Taking Sensational Colour Photography In Low Light Outdoors

Photograph by Timo Balk, a very talented Melbournian.

In New England there is a very distinct time known as the “leaf peeping” season. This is when the foliage is at its peak and the landscape is full of reds, gold, and many brilliant oranges. This is also a time when dramatic skies can make the colors even more intense or remarkable, but this period tends to last only a matter or two or three weeks. By November most of the region is devoid of leaves, and full of the dull grays and browns that will not be replaced with green for almost six months.

What can a photographer do during the gloomiest parts of this season? How can you head outdoors and photograph blunted stalks of corn against the haunted and leafless woods? Actually, many photographers can find moments of intense “sweet light” during such a season, and make images that are both dramatic and quite inspiring.

What is sweet light? It is usually the hours of dusk and dawn when the lack of brilliant sun makes colors bolder and the overall setting much more photogenic. The midday sun tends to wash out color and cast harsh shadows which tend to be an unpleasant photographic environment. The duller weather months, however, are often overcast and mimic the conditions found in the hours of sweet light. This means that a photographer should be looking for spots of color in their duller surroundings because the conditions for capturing them are at optimal levels.

For example, although the frosts may have killed back all of the remaining green foliage, there will still be fields full of pumpkins and winter squashes. Their brilliant orange and mustard yellow colors will really “pop” in the overcast weather. This is also a time to photograph the gorgeous red barns of the region too.

Another subject that can really shine in between the end of autumn and the beginning of winter are the seasonal birds that seem to burst out of the trees and shrubs. For instance, a male cardinal against a backdrop of dark branches and leafless trees is a truly stirring sight.

There are some considerations to be made before heading out into a duller weather setting, however, and they usually include the intentions of the photographer, the environment, and the actual weather at the moment. The planning on the part of the photographer is crucial to success. It is not good to leave the situation entirely up to chance, and knowing where to go on the day in question is the only way to take a successful image. Scouting out those pumpkin patches or knowing where the frost is going to lie heavily on the long grass is vitally important to creating the best dull weather photographs.

Looking Closer At Your Digital Photography

You know, light is pretty important in photography. In fact it’s really the most important thing. Yes, you’ve heard me say this before, but how often to do we take a picture then get it home and realize it as blurry or the light is not quite right?

 Take careful note of the clarity of your linear objects. For example, take this photo that I took.

Manly Train Station Steps

Looks ok ,right? Composition is right and the exposure is good? Look closer… I took as a good example to show you that even though you might think you can get away with a tripod in low light, you actually can’t. Low light might as well be midnight to your camera.

 

If you enlarge it, you’ll quickly see that not using a tripod has its consequences. The lines are blurry and as a result, satisfaction is no where to be seen. Do take note of the clarity of your lines such as hand rails or lamp posts. Particularly metallic lines in images are a really good way to tell if your image is really sharp.

The reason I say to enlarge your images is because if you want to frame the photo into an 8×10 for example, then looking at it quite large on the computer gives you an idea of what it will look like on the wall. If you notice a few things you don’t like, then those things become more pronounced when you print and frame it.

Also, there are not many photographic places that print digital images in true black and white. Be ready so see some slightly washed out grays and decrease of tonal range in your digital black and whites. You’ll notice the mid-tone grays are the most affected.

You do have to be conscious about every move you make with black and white photography. There are more requirements to produce really top quality images and the secret lies in the post-processing. But, it’s a precision art well worth it.

Happy Shooting,

Amy Renfrey

Amazing Photographs!

 

Some photographs require astonishing skill; others require being in the exact right place at the exact right time. The ones below needed both.

Take a moment from your day to appreciate the immense beauty that surrounds us, and enjoy these astounding photos!

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/10/13/how-were-these-amazing-photographs-even-possible.aspx

Subscribers Question

Dear Amy,
I would like to thank you for the many tips you send. They are quite helpful. I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. You and many other professional photographers speak of filling up the frame or view finder by moving in on the subject. That is fine for a fixed focal length lens, but what if you are using a zoom like an 18-200mm. Should I set it to a fixed focal length and work as if it were a 90 or a 105mm lens and then move in?
(Name withheld).

Dear (name withheld)

Thank you for your email. Just clarify; I recommend filling the frame for certain subjects, not filling the viewfinder. I say this because depending on what camera you have the frame and the viewfinder are different. To fill one might not be the same as filling the other.

It not really about what lens you have, it’s about filling the frame to create an intimate perspective. If you have a zoom lens then you may not have to move in at all. The answer is that it depends on what you are shooting whether you should fix your focal length and work it like a different lens.

It really depends on what you are photographing.
For example for macro shots I find that a fixed focal length works really well. But if I am at water fall and want to get closer in to a flower on the ledge, then the zoom is ideal and I’ll use the zoom to do the work for me. (I am often in places where moving physically is a big limitation.)

Sorry I can’t give you a black and white answer on this one!

Amy Renfrey
Teaching Digital Photography Enthusiasts All Over The World How To Take
Photos With Superb Clarity And Detail

How To Use The Histogram

Negative Spaces & Positive Spaces in Digital Photography

Today I would like to introduce you to something really important. It’s a term used in art and painting but for the purposes of artistic education I’m going to borrow it to teach you something important. Have you ever heard of negative and positive space? If you haven’t you’ll love this article. It will help you three fold in your photography.

In digital photography you’re dealing with aperture, shutter speed, lighting and focus every moment. It’s a lot to manoeuvre. And one thing you are also working with quite precisely, whether you are away of it or not, is ‘space.’ Lets have a look at what this means for you to enhance and develop your skills as a photographer.

Negative space is defined as…”the space around the subject of an image.”

It means the empty space around your main subject. This kind of space seems like unimportant background space but it’s this empty space adds an important aspect to the composition.
<!–[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]–>
<!–[endif]–>Positive space is defined as the focal point of a work of art or shape of the work of art. The primary subject matter in a work of art, as opposed to the background or unoccupied spaces.

Okay so those are the technical definitions. So how do we apply this practically?

To start with, negative space is a huge element in your composition. Your negative space is the space around your focal point and having too much or too little can completely ruin a potentially good digital photograph.

So to improve your photography always look at how much space is around your focal subject. Even the slightest bit too much or too little can completely put your composition out of kilter. Particularly when your subject has a distinct point of focus such as a persons eyes or defining lines coming to a point or even an aspect of sharp colour.

Let’s examine these two photos to show you what I mean.

This picture has a lot of really interesting negative space around it. For starters the negative space is blue, which is quite different to our main focal subject. The dobs of white, which are the colours, seem to glide nicely into the main subject without distraction or hesitation. The clouds do distract our eyes from the branches momentarily but not in an inconvenient way at all. The negative space in this picture works very well to support the positive space.

Look at the picture now without the support of the right amount of negative space. Let’s edit some of this space out of the picture and see what effect we get.

 

The focal point changes due to a 3cm crop from the right. Removal of the negative space changes everything. Now, the end of the tree trunk is the main focal point. Our eyes don’t follow the branches outward as much as they did before. This change does not make the picture drastically worse, it’s actually ok. But you see how this negative space alteration changes a lot about the picture artistically?

If you have been taking photos with your digital camera and everything is right technically but you feel something is missing, then it could well be your composition. Pay close attention to what you are taking and the negative space around your main subject. Changing the slightest thing can improve or reduce the quality of your photos.

Happy shooting,

Amy Renfrey

 

Photo copyright by Manu M

 

The Secret To Enhancing Colour In Your Digital Photography

It’s quite an extraordinary thing, colour. It can enhance or diminish emotion in a digital photo. It’s really that powerful. Yet working with colour, it can assist the photographer to emphasise, dramatise or detract from a certain feeling in a digital photograph. Its funny that colour can impact our senses to such a degree. When there is the absence or presence of certain colours we can feel a certain level and depth of emotion.

So how can we add drama to photos by using colour? Well the first thing to understand about colour is what it does to our senses as I have just briefly mentioned. To understand what impact colour has on us think of a digital photo that has we must look at what colours mean. For example think of a color that has lots of yellow in it. A photo with a colour like this reflects energy, a sense of optimism, extroversion.

 

The same goes for red, which is a quite intense colour if used as the main subjects colour. Red can have an impact especially if its against a contrasting colour, which we’ll get into in a moment. These warm colours such as yellows, oranges, reds, etc have a strong photographic presence. In other words it’s kind of hard to ignore them.

 

Now let’s take a look at the other side of the scale; the cooler, more introverted colours. Colours that are emotionally quieter are blues, purples and greens. These colours tend to be a little less energetic but don’t be fooled into thinking they are any less passionate as the bold reds. These introverted colours tend to offer us a depth, visually, that we would not get from the warmer colours.

 

So that’s all very nice you say, but how can you bring this altogether to create dynamic color in a digital photo? Well first of all you can improve your colour skills by having a look at a colour chart to tell you what colours work together really well and what clashes. In my book “Digital Photography Success” I’ve explained about the magic of bringing colour together and what a dynamic impact that creating that colours, united well, can have.

Lets take for example your blues and yellows. Completely opposite but they work together beautifully. Here’s a quick snap I took at Stradbroke Island (Queensland, Australia) last year. The photo is really average, but its all I had at the time and I wanted to capture the enticing contrasts of blue and yellow on a natural background.

 

So lets look closer what colours work together well so you can improve your digital photography.

You’ll notice that all the basic colours are here. And what works really well are the opposing colours. Take for example the blue and yellow. They are not sitting close together on the wheel, they’re almost opposite. In fact, visually, they are opposite. Colours that have this opposing nature tend to work together so well that we can’t help but be captivated by the contrast.

So as a big hint from me, look for these opposing values in colour and you’ll find you have a lot of brilliance in your colours in your digital photography.

Now with portrait photography this is going to change again. Peoples “colours” vary according to skin tones. For example, someone with blonde hair, very fair skin and green eyes is a “Spring”. This means that people with this colouring look best in earthy colours, pinks, greens, browns etc. And someone who has blue eyes and dark brown hair and a medium skin tone is a “winter.” So what’s this got to do with photography? Everything! If you are taking some ones picture, try to encourage them to wear something that compliments their skin tone. Once again, colour can play a huge part in your photography.

So look at colour wheels, look at skin tones and charts and really examine colour what can work well and what doesn’t

Amy Renfrey

 

Picture of color wheel courtesy of www.flooringdirect.co.nz

 

How To Give Your Digital Photographs An Extra Creative Feel

 

I get tons of questions each day about what setting people should use, what distance calculation between the horizon and the main subject to get sharpness, what post editing tools to use, what’s the best camera to use, the best lens, what flash……etc, etc.

Well I’ll be perfectly honest with you. When I read emails asking me these questions I am pretty pleased that people are really thinking about the technical side of digital photography. Hey it’s great but….you knew there was going to be a “but” right? I simply have to add this and say this because it’s really going to help, so listen up.  

When I sold my first set of pictures I was really surprised that someone wanted to buy them. Not because I thought they were bad and I took bad shots, but because I’d used a pro-sumer camera with minimum control over the settings and I’d used the auto setting.

Not very technical huh? You bet it wasn’t. But the person buying the picture didn’t give two hoots what camera I’d used, what f stop I used and what lens I had. They just loved the picture and wanted to have it for their private pictures.

So what does this tell you?

If you construed this upside down and the wrong way, you could think that I was telling you that technical know-how and the camera you use is irrelevant. But that’s okay, because that’s not what I am saying in any way whatsoever.

What’s important is to focus on what the end result looks like! How you get there is up to you but photography is all about the end result, not the “gear” and how it makes you look.

A guy I knew once had more money than brains. He went out and bought the latest Nikon camera and took the worst shots I have ever seen. And you know why he bought it? Just because he had the money and he thought that the camera would make him look good. Sorry to say this but with his photo skills he should have stuck with his mobile phone camera.

The gear is important and so is your technical knowledge but your shots will still be bad even if you have a Canon 5D. Just because is a beautiful camera doesn’t mean its going to take good shots automatically. You’re the one who takes the photos, not the camera. Don’t get caught up in the technical too much if you are not going to be artistic. Photography is all about being artistic, the technical stuff and the “gear” comes second.

So take the time to really examine your photos carefully. Look at the ones you’ve taken and stop thinking about the technical side for a sec. When you look at your images ask yourself “what could look better?” Is the light to your liking? Too dark? Too light? Could you have improved on the composition? Did you need to be further away or closer in?

Yes I know these questions are basic, but so what. If they help you achieve a level of confidence in your digital photography then who cares how basic they are? What matter the most is the feeling you get from what you’ve just shot. What matters most is the feeling.

Happy shooting!

Amy Renfrey

 

Perfect Landscape Photography

Last week I was away on a family matter. (All okay.) On the way back I detoured through some delicious landscapes, valleys, and rolling hills. Soon I’ll post some of these pictures and talk about how I got the shots and what I specifically did to get them.

I live in Queensland, Australia now, as a change from Melbourne Victoria. Queensland is a subtropical state which doesn’t really have a winter, as opposed to Melbourne which pretty much has a winter 8 months of the year. So as you can imagine the adjustment is quite significant.

There are some fantastic photo opportunities up here and I’ve taken some of them. The “winter” light in Queensland is probably the best light all year. It softens hard lines, shapes and distinct sharpness.

So stay tuned and you’ll get to see some images. Promise.

Amy Renfrey

How To Get The Perfect Composition In Your Digital Photography

In digital photography you’ll find that the 3 main components that make up the success of your images hinge on each other. What I mean by this is that 1. Light 2. Technical knowledge 3. Composition all depend on each other closely to make up a beautiful digital photograph.

It sounds easy doesn’t it? Well it is when you have practiced. But when you are starting out learning how to get better shots with more depth and clarity you can start focusing on the technical but perhaps start forgetting about the artistic side and visa versa.

Its common problem when we first start learning digital photography. We realise that we must drill the technical stuff into our heads so we can improve, and what tends to happen is that we get caught up for a bit. We can forget that photography is artistic. And the artistic side of your digital photo needs perfect composition. So here’s a handy technique that I discovered for myself to getting that perfect structure in my composition that I now want to share with you.

A great way, no a fabulous way to get perfect composition in your digital photos is to practice with your zoom. Start by picking your subject and focusing on it.

Let’s say it’s an apple on a bench. Usually what happens is that people take the angle too far away, getting the distracting background objects in the picture. This takes away the beautiful and freshness of the subject leaving us rather cold as far as an emotional response for the photo.

There are a couple of things you can do. You can remove the annoying background clutter and take the apple as a singular subject against a look of “nothingness”. This can be quite an effective shot. Or you can zoom in a little bit at a time and see what composition works well. This is what I can zooming in increments.

Zooming in on a subject in increments can be a very effective way to practice getting your composition just perfect. You can take several pictures of your apple using different “zoom lengths” to get the right angle.

Be aware that this may impact the light in your photo. Generally how it works is that the closer you zoom in the less light you have to work with because you’re closing in on your subject and reducing the physical space that light falls on an area. This really applies if the subject has no luminance of its own.

In order to compensate for this decrease in light you can change your aperture. This means altering the F stop on your camera if possible. You may start out from 1 meter away from your apple at F 16 for example. Then, the closer you get the more light loss you experience and you might just find that changing your F stop to F8 works well when you reduce the distance between you and the apple, ie instead of taking the photo from 1 meter away, you take it from 10 cm away.

Try this out and see what I mean. Playing around with the zoom can really help you kick start your mind into feeling where the best composition is. And soon enough, you won’t even have to think about it consciously because you’ll just know what works.

Happy shooting!

Amy Renfrey