Archive for the ‘Better Pictures’ Category
Snow – Photographing Winter’s Majesty
The weekend’s precipitous frozen flurry presented a wondrous opportunity to capture the majesty of winter’s cloak. Armored in boots, cap and gloves, I marched into the white of Sunday morning’s golden light with my Nikon D-SLR and a spare battery, of course, warm and snug in the pocket of my Gortex jacket!
Strong diagonal rays and shadows ‘accentuate’ a classic winter scenic
©Franklin Viola
IPTC Data: Nikon D2Xs, Nikon 12-24 at 12mm, ISO 200, f/8 at 1/125sec (Manual mode), Tripod
Emphasizing powder coating with ‘close-focus wide-angle’ imaging
©Franklin Viola
IPTC Data: Nikon D2Xs, Nikon 12-24 at 22mm, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/250sec (Manual mode)
IPTC Data: Nikon D2Xs, Nikon 24-120 at 105mm, ISO 200, f/8 at 1/320sec (Manual mode), Tripod
Nikon 200-400 VR AF-S lens rental now available
Recently on assignment in Panama, I used my Nikon 200-400 VR AF-S lens and Nikon D300 camera to capture this image of a Female Black-Chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) drinking nectar from a Hibiscus flower.
©Franklin Viola
IPTC Data: Nikon D300, Nikon 200-400 VR AF-S f/4 at 400mm (effective 600mm on DX body), ISO 640, f/8 at 1/200sec, iTTL fill-flash with Nikon SB800 (EV-2.0), Tripod
Observing the tiny birds ‘routine flight path’ to specific flowers for over an hour, I pre-set focus in AF, then switched to Manual focus to ‘lock’ my composition. Using a Nikon wired shutter-release, Bogen carbon-fiber tripod and Wimberly gimbal-head, the 200-400mm never flinched even in my excitement as the ‘hummer’ flew into position. iTTL fill-flash from a Nikon SB800 (hand-held via SC17 cable) applied just the right ’stop-action’ to complement the gyrating wing-blur. This artificial ‘light’ also added color ‘pop’, an often under-used tool in outdoor photography!
Nikon’s 200-400mm VR f/4 AF-S lens works with all Nikon ‘full-frame’, as well as Nikon APS-size sensor (DX) D-SLRs. You too can ‘reach out’ with this lens through BCC’s rental department. Call 201.664.4113 or come by the Westwood store for more details.
Free Saturday Focus Sessions – January and February
Focus sessions are free and take place in the Westwood store from 9:30 am – 10 am and our Englewood location from 10:30 am – 11:00 am. All sessions will allow for questions and answers. Please bring your camera and any images along that you have questions about.
Hit the “Like Button” to let your friends know. Have suggestions for future focus sessions? Feel free to leave a comment.
Here’s the schedule for January and February:
January 7 – Great Portraits With Your Flash
January 14 – Great Winter Landscape Photos
January 21 – Online Photo Services – How to Use etc.
January 28 – Show Us Your Photos / Critique – All photos in print form
February 4 – Sensor Cleanings
February 11 – Indoor Sports Photography
February 18 – Getting Started with Photo Books
February 25 – Tripods and Monopods
These are free events – bring a friend along if you’d like. Share with your friends on Facebook – Click the Like button below. Hope you can join us!
Tips for fall foliage photos, and state foliage websites
Acadia National Park – Maine
Got a great image to share? Enter it in our Thanksgiving Card photo contest.
Foliage Photography:
Tips for great pictures
Filters
A polarizing filter is really the only “must have” filter to bring along for great digital fall foliage pictures. A polarizer creates dramatic fall foliage pictures by darkening the sky, increasing contrast and deepening colors and removing the sheen from the leaves. Most other filter effects such as enhancing reds and oranges, sepia and graduated effects can be easily created in Photoshop. Your standard protective UV filter should be removed before putting your polarizer on – never stack filters. Also, don’t forget to remove your polarizer when you move back inside, as it reduces light by one to two f-stops.
A second type of filter is an enhancing filter which does just what the name implies – enhances. This filter is especially effective with the bright primary colors of autumn (reds, oranges and browns). A third filter is a Color / Neutral Graduated filter which utilizes a color (or gray) that gradually diminishes from dark to light across the filter. These filters are often used to deepen the sky or to balance the exposure between foreground and background, which helps you keep the sky blue rather than washed out.
Tips
- Nothing takes away from foliage more than a bright white overcast sky. In these situations, try to reduce the amount of sky in your images.
- Dramatic storm clouds of autumn thunderstorms interspersed with blue sky make a stunning backdrop for the brilliant colors of fall, especially when the vivid colors are brought out with a polarizer filter.
- Use a tripod for the sharpest possible image. This will allow an ISO of 100 or 200. Remember to use a remote release or self timer to prevent motion when pressing the shutter.
- Colors are warmer and can be more dramatic closer to sunrise and sunset. The hour before and after sunrise and sunset are considered by many to be the “magic hours” where you get an amazing quality of light.
- Experiment, take lots of pictures and above all have fun!
- Since you are shooting more with your digital camera, be sure to edit out some images before showing off your work to family and friends
Fall foliage websites and hotlines
New Jersey
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mid to late October
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Connecticut
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Late September - mid October
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Maine
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Early September - mid October
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Massachusetts
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October
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New Hampshire
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Late September - mid October
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New York
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Late September - late October
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Pennsylvania
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Early October
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Vermont
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Early September - Late October
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Virginia
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September - Late November
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Delaware
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Late October
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Maryland
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Late September - Late October
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Rhode Island
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Late September - mid October
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Remember to visit Bergen County Camera in Englewood or Westwood, NJ for filters, tripods, lenses, cameras and prints.
Free Saturday Focus Sessions – October and November
Focus sessions are free and take place in the Westwood store from 9:30 am – 10 am and our Englewood location from 10:30 am – 11:00 am. All sessions will allow for questions and answers. Please bring your camera and any images along that you have questions about.
Here’s the schedule for October and November
October 1 – Millbrook Winery Trip Review
October 8 – Show us your Photos – Please bring no more than 2 prints for review
October 15 – Outdoor Sports Photography
October 22 – What’s in Your Camera Bag or Should Be
October 29 – Halloween Photos
November 5 – How to Shoot a Great Holiday Card Photo
November 12 – Getting Better Flash Photos
November 19 – How to Shoot Great Party Photos
November 26 – Thanksgiving Weekend – No Focus Session in Either Location
These are free events – bring a friend along if you’d like. Share with your friends on Facebook – Click the Like button below. Hope you can join us!
Free Saturday Focus Sessions for August 13 – October 1
Focus sessions are free and take place in the Westwood store from 9:30 am - 10 am and our Englewood location from 10:30 am – 11:00 am. All sessions will allow for questions and answers. Please bring your camera and any images along that you have questions about.
Here’s the schedule for August 13 – October 1, 2011
August 13 – All About Camcorders – How To Choose
August 20 – What’s in Your Camera Bag or Should Be
August 27 – Sensor Cleaning
September 3 – Labor Day – No Session
September 10 – Tripods & Monopods
September 17 – How to Photograph at a Vineyard
September 24 – New Jersey Photo Expo tomorrow – No Session
October 1 – Millbrook Winery Trip Review
These are free events - bring a friend along if you’d like. Share with your friends on Facebook – Click the Like button below.
Fireworks Photography Tips – July 2011
Where to photograph fireworks
Bergen Record guide to Independence Day Celebrations
Star Ledger guide to Independence Day Celebrations
Here are some basic starting points
If you have any questions, stop by the store, email or call. We’re here to help. Please let us know if you get some great shots we’d love to see!
Please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions. Have a great 4th of July Holiday weekend from all of us at BCC.
Find a fireworks display on NJ.com’s July 4th events page
Tripod
Electronic release (available for most cameras at BCC) or 2 second self timer to eliminate the motion caused by pressing the shutter button.
Manually set your camera ISO to 100 (You do not want Auto ISO)
Lens Choice – Wide Angle Zoom to frame what you’d like to capture
Auto White Balance or Daylight
Set your lens to manual focus then focus to infinity (take a test image and make sure things are sharp)
Set your camera to Manual exposure – Try 5 seconds at f/ 16
Carefully release the shutter if not using a release to capture from one to several bursts
Evaluate your exposure – Shorter exposures (or smaller apertures ) will darken the image and capture shorter trails, Longer exposures (or larger apertures ) will lighten the image and capture longer trails.
Evaluate sharpness by zooming in on your image – adjust as needed
If you are using a point a shoot, check your camera’s manual for fireworks mode.
Improving Fireworks photos
Shoot with a tripod – it will give a more natural cascade of light
Shooting the Finale!
The finale is many times brighter than rest of the show. Be ready to choose a shorter exposure or smaller aperture to prevent overexposure. The exposure you need is dependent on the number of simultaneous bursts. In some really incredible finales I’ve found myself shooting at 1/4 or 1/8th of a second. Experiment for best results.
Why use a tripod?
Hand-held image above shows motion from camera shake in the burst of light.
The image below is steadied by a tripod, 5 seconds, f16 at 100 ISO
Other Techniques
Set your camera to B and lock open your shutter – keep the lens covered with a dark hat and remove the hat to capture a burst then recover and repeat to capture several bursts. Just be careful not to bump your camera.
You can even zoom the lens during exposure for some interesting effects
Experiment and best of all have fun
Gallery images below shot mainly at 5 seconds, f16 at 100 ISO
Free Saturday Focus Sessions for July 2 – August 13
Focus sessions are free and take place in the Westwood store from 9:30 am - 10 am and our Englewood location from 10:30 am – 11:00 am. All sessions will allow for question and answers. Please bring your camera and any images along that you have questions about.
Here’s the schedule for July 2 – August 13, 2011
July 2 – Fireworks Photography
July 9 – Vacation Photography
July 16 – Get Steady – Monopods and Tripods
July 23 – Lenses – From wide and to telephoto – how to select and use.
July 30 - Getting better flash pictures
August 6 – Critique your photos – please bring two prints to discuss what you are doing right and get suggestions to improve
August 13 - Choosing the perfect camcorder
These are free events - bring a friend along if you’d like. Share with your friends on Facebook – Click the Like button below.
Free Saturday Focus Sessions for May 21 – July 2
Focus sessions are free and take place in the Westwood store from 9:30 – 10 am and our Englewood location from 10:30 am – 11:00 am. All sessions will allow for question and answers. Please bring your camera and any images along that you have questions about.
Here’s the schedule for May 21 – July 2, 2011
May 21 – Sensor Cleaning How to – Learn what’s needed to clean your sensor. This is a great skill to have as dust always happens when your are least prepared!
May 28 – Get Steady – Monopods and Tripods
June 4 – How to photograph at the zoo – great preparation for our June 5 Bronx Zoo trip
June 11 – Longwood Gardens Trip – discussion, critique and suggestions for next steps
June 18 – Online Photofinishing – Books – Albums – Photo Mugs and more!
June 25 -
Westwood – Bronx Zoo trip discussion, critique and suggestions
Englewood Concert Photography
July 2 – Fireworks Photography
These are free events – be sure to bring a friend along if you’d like. Share with your friends on Facebook – Click the Like button below.
Free Saturday Focus Sessions for April and May
Focus sessions are free and take place in the Westwood store from 9:30 – 10 am and our Englewood location from 10:30 am – 11:00 am. All sessions will allow for question and answers. Please bring your camera and any images along that you have questions about.
Here’s the schedule for April and May
April 9 – Learn all about Micro 4/3s cameras then visit us for Olympus demo day in Westwood from 10 am – 4 pm
April 16 – Show us your Photos – Critique – please bring 2 – 3 images for an honest appraisal of your images and how to make them better. (printed photos only – no digital files please)
April 23 – Portraits with your Flash
April 30 – Landscape Photography
May 7 – Outdoor Sports Photography
May 14 – Photography at a Botanical Garden – a great preparation for our Longwood Gardens Trip on May 15
May 21 – Sensor Cleaning How to – Learn what’s needed to clean your sensor. This is a great skill to have as dust always happens when your are least prepared!
May 28 – Get Steady – Monopods and Tripods
These are free events – be sure to bring a friend along if you’d like.
