Expressive Little Girl - My Vision

Last Saturday I went to a neighborhood picnic where some of the teenage girls were offering free face painting to the younger children -- can you say, "Photo Op?!". (See my "photostream" to view eight other images in this series.)

After having her face painted, this little girl made a funny face to her friend who was standing nearby.

Almost missed it... I nearly lost this shot because I didn't have my camera set to my standard default settings -- which is to keep my camera on Aperture Priority, and my lens set for the widest aperture.

Establishing a default setting: I also keep my ISO at 640 and my white balance on "Average" (my image file is always set for Camera RAW, with a Large JPEG for rapid reviews). With this setting, I'm ready for most action situations that I come upon. By using Aperture Priority, with the the camera/lens set to widest possible aperture, the camera will automatically give me the fastest shutter speed for that aperture and ISO. (I realize that "640" is a pretty high default ISO, but its one that gives me "controllable" noise with this camera, and enough speed to handle most surprise and unplanned situations.)

With people shots, you rarely need a lot of depth of field. In fact, shallow focus is most often preferred. But what you do want is a fast shutter speed to stop action and camera shake (even if you have image stabilization). Except with landscapes, architecture, and other "tripod" type shots, having a lot of depth of field is not as important as having SOMETHING tack sharp by using the fastest shutter speed possible. (Remember, you can have great DOF, but if the shutter speed is not fast enough to stop the action or freeze your camera movement, you will still have a soft and blurry image.)

I had done a landscape shot the day before where I did need a lot of depth of field. Instead of changing all my camera settings to my standard defaults before putting my camera away, I had left the F-stop at f13. If my next shot had been a still life or another landscape, this would not have been a problem. That's because these type of shots are often quite relaxed, where I have time to THINK about what I'm doing. However, when I see a candid portrait opportunity developing, I sometimes jump into it and start clicking away before the expressions flee -- like I did last Saturday with this little girl.

Luckily, even at f13, I still had a shutter speed of 1/100 of a second, and I caught her fleeting expression without any head movement. The extra depth of field in this shot created post-production problems, though. It took over 30 minutes to blur the background in Photoshop (having to create a mask around her hair), so that it was no longer distracting and competing for attention.

Another great example of using Aperture Priority and the widest aperture possible is this helicopter shot of the Chicago skyline by Trey Ratcliff. This photo was taken at the lens' widest aperture (f2.8), giving the camera an 1/8,000 second shutter speed with an ISO of 800. Here's the full resolution file on Flickr if you want to view the incredible detail of this image (yes, it's a little noisy in the shadow areas, but he GOT the image).

You are invited to see my "Most Interesting" images on Flickr (based on popularity stats).

Camera Battery Power More Important Than Memory

Avoid a common error in lost picture-taking opportunities.

When it comes to buying accessories for your new digital camera, the first priority that comes to most people's mind is getting additional digital memory cards. Few people think about getting extra rechargeable batteries for their camera. This can be a big mistake.

When I review real life photo-taking situations with other photographers, they will tell you that they have had more lost photo opportunities from exhausted batteries than from full digital memory cards. Why? For one thing, a person can always review their images and free up more memory by erasing pictures they don't think are as important; however, when your [last] battery is dead, you're totally out of business.

Maybe it's because memory has become so cheap these days that we typically end up buying additional cards, yet many of us fail to purchase the more expensive (and I believe), and the most important accessory: extra camera batteries.

Some digital cameras still use AA alkaline batteries that are easily obtainable almost anywhere, but the majority of cameras today require proprietary lithium-ion batteries (or Li-ion) for their power source. Rechargeable Li-ion batteries are much cheaper than AA alkaline batteries in the long run, but can be quite pricey in the beginning, and virtually impossible to find when you are on vacation or on location at a professional photo shoot.

I recommend getting at least one extra Li-ion battery for your digital camera, and keep it charged. As soon as your camera indicates that your battery's power is starting to run low, switch out the battery with the fresh one, and start recharging the nearly exhausted one when you get back home or to your hotel. You don't have to worry about battery "memory" problems with the newer lithium-ion batteries. Unlike older battery types, Li-ion batteries don't require you to completely discharge the battery before you recharge it (to maintain maximum capacity).

In fact, it's better if you don't fully exhaust a Li-ion battery. This battery type prefers a partial rather than a full discharge. Because frequent full discharges should be avoided whenever possible, I'd even suggest rotating your batteries, and starting out each day with a freshly charged battery when you leave your hotel or your home. Professional photographers will want to switch out whenever there is a lull in the shooting, or just before an important session. I typically carry four or more batteries on a shoot.

Like I said in the beginning, extra batteries can be expensive. An extra battery for my new Canon EOS 5D Mark II costs about $80, and the typical Li-ion battery for many point-and-shoot digital cameras will run you about $40 or more. One of the most popular digital cameras under $150 right now is the Canon Powershot SD1100 IS. However, an extra Canon NB-4L battery will cost you about $60 -- more than one-third the price of the camera! It's no wonder many put off getting this important accessory.

Low-cost alternative: I suggest you buy an after-market brand battery that meets or exceeds the OEM (original equipment manufacturer's) specifications in their "mAh" rating. But, be careful. There are some poor quality after-market battery products out there. One company that I've used for several years, with good success, is CCS - Calcellular.com (also found under www.cs-power.com). They are a leading after-market supplier of cell phone, laptop, camcorder and digital camera batteries. Their replacement Li-ion battery for the Canon NB-4L is under $7. And since the shipping will probably cost you about that much, you might as well buy two or three! Another cost-saving example is their replacement Canon BP-511 Li-ion battery that has been used in more than three dozen Canon digital cameras. Whereas the Canon product typically retails for almost $70, the CCS replacement is less than $9.00!

News Flash: Currently, no after-market companies have tooled-up to produce a replacement battery for my new Canon EOS 5D Mark II (21MP), so I'll have to buy the expensive, genuine Canon original. In fact, Canon is so behind on producing these batteries that they are back-ordered all over the country. In some cases, pros are willing to pay over $115 (retail is $79.95) to get additional batteries!

Your Photo Vision STATEMENT

Welcome to my blog! Whether you're a beginning photographer, intermediate, or a professional, the reason you take pictures is because you wish to share your photo vision -- your view of the world with others. In this blog I will talk about ways in which each of us, no matter our level of experience, can improve our methods of capturing our vision and sharing it with others.

I've been a professional photographer for over 30 years and I still enjoy learning new ways to capture the vision I have. I strive constantly to make my camera a seamless extension of my eyes. For most professionals and some intermediate photographers, this has been accomplished -- what we see on the LCD screen (and in our final digital images) is pretty close to what our eyes saw. We've finally mastered the technical part of photography.

But the most challenging step sometimes still eludes me, and that is trying to capture what my brain has envisioned -- trying to capture ideas and thoughts onto digital "film." Reaching this last level is the most fun. Some beginning and intermediate photographers want to go straight to this level without conquering the technical part. This leads to frustration and disappointment. At the same time, some intermediate and professional photographers can get so caught up in techique that their images are stilted and without soul.

As I have taught photography classes and workshops, it has often been an inspiration to me to see beginning photographers who have an amazing vision to share. Their images shout with expression and enthusiasm, even when their technical skills are somewhat lacking. Others, with more skills, produce flawless images, but they have nothing to say -- their pictures do not speak to you.

My goal in this blog is to 1) share my photo vision, 2) share the vision of others that I admire, 3) review products and teach skills that will improve your technique, and 4) share ideas that will increase the flow and enthusiasm for revealing your photo vision.