Hold The Eye Images

Which tripod to buy? How many tripods do I need?

These are questions we all face as photographers. The simple answer to which one should I buy; the best you can afford. A good quality tripod should be easy to use, versatile and last you for years. Top brands like Really Right Stuff and Gitzo are no brainers IF you can spend that much. Others like Endura offer good value. Brian Tramontana and I talk about this and a host of other issues on the subject of tripods. Check it out here.

Or, you can click on the Tripod Podcast in the right hand column. You can always find all the podcasts at Hold the Eye Images on iTunes under podcasts.

Last Minute Gifts for the Photographer In Your Life

Just a few more shopping days to Christmas and what to pick up for that photographer in your life? What can you buy that will not break the bank, yet will be that little something for the old camera bag. So here goes a few ideas, useful and not expensive. 

1. Lens Pens, little gadgets that clean your lens and look like a pen. You can never have enough of these tools, because you are always looking for one. http://www.amazon.com/Lenspen-NLP-1-LensPen/dp/B007G5NNOW/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1356022387&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=photo+lens+pens

2. Collapsible Water Bottle, you say what? Well these bottles are terrific and as you use them they get smaller. They became popular with the ultra lite backpackers, but are perfect for that gear head photographer who never has enough room. Easily stored, they provide lots of room as you drink they get smaller and they are durable. Here's a link to one at REI http://www.rei.com/product/820769/platypus-platy-bottle-70-fl-oz. Your photographer may laugh at first, but I will be in time, they will think you are a genius.

3. David duChemin's "The Print and the Process", this is a great book about getting great photographs, the thinking part not the how to. If you can get your photographer to read it they will love you forever(and wonder how you were so smart). Get in on Amazon.com

4. Olloclip for the iphone or other phone with a camera. This little gadget gives you lots of options in changing the perspective(focal length) of your phone camera and gives the photographer in your life some creative options for everyday photography. Here is a link to learn more:http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/14/olloclip-three-in-one-lens-for-iphone-4-review/

5. Bribe someone to buy one of their prints as a Christmas gift; no I didn't say that, it is dishonest but works.

6. Last minute need, buy your photographer a new camera bag. I don't care which one, go into the local camera store and buy a nice bag. No photographer I ever met, #1 Had the perfect camera bag and #2 wasn't looking for the perfect camera bag and #3 never met a bag that couldn't like for at least a while. So buy a nice one, help the local economy and you can be sure he/she will love it at least for a while.

7. Pick up an "R Strap" from Black Rapid. You may not know what that is, but trust me it will be a hit. And don't worry if they have one, backups are always needed. Here is some info, don't fret over which one, anyone will do;http://www.blackrapid.com/. Buy it on Amazon.com, easy and quick.

8. Go down to your local computer store, Apple if your photographer uses Apple. Walk in and buy a small portable hard drive. Put it in a box, with a note asking them to put all their favorite pictures of the coming year on this drive including ones of you, for you to publish in a book next year. That's right you are asking them to save those special pic's just for you. Need I say more?

9. Buy anything from ThinkTank, you can't go wrong, they don't make a single product big or small that photographers don't love. Order on line using code WS-506 or pick it up at a local camera store. You can not make a bad decision if you tried.

10. Surefire Flashlight, Oh, you say flashlight? Well every photographer needs a good flashlight and Sure Fire is the best made, reliable, plenty of light, water proof, and bomb proof, will not break. It needs to be small since space is a premium, and will be used all the time. AND, every time they use it, they will think of you and smile! Here is one link:http://www.amazon.com/Surefire-E1L-Outdoorsman-Dual-Output/dp/B001EJLNA2/ref=sr_1_23?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1356021975&sr=1-23&keywords=surefire+flashlights

So those are last minute ideas, when all else is exhausted and you need something out of the ordinary to spark that photographers attention and let them know you gave it a lot of thought and care about their work.

Happ Holdiays to all

Colorado Photography, Images, Places, and Techniques.

I just finished scouting for a fall workshop next year in Colorado. First let me just state it's a photography paradise. This time of year, there are so many images and opportunities to find new ways of portraying subjects, you are only limited by your imagination. For example, this scene is very accessible near Keystone CO. You can easily capture people in your images, since every stream has fly fishermen. Personally, I prefer people in my landscape images, and I managed to get a little fishing in myself.

There are lots of old buildings protected by avid preservation. Old homesteads are preserved and  are scattered everywhere. This barn is part of an active place, with a resident. But many much older are around with no residents. Lots of ghost towns are around, which may or may not be inhabited.

And if you are just in for plain old beautiful. You could shoot a hundered gigs of that.

There is also a good bit of wildlife activity since the fall is rutting season for the elk and moose.

I ran into a small herd of 50 females led by a big male. He was bugling constantly to attract more females(made me wonder how many females one male needs), and other competitive males were in the area bugling to attract females including his. He was always on the lookout and when a female started to stray off, he would bully her back. Here is the male bugling for more females. 

Here is a portrait image of the male and female. Odd thing to say for a human male, but the male elk has a nice rack.

And, there is a lot of interaction, to put it politely.  Here is the male showing a little tenderness.

You are likley wondering what lens to use to capture these images. During rutting season these animals have few things other than mating on the mind so you can get safely close. I used a 70-200mm/2.8 lens with a 2X teleconverter. It's important you use a good teleconverter, and I used the latest one from Nikon which is excellent as I discovered in Africa.

So these are some examples of the animal potential. I would point out again, I was scouting not looking for any particular image, these opportunities are plentiful if you know where to look. There are plenty of opportunites for different types of images.

You could create an entire portfolio of reflections given the colors and time of year.

So, what gear do you need? I basically used two lenses; 24-70mm/2.8 and 70-200mm/2.8. I carried a 2X teleconverter, variable ND filter, circular 3 stop ND filter, polarizer, and a cable release. I used a tripod when possible and carried the gear in a small Think Tank backpack. The temperatures are tricky, 20's in the morning but rising to the 70's during the day.

I will be returning next year with a workshop, limited to approximately 10-12 people. I'm working with hotels for group rates, and will be doing all the driving in 2-3 vehicles. The current plan is to have a one day orientation at the Hold the Eye Images Studio at which time we will talk gear, camera settings, weather, clothing and anything else important for the trip. The trip will likely have 3 days of shooting, then another day at the studio upon return for post processing techniques using Lightroom, Photoshop 6 and Nik.

To stay abreast of this workshop, follow Hold the Eye Images Meetup, the workshop signup and details will be posted in this forum.

 

 

 

10 Common Questions About Photography

1. Best Pocket Camera? Canon S100 or S95 older version

2. Best DSLR Value? Nikon D800/E

3. Number one reason Photographers don't get better? They simply don't shoot enough

4. What should you always do, if possible in your photography? Use a tripod

5. Most common mistake in photographic outings? Carrying too much gear

6. Biggest myth about photography? You have to go somewhere to get great photographs

7. What should you always carry when photographing? Pad/pen or voice recorder

8. Single most important key in wildlife photography? Learning wildlife behavior

9. The element that most often improves every photograph? including people

10. Single most important aspect of photography to learn? Light

Capturing the Moment with the Nikon D800E

I have not been shooting the Dell for the blog as much lately although I'm still capturing the people who hang out. I'm careful about posting those images since I don't want someone to see or hear about their image in this blog before they see it in the studio. The musicians who come to the Jam are a different story. I have experimented a lot with lighting, using a flash at a manual setting of a quarter power hanging from the ceiling, sometimes two, adjusting the light with my camera f/stop. I have come to the point where I rarely use TTL except at events where the subject distance is constantly changing along with the lighting conditions. Manual lighting just gives you so much more freedom and allows much more drama.

I do periodically burn out a bit shooting the Jam, decide to quit for a while then start up again if someone really interesting is coming. That's the case with last Thursday. Two events caused me to show up with camera in hand. First the Chief Product Developer for Unified Color was coming along with the CEO and John Omvik VP Marketing all of whom are friends of mine. I had never meet the DPD for Unified, he is Russian and lives in Moscow. Well the gang showed up, everyone had fun and it turns out he plays the piano, loves jazz and is good at it. He didn't make the stage Thursday for the second reason I showed up, Johnny Ace. Johnny Ace is a local bass player with a pedigree of working with many of the greats in blues music. He is also known as a great showman, so I was asked to stop in.

Shooting the same or a similar subject over time gets boring. You have to take breaks shoot other subjects, come back with renewed energy and push your technique. That has been the evolution over the last year after writing about this being a project I wanted to take on. Actually, I'm surprised I have stuck with it as long as I have. I think the main reason is the fact I continue to see new possibilities, different approaches and that keeps the general interest going. Between this and other studio projects, shooting has become an everyday thing.

Enough of the chatter, shooting musicians is interesting and I have found the closer you get, the more interesting it becomes. I'm not talking physically, but with the camera. My preferred lens is the 70-200mm/2.8VRII, which allows me to shoot with some distance yet get close. It also provides some "cover" since people think flash and my camera has no flash, so they ignore me. You cannot get away with good photographs in a place like this with on camera flash, just too hard. I have made some work with on camera but it really is not a productive way to shoot. So here is a sample of the evening. First let's get close.

Next, let's use the light for effect.

Looking for individual expression to capture.

Let's get very very close

Back off a bit with the zoom, but still staying close for expression.

Finally pulling away for a band shot is tricky. It can't be a kitchen shot where you just snap something and light it up. Here is one I like from many I tried.

Now for the "Portrait" image, one that defines the person. Here is one I like for that purpose from the evening.

So there you have it, some views from my lens for the evening with some of my thinking. You might wonder why I process in black and white vs color. I tend to like black and white better, but it is image specific. When I shoot with a single light, from up high, I tend to shoot off angle and the light is harsh so it fits black and white better. Normally, I process in color first, then check out black and white to see what it looks like. Sometimes I shoot for black and white but even then, I double check to make sure color isn't better.
Camera Nikon D800E and lens Nikon 70-200mm/f2.8.

 

Pieces of the Past

I have collected old things from relatives, in laws, all odds and ends from an era long ago. Today in the studio, I put some of the pieces together sort of highlighting the change(s) in photography as well as putting my Nikon D800E to work. Think about it, this was a high end camera in Ansel's day or Edward Weston's, not a large format as they used, but not one anyone would pick up.

Their version of a prosumer might be this camera

I thought about doing something to show some items that for the most part no longer exist or in limited quantities. Obviously cameras, shaving brushes, fountain pens, ink, and old style glasses although the later comes back with style from time to time. I included old books for they are rapidly dissolving to digital beings.

But even though things change and go out of style, brands remain, even grow stronger. Some very old brands that exist today. Kent, Cartier and Montblanc are very strong today, quality and good marketing makes for longevity.

Finally a close up of the past.

All images shot in Hold the Eye Images Studio in Campbell CA.95032 with a Nikon D800E and a 105VR/2.8 lens

Final comment, what struck me about these images was the level of detail. I didn't notice all the dust and dirt. I used a flashlight to paint the images with the camera on bulb.

 

Elements Of A Great Image

I have been thinking about what makes a great image. I'm not taking about the rule of thirds or similar principles which are important to learn but not that relevant to a great image. Today's great images are different, new perspectives, often broader dynamic ranges, and above all images that get your attention. The first ingredient in any image is light.

Light is the most important element in photography, one that often defines the image regardless of composition. In great images light is used to add texture and drama to the image. The light varies across the image. For example, this image is entirely created by light.

Here is another example of how light adds impact, by using it selectively. Above the sun provides the light, below the light is added artificially.

In many ways, light is the defining characteristic of all great photos but another characteristic is spontaneity. Capturing something in a special way. Here is an example of capturing the moment.

The use of black and white is really playing with light, the pose and capture grab your attention. Another element of great pictures is texture and depth. This is subjective but you have to learn to see it, and the great photographers see texture all around us. Here is an example of texture and depth which draws the observer into the story of the image.

Great portraits often display texture and depth, tell stories in the faces of the image. Here is an example of this.

Another example of the portrait, but this time the face says something but the environment also adds depth to the story.

And while you can tell I love black and white, color can be just as powerful. Here is a simple image with power because of the pose. The pose is candid, not directed, I simply asked him to stop while I did a light check. I loved this image from the moment I saw it. And by the way, he liked it to.

So you have light, spontaneity, texture, and depth, but perspective is also important in great images. And I'm not speaking of composition although obviously that's the output. Think of it as the lens you look through, how you see a subject. It's not how to compose but more how you see, if that makes sense. The images above illustrate that point for me, but here are a few more examples of perspective. First a cabin with a window on the Grand Tetons.

Another example from a nude shoot in my studio. This image is created in your mind's eye long before it is shot and perspective was the controlling factor.

There are also some elements of the above photo that break rules. For example, the open use of the hands and arms. The image below is an example of a perspective that is much more common. Here I intentionally waited until someone walked down the stairs, and I loved the phone. As with most photographs, people at something special and I love to include people where possible.

One final image on perspective to illustrate my point, is a common subject in Northern California, namely grapes. Here is an image of vines without grapes, but mustard adds beauty, but perspective adds depth and interest.

I hope I have done something to illustrate the elements of great images. Your photographic gift is your ability to see, some use instinct, others use rules. Some see the image in their minds eye before the shutter is pressed, others take lots of pictures and examine their product. Great images can be captured using any technique so long as you take lots of pictures. Principles mean nothing without practice and experience, and practice and experience develop your ability to see, and in those rare people, unlocks that special gift of sight. So here is a challenge that I'm thinking about, one picture a day from within 20 feet of my house. That's right I can shoot indoors and outside but I'm limited to my yard. Wonder how that will work out?

 

On Camera Flash and the Nikon D800

I changed up my lighting last night with on camera flash. I almost never use on camera flash. I was lazy last night, waited too long to set up lights, and was forced into either using someone to hold a light or on camera flash. With on camera flash and moving around, iTTL is almost a necessity if you are not going to fuss with the controls every time you shoot. Another thing I don't like is iTTl. Not that it is not good in some situations, but for my work with fixed distances normally, and limited lighting, iTTl lights up the place like a bathroom. But I had a flash on camera last night. Now I could have used a cord, or SU800 and moved the flash a bit, but I didn't. I used the flash with a diffuser, rotated the head a lot, and set the EV to -1.7 to -2.0. You lose the side lighting which I personally prefer, but making it work is part of the task.

With on camera flash I shoot differently, from different perspectives to take advantage of the light as best I can. For example, straight on like this, works in black and white.

Boucing the light can add options on a similar pose

My trusty mirror still works with a bit of lens flare, although not as well as side light.

The EV can control the light drop off and help with images like this.

But some of my favorite perspectives work well with close in light as with on camera.

On camera flash limits the drama you can create with light, but it can work as these images illustrate. I don't like holding a flash unless I'm just taking a portrait but if I'm trying to get something creative, I like to be totally focused on the image, with the light as a known.

On camera flash is something to use, doesn't give the most pleasing pictures because of the way the light strikes the subject. You can mitigate by moving the head, bouncing but only on the margins. You can take it off the camera and hold it, using it as a remote, works better but more complex in figuring out the camera perspective if creative is required. If you are moving around and the subjects are moving around, your best bet is one of the wedding rigs that move the flash a bit off camera and allow you to maneuver easily. For the best, check out Really Right Stuff. Another alternative is to set up the light on a pole or light stand, more complex for some but works if distance is fixed or you have an assistant. Finally, don't forget the EV control.

Just for reference, my normal shooting for this situation is to hang a light from the ceiling, put the flash on 1/4 power, manual. I then control the lighting with my f stop in camera as I walk around. Making the f stop adjustment for me is second nature because I have done so much. But it takes a bit of getting acquainted with but works well.

All images taken with the Nikon D800, 24-70mm/2.8 lens and the SB900 camera mounted.

 

 

Nikon D4, ISO 12,800! Or, are they usable?

So shooting last night under terrible conditions without a flash or other suitable photo light, I set the camera to Auto ISO (1), which ended up being 12, 800. I have written in the past that these high ISO images are useful for some but not in the work I do. In other words, not my taste. I may have to eat those words. Here are some images and what was salvaged. First let's take the image right out of the camera. The red glow that you see is from stage lighting on the musicians.

The first thing I tried to do was get the color right or as good as possible, and do a little crop.

I like the image, but not in color. So with the help of some black and white work, here is my final which I like.

So again, a matter of taste, you may not like what I do, but the journey is important to understand.

Let's take another image set. So, here is the original. Not a very good image on the surface, but let's do some work with a crop.

So, here is the crop converted to black and white. Quite a difference I would say and I went from an poor image to one I really like.

So, the bottomline, the high ISO is not perfect for what I like, but I have now come to the conclusion it can really work if I'm careful. And just an aside, photography is all about the art of seeing. It is all in the eye. So finding a way to make images work is just part of my journey.

Nikon D800 Images, can only be described as AMAZING!

Let me begin with my conclusion. The Nikon D800 is the best buy for photographers since digital photography came into being. The ability to capture quality/high resolution images is amazing. I have shot thousands of images with the Nikon D3 and Nikon D3s, hundreds with the Nikon D4, and nothing compares to the images fromt the D800. Everything comes with a price and I'm not talking about money. The auto focus of the D800 is much slower than the D3 series. I have not used the D800 to track wildlife but no doubt the D4 smokes the D800 in this category. But those images, nothing compares to the D800. Now I'm going to give you an example and I could fill this blog with similar examples. So here is the wide shot.

Here is the crop! Can you believe this? Folks this is an extreme crop, one you would never do.

These files come out of the camera at between 41-44MB, quickly become 100MB's. I really don't know what else to say. I was using a 24-70mm/2.8 lens and the camera ISO was 400. You can lower the ISO to 100.

For landscape photography, there is nothing like this camera. Now you could talk about Phase, and yes it is a great camera. But I have tons of lenses including a 600mm, wide angles beginning 10.5 so my flexibility is enormous and outweighs medium format. Secondly, I can quickly switch to a Nikon D3s or D4 and track any animal on earth with the best focus system tracking on the planet.

Prior to digital photography, I used medium format. Specifically a Contax 645 and loved it. I still have the entire lens kit, body, etc. I have been waiting for the backs to become reasonable. I considered the 120mm macro planar to be the best lens on the planet. The D800 changes the game for me and anyone who wants high resolution. Next question, why do you need high resolution?

If you are shooting only for the web, the argument weakens. Or, if you are going to limit your prints to smaller sizes, the argument also weakens. Here are my two main reasons for the higher resolution. First, I like to crop, sometimes I get 2-3 images out of a single frame. It is the way I like to think and create. Secondly, I like big prints, and my printer is an Epson 9900 so resolution is critical for me.

There are likely shortcomings in the D800 I have not experienced besides auto focus. But thus far, after a 3 days of shooting hundreds of images, this is what I think. I'm not a technical guy. In fact, I picked up the camea started shooting before I even corrected the date/time in the camera. I'm a shooter, I judge by the images and because I'm familar with Nikon controls, I just turned it on and began pressing the shutter. And you should have seen the smile on my face when I zoomed in on the first image from the camera back. And bye the way, it is still there.