Small Camera Big Results

I was lucky enough to pick up a used Olympus XZ-1 yesterday.  I wanted to get a little camera I can keep on my belt all the time.  Since I got it used, I picked up something with higher quality than if I bought new at the same price.

One little thing I learned a while ago about point and shoots is not to disrespect them!  Especially for macro shooting.  Due to the size of the sensor and lens they can obtain magnifications and high quality output that surprises many. I read a lot about this in Bryan Peterson’s book “Understanding Close Up Photography.”  He showed how you can make great images with point and shoots, close up lenses and dedicated gear.

It is not the gear, it is the creativity and technical knowledge of the photographer that will make the keeper. So no matter who we are, we all have no excuse if we have something to capture an image in our hands. Grab a tool and make an image happen!

ehw

To fll or not to fill

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Last week I took lots of photos around the yard.  Got out the tripod, put the top shelf macro on, grabbed the 5-in-1 reflector….but left the flashes in the house. Learned a ton from the shoot.  Here is a one of the highlights of my learning:

Backlight of a flower or plant can be quite fun.  Dark parts get lighter in color, translucent areas show up with unusual details revealed while the thinnest areas have highlights getting clipped.  In addition the bokeh around the plant blurs out of existance with fewer round circles.

Using the pop up flash and reflector was hard.  I dialed the pop up all the way down, and lowered the ISO as well.  The resulting shots showed great detail around the focus point, the dark areas showed great contrast, and then the image gets dark fast as it moves away from the focus point.

It is a great example of why the use of flash is so important, but also the power of selective lighting techniques.  It shows the power one can have over their images when they match the effects they want, with the knowledge of techniques and tools required to get the shot.

Ok so that means it is back to the books memorization room for me!

ehw

Photo Evolution

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Today we went to the Train Museum.  We had a very hard day to shoot anything.  Overcast with lots of blinding haze.  To get decent shots I tried the overpower with flash technique.  It worked some of the time.  I also dreadfully over exposed two photos (well more than two).

Since I shot RAW files I was able to make it useable.  Still not satisfied I took the photo first into Nik Veveza 2.  Using the selective edit feature I darkened the horrible sky to bring focus to the people and train.  Then I took the photo into Color Efex 4 where I applied two filters, and a few negative control points.  Once done I finished by repairing a few points in the sky, and sharpened up the faces for a 10×12 screen shot.

The point of these photos shows that tools can help you improve a shot, but never replaces getting the conditions right before you close the shutter.  A little negative compensation, exposure lock, and tight flash work would make a better photo in my opinion.  That is my 20/20 hind sight talking.

But if you make a mistake like this….you can use powerful tools to help make something out of not much.

 

ehw

 

Video Test

Monster Racer Video

This is a quick test of video insertion into a blog.  Sorry, but my low budget means I have to do the test on my production blog.  As compensation I will however make it an entertaining video!  Enjoy “Monster Trucks!”

Here is a second way to view the video:

Monster Racer Video

Monster Truck

ehw

Special Ordinary

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In the midst of a family move time flies with a little extra emphasis on speed.  So the last few weeks saw precious little time to shooting,  So when I got the precious second I had to find some way of making ordinary life timeless in the lens.  These two captures used two different methods of doing that.  In the first I made a black and white.  The second was a capture of Kellie in a mirror.  It was special since it was her first time on the floor with the mirror.  What a surprise she had when a cute baby cooed back!  The mirror helped in two ways.  It helped frame up the image in the viewfinder, and it also made you part of the moment.  Just like you were there observing from nearby.

Oh well back to boxes and prep for real work.

ehw

Easter Eggs

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Easter Egg making is a serious task in my mother’s house. All sorts of variety…and assignments for all the kids big and small!

The point I want to make here is that I find I keep going back to leading lines in my work. As such my resolution is to begin utilizing other techniques of photo creation.

Until then enjoy the quick post from the road!

Monster Racers!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Two days ago I got a chance to give some of my gear a heavy workout shooting model race cars.  I know you are thinking, “Model cars would never be a challenge!”  Well if they go 0-40mph in the blink of an eye they are a challenge.  If driven by wild and crazy friends you have a challenge.  If the sun is setting you have a triple challenge.

Challenge #1 is to get the tracking techniques down.  I was able to use AF-C and either center point or auto select focus point to get an acceptable success rate.  Framing the photo was problematic, but became more successful as I got to know what the drivers were doing with their cars.  Just like sports, anticipating the desired shot was vital to success.

Challenge #2 was accepting the use of jpegs.  My preferred method of capture is with RAW (PEF format) photos.  Problem is the buffer would fill up and slow down too much if I used RAW, so I needed to do something I don’t normally enjoy doing. I did succeed in keeping my bursts down to two or three shots at a time before I recomposed.  In the past the RAW files may have kept me from shooting again while they were processed for longer periods of time than what I experienced that day.

Challenge #3 was getting a safe position and then getting my three kiddos (age 4, 8 and 10) to be safe as well.  Trucks flying off the ramp could easily go 30ft in the “wrong” or unexpected direction on the ramp.  So safety conscience Dads needed to be a shepherd as well.

Over all I had a blast.  The captures were great practice.  I processed the photos in Aperture with a mix of presets (from Aperture Expert and MacCreate) and selected photos in the Nik Collection.

Here is a movie I made with the photos!  Enjoy!

Monster Racers!