In the work-shop we’ll deal with these topics:
1. How to start the preparations for the photo shoot.
2. Main rules of posing (what is and isn’t allowed when modeling).
3. I’ll try to give many useful advises on everything related to photo shoots for models.
Let’s begin with the photo shoot preparations. The first step is to choose the place for the shoot. You have to decide where you want to work – indoors, on the street or in a studio with the equipment. If you prefer an outdoors shoot, you have to determine the time of day when you’ll start and finish the shoot. The photographer will choose the additional light depending on that, so it is necessary to talk through.
- See more at: http://www.cosplaygen.com/preparing-for-the-photoshoot-and-posing-in-cosplay-photography/#sthash.TEEcWNYq.dpuf
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8/09/2015
Car Photography Tips - The Ten Best Tips For Taking A Perfect Car Photo
If you're a beginner car photographer, wondering why your pictures don't look as good as everyone else's, here are ten tips to get you on the right track.
These ten points should get you started. If you're looking for something more, check out these excellent guides on Speedhunters. Those guys are the best.
There are thousands of pro car shooters out there. Just go to Flickr and have a look around. If you have a question about a particular photo, send them a message or hit the forums. The community will give you an idea where to start.
9.) Use a proper camera
Forget your bloody iPhone. I know the latest ones are remarkably capable, but they are phones nevertheless. What you want is a camera. A DSLR, or a mirrorless, or a very good compact, something that was designed to do one thing: shoot under the widest possible range of conditions.
8.) Rule of thirds
Some say RoT is only useful for beginners. I disagree. It's a general composition rule that can make or brake a picture, no matter what level you're on. Use it wisely.
7.) Think about the composition
RoT is one thing. It can't save you all the time.
You're there, the car is there. That's great. Now think about what focal length to use, and check out what's in that frame. Do you want the car to fill it? How is the background? Any distractions? Play around, there's plenty of space on that memory card.
6.) Don't take pictures in a parking lot
Planning your location is important. If you can choose where to take the pictures, plan ahead and take your time to get the best place (preferably not your local parking lot) during the most ideal light conditions. It well worth the effort.
5.) Get a tripod
Useable tripods/monopods are super cheap, and they're a must under low light conditions, in case you want to use the self timer, during long shoots or when you want to be as accurate angle-wise as possible.
4.) Experiment with long exposure
After you got your tripod but no light, this is the way to go.
3.) Study light
Available light is almost always better than a built in flash, but if you spend more and learn how to use it, artificial lighting like strobes can do miracles, revealing details and shapes like you've never seen before.
2.) Panning to capture speed
Use the lowest possible ISO settings with f/ value set to around 11-16 and a shutter speed that's roughly twice the speed of the car in km/h. That's the basic idea, and the result is the most dynamic shot you've ever managed to capture.
1.) Go the extra mile and try things
Good photographers run, jump, climb and crawl to get the material they want. Don't be afraid to get dirty.
These ten points should get you started. If you're looking for something more, check out these excellent guides on Speedhunters. Those guys are the best.
There are thousands of pro car shooters out there. Just go to Flickr and have a look around. If you have a question about a particular photo, send them a message or hit the forums. The community will give you an idea where to start.
9.) Use a proper camera
Forget your bloody iPhone. I know the latest ones are remarkably capable, but they are phones nevertheless. What you want is a camera. A DSLR, or a mirrorless, or a very good compact, something that was designed to do one thing: shoot under the widest possible range of conditions.
8.) Rule of thirds
Some say RoT is only useful for beginners. I disagree. It's a general composition rule that can make or brake a picture, no matter what level you're on. Use it wisely.
7.) Think about the composition
RoT is one thing. It can't save you all the time.
You're there, the car is there. That's great. Now think about what focal length to use, and check out what's in that frame. Do you want the car to fill it? How is the background? Any distractions? Play around, there's plenty of space on that memory card.
6.) Don't take pictures in a parking lot
Planning your location is important. If you can choose where to take the pictures, plan ahead and take your time to get the best place (preferably not your local parking lot) during the most ideal light conditions. It well worth the effort.
5.) Get a tripod
Useable tripods/monopods are super cheap, and they're a must under low light conditions, in case you want to use the self timer, during long shoots or when you want to be as accurate angle-wise as possible.
4.) Experiment with long exposure
After you got your tripod but no light, this is the way to go.
3.) Study light
Available light is almost always better than a built in flash, but if you spend more and learn how to use it, artificial lighting like strobes can do miracles, revealing details and shapes like you've never seen before.
2.) Panning to capture speed
Use the lowest possible ISO settings with f/ value set to around 11-16 and a shutter speed that's roughly twice the speed of the car in km/h. That's the basic idea, and the result is the most dynamic shot you've ever managed to capture.
1.) Go the extra mile and try things
Good photographers run, jump, climb and crawl to get the material they want. Don't be afraid to get dirty.
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8/08/2015
star trail photography tips
One of the lessons in the Photography Lab series I teach is a lesson on night photography, specifically shooting the stars. There are two essentials to know before going out to shoot stars your first time.
ONE: The Earth is rotating. This means you can photograph star constellations, but after about 15 seconds, you will start to get blurring in your stars because of the movement of the Earth.
TWO: You should know a couple of constellations before you go out: the Big Dipper and Orion are the two I use to orient myself.
Why the Orion and The Big Dipper? First, they are extremely bright and easily found in the night sky. Second, besides being my favorite constellation, Orion is usually high enough in the sky to photograph with other stars around, but it can also sit low so you can get nice foreground elements in your compositions. Finally, use the two stars which make up the pouring end of the Big Dipper to find the North Star. Look at the bottom star in the dipper part of The Big Dipper, the non-handle end. Draw a from the bottom star in the dipper to the top star in the dipper, then continue this line until you see the Little Dipper. This line (and these two stars) point to the last star in the handle of the Little Dipper. Why is this important? The last star in the handle of the Little Dipper is Polaris – the North Star.
If you know where Polaris (The North Star) is located, you can point your camera in this direction and, using long exposure times, you will get circular star trails instead of blurry constellations.
how to photograph star trails
When I shoot stars, I use two lenses: a Canon 10–22mm and a Tamaron 28–300, which I use in the 28mm–80mm range.
I set my camera to M (manual) and use the following settings:
Aperture: widest setting f/2.8 | f/3.5 | f/5.0 depending on focal length
ISO: 100 or 200
Shutter Speed: BULB setting
White Balance: Auto or Tungsten
Focusing: Manual / Infinity
Some other items you may want to bring along:
Small flashlight. You can see your gear, get things set up, change your camera settings, and change your release cable settings. You can use the flashlight to do a sweep of the ground before you leave to make sure you didn’t leave anything behind. Use the flashlight to paint the foreground with light to give your photographs more compositional drama.
Small laser pointer. I haven’t tried this yet, but when I was shooting tonight, I couldn’t see what I was composing through the viewfinder. It’s dark outside when you’re photographing stars! I would take 30 second–45 second photographs to test my compositions. I wondered about using a small laser pointer to hold on top of my lens to see exactly where the lens is pointing.
Chair. You’ll be using loooong shutter speeds. You are going to want to sit. Well, I would want one. I want to look up and not get dizzy. A lounge chair is even better! Of course, if you’ve driven to a remote location, you can always sit in your car while waiting for exposures to take.
Shutter release cable. Some DSLRs have shutter release cables to trigger the shutter. Some you can even set up to take a photo every X minutes with an exposure time of X up to 99h 99m 99s.
Stop Watch. Most cameras have a 15min shutter speed max – but do have a bulb setting you can use if you want longer exposure times but don’t have a shutter release cable. In bulb, you shutter will open once you press the shutter button – and will not close until you press the shutter button again. If you use BULB – you may want a stop watch to help keep track of your exposure time.
Blanket. It’s January, and here in New England, it’s COLD in the wee hours of the morning. In addition to a nice coat/jacket, I’ll have a blanket to wrap up in and help stay toasty.
Hot Chocolate / Coffee / Tea. Did I mention it’s cold in the middle of the night?! Plus—it’s the middle of the night! And I’m bundled up toasty and warm on a lounge chair, staring at stars. Going to need something to help keep me awake.
Tripod. Yes, I know. I said it: tripod. Former students, it’s okay. I know I preach the power of less-is-more, but in this case, you will definitely need a tripod. You’re going to also need a tripod which swivels so you can point you camera in the right direction. Night shots of star trails and meteor showers require LONG exposures. A rock or car roof won’t work here.
Friend. Take a friend to share the experience with you. You’ll have someone to talk to (and help keep you from getting bored while you wait for those 1 and 2 hour exposures) and you’ll have great story to tell about taking tons of photographs of stars and meteors and of course – you’ll have the great shots you take too!!
Camera / Lens. You can’t really take photographs if you don’t have your camera… been there—couldn’t photograph that!!
Memory Cards. Make sure you have a large memory card available and have an extra one just in case.
Batteries. How many?? Three. Where are they? Charged, set in the camera. Charged, set in your pocket. Set charging in charger. Really, I can’t stress extra batteries for night photography enough. Keeping the shutter open for long periods of time sucks up TONS of battery energy. Where a battery will last you for 6 hours of event photography, you might get 2 or 3 hours of night photography.
Follow me as I continue to experiment with star photography techniques. You can see my attempts (success and failures) in the gallery at http://www.LiteWriting.com.
Now you know what gear you need, what settings to use, and where to point your camera. It’s time to get out there and try some star photography for yourself!
About the Author:
Professional photographer Loreen Liberty (www.litewriting.com) has been taking photographs since her early teens, and in the professional industry for the past nine year. After many successful years as a wedding and portrait photographer, Loreen decided to turn her attentions to teaching photography full time. “It gives me more time to practice my craft and be artistic for myself.
Extensive tutorials on light painting, panoramas, spherical panoramas, night sky exposures, infrared, fisheye, bokeh, timelapse and more. You will be taking steel wool light painting shots and star trail exposures in no time. This photography tutorial eBook is designed to help you master challenging lighting conditions no matter your experience level. Currently 50% off for the launch sale until the end of the month.
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ONE: The Earth is rotating. This means you can photograph star constellations, but after about 15 seconds, you will start to get blurring in your stars because of the movement of the Earth.
TWO: You should know a couple of constellations before you go out: the Big Dipper and Orion are the two I use to orient myself.
Why the Orion and The Big Dipper? First, they are extremely bright and easily found in the night sky. Second, besides being my favorite constellation, Orion is usually high enough in the sky to photograph with other stars around, but it can also sit low so you can get nice foreground elements in your compositions. Finally, use the two stars which make up the pouring end of the Big Dipper to find the North Star. Look at the bottom star in the dipper part of The Big Dipper, the non-handle end. Draw a from the bottom star in the dipper to the top star in the dipper, then continue this line until you see the Little Dipper. This line (and these two stars) point to the last star in the handle of the Little Dipper. Why is this important? The last star in the handle of the Little Dipper is Polaris – the North Star.
If you know where Polaris (The North Star) is located, you can point your camera in this direction and, using long exposure times, you will get circular star trails instead of blurry constellations.
how to photograph star trails
When I shoot stars, I use two lenses: a Canon 10–22mm and a Tamaron 28–300, which I use in the 28mm–80mm range.
I set my camera to M (manual) and use the following settings:
Aperture: widest setting f/2.8 | f/3.5 | f/5.0 depending on focal length
ISO: 100 or 200
Shutter Speed: BULB setting
White Balance: Auto or Tungsten
Focusing: Manual / Infinity
Some other items you may want to bring along:
Small flashlight. You can see your gear, get things set up, change your camera settings, and change your release cable settings. You can use the flashlight to do a sweep of the ground before you leave to make sure you didn’t leave anything behind. Use the flashlight to paint the foreground with light to give your photographs more compositional drama.
Small laser pointer. I haven’t tried this yet, but when I was shooting tonight, I couldn’t see what I was composing through the viewfinder. It’s dark outside when you’re photographing stars! I would take 30 second–45 second photographs to test my compositions. I wondered about using a small laser pointer to hold on top of my lens to see exactly where the lens is pointing.
Chair. You’ll be using loooong shutter speeds. You are going to want to sit. Well, I would want one. I want to look up and not get dizzy. A lounge chair is even better! Of course, if you’ve driven to a remote location, you can always sit in your car while waiting for exposures to take.
Shutter release cable. Some DSLRs have shutter release cables to trigger the shutter. Some you can even set up to take a photo every X minutes with an exposure time of X up to 99h 99m 99s.
Stop Watch. Most cameras have a 15min shutter speed max – but do have a bulb setting you can use if you want longer exposure times but don’t have a shutter release cable. In bulb, you shutter will open once you press the shutter button – and will not close until you press the shutter button again. If you use BULB – you may want a stop watch to help keep track of your exposure time.
Blanket. It’s January, and here in New England, it’s COLD in the wee hours of the morning. In addition to a nice coat/jacket, I’ll have a blanket to wrap up in and help stay toasty.
Hot Chocolate / Coffee / Tea. Did I mention it’s cold in the middle of the night?! Plus—it’s the middle of the night! And I’m bundled up toasty and warm on a lounge chair, staring at stars. Going to need something to help keep me awake.
Tripod. Yes, I know. I said it: tripod. Former students, it’s okay. I know I preach the power of less-is-more, but in this case, you will definitely need a tripod. You’re going to also need a tripod which swivels so you can point you camera in the right direction. Night shots of star trails and meteor showers require LONG exposures. A rock or car roof won’t work here.
Friend. Take a friend to share the experience with you. You’ll have someone to talk to (and help keep you from getting bored while you wait for those 1 and 2 hour exposures) and you’ll have great story to tell about taking tons of photographs of stars and meteors and of course – you’ll have the great shots you take too!!
Camera / Lens. You can’t really take photographs if you don’t have your camera… been there—couldn’t photograph that!!
Memory Cards. Make sure you have a large memory card available and have an extra one just in case.
Batteries. How many?? Three. Where are they? Charged, set in the camera. Charged, set in your pocket. Set charging in charger. Really, I can’t stress extra batteries for night photography enough. Keeping the shutter open for long periods of time sucks up TONS of battery energy. Where a battery will last you for 6 hours of event photography, you might get 2 or 3 hours of night photography.
Follow me as I continue to experiment with star photography techniques. You can see my attempts (success and failures) in the gallery at http://www.LiteWriting.com.
Now you know what gear you need, what settings to use, and where to point your camera. It’s time to get out there and try some star photography for yourself!
About the Author:
Professional photographer Loreen Liberty (www.litewriting.com) has been taking photographs since her early teens, and in the professional industry for the past nine year. After many successful years as a wedding and portrait photographer, Loreen decided to turn her attentions to teaching photography full time. “It gives me more time to practice my craft and be artistic for myself.
Extensive tutorials on light painting, panoramas, spherical panoramas, night sky exposures, infrared, fisheye, bokeh, timelapse and more. You will be taking steel wool light painting shots and star trail exposures in no time. This photography tutorial eBook is designed to help you master challenging lighting conditions no matter your experience level. Currently 50% off for the launch sale until the end of the month.
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