nicholeV photography [the blog]

What I've been up to . . .

Well, aside from everything else I have going on, I just wanted to mention what I'm working on for my Flourish site.

Currently, I'm working on creating a studio set of actions. As I've delved more and more into studio work this last year, I've realized that editing studio stuff is really different from editing photos taken without lights. So I've been creating actions along the way to help me edit my studio work. The set has BW and Color actions, all designed to be used with studio portraits.

A sample of the studio action . . .

Additionally, I'm in LOVE with a set of monogram templates that I've been working on. These are going to be a HUGE hit with my clients this year. The set of card templates is super versatile, beautifully modern and simple, and can be used for Christmas, as well as baby announcements. What more could you want?! Here's a little teaser . . .

I'm also creating a companion square (10x10, 8x8, 5x5) monogram book template that will use similar design elements, allowing you to create a fully coordinated set of items.

Sample page from the new book template:

I should be releasing the card templates within the next 2 weeks and they will include a masculine color monogram for dark backgrounds, as well as a more feminine colored monogram for light backgrounds.

Just so many fun things to work on . . . . so little time!

Possible Beginner's Workshop . . . .

Well, I keep resolving to post more to my blog. And given how much I enjoy reading other's blogs, you'd think that I'd be better about posting to my own, ha-ha! But there just never seems to be enough time in the day. Between photosessions, kids needing to be entertained and caring for a newborn, I just really don't seem to have time for much else. I hope that life will slow down a bit as my sweet baby gets a bit bigger (and therefore less needy) and my older kids go back to school. I do need to post photos from some of my recent sessions. It has been so nice to be back photographing more regularly. I missed it so much!

Anyway, I get many emails a week asking me if I will do a workshop or if I do mentoring sessions. So I've been thinking about potentially offering a workshop either this fall (like in October) or in the spring in March or both. It would be a one-day workshop on a Saturday for beginners in photography. I would cover the basics of aperture and shutter speed, as well as giving a basic discussion of composition, shooting techniques, and general photoshop work. It would include hands-on practice and interactive learning, not just lecture. The workshop would NOT cover anything about starting or running a photography business, or any more advanced discussions about photoshop or photography. Basically, it would be a workshop for someone who wants to get started learning how to shoot manually, compose photos, and edit them in Photoshop. Those who attended the workshop would leave with a solid knowledge base to continue to develop their photography skills on their own. The workshop cost would be $275-$300 and each attendee would receive a $75 gift certificate to my Flourish website. The workshop would be limited to 20-25 attendees and would be held near Provo, Utah. Those are the basic details . . .

It's kinda funny that I've taken so long to put together any kind of workshop. I mean, I'm a teacher by trade . . . . I was a college professor for 10 years and have won awards for my teaching. Teaching is as much my passion as photography, if not more so. Maybe because I understand teaching so well, I want to be sure that any workshop I offer will be a truly worthwhile, valuable experience.

Anyway, right now I'm just trying to gauge serious interest and if there is enough interest, would October be too soon to hold the workshop? If you would be seriously interested, shoot me an email and let me know.

Tips for Using Natural Light in Portraits

Well, figured it was about time to share a few more tips, cause I just can’t seem to help myself.

For many years, I shot exclusively with natural light . . . no flashes or lights or reflectors . . . just me, my camera and the light my situation gave me. Obviously, through this, I’ve learned through trial and error what works and what doesn’t when shooting portraits with natural light. So here are a few tips about using natural light effectively in your photographs.

To begin with, when using natural light, you need to constantly be aware of the strength and angle of your light source. This is, for me, the most difficult part of using natural light in portraits. You really need to study the light and truly “see” how it’s affecting your image. It's really the same as using studio lights . . . except that you can't control where the light comes from or how strong it is. But you still use the light source as you would use studio lights.

So for example, when you're shooting outside, the sun shines from above for most of the day, even on cloudy days. If you just put someone outside and take a photo with the light source coming from overhead, no matter how diffused, you will get what I call racoon eyes . . . . the light will shine down your subject’s face, emphasizing the shadows underneath the eyes. You can see this on my son’s face in the shot below. This was shot on an overcast day. I attached this image SOOC just so you can see how bad the shadows are right out of the camera. Also note the brighter spots on his upper forehead and cheeks. You can clearly see how the light is skimming his face from top to bottom. It's not a flattering photo of him and there are no catchlights in his eyes, making them dark and dead.

So in my lovely drawing below (you can see why I never made it as a painter . .  ha-ha), you DON’T want your light source to come from overhead (A) or from below (D).  You will get funky shadows on the person’s face if that happens. You want your light source to ideally be at about a 45 degree angle to the face (B), but any light source between B and C below will give good results. So in the photo I posted above of my kids, you can see that the light is good on my daughter’s face. That’s because she has her head turned toward the sky and the light is hitting her face at a 45 degree angle. Notice that the light is even on her skin . . . there aren’t any funky shadows or hot spots.

So how do you get the light right when shooting outdoors?

Well, the simple answer is to make sure that you have something over your subject’s head to force the light to come in from the side. A tree, a doorway, a reflector, a porch . . . any number of things can fix the problem. So here is another shot of my son taken in a doorway. Notice how the light comes in from the front, not overhead, and how that opens up the shadows on his face. The light is smooth and even on his face and there are beautiful catchlights in his eyes.

So when taking portraits with natural light, look carefully at the face before taking a portrait, and then move around the person or move them into a situation where the light comes from the side or front.

Sometimes, however, it just isn't possible to move somewhere where there is something overhead. In that case, assuming that it's an overcast day, I put the person's back to the sun (wherever it may be in the sky) and place myself above them (easy to do with a child) and have them look up at me. This puts the light at 45 degrees to their face and they shouldn't squint as long as the sun is at their back. It results in a photo like the one below.

 

Well, these are my tips for the day. I hope to add to this and continue with more advice on using natural light.

Problems with Color Casts

So I’m still pregnant for another day or two, so I thought I’d try to get one last blog post in. Unfortunately, I haven’t done much shooting in a while and I’m really feeling it. The creativity is just building and building inside of me, looking for an outlet. I can’t wait to be able to move again and get a camera back in my hands. Sigh.

In the meantime, let me address another question that I get a lot.. I run an action and my photo turns into an orange/red/yellow mess, why is this?

Well, here’s the basic answer. Most actions (mine included) will not add any color to a photo that is not already there. A few actions can have a slight warming effect due to the different techniques they use, but after some serious testing on my part, the warming effect is incredibly, incredibly slight. If a photo is going over the top in reds or yellows or oranges, the color cast was in the photo to begin with. There are many things you can do in PS to remove warmness, but my experience has been that it’s a pain and difficult to do accurately. The best solution is to find out why the photo was red or whatever in the first place.   

There are many culprits for consistent color casts in a photo: source light, monitor, camera, lens, filters, in-camera settings and underexposure, just to name a few.

First of all, many times certain locations will cause a color cast. Indoor photos are almost always orange-ish due to incandescent lights and just indoor ambient light. Photos taken in the middle of a green forest are usually off the charts in the yellows, just reflecting all the green that’s around your subject. Similarly, a red wall, skirt or shirt can cause red reflection problems. When shooting in a location that has obvious color casts, shooting with a grey card (I prefer Whibal cards) can help enormously.

Though the white balance on this photo is correct, notice the bounce of magenta along her arm and tummy from the colorful tutu. This happens everytime I shoot with any kind of colored tutu or petticoat. Just something I have to be aware of as I shoot. A little bounce, like this shot, isn't any big deal, but sometimes the bounce can reach the subject's face, and then it's a real problem.

If, however, you’re getting the same color cast consistently regardless of location, chances are there is an identifiable problem in your equipment that is causing it.

First of all, if you’re just starting out, the problem could be your monitor. You need to make sure that your monitor is color calibrated to your printing output. That’s a huge discussion in and of itself and something for another blog post sometime. But if the colors of your monitor are way off, then of course everything is going to look off to you.

After making sure that your monitor is calibrated correctly, look to your camera and in-camera settings. You really want to shoot RAW or make your in-camera jpeg settings as neutral as possible: no saturation or warming or anything. The reality is that some cameras are warmer than others. Nikon likes their photos to be color saturated SOOC; however, this often results in color casts and wrong skin tones. It’s just the hassle of shooting Nikon. By contrast, Canon files tend to be really flat and somewhat cool out of the camera, but they are also less likely to have color casts because of this. If you’re shooting Nikon, again, it’s important to make your in-camera settings as flat as possible. This will help the camera to avoid over-saturation of the image initially.    

After looking at your camera, look to your lenses and any filters you might have on your lenses. I know early on in my photographic career, I frustratingly kept getting really red photos out of my Canon equipment. After a couple months of frustration, I pulled off the supposed “colorless skylight” filter I had on my lens, placed it on a white sheet of paper and realized that it had a horridly strong red tinge to it. So I stopped shooting with it on my camera and problem solved! I’ve also noticed that certain lens types tend to have color casts. Lower-end Canon lenses (like the 50mm 1.8) are a little blue in their color, whereas Tamron lenses are decidedly orange/red. Imagine the orange mess of a Tamron lens on a Nikon body and then add some in-camera saturation settings . . . . you get the idea . . . photos taken with such a set-up would be really off in the reds and oranges. You have to spend quite a bit before you’ll get a lens that is color neutral (which is yet another reason why Canon L-lenses are so expensive). But you can get correctly white balanced images out of less expensive equipment, you just have to understand what’s going on between your camera and the lens.

In addition to your equipment, certain things that you do in PS can affect color cast. If you have a seriously underexposed image and you try to pull it up in PS, you will get a yellow cast. Just the way it is. There are ways of mitigating this, but the best solution is to expose the photo properly in the first place. If your photos are consistently dark and require you to bring them up in PS, chances are you might be having trouble with yellows in your photos.

So I’ve listed just a couple basic tips here. There is more to a properly white balanced image than this, but overall, if you’re struggling with serious color casts, chances are the problem is something or some combination of what I’ve listed.

Well all, this is most likely my last post until I have this baby, so look back for news about me and him in about a week or so! Thanks again to all of you who stop by here!

Choosing a Camera and Lenses

Well, people, I feel so bad neglecting my blog like this . . . . have I mentioned that I’m HUGELY pregnant and having a baby in no more than two weeks? Just seems like there’s so much to do and I have no energy for any of it.  Anyway, I’m determined to get a few more helpful blog posts up before I disappear for a few weeks into that void that happens after you have a baby.

So, I’m going to continue my series of posts responding to questions that I get a lot. Today’s topic is an email question I get many times a week:

Camera and Lens Recommendations

So what camera should you purchase? Which lenses are best for shooting children? Which are best for shooting weddings?

Well, overall, the answer to all these questions is “It depends.” But here are some general things to think about.

If you’re just starting out I photography, I suggest going with an entry level DSLR (like a Canon XTi). From there, I strongly suggest getting an inexpensive prime lense, like the Canon 50mm f1.8.

So how is a prime lens like the 50mm f1.8 different from say the kit lens (which comes with most entry DSLRs), which is usually a 17-55mm f3.5-5.6 lens? A zoom lens, like the 17-55 kit lens, can zoom your frame closer or farther away from the subject without you having to move. A prime lens, like the 50mm, is fixed at 50mm. If you want your subject to be closer or farther away, you have to move.

So why would you go with a prime over a zoom when it means you have to move more? Generally, primes are sharper and faster. They take cleaner, nicer, clearer photos. Also, they always have a smaller minimum aperture. So the 17-55mm f3.5-5.6 zoom lens has an aperture that varies from f3.5 to 5.6 depending on whether you’re shooting at 17mm or 55mm. This isn’t a good thing. It means that you need more light in order to get a well-focused shot. It also means that you won’t get much blur in your background. A prime, on the other hand, allows you to fix your aperture, starting at the low end of f1.8. When your aperture is f1.8, you get all that wonderful blur, called bokeh, and you need less light to get your shot. There’s significantly more to it than this, but you get the general idea.

Sample Photo of f1.2 Blur. All the blurriness here is due to the low f1.2 aperture of the lens.

The kit lenses that come with most entry level DSLRs are pretty terrible lenses. Generally, they have a lot of color noise (speckles in the shadows) and aren’t particularly sharp. If you can avoid purchasing it with the camera, I strongly suggest that you do. Spend the money on a 50mm prime instead. The Canon 50mm 1.8 is a good lens for the price. As I state above, it’s sharp and has significantly less noise. Also, a prime will really speed up your learning of aperture, shutter speed and manual camera metering because your aperture range is so much larger and your aperture stays where you set it.

So let’s say that you’re a little more advanced with your camera and you’re wanting to upgrade your camera and lenses. Which is the best camera? What are the best lenses for shooting children? What are the best lenses for shooting a wedding?

If you’re a serious professional and regularly taking on paying sessions, you need to have a camera and lenses that will allow you to effectively deal with a greater range of potential problems. This means a full-frame DSLR, something along the lines of the Canon 5D. However, DO NOT fall into the trap and assume that a better camera will make all the difference to your photos. The camera does matter, but the person behind the camera matters so much more. I know a lot of people who shoot with the same gear I’ve had and we all get different results, some better, some worse. So much of what makes a good photo depends on the expertise and eye behind the camera. A good photographer will take amazing photos with any kind of camera he or she is given; however, the same goes for a not-so-great photographer. Even with the best equipment on the planet, he or she still wouldn’t produce an incredible image.

So what about lenses?   

Well, for children, you need to be able to react quickly. Primes are nice, but kind of hard to use when shooting children, especially small, active children. You have to move in and out to change your frame. Of course, primes that are 50mm or less, still work just fine. Longer primes, like a 135mm prime, are more difficult. I actually prefer my Canon 24-70mm f2.8L zoom for shooting children. It allows me to zoom in and out of a scene, but because it’s an L lens with a fixed aperture, it still takes sharp, clear shots. Many times, I will shoot an entire child session with just that one lens on my camera. Of course, if the 24-70L isn't in your budget, Tamron makes a decent lens at a decent price. Most of their lenses have a slight red cast to them, but they still will take a good photo for the money.

Weddings, of course, are an entirely different thing. You absolutely cannot get by with just one lens for shooting a wedding effectively. You need a wide angle lens for group shots and panorama shots of the ceremony. You need AT LEAST one fast prime (like a 50mm or 85mm f1.2) to deal with low light situations where using a flash isn’t allowed or is impractical. You also need a zoom lens that goes to at least 200mm (like the Canon 70-200mm f2.8L). This allows you to take photos when you have to be back a ways from the bride and groom, but still need a close up shot. Also, the longer focal length is significantly more flattering for adult portraits.

Anyway, just for the record, I’m currently shooting with the Canon Mark III 1Ds with the Canon 5D as my back-up. In my bag, I have a Canon 24-70 f2.8L, the Canon 70-200 f2.8L and the Canon 85 f1.2L, as well as a Hartblei 80mm Tilt-Shift Super-Rotator lens (for some fun shots). These are the 4 lenses that I use on my shoots. With any kind of wedding shoot, I will use all 4 lenses. For a family / child shoot, I will use the lens that’s best for my situation, depending on how I want the location to look and the ages of the people I”m shooting.

Anyway, that's all for now. Thanks again for all of you who regularly stop by here. I so appreciate it!

New Photo Fix Action set . . . .

Well, as many photographers do, I create little add-on actions to fix problem areas in my photos as I edit. Problems like completely blown highlights (hate it when that happens) or a face that is too dark or skin that is rashy and rough. So, I finally decided to package up all the little actions I constantly use to fix these problem areas in photos.

The new Photo Fix Action set contains 12 actions that will help you target problem areas in your photos. Most significantly, this set has an action and instructions showing my method for getting just the right amount of natural-looking eye pop when editing. Additionally, the set has other add-on actions that will smooth skin, reduce noise, adjust exposure and more. Please note that this action set DOES NOT contain any full photo editing actions (like a color pop action) and is designed for Adobe Photoshop CS2 and CS3 only. Sorry, PSE users . . . . the set just uses too many advanced features to make a PSE version.

A couple samples

Eye Pop

Skin Smooth

 

You can see examples and view all the details here

Don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions about this set.

And as always, thanks to all of you who stop by to check out my blog!

How's about a freebie?!

Just wanting to pass along some goodness today.

First of all, my new splash page is finally live. I've been working on a complete new site design over the last few months, and this splash page is the first step in that design. Hopefully, my new photography sites will go live in the next couple weeks, as well. In the meantime, check out the new splash page.

New Splash Page

Additionally, how's about a free action and texture file? I posted this texture and action set on the Pay It Forward blog last summer, but I searched and it's no longer available on their blog, it appears. So I decided to post it again for any and all who would like it.

So the set includes a little action that will insert any texture file into a photo file. It also includes a free high-res texture file. Also, the texture file can be used with any of my action texture sets, and the action can be used to insert any texture file into a photo. They don't necessarily have to be used together.

Sample image of the free texture file:

Click here to download this set

So hey, have a fun weekend playing around with these little goodies!

How to Achieve Sharp Photos: Part 2

Ok, so in my last post, I identified 2 potential problems with focus: poor metering and equipment malfunction. Once you’ve got a handle on those two problems, there are still other things you can do to get sharper focus to your images.

Helpful Hint #1: Use Correctly-Placed, Selective AF Points 

Bottom line, if you want to get perfect focus every time, learn how to see and accurately focus your lenses manually. That’s the only sure fire fix for consistently perfectly focused images. Of course, it’s a serious skill that takes study and a lot of practice. But for those of us who need a faster focus than manual will give (or just don’t want to hassle with it), there are a few things you can do. 

When you’re shooting in automatic focusing mode (AF), many people leave it up to the camera to choose what it wants to focus on. And for most people in general shooting situations, this works just fine. However, when you’re on a professional shoot, close enough just doesn’t cut it. You need to get your focus right nearly every time. Most DSLR’s will allow you to force the camera to focus on a specific focal point within the camera. This is something I do every time, on every shot. I tell the camera exactly where I want the focal point to be, covering the area with the red focal point I’ve selected. It takes some time to train yourself to change focal points without having to think about it too much. But once you do, you’ll find your fingers automatically changing the focal points as you shoot to get the focal points exactly where you want them to be. 

As you do this, realize that focus almost always falls back from the focal point selected. So focus on the object that is closest to you that you want to be in focus. The focal depth will fall back from that point. Don’t plan on anything in front of the focal point being in sharp focus, though usually the focus will gradually become blurry as it fades forward. For a large group portrait, I place the focal point on the person’s face who is closest to the camera, not grandpa who is sitting in the middle of the group. If you place your focal point on grandpa, only the people who are behind him in the focal plane will be in focus. All the people in front will be varying degrees of blurry.

Additionally, I know a lot of professionals who use back button focusing. I personally don’t use back button focusing as I’ve never felt the need for it, but I know many love it and feel that it really helps them achieve sharp images. You can google more info about it, if you’d like. 

Helpful Hint #2: If the Eyes Are Sharp, Everything Looks Sharp 

This is the most basic tip for achieving a seemingly sharp image. People look at the eyes of the subject in a photo first; it’s a natural human instinct. Therefore, if the eyes of the photo are sharp, the rest of the photo will be deemed technically sharp. If the eyes aren’t in focus, the photo will usually be considered technically out-of-focus. When shooting, getting properly focused eyes are my #1 priority. 

But how to do this? 

Well, for a portrait, I place the focal point (see hint #1 above) between the person‘s eyes. That way, the eyes, lips and usually nose will be in focus, assuming you've chosen a suitable aperture for the depth of field needed in the shot. I also do some selective sharpening in Photoshop to enhance an already adequately sharp image. 

Helpful Hint #3: Use Selective Sharpening in Photoshop

After working to get focus right in camera, there are a few things you can do in Photoshop to enhance an already adequately sharp image. From the start, however, please note that really nothing can make a blurry photo look well-focused. Photoshop can “fix” a lot of problems, but poor focus is not one of them. 

If you shoot RAW, your image will not have any in-camera sharpening applied to it. Additionally, I suggest keeping in-camera jpeg sharpening parameters low. I prefer to apply digital sharpening myself in Photoshop and not artificially in camera. Generally, when bringing a RAW photo into PS, I will apply a little sharpening to it in Adobe Camera RAW or Lightroom (like sharpening of 25). Such sharpening at this stage acts as a “defog” or a gentle cleansing of the lines, removing some of the fogginess that is inherent in digital images. From there, I will edit the photo in Photoshop, applying a boost to contrast among other things. The contrast boost further helps to separate visual elements and also enhances sharpness. 

Once I’m satisfied with my edit, I will usually apply a little selective sharpening. I apply sharpening selectively to just those parts of the image that must be sharp, usually not the entire image. The reason for this is simple: digital sharpening adds noise to the image. And I want to keep noise to a minimum. Also, hair, fur, grass or anything close to it should NEVER be sharpened beyond a general defog. Such elements easily show digital pixilation when overly sharpened. 

Using USM or smart sharpen (depending on your version of PS), I duplicate my background layer and then lightly sharpen the image, focusing on the eyes. From there, I paint out all sharpness from the layer, leaving just those elements that I wanted to be a little sharper. This is usually eyes, but also nose and sometimes lips.

Most of my action sets include a selective sharpening action that sets up the layers for you to do this.

Another little trick, oftentimes you will have one eye that is slightly more in focus than the other. Or two people where one person’s eyes are in better focus than the other. When this happens, I will sharpen just the eye(s) that are not as sharp, making them look the same sharpness as the eyes that are more sharply focused. This uniformity of focus will generally make the entire image seem sharp. 

Helpful Hint #4: Sharpness Is Overrated! 

Ok, after this big, long discussion of focus, realize that in most instances, razor sharp focus is overrated. Yes, your photos need to be adequately sharp and free of technical blurriness, but after that, a slightly out of focus eye does not necessarily ruin a photo. Look at professional magazines and you’ll quickly see what I mean. A good number of photos in print today, even those in publications that pride themselves on their photography like National Geographic, are not perfectly focused. Oftentimes, the emotion and composition of the photo override any slight technical problems. 

So realize, in the end, that a bland, technically perfect photo is never preferable to a dynamic, wonderful photo that though not perfect, is good enough.

So that's my basic lowdown on sharpening. You can get insanely technical with it, but in reality, there's a huge range of acceptability when it comes to sharpness. I like to keep my photos more natural looking, and hence, I like to make my images sharp in camera, instead of relying on digital sharpening, which can make a photo look a little too digitized.

On another topic, stay tuned for more news! I'm launching some new Flourish products on Monday (think brushes, textures and even some borders!), so take time now to opt in to my newsletter on my Flourish site (oh, and if the form states that it can't add you, then that means that you're already on the list!). I'll be sending out an announcement email and maybe even a coupon or two! So stay tuned!!

How to Achieve Sharp Photos: Part 1

So I thought that I would add more to my collection of informative posts about photography techniques. One of the questions I get more often then just about any other is how I achieve such sharpness in my photos, like this photo here: 

So here is my rundown about how to achieve sharp photos on a regular, consistent basis.

First of there are many factors that affect the clarity and focus of an image. If you find that you’re having consistent problems with focus and/or blurriness, you need to troubleshoot and try to narrow down what the problem might be.

Problem #1:  Inadequate Metering for the Situation

For those who are just starting out, many times poor focus is the result of an inappropriate aperture/shutter speed for your situation. Generally, in order to get consistently sharp shots, you need to have a shutter speed of at least 1/100. And that’s for someone who has a steady hand shooting. If you’re a shaky shooter, then 1/200 should be your lowest shutter speed. Low shutter speeds result in camera shake and/or subject movement affecting your focus. The best camera and lens in the world can’t compensate for poor metering.

Also, be sure you completely understand aperture and depth of field. You can have a nice high shutter speed, but if you’re shooting a group of 8 people at f2.8, chances are your focus won’t be what you want it to be.  Even shooting with your camera on automatic won’t get these parameters right for each situation. Most cameras aren’t too smart when it comes to figuring out metering on their own. You need to be able to understand the situation you’re photographing and meter it appropriately.

So, for the photo above, I was obviously shooting in studio. So I set my shutter to 1/200 and aperture to f6.3 and then metered my lights to be the same reading. That gave me great depth of field and a shutter speed that was appropriately fast for a moving baby.

Additionally, practice holding your camera as steady as possible. The steadier you are, the less likely camera shake will affect the focus of your images. Use two hands when shooting, and oftentimes, I will stabilize the camera by resting an elbow on my knees (or anything else that's nearby).

Problem #2:  Problematic Lens and/or Camera

So, you’ve mastered problem #1. You’re shooting a somewhat adult person (who holds still) at f5.6 and 1/500 shutter and you still can’t seem to get a sharp shot. Well, before deciding that you stink as a photographer, you need to evaluate your equipment. There is a HUGE variance in the making of cameras and lenses. Not all are as sharp as they should be. Whenever I get a new lens or camera, I put it through the paces to make sure that it’s sharp. And I’ve had to send a good number of my new purchases back, trying to get a sharp copy. If you think the problem might be your camera, put it on a tripod and try a good number of lenses on it. If you can’t get a sharp shot out of any of them, chances are it’s the camera. If you think the problem might be a lens, see if you can rent the same lens and compare the rental against your own.

As you’re doing this, realize that the quality of the camera and lens will affect sharpness too. Even a cheap lens should be acceptably sharp in its mid-range, but most cheaper lenses aren’t sharp at the extremes of their range. So don’t expect a $70 50mm 1.8 lens to be consistently sharp at f1.8, though it should be consistently good at f4 or higher. However, the $1500 50 f1.2L lens should be sharp throughout its entire range, from f1.2 to f20 (or whatever it tops out at!).  Additionally, lower quality lenses are more prone to color noise, which also affects perceived sharpness. Also, they’ll have a lot of “play” in the focusing mechanism. This means that it’s a lot easier for the automatic focusing mechanism to get off by just a little, causing spotty focus in your images.

Your camera body can also be a factor. Usually, more expensive professional DSLR cameras have better communication with the lens and better sensors, resulting in sharper images.

With all of this info, realize that the clean, shiny lines and focus that you see in most professionals’ images come from good technique, obviously, but also excellent equipment. I remember struggling to get that clean, fresh look to my images and then purchased the Canon 5D and some L lenses and WOW! My images suddenly had that look too. You can get it out of less expensive equipment, but you need nearly perfect light.  I’m absolutely NOT saying that it’s all about the camera and lens. I know far too many people who own the same equipment I use and don’t get the same results, but when you have already good technique, nice equipment can make a huge difference.

Stay tuned for Part 2. . . . I’ll cover shooting techniques for achieving perfect focus, as well as some Photoshop tips for enhancing an already reasonably sharp image.

My Tips For Any Beginning/Aspiring Photographer

So I last posted about my own journey as a photographer. 

This post is Part Two: My tips for any aspiring photographer. 

These tips are listed in no particular order. Just my thoughts and things that I’ve learned along the way. These tips are meant for anyone just starting on their photography journey; those who are wondering where to even start.

 

• Practice, practice, practice.
• Learn your camera inside and out. You don't need super high-end equipment to create an amazing image. Just a digital SLR (DSLR) and a good lens or two. The eye and knowledge behind the camera are MUCH more important than the actual camera. That being said, a DSLR or film SLR is a necessity. If you want to become a photographer, you must have a camera that lets you swap lenses and use completely manual settings. DSLR’s are nice because you get immediate feedback; you don’t have to take notes and then wait for the film to be developed.
• Resist the temptation to constantly upgrade your equipment. A better camera won’t necessarily help you take better photos. Learning the intricacies of aperture, shutter speed and focal length will help you take better photos. Only upgrade once you have completely learned your current equipment and are feeling its limitations. Also, a good lens will more dramatically improve your images than a new camera (if you‘re trying to decide where to put your money). The glass you shoot through is always the most important element to achieving a high-quality image.
• And again, practice.
• Read the manual. Seriously. It really has some good info. Before jumping into other books or classes, learn everything that your camera manual has to teach you.
• Buy an inexpensive prime lens that stops down to at least f1.8 (like the Canon 50mm f1.8 lens). You can get one for under $100. A prime or fixed-focal length lens will be the quickest and best way to understand aperture. And a solid understanding of aperture is absolutely essential to taking good photos.
• Did I mention practice?
• Learn the intricacies of aperture, shutter speed, ISO and focal length. You can do this through reading your camera manual, online forums or a good photography book (or a combo of all three), and then practicing and applying what you read. Learning how each item affects the look of your photos will give you extreme technical control over the final outcome of a photo.
• Make it your goal to learn to shoot on M or Manual regularly with your camera. In the process, you will better learn how aperture and shutter speed interrelate.
• Don't use a flash or any other artificial light until you've completely mastered natural light and manual mode shooting. Then add artificial light back in. You don't want to be dependent on artificial light. You need to learn to “see” the light and then you will be better able to add artificial light to a scene.
• Uhmmmm . . . . . . . Practice!
• Study painters and photographers that you admire. Really assess what makes their photos amazing and wonderful, and then try to start seeing the world as they do.
• Get lower. It’s the biggest mistake most make. Especially when photographing children, you want your camera to be no higher than their waist. This usually means sitting, squatting or even lying on the ground.
• Learn the rule of thirds and practice framing your photos according to it. Also, a solid understanding of traditional painting composition is enormously helpful. This will help you understand how lines create tension or harmony, balancing positive with negative space.
  
• Make LOTS of mistakes. The more you shoot, the more likely you are to make mistakes. And you learn the most from your mistakes. The more mistakes you make, the more you will remember to NOT do that stupid mistake again.
• And above all, PRACTICE!! Photograph anyone and everyone who will let you. Experiment. Go crazy. You will learn from each little photosession, usually from your mistakes. 

And that's ok. That's the journey.