of love but I don't believe I would have it any other way as I really appreciate it because I have put so much into it all. I want to take a moment and just say a word of thanks to all those who have stood by me and believed in me these last 2 years. Thank You to all of you and you know who you are. I could not have done it without you especially my family who even when I thought my photos were bad they stood beside me saying if you don't like them change them. Ok enough of the mushy stuff as it is not typically my style back to today. All the photos taken today were with my newest lens canon 55-250 IS I can definitely see the image stabilization making a difference in the variety of shooting situations and assignments that I can say yes to. I am even daring to start doing more weddings and even some advertising for them. What a difference a lens can make.
So today's photos were all taken in ElDorado Ks smack dab in the middle of the afternoon.

Today's photo tip: I am sharing a more technical side of photography today for those who follow that are a bit more advanced. When I started out I always let the camera make all the decisions for me and found it really put restraints on exactly what I could and could not do with my camera. The more you know the more you can experiment and find what really works in all situations for you. Next tip will be aperture or f-stops when coupled with shutter speed and ISO these can be handy to have a grasp of even if you are simply a shoot the kids at the park kinda person the more you understand the more you will love photography. This is how I learned and now I will be sharing it with you.

Quick Guide to Understanding ISO "Speed"

Written by Elizabeth Giargiari, Cameratown.com

A camera has to make a lot of decisions when you press the shutter button. It needs to determine the brightness of the scene and the distance of subjects in order to set the camera's ISO, aperture, shutter and focus. This all happens within milliseconds. It is these settings that I'll explain in order to give you a better understanding of how they affect your final captured image. ISO Sensitivity:
A camera's ISO function sets the light sensitivity of the camera's image sensor (this is similar to the speed rating of FILM). ISO settings are often rated at 100, 200, or 400 but go as high as 800, 1600, and even 3200 on some advanced models. A lower ISO setting is used when capturing overly bright scenes, since it reduces the light sensitivy of the image sensor. This is ideal when shooting at the beach, on a ski slope, or under the midday sun. A higher ISO settings is often used when shooting under dimmer conditions (cloudy days, indoors, etc.) since it increases the light sensitivity of the image sensor. As brightness in a scene is decreased the camera tries to compensate by slowing the shutter speed which in turn lets in more light but increases the risk of motion blur. To prevent this, you can increase the ISO or sensitivity of the camera, which allows the camera to select a higher shutter speed, thus reducing motion blur. Why not just use a higher ISO all the time?

While using a higher ISO setting is often needed to capture images with reduced blur in lower light, it also increases the noise level of the image (In film this is often referred to as "grain"). A lower ISO setting is preferred whenever possible since it helps to reduce this noise or grain.
ISO settings can also be used to help control the shutter speed of a camera while in automatic mode. In order to "freeze" motion in a scene, a camera needs to be able to use a higher shutter speed. By selecting a higher ISO you are allowing the camera to gather more light, this automatically forces the camera to select a higher (faster) shutter speed, which helps to reduce motion blur.

With film, the ISO rating is considered a "speed" rating. ISO 100 would be considered a slow film, while ISO 400 would be considered a faster film. Digital cameras obviously don't use film thus the ISO number corresponds to the image sensor's light sensitivity.

ISO 100:	Great for bright sunny days, at the beach or on the snow. Produces clean images that are great for enlargements.
ISO 200:	Great for overcast daylight pictures (noise levels may increase, but in most cases not noticeably)
ISO 400:	Great for lower lighting conditions (indoors, night time) or when you need to capture faster moving subjects in lower lighting conditions. In many consumer cameras, ISO 400 can make photos look very noisy in dark areas of the picture. The reason a higher speed ISO helps you capture fast moving subjects is because a higher ISO makes the image sensor of the camera more light sensitive. This forces the camera to use a higher shutter speed to compensate for the extra brightness, which in turn helps to "freeze" movement in the captured frame.

In the above example I set my camera to a fixed shutter speed of 1/200th of a second and the aperture value to f/5.0. I then changed the ISO setting for each photograph to demonstrate how a faster ISO setting can make the camera more light sensitive.

This example demonstrates increased noise (and depth-of-field) in a photograph as you increase the ISO. This example was shot using a Canon EOS-10D which is known to have very little noise at higher ISO's when compared to consumer level digital cameras. As you can see, the photograph on the far right has increased noise (grain) but is also a bit more in focus. I focused and zoomed the camera in on a tree (bottom left corner) which was about 80 feet in front of the garage (window). The higher ISO setting allows the image sensor of the camera to be more light sensitive. It also allows the camera to set a smaller aperture which helps it to achieve a greater depth of field. This is why the Window is a bit more in focus in the photo on the right.