Five Polarizer Tips

Sure a polarizer is basic equipment for most outdoor photographers, but that doesn’t mean everyone who owns a polarizer knows how to get the most out of it. In addition to using polarizers to blue up the sky or cut reflections, here are five tips for getting the most out of your polarizer. 1. Get the RIGHT polarizer. Almost every photographer reading this needs a CIRCULAR rather than a LINEAR polarizer. Your AF will stop working if you use a linear polarizer. Don’t worry – the circular polarizer is the most popular and if you already own a polarizer, chances are very good it’s a circular polarizer.

2. Polarizers work best when you are 90 degrees off sun angle. Think about what a watch looks like at 3:00 PM. That is a 90 degree angle.

3. Watch out for vignetting. Polarizers tend to be very thick. If you’re working on a wide-angle lens, you might end up losing the edges of your photo. Even when working at “normal” focal lengths, this can be a problem. Thin polarizers solve this problem but they cost more.

4. Don’t buy a cheap polarizer. Why put a cheap piece of plastic in front of your $1000 lens? (There are also great resin polarizers.) Try to find a polarizer made of glass rather than plastic. My favorite brand is B+W.

5. Consider specialty polarizers. Singh-Ray and Hoya make some interesting colored polarizers that create stunning effects in-camera, especially of interest to landscape photographers.

I only carry two types of filter these days, neutral density and polarizer. Play with a polarizer next time you go out shooting and see if it doesn’t help make your photos pop.

Years of Wisdom

  [caption id="attachment_477" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Colin with Guitar "]Colin with Guitar[/caption]

 

A man of many words, wisdom far beyond my years. This man know as Colin has enlightened me with knowledge for many years now. Unknown to him he’s the reason I’ve made many wise decisions in life.

[caption id="attachment_478" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Colin in deep thought."]Colin in deep thought.[/caption]

As one who’s been educated far more than many of us today, lives a very simple life with a great appreciate for the natural surrounding. His burning desire to explore his vast garden on a daily basis if far more than you can ever imagine. Totally unplanned I visited him with my wife on Monday August 1st  2011, and as I sat there and listened I thought it would be fitting to document this legend in my eyes with my camera. I asked and he concurred with my request.

 

Composing Portraits

During my morning browse around the web. I came across this little video on Adorama. Every now and again I get people asking me what is the correct way to take good portraits. So take a peek at Mark Wallace's view.

Miss. Barbados World 2011 Group Shot

It's been a real honour working with these lovely young ladies. Best of luck to you all. Special thanks to Leah Marville (Former Miss Barbados World) and Tashida Cox (Define Beauty Boutique). [caption id="attachment_406" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Miss. Barbados 2011 Group Shot"]Miss. Barbados 2011 Group Shot[/caption] 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left to right: Paige, Sedia, Dianne, Taisha, Lyngeolle, Marielle, Nicola.

 

Niska Best Photoshoot

Thank you so much Niska for a wonderful photo shoot. A gem to work with girl..... Big props to Himal Reece for finding you and awesome work by MUA Sherry Ann Moore (SAM). Thank you Lisa and Joaquim for helping us out as well.

Himal found this wonderful location that worked really well for this shoot.

 

Rachael Todd Photoshoot

A little while ago I got an opportunity to photograph a very friendly up and coming model Rachael Todd. She was such a joy to shoot, so very engaging. These shots were taken using two (2) Westcott TD-6 lights setup left and right of camera position. I took all these shots using my 70 - 200mm lens racked out at 200mm for most of the shots.

[caption id="attachment_368" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Click thumbnail to see all photos."][/caption]

 

Product Shots

Photography covers so many different topics it's unbelievable.Some photographers specialize in one area and some find it far more exciting to cover many different areas. I can't really say what area I'm mostly attracted to and therefore find myself being challenged to cover so many different topics in this field. Recently I've been asked to take some product shots of a teddy bear for my moms website (go figure). So here's the setup:-

 

I used a large softbox as the background.

Two (2) strobes left and right of camera with shoot-through umbrellas.

The product was placed on foam core with a piece of plexi-glass for reflection. These reflections can be done in post using Photoshop, however it's always best to get as much done in camera as possible.

FINAL PRODUCT SHOT

Problem solved for 'CF Cards & iPad owners'

The tech gurus finally found a fix for you iPad owners out there wanting to import photos from your Compact Flash cards onto your iPads. So a Hong Kong based company has developed a CF Reader that can be connected directly to your iPad and allows you to import photos directly from your CF cards (up to 400x speed cards) right into your iPad.

Just letting you know I use SD Cards so I've not tried these devices myself. However based on an article I read by Terry White, he seems to be quite happy with the performance. It was used to import RAW (.NEF) files with no problems.

The M.I.C CF Reader can be ordered here. Apparently they are currently on backorder.

Check out the You Tube video below:-

Practice Shoot with Alicia

Thanks to Alicia Phillips and Brian Elcock I was able to have an awesome practice shoot on my day off. The only way to better your game is to practice, practice, practice. So on Thursday Brian Elcock and I had our lovely model in my studio for a practice photo shoot.We spent about 2 hours and tried various different techniques. We truly had a blast.

How to take captivating Children Portraits

Children are such a delight and capturing the liveliness of their antics and innocent faces can be one of the most rewarding experiences for a portrait photographer. They are not afraid to run around, make a mess of things; and that’s what makes photographing children great – you never know what to expect! Here are five tips on how to get the most from these wonderful creatures: They are the boss Make no mistake, children are their own bosses. If you want something from them, you’ll have to work for it. Some kids are naturals in front of a camera and will pose effortlessly. If you are faced with difficult or camera-shy kids, leave them alone and photograph other kids or people around them. They just want attention and will come around when they see how much fun everyone else is having. If they never come around, take the photojournalistic route – observe and snap, snap, snap.

They don’t get out of bed even for $10,000 If you think supermodels are prima donnas, you’ve never encountered a sleepy or hungry kid. Children get grumpy or antsy when they are deprived of basic needs. Be respectful of the child’s schedule and arrange the photo session after they’ve had their nap or regular meal. Ask parents when their child is in the best mood or when they are most animated and engaged.

Kids will be kids Let kids play and be themselves. Let them run around and explore the space, instead of posing them deliberately. Treat them with respect and as human beings with thoughts and desires. Children are very perceptive to intention, and if you are kind and warm, they will sense that and open up. Ask them to pick a spot and let them do what they would like to do. Engage them, keep them interested and have a great time.

Where’s mommy? Parents are an important part of the equation – and they can provide you invaluable information about the child. However, it’s also important for you to have some time alone with the child to establish a rapport. Often, children are much better when parents are not involved directly with the shoot. This allows the photographer and child to build a rapport unaffected by familial dynamics.

Help’s around the corner It can be intimidating to work with a subject you cannot control. Remember you are the artist and if you have a vision, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

What's the best Camera to get?

Just because everyone else is buying it, doesn't mean it's the right camera for you 

A recent Bloomberg report indicated that Canon held 44.5 percent of the camera market, with Nikon increasing its share to 29.7 percent. Based on what I see on a regular basis the majority of cameras I see in the field tend to be Nikon. Is this true or is it just that I use a Nikon and seem to pay more attention to them. I recently came across a poll.

As you can see, the results of were remarkably similar to the initial report. Canon still held the lead, but by a slightly smaller percentage.

So what does this mean if anything at all?

First, I think it's important to point out that both brands are equally capable in the right hands. Photographer are using iPhones these days to make wonderful photos. Go figure....

Ultimately, this type of healthy competition is in the best interest of the consumer as each company works to gain market share through price cuts and added features. The result is a wide array of professional quality DSLRs with reasonable sticker prices. As this trend continues, the line between the super high-end and prosumer bodies will become increasingly blurred.

Consider these questions when asking which camera.

1 ) What subject(s) will you photograph most often? Weddings, portraits, wildlife, sports, landscapes, still lifes, food, fashion, etc. 2 ) What gear (if any) do you now own? 3 ) If you had to choose between ease of use and power, which would you select? 4 ) Do you want a compact pocket-sized camera (point and shoot) or a DSLR? 5 ) On a scale of 1-10 (10 being a working pro and 1 being someone who usually shoots with a disposable camera) how would you rate your skill? 6 ) What is the MOST money you’d be willing to spend on a camera? 7 ) How long do you think you might keep the camera? 8 ) What do your friends use? 9 ) Do you have a local camera store that can offer you support?

Considering this ongoing tug-o-war, it can be difficult to pinpoint which camera is right for you. Besides Canon and Nikon, there are excellent Pentax models, Sony, Olympus, Fuji, and more. Before deciding on one, I recommend looking into their entire line of dedicated lenses and flashes. Remember, you're not just buying into a camera body, but rather an entire system of products.

 

 

Orchid World Photo Op.

Thanks to my friend Mark Atkins (fellow photographer) and his wife I was invited to Orchid World Barbados today. My wife and son came along for this remarkable opportunity. Not sure it was the high point of my son's long holiday weekend. However for my wife she was like a kid in a candy store. Super plus for her as it was also her birthday today, she loves orchids.

I've never been to Orchid World before and had no idea what to expect. I could possibly spend all day there taking photos, time was against us as we arrived around 3:30pm and closing time was 5pm. The available light was not the best to work with and we also had to sacrifice shooting time due to rain showers. The rain however left us with those wonderful water droplets that we love to see on flower photos.

Memory Cards – 15 Essential Tips for Photographers

[gallery] If you use a digital camera you use memory cards. Whether SD or CF or anything else, there are certain things you should know about your memory cards if you want to get the best experience possible.

1. Format your cards in the camera – not on the computer. This helps to ensure that no unwanted or unneeded files make their way onto the card from the computer.

2. When ejecting your memory card from the computer, safely eject by dragging it to the trash or select “Safely Remove” on a Windows machine or Command + E on a Mac. Then wait at least five seconds before pulling the card out of the reader slot. Could save you a few dollars in the long run.

3. Never format or erase a card until you know it’s been backed up in at least two places. Also, don’t erase or format until you’ve verified the backup.

4. To avoid confusion when using multiple cards, mark cards with your name and a sequential number. This makes it easy to determine your cards from cards used by other photographers in your studio or on your workshop. The sequential number is also helpful in making sure you know which card you are dealing with.

5. Don’t buy generic memory cards. While it’s true that there are only two or three principal manufacturers of the components used in memory cards, these manufacturers build to different quality standards depending on who they OEM for. When they make generic cards, the quality control as well as the quality of components is usually not up to par with the same issued by the big names.

6. Note that not all cards work the same in all cameras. Some cards are optimized for individual brands. You can read about these optimizations in the manufacture literature or check various online forums for tests. In general, it’s best to ask if your camera can produce the advertised results before you buy.

7. Carry cards on your person not in your camera bag. If you can’t access your card you can’t make photographs. Too many photographers have shared stories of setting down their camera bag or leaving gear in their car, only to go on a hike, find a great spot and then run out of memory because the cards aren’t where the camera is.

8. To help you keep track of which cards have been used and which are empty, place the cards you’ve filled in your memory card wallet upside down or reverse them so you can see which ones are ready.

9. Don’t edit files on the card as if it were a hard drive. The memory card is designed to get data from the camera to the computer. It’s not designed for editing.

10. Don’t delete images on the card from the camera. Cards are cheap. Buy enough to do the job. If you delete images on the back of the camera you may easily make a mistake. It’s better to delete in your post editor like Aperture or Lightroom.

11. If you accidentally delete an image on a card stop using it and obtain a data recovery program to try to restore the images. If you keep shooting after the deletion you may mess up the chance to recover the lost photo(s).

12. Recognize that some of the ultra high-end cards may have a small impact on your battery life, draining the battery at a faster pace than normal. It’s not a big deal, but if you are in a critical shooting situation and need to have all the battery life you can get, remember the high speed cards might take a few shots off the end of the battery’s life.

13. Don’t share cards with friends, or put them into other people’s cameras or computers. This can cause a crash since the other camera or computer may attempt to write a system, desktop or file of unknown format to the card.

14. Avoid the largest, newest cards until they’ve been on the market for a while. As we get into 128 GB cards and beyond, we are stretching the boundaries of technology. It only makes sense to let the marketplace test these bleeding edge technologies to make sure they are reliable.

15. Turn your camera off before inserting or removing a memory card. Most camera manuals advise this but most photographers don’t read the manual. This eliminates “voltage shock.” Modern cameras are often less prone to this but why take the chance?

Since the memory card is in many ways the most important photo accessory you will ever own, try these tips to ensure that your cards last their longest and work at their best.

 

Strength from Within.....

Taking my photography to the next level has allowed me to express myself in a very artistic manner. I tend to look at my surroundings with a very different eye.This new development has now also caused those around me to expect a certain level of photography on a regular basis. Not a problem, sure I’ll keep them coming. However, most people will now tend to take certain things for granted. Hey, Shawn is a photographer so we can get him to shoot whatever ...... sorry to disappoint folks, it’s not always that easy.

Recently I’ve been asked to photograph a funeral…….

Whew!

I was MOST honoured to be asked, but I must say it was the most difficult photography task I’ve encountered thus far. The emotions are un-believable from behind the camera. I truly can’t promise this is something I’d do on a regular basis. It was truly difficult.

Our prayers go out to you Canon Knight and your family. May you find comfort.

Veira Family Shoot

It’s such a joy to be able to have the opportunity to create photo shoots that are well received by the subjects. Always helps to have such fun loving people as well to photograph it makes the task at hand so much easier. When you look through the lens at this family you can actually feel the ‘love’. It was awesome. I truly enjoyed this photo shoot and will cherish it forever. Such memorable moments.

 

Aidan & Arin Photoshoot

Here's a photo shoot I did with these awesome kids. I actually did this shoot quite a while ago and it's definitely time for a new shoot with them. These kids are the result of my very dear friends and I truly believe that connection helped. It's photo shoots like this that make taking up my camera so worth while. Unfortunately they can't all go this well, however it certainly helps to try.