Digital Hues

Improve Image Clarity - Local Contrast Enhancement

2009-11-23T21:23:00.004+10:30

Here's a surprisely simple way to improve the clarity (contrast, definition) of an image. The reference to "clarity" is in the technical sense of image quality rather than the "meaning" of the image.

Have a look at the following two pairs of images. You should notice that the second image in each pair has slightly better clarity; less dull, less haze.

The effect is less noticeable on these small highly compressed images, but it's still there. Click on each image for a larger view.

The method is to use the Unsharp Mask with a small percentage value (around 10%) and a large radius value (around 100 pixels). Compare this to the "traditional" use of the Unsharp Mask to sharpen (delineate edges) where the percentage is around 50% and the radius around 0.7 pixels.

The name of this method is "Local Contrast Enhancement".

For a portrait style image where you want soft / gradual changes in tone, use this method with a very light touch or skip it altogether.

For a product style image where you want a more punchy look, this method can work very well.

Street Photography

2009-11-13T22:09:00.012+10:30

A unique characteristic of photography is its ability to capture a moment in time in a highly realistic manner. "Street" photography exploits this characteristic, to reveal some aspect, however small, about human nature.

I haven't found a clear-cut definition of street photography, but we can recognise it when we see it. Here are some examples from the experts - Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Elliot Erwitt and (the lesser known) Danny Lyons.

So what makes the above photographs examples of the genre?

- includes a person or people
- candid (not posed)
- taken at the decisive / critical moment regarding action / emotion
- in a public place (the street being a typical location)
- difficult to reproduce (is therefore special)
- alludes to a universal / easily understood theme or concept

You might be inclined to add "and taken as a B+W image". Indeed many of the famous images in this genre are B+W and for four good reasons: good B+W film has been around longer than good colour film, early B+W film was better in low light than colour, colour can be a complicating element when taking a quick shot and finally B+W film is easier to manipulate in the printing process. But nowadays colour is just as capable as B+W (film or digital) and can be readily manipulated.

For examples of my efforts in the Photography: Street Department, go back through the images I've posted on this blog or check out my 'South America' blog. These are all in colour.

For fun, I've taken a couple of my images and re-edited them into B+W.

The first image was taken in Buenos Aires, of a group of street musicians. The second image was taken on a bushwalk (near Adelaide) with friends.

Spoiler

The third image of the attractive young couple kissing was taken by Robert Doisneau in 1950. For many years people wondered who the couple was, to be captured forever in this iconic image. From time to time, a man or women came forward claiming it was they in the photo. Some claimants even wanted to sue! In 2005 Doisneau revealed (admitted?) it was a posed photo; the girl was a model he hired and the guy was her then boyfriend. The image remains iconic but it cannot remain as a classic example of street photography.

TrailBlazer Charity Walk

2009-10-31T16:23:00.006+10:30

Here are some images from a charity walk I did a couple weeks ago (in a team of four with Phil, Kirsten and Jenny). Some 850 participants (in teams of 2,3 or 4) started from Pinky Flat at 7am for a walk along the Linear Park then across the Adelaide Hills. Teams could nominated for one of four distances; we chose 50km (the longest was 100km). We finished the walk at 9pm, after 12 hours of walking and 2 hours of rests.

I took a dozen reasonable photos; I've picked four images for this entry.

The first image was taken shortly after 6am, the digital clock alongside the starting gate provided most of the light.

The second image was taken one minute before the start time of 7am; I wanted to capture the thoughts on people's minds just before tackling a 50km walk (the first time for all four of us).

The third image was taken under the King William St bridge. The strong arch of the bridge acts as a frame, the warm light from the morning sun, the blur of people entering the tunnel and the too bright light at the other end.

The fourth image was taken on the other side of the bridge, showing a picturesque view of the tourist boats, green river banks and reflections in the water.

South America Dinner Party

2009-10-16T21:13:00.005+10:30

After our South American adventures, everyone commented on the great food and wine we enjoyed on the trip. Kirsten and Peter decided to re-create this aspect of our trip with a dinner party back in Adelaide.

I decided to photograph the evening. There was the technical challenge of taking shots in low light with people moving (no posing) ... two situations a point-and-shoot camera struggles with. After using ISO 800 on my travels with good results, I figured I should give it a go back home.

From the images, I created my usual Powerpoint slide-show. But I also decided to create an equivalent blog entry, as an experiment. Slide-shows have the benefit of juxtaposing images and text to aid the story-telling but a blog entry is quicker for people to access (provided they have internet access). A slide-show is easily saved on disk (for subsequent access) but so can a blog entry (in a Word document, for example).

Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself - do people really want to save an entire slide-show or blog entry? More likely they want to save one or two pictures from the event. In reality, blog entries (whatever medium is used) are disposable unless the entry has an educational aspect to it.

Pictures from South America

2009-09-19T19:00:00.005+09:30

My pictures from the South America trip are edited and up on the web!

I decided to create a separate blog for this - use the link on the "Blogs of Interest" list. All of my "good or better" pictures, with a few captions, are to be found there.

Back on my home blog (this one) I'll create some posts to discuss specific photographic ideas I had from the trip.

For starters, I've decided to compile some "statistics" on the photographs, to see if I can spot trends or issues with my photgraphy. Hopefully this casual analysis will identify areas of improvement.

Photographs taken: 700. Photographs good or better: 330

Most common framing mistake: image is crooked.
Solution: I generally choose a vertical (e.g a post, pole) towards the edge of the frame. A more accurate choice is a vertical in the middle of the frame. Choosing a horizontal line is the other option.

Woolshed Gully to Mt Lofty

2009-08-30T16:37:00.003+09:30

Today a group of us walked from Woolshed Gully, up Maggies Hill, across some connecting tracks, to finish up at Mt Lofty. The usual coffee, cake and bumping into other walkers we knew ensued. We returned via the Long Ridge Track, as the damp weather made Maggies Hill a too slippery option.

Although I brought my camera, I didn't really want to take any new photos as I have so much editing to do on the South American photos. But just before Mt Lofty my eye caught sight of some wattles flowering in brilliant yellow and just before returning to the cars I saw a privately-owned pond surrounded by lilies. The even (but subdued) lighting from the overcast sky and the wet foliage accentuated the depth of colour.

However, although the lighting is flat both flowers are over-exposed. The center of the wattle flower and the entire flower of the lily must be highly reflective. If I pass by these locations in the next few weeks, I'll try again using some manually set exposure compensation (say -1/2 stop).

Cudlee Creek to Kersbrook

2009-08-24T21:17:00.004+09:30

Cudlee Creek and Kersbrook are small towns located in the Adelaide Hills. They lie along the Heysen Trail, separated by some 14km.

It's my first time along this section and I really enjoyed the walk. The weather was perfect (20C and sunny) and the trail was mainly fire tracks and trails through paddocks (private land). Some parts of the Heysen Trail utilise bitumen roads and are not so nice to walk on.

I surprised myself by taking 65 photographs in 3 hours - a personal best, in terms of quantity if not quality. We did this walk in the morning, but from a photographic perspective it warrants a walk in the afternoon light as well.

From month to month, I've be taking more people shots. I've always liked people shots, both taking them or viewing the handiwork of others. I suspect the walking group is getting used to my photographic endeavours and doesn't object [too strongly] to me taking a posed or candid image. The image with Kirsten is a mess-around shot to show just how windy the top of the hill was.

Come to think of it, every walk should be traversed in both directions and in the morning and afternoon light to create four photographic excursions!

Travel Photography

2009-08-11T18:48:00.008+09:30

I've just come back from four weeks travelling through South America (mainly Peru). I'll post some pictures over the next couple of weeks, but meantime here are some thoughts on travel photography in general. I've compiled these notes based on this recent experience plus comments made to me by my fellow travel companions.

1. Unlike some film cameras, digital cameras require a battery to function. Take spare batteries and the battery charger. If travelling to a foreign country, remember to take a power plug adaptor as well.

2. If travelling by plane, I recommend you take your camera and its accessories as carry-on luggage. If you baggage goes missing then you'll still have a complete camera system.

3. Guesstimate the number of pictures and [lengh of] video you might make during the trip. A simple calculation of "50 pictures a day" and "2 minutes of video", for example. Use this information to then determine the maximum Gb of storage required. I suggest you buy enough memory cards to cover this maximum value. Bring along at least two memory cards, just in case one card fails or you lose one.

4. Think twice about bringing an external drive or a laptop. That's more weight, more batteries and more responsibility. If you have internet access on the trip then you can download and send off the "keepers". Remember to bring the camera-to-PC cable (usually plugs into the USB port).

5. Be well-practised in using your camera, in a variety of situations. Try to anticipate the situations you might experience on your trip and practise taking these shots at home. It's not much fun fumbling with your camera on the trip, especially when you might only have a short period of time at one location. Don't assume there will be other people on hand to assist you with using your camera. They might be big on advice but low on experience.

6. From your experience at home, ensure you like using your camera and are happy with the results. If not then buy / borrow a better camera and also improve your skills. I was surprised that a number of people on my trip suddenly "discovered" they didn't know how to use their camera / didn't like to use their camera and stopped taking photographs.

7. I prefer to use my camera hand-held and accept using a high ISO value (800) in low light situations. Decide before the trip whether you want to use a high ISO or use a tripod.

8. Instead of sending postcards (that can take up to 10 days to get back home) why not send an email with some pictures attached?

9. I tend to make pictures if my surroundings "catch my eye" in a photographic sense (light, colour, form etc). In hindsight, I didn't take enough photos on my South American trip - I missed some events and even some days altogether. Be prepared to take pictures of "things" rather than something artistic. It's better to have a middle-of-the-road photograph then hold back in the name of Fine Art.

However, you don't want to spend the entire trip behind a camera. Try to find the happy medium between too few and too many photographs. This I have yet to learn!

10. Identify the other good photographers on your trip and get their email address. Agree to pool and swap photographs at the end of the trip.

11. Be security conscious. A camera with a larger sensor / lens takes better quality images than a smaller camera but it is more obvious to a would-be thief. A good quality point-and-shoot camera may be all you need, plus it can shoot video as well.

On my trip only one person had an SLR camera (from a group of 20 people) and they suffered the theft of a lens early in the tour.

12. When bringing your camera along to a particular excursion, be mindful of what the camera could be subjected to. Some of our excursions involved sliding down a sand-dune on a board and being in a boat under a waterfall! Can your camera handle sand and water? Keep your camera in it's case (or a zip-lock plastic bag) when not in use.

13. If taking a picture of a local person (or their shopfront) ask permission beforehand. Some locals expect a small payment for the privilege.

14. Be aware that your face may appear on the web without your knowledge. For good or for bad, another person may take a photograph of you and post it without your permission. This is a fact of modern life. If you are not happy with an image that contains you then you have every right to ask the photographer to remove the picture or at least edit you out of the picture.

Ask nicely. Some photographers are absolutely clueless as to what constitutes a flattering image. What you might think is a malicious image is another person's idea of perfectly reasonable.

15. As a courtesy to your travel companions, send them a copy of any photograph that they appear in (but only the flattering images, of course).

16. Once you return home, set aside time to review and edit all of your travel photographs. Strike while the iron is hot! Your camera has probably grouped your images into days; you can cross check this with your itinerary to determine locations. I then re-group the photographs into locations and excursions (a folder for each). Create a folder for every location and excursion on your itinerary; if your images are inadequate or missing then ask a fellow traveller for a suitable image.

17. Consider compiling a photobook (or slideshow, or DVD). Refer to your notes and memory (and that of others on the trip) to construct meaningful text or captions. Be sure to acknowledge the identity of each photographer in your photobook. If your photobook contains many images / sections of text supplied by others then perhaps refer to yourself as the "editor" rather than the "author".

Scott Creek Conservation Park

2009-06-24T19:50:00.003+09:30

Last Sunday the walking group tackled a new location - Scott Creek Conservation Park. The terrain was a little ho-hum, but there some interesting plant life and even a view to the sea (Christies Beach) from the ridge. We also had a look at some ruins in the historic silver mine.

Even though the terrain was not particularly photogenic, I kept an open mind and came up with 20 good photographs. One advantage of walking with a group of people is that others in the group might spot something of interest even if you don't. Of course, their interest may not be photographic in nature, but upon closer inspection you might see a photo opportunity.

Second Valley walk

2009-06-24T19:34:00.004+09:30

Here are some pictures from a couple weeks ago - a walk through a pine planation in Second Valley. South Australia doesn't have any natural pine forests, so this is the closest we get to a heavily wooded area. We had lunch near the Ingallala Waterfalls and a ruin.

After walking around and through the pine plantation for three or so hours, we headed further down the road to Starfish Hill (just before you reach Cape Jervis). The attraction here is the impressive wind turbines. Located in this windy area, overlooking the coast, are some two dozen wind turbines. Some people find them an eye-sore but I thought they looked sleek, almost elegant. Each turbine is 68m high with a rotor that is 64m in diameter. A rotor completes one revolution in a few seconds and makes a low-pitched whoosh sound.

Colour Casts / Scene modes

2009-06-15T20:47:00.006+09:30

In this post I'll make a few observations about colour casts (white balance) and Scene modes. Before linking these two seemingly disparate topics, let's start with colour casts.

Here are two shots I took the other week, direct from camera. Both shots are two perspectives on nearly the same scene in a pine forest but look at the blue-ish colour cast on the left-hand image! The two shots are taken from locations less than 10m apart, but what I didn't factor in was the difference in ambient light.

The scene on the left is lit more by the open sky above whereas the scene on the right is getting more direct sun-light. For both shots, I left the White Balance setting at "Daylight". This works fine for an outdoor scene lit by sunlight but causes a colour cast when the scene is lit by the overhead sky (similar to cloud or shade).

There are three solutions for getting the right colours...

1. Always shoot with the WB set for daylight then correct later with an image editor;

2. For each shot, choose one of your camera's WB presets such as "Cloudy" or "Shade". This "warms" up the image but it may be too little or too much;

3. For each shot, set the WB manually by placing a white coloured object in the same light as the subject (assuming your camera has this feature).

I had to go with option 1 and here's the result. The two images now appear in the same light:

Now, how do colour casts relate to Scene modes?

I haven't experimented with Scene modes on my camera (for various reasons), but another person in the walking group sent some images they took, from the same walk. The images suffered from all sorts of colour casts ranging from blue, to green to yellow! Novice camera users tend not to notice this type of issue with their images.

Intrigued, I asked this person how they went about taking a shot and discovered they make extensive use of Scene modes. Camera manufacturers promote Scene modes as a way to "simplify" taking pictures but novice camera users have little idea what a particular Scene mode actually does and often the manual (if read) is vague.

For the record, a particular Scene mode is a built-in programme that puts a certain bias on aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance and flash. In the same vein, the Auto mode on your camera is really a Scene mode with a bias for "general photography in daylight (or flash)". Provided everyone is shooting in daylight with the same notion of "general" photography the Auto mode can be effective in producing a reasonable shot.

So, how does this explain the unusual colour casts my friend experienced? By switching from one Scene mode to the next for different shots, they unknowingly altered the white balance setting, away from what was actually required by the shot.

For example, for a shot of a toadstool on the forest floor my friend dialled the "Food" Scene mode. I have no idea what a "Food" scene mode is set for but I'm sure it does not cater for toolstools in a forest!

Feel free to use a Scene mode, but I would recommend you experiment first to get a feel for what the Scene mode does to your images (compared against the Auto or Program modes).

Black + white / Sepia

2009-06-14T18:31:00.004+09:30

From the images I made over the last few weeks, a few "presented" themselves as candidates for either b+w processing or sepia processing. I say "presented" as my decision to turn these images from colour to mono/dual tone was not always in my mind as I took the original shot.

Let me explain...

1. From one of the walks, I took a couple of impromptu portrait shots. In the first shot, Mickaela still had her sunglasses on but the second shot was without sunnies. I left the second shot as colour but the sunglasses inspired me to go for a b+w look with the first shot.

2. The image of the old car (slightly out of focus, I'm afraid) is more of a cliche, but a good excuse to try the b+w look. The original colours are a faded red paintwork and green grass. The red / green almost work as contrasting colours but the section of gravel roadway and the pink painted additions to the front of the car diluted the colour contrast.

3. The image of the tree roots is the only image I had in mind as b+w. The colour scheme of the actual scene + the overly bright light from the top left thwarted any ideas of a colour image.
So why did I go with sepia? ... Hmmm, I have no real answer for that one.

4. My subject in the fourth image is simply the termite riddled tree-stump. There is no colour scheme to speak of and the tree stump is actually light grey! I used the image editor to blur the background and convert to sepia.

Perhaps one question in my mind from reviewing this post is this: should I go looking for colour / sepia / b+w images or decide later when post-processing? I think the answer is be flexible; take a shot of something that appeals to you at the time. It might be the colour, the composition, the light, the contrast, the whatever. When I get around to post-processing each image, I sometimes get a pleasant surprise: an image may present more opportunities (or depth) than what I had consciously in mind at the time of taking the shot!

Pioneer Women's Trail walk

2009-06-14T17:51:00.005+09:30

Here are some pictures from two week's ago; a walk along a section of the Pioneer Women's Trail. The original trail was some 35km from the south of Adelaide to the hill's township of Verdun. We did the section from Waterfall Gully to Mt Lofty summit.

Nowaday's the trail comprises a number of tracks, some of which are historic as well (such as the Bullock Track).

The first image is the somewhat cliche "Dead Tree". I resisted taking this simple shot but felt the additional elements of cloud patterns and surrounding vegetation added complexity and perhaps more "realism" than just having a lone iconic tree.

A number of the other shots highlight the easy walking, perfect weather conditions and serenity of this trail.

The close-up of the white flowers (a native of the Mt Lofty area) is one of the few macro shots I've taken in recent times. Perhaps the other photographer on this walk (Phil) influenced me - he carries macro and telephoto lens for his DSLR and usually takes close-ups. I tend to stay with 28mm to 85mm shots.

Most of the images are pretty close to what I shot in-camera, but some images - for example the shaded Y-junction in the gully - required a lot of post-processing to bring up the exposure. My point-and-shooter has a limited dynamic range so I have to under-exposure to retain highlights, then brighten the dim areas during post-processing. This technique works reasonably well except if I under-expose too far; then the colours really de-saturate and look faded even after post-processing.

Morialta Falls to Norton Summit

2009-05-24T19:20:00.005+09:30

Here's a series of photos from the walk we did from Morialta Falls to Norton Summit. The three major water falls all had water, although the photo I included above is a "mini falls" further downstream. After several weeks of cool autumn weather and rains, the landscape is green again. We started walking at 7.30am (to get to the pub for breakfast) and we were surprised to see more mist in the gullies in the afternoon than in the morning.

I'm making more of an effort to vary my compositions - from close-ups that emphasise water droplets, to more chaotic collections of elements such as the rock-falls with trees. Perhaps the word "effort" is not the right one - other than taking action to photograph a scene that catches my eye. Generally, I can readily find an interesting image but I don't always listen to the "inner voice" that says "there's an interesting image; make a photo!".

Mt Lofty Summit and Gardens

2009-05-23T19:36:00.006+09:30

It's now autumn and Adelaide weather ranges for rainy and cool to perfect days in the low 20's (Celius). Here are some pictures from the first hour of a walk, covering Mt Lofty Summit to the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens. In some places the mist from low lying clouds reduced visibility to only 200m. The gardens sit in a valley below the cloud. We continued on to Bridgewater and had lunch in the pub.

Photobook / Body of Work

2009-05-15T20:07:00.003+09:30

In a previous post I introduced the concept of a "body of work". A small collection of photographs - 10 to 20 perhaps - that could be organised into a slide-show and emailed to interested parties.

For a larger body of work - say 30 to 100 photographs - a photobook is a good option. A photobook is a real paper-and-ink book, with a bound cover and glossy white pages printed on both sides with your words and images.

You'll need to find a specialist company to print your photobook. You'll find them on the 'net.

The basic idea is to take your individual digital photos, upload them to the printer's web-site then you lay them out in a book template (digitally speaking). Each print company has their own interface / book template. You can add text and background elements to each page if you wish (depending on the template you choose for a particular page). Alternately you can create a "ready to go" image for each page, containing photos, text and background elements. You do this on your PC using an image editor / page layout editor of your choice. You upload these "page images" and drop them one by one into the book template.

I've recently completed one photobook - 50 pages long containing around 65 photographs. There are a handful of pages containing only text, but more pages contain one, two or maybe three photos. I've given some of the photographs a caption. To me, a photobook is more about my photographs than my words (at least for this first effort anyway).

And the result? When flipping through my photographs in physical book form, I'm pleased to report I was impressed with my handiwork and that of the print company (HP Snapfish, Australia). I've shown my photobook to a number of friends and some of them have been inspired to organise a few photos into a photobook! I look forward to seeing their results.

As a photobook costs real money (unlike a slide-show), I'll present a few pointers here to help you get a good result the first-time around. I scoured the 'net for tips before starting on my book project.

1. If not evident on the printer's web-site, make sure you have the exact page dimensions (cover and body pages).

2. Make sure the book template allows you to fill a page with a single image. This enables you to create a "page image" (see above) rather than be limited by the layouts in the template.

3. Ensure pages are printed using your colours and contrast settings. Some companies provide a colour "enhancement" feature; make sure you can turn it off.

4. Most companies accept .jpg files, sRGB (the colourspace) up to 300 dpi. For best quality, create your page images (or photographs) at 300dpi with minimal compression (Photoshop Level 10 or better, or the eqivalent for your image editor).

5. Unless you are skilled in graphic design, keep your page layouts simple.

6. Check if / where the print company puts their logo. Is it on every page or discreetly near the back of the book. I'm happy to have the print company acknowledged in my book - in one spot.

7. Look at what other people have done with their photobooks.

8. Before committing to print, create a PDF version of your book and view it as digital book. Do the images / text flow as a book, does the layout add to the "narrative" or is it distraction, do colours / tones work between adjacent images, two-page spreads, blank pages for spacing etc.

9. Be prepared to re-edit some photographs so they work in your photobook. For example, re-crop from a horizontal to a vertical orientation or warming the tone of one image to work in with an adjacent image.

And finally point 10:

10. Assuming that you can create a "page image" (the template allows a page to be filled with a single image), the extension of this feature is a full-bleed page. This is where the edge of an image can extend to the edge of the physical page on one, two, three or all edges. Note that the quoted page size has to include around 1/8" that is trimmed after printing (to get a clean edge). If full-bleed is not supported then ensure you leave a margin of 1/2" top and bottom and 3/4" left and right, so every page has a natural frame of white paper.

Morialta to Norton Summit

2009-05-14T21:52:00.004+09:30

Here are some pictures from a bush walk we did in mid-April. It was the tail end of summer and it hadn't rained for nearly six weeks. The scrub and trees either side of the trail looked very dry, in contrast to the small vineyard tucked away between the gums.

The stone buildings are referred to as the "Morialta Barns", the oldest buildings in this group date back to the 1860's. This is ancient history for the State of South Australia which was only founded in 1836.

The walking group had a meal at the Norton Summit pub, a popular destination for walkers and cyclists.

Slide-shows / A body of Work

2009-05-03T21:28:00.003+09:30

This post is not about how to create a slide-show but why it's worthwhile to create a slide-show. As they say, once you know why you can always figure out the how.

A while ago I was speaking to a friend who owned a DSLR. This person is much newer to the field of photography than me and I asked him if he had made any interesting photos of late. After some hestitation he admitted he doesn't take many shots at all. Pressed further, it seemed the reason for this lack of output was the pressure he put on himself to create a shot with a big "Wow" factor.

I mentally compared this to my simple approach: if I see something that catches my eye (or my mind's eye) then I take a shot with my handy point-and-shooter. From a particular outing (rarely for the purpose of just taking photographs) I might have one good photograph or five. Sometimes ten. If I have less than 5 photographs I'll email them to the other attendees / participants. If I have 5 or more photographs then I'll consider creating a simple slide-show then email the slide-show.

The idea behind the slide-show is to create a [small] body of work that is good enough to show somebody else. Not to impress them but to express my view on the event / activity we recently participated in. This approach also takes the pressure off from trying to create one stupendous image to a more manageable task of creating a few good images.

Many years ago I read a book on playing tennis by Ivan Lendl. At the time, Lendl had one of the fastest serves in the game. He wrote that the "secret" to serving the ball fast was to train himself to serve the ball slow, then medium pace and then reasonably fast pace. Once he consistently could serve at a reasonably fast pace then a few serves would creep up into the "fast" pace. And so on. You cannot simply serve slow balls all day then expect to suddenly put in a blinder.

The analogy to photography is this: don't try to create a one-off "Wow" image. Strive to create a body of work and in doing so you will naturally improve. Well, that's my game plan anyway!

Layout & Technical Notes

1. I use OpenOffice Impress as my slide-show editor. It's free to download and use, is very capable and reliable and can also output Microsoft compatible slide-shows (.ppt).

2. I've settled on a simple and (IMO) elegant layout style for every slide in a slide-show: light grey background, black 18pt Arial text, white next/previous page arrows and photos surrounded by a white border 0.2cm thick.

3. The first slide contains a title, date and my name (to claim authorship) along with a representative photo on the right-hand side of the slide.

4. Photos are re-sized to 800 x 600 pixels. This works well if I want to fill a slide with a single photo.

5. The best photos in the collection occupy an entire slide, good photos are two a page. Average photos are arranged in a collage style.

Them There Eyes

2009-04-15T22:51:00.004+09:30

Photographing people with a point-and-shoot camera presents a number of challenges, compared to a more capable camera system such as an SLR with an off-camera flash.

If you have to use flash, the built-in flash on the point-and-shoot camera can produce two undesirable affects, both due to reflection.

1. Red-eye, where the pupil of the eye appears red instead of the person's normal eye colour. This is caused by the flash light reflecting off the retina in the back of the person's eye.

2. If the person wear's glasses, you can easily catch an unwanted reflection off the lenses and even the frame of the glasses. The reflection can blot out part of the person's eye.

Once you've taken the shot there's not much you can do, other than try to fix the image using an image editor.

For red-eye, an image editor that supports layers with different blending modes is the way to go. There are a number of "recipes" (manual sequence of steps) for fixing red-eye. They'll take a few minutes per eye but the end result is excellent.

My current camera has a "remove red eye" feature which I haven't bothered to use. The camera also came with a basic but very usable image editor; however the "remove red eye" feature in the software is hopeless.

For reflections off a lens, the only reliable solution is to use the image editor to "paint in" the missing portion of the eye. For a small reflection this is relatively easy but it's more difficult to make a convincing job as the reflection gets larger, unless you're a good painter.

Making Prints (Enlargements)

2009-04-08T19:47:00.007+09:30

Earlier this week a friend asked me if she could have an enlargement made from one of my images. I've made 4" x 6" prints for friend's previously (party snaps), but this was the first request for an enlargement. She has recently renovated her house and wanted "a nice beach scene" for the living room.

I periodically send out copies of my better images - as a slide-show - to a number of friends and acquaintances who are interested in my handiwork. The slide-show (a MS Powerpoint presentation) contains compressed .jpegs, typically around 200Kb. Reasonable quality for looking at on the screen, but not the quality of the high resolution version (typically around 3Mb).

This raises the question of what do people do with my images? I suppose the options are: view then delete, save on disk to view later, send on to other people, use as a screen-saver, print a copy. At this stage I'm not too fussed so long as it's personal use and I'm acknowledged as the creator of the image.

Now, back to making prints.

I regularly make 4" x 6" prints of my better images. I like to have a hard-copy record on hand. I might put some notes on the back of these prints as well.

I've only made one enlargement to date - 21" x 28" - and had this framed. The image was made with my previous Canon point-and-shoot and it's the main reason I decided to upgrade to my current Canon point-and-shoot. I wanted a camera that produced a good quality image when printed at this size.

My friend's request for a large print got me thinking about having a pre-defined set of "policies and procedures" for dealing with this type of situation. The remainder of this post details the P & P I have for my images. You might like to use this as a starting point for your images.

Policy

1. I retain copywrite of every image I create - the original from the camera and the one or more edited versions.

2. A compressed version (around 200Kb) is freely available, but I expect people to honour my rights as the copyright owner.

3. I never make a high-resolution version of an image freely available, except for portrait style shots. The one or more people in the portrait are entitled to a copy of the high-resolution version, if they ask for one.

4. For small prints, I ask the recipient to write my name on the back of the print. (The recipient uses a copy of the compressed .jpeg to produce a print.)

5. For large prints (typically based on a high-resolution image) I embed my name in the image and organise the printshop to create the copy. I then hand the copy to the recipient.

6. For a friend who requests a large print, I ask them to cover the cost of the print. Unless, of course, I am giving them the print as a gift.

7. For a third-party who requests a large print, I'll consider charging a premium on top of the cost of the print.

My friend was happy with my "policies" and even suggested I hand-sign the print. My hand-writing is not the best so I decided to use the "add text" feature of the image editor.

Procedures

Editing the Image

In addition to the normal "correct" and "improve" type of edits, I include the following edits for an enlargement:

1. Aspect ratio. I now use 3:4 rather than 2:3 (the aspect ratio of 35mm film). Many pre-made frames are 2:3, so a 3:4 image often requires a custom made frame.

2. After sharpening, consider making some final spot fixes to any parts of the image that might attract extra scrutiny when presented as a large print. For example, the text of signage that appears in the image.

3. Colour balance across more than one image. If the prints part of a series that hang near each other then consider whether or not you need to match the colour balance across all the prints.

4. Save the image with the dots-per-inch (dpi) specified as 300. The image editor should interpolate the extra dots required. A good quality print requires 300 dpi; a lower figure looks "grainy".

Adding a Signature to the edited image

1. Decide on the piece of text that represents your signature. For example: your name, date the image was shot, copyright symbol.

2. Alternately, the signature is a graphic that really does look like a free-hand signature.

3. The font, size, colour and placement of your "signature". Also consider the opacity of the signature - the full 100% or a semi-transparent look?

For the print of the beach scene I used "Brush Stroke", 48 point, light grey colour, placed in the bottom right hand corner.

4. Consider adding the signature after the actual image has been sharpened.

Request the Print from the Print Lab

Discuss the options with the print lab to obtain the best practical result for the lowest cost.

Is it a photographic reproduction or inkjet (Giclee)? Paper finish (matt, lustre, gloss)?

If the image size is not one of the print lab's standard sizes then check the price. They might charge a lot more for your nominated size than a standard size just a touch smaller.

Framing the Print

Unless the print is for yourself, or you are making a gift, then framing the print is typically out of your control.

The conventional approach is to choose a mask and frame that "enhances" or "highlights" the colours in the image. This approach might be standard procedure for curtains and cushions, but I believe a photographic image should stand alone. Consider a white mask (or white with just a hint of colour) and a contemporary black frame.

The white mask/black frame approach makes the process of framing simple and cheap. It's also elegant and re-usable. Down the track you can pop a different print into the same frame.

Image Workshop #1

2009-03-09T20:24:00.005+10:30

In this post, I'd like to try something a little different. A "behind the scenes" look at how the image came out of the camera, some edits and the final result, with some commentary.

As background, this weekend a group of us walked the 25km from Waterfall Gully to Hahndorf. I've been along sections of this walk a number of times but this is the first I've traversed the full length. I only took a dozen photos, not wanting to hold the walking group up (I'm the only photographer).

The walk takes us through Conservation Parks, past farms and along roads. Here are two farm-themed photos - a tractor parked near some sheds and a solitary water pump.

The Tractor

Here's my final version of the tractor:

As an image, this is definitely more prosaic than artistic but I was happy I could salvage something worthwhile from the original:

I immediately liked the tractor; it was old, had a jaunty crookedness and mis-matched paintwork. The sheds and other farming paraphernalia add context.

Unfortunately the fence limited the angle I could take, my lens maxes out at 110mm, the light was unflattering and the colour scheme added little. I misframed the image - see the tree coming out of the tractor's vertically mounted muffler? And to top it off, I underexposed the image!

With an image editor, I brightened the overall image then brought up the midtones. I also edited out the tree and replaced it with sky and branches. The tractor and background now look better.

Checking the fence posts I realise the image is a little crooked (it's not just the tractor!), so I straighten the image then crop it.

Hmmm. I'm still left with unflattering light and colour. As this is an old tractor in a rustic setting I decided to dispense with colour and go for a Sepia look. I added the vignette to finish off the new look for my tractor shot.

The final edit is to sharpen the image. The default sharpening by my current camera is well-judged and gives me a little leeway to sharpen the image to my preference.

The Water Pump

Here's my final version of the water pump:

I like machinery and this pump with its large fly-wheel, belts, greasy cogs and rusty muffler is perfect. The black cog wheel against the dark yellow soil give an interesting colour contrast. The dark tones of the mechanism balance with the light tones of the fly-wheel.

Here's the original from the camera:

The overall exposure is fine (I did brighten the final version a little) but there's too much of the mechanism hidden in the shadow of the fly-wheel. This part of the image is absolute black so I can't use the image editor to lighten and reveal detail. I should have use some fill-in flash when I took the shot but it didn't occur to me at the time.

I leave this shadow unchanged but I was able to brighten the steel drum (far right). The bush and oil container (red circles) are a distraction so I paint over them using swatches from the immediate background. The small bright area to the left of the fly-wheel (green circle) is also a distraction so I colour it in with the dark yellow.

There's no natural frame to the picture so I add a vignette, which also works with the ye olde charm of the water pump. The final step is to sharpen the image.

I was happy with the result, but next time I pass the water pump I'll have another go using the flash!

Determing the Focus - part 2

2009-03-07T22:03:00.009+10:30

Before leaving the topic of focus, I'd like to mention a few additional points associated with composition and image quality.

Related to focus is depth-of-field. This is the region of the image beginning in the foreground and continuing to the background that is in focus. Somewhere along this continuum is the sharpest region called the focus plane. A landscrape photograph is usually taken with a large depth-of-field, where most of the foreground continuing through to most of the background is in good focus. A portrait photograph is usually taken with a shallow depth-of-field, with just the person's face in sharp focus and the background deliberately out of focus.

Depth of field is affected by the aperture and focal length. The more open the aperture the more shallow the depth of field. The longer the focal length (telephoto) the more shallow the depth of field. The maximum telephoto setting on your lens along with its open aperture setting minimises depth of field. Conversely, a wide angle view with a small aperture (large f-stop) maximises depth of field.

Also note that setting a lens to any of its extremes - aperture or focal length - has drawbacks. Open aperture and smallest aperture settings (for technical reasons) can reduce image quality compared to the "middling" aperture settings. The widest angle setting on the lens can cause barrel distortion in the image and the maximum telephoto setting can cause pincushion distortion in the image. With barrel distortion, a photograph of a rectangle would appear with the edges of the rectangular having a slight outwards bow. Pincushion has an inwards bow.

Note that an image editor can remove barrel and pincushion distortion in an image, restoring bowed lines to their original straight lines.

My current camera works very well at all lens settings, but it is not especially wide (28mm) nor telephoto (112mm) and neither is its open aperture especially large (f2.8) nor its small aperture especially small (f5.8). I suspect the manufacturer kept the lens specifications reasonably modest to ensure very good quality at all settings. A good move on their part, as there's nothing worse than providing a feature that doesn't work very well.

Unfortunately with my current camera, this can't be said of the high ISO settings. Image quality is poor to the point of being unusable. I've commented on this before and hope subsequent camera models correct this (or perhaps another manufacturer develops a point-and-shoot camera with excellent image quality at ISO 400 and above).

I've discussed depth-of-field for those people with a manual mode on their camera. This means you can set the aperture. Many point-and-shoot cameras (like my current camera) give you little control over aperture, so depth-of-field is a moot point. Fortunately with a small diameter lens depth of field is usually reasonably deep. I occasionally use a technique with an image editor to give the illusion of a shallow depth of field but manually blurring the background (and foreground if need be).

My final point in this post is on composition. Novice photographers often concentrate on exposure and focus, making the physical object of their attention the "subject". This is fine if the physical object (whether it be a person or a bridge) is spectacular. But what if the thing that captures your [mind's] eye is intangible - say mood or quirkiness? For a photograph to be truly successful we should examine all the aspects of the scene and emphasise the ones in the image that work together to convey the same feeling in the viewer that we felt when we saw the original scene.

This is much easier said than done, and although I'm no expert photographer, I just wanted to plant this seed in your mind.

Determining the Focus - part 1

2009-03-06T22:12:00.011+10:30

Our eyes are naturally drawn to the area of an image that is in sharp focus.

Determining the correct focus for an image is critical to its success. With exposure there is some leeway for adjustment after taking the shot, by using an image editor. However, focus must be accurate straight from the camera.

When composing an image you must decide which part of the scene needs to be in sharp focus. I typically identify an object at the required distance [from the camera], frame the object in the centre, take focus then re-frame to take the shot.

This sounds straight-forward, but it's worth noting the details for a few different scenarios.

The object is more than 3m from the camera

For a landscape type shot or if the specific object is more than 3m from the camera, this is equivalent to the camera focused at "infinity". The value of 3m applies to my camera; your point-and-shoot camera may be different.

I mention this as a special case because my camera (and perhaps yours) allows me to lock in the focus to infinity with a button press. I don't need to point the camera at anything. I find this is a great way to set the focus.

Focus on a specific object

By default, my camera has a matrix of 9 auto-focus areas. This handed too much control over to the camera and made the whole process of focus unpredictable [to my mind]. I changed the default to a single, small focus area in the middle of the frame (which appears as a white rectangle). Now I simply point the camera at the object, ensuring an edge from the object runs through the middle of the focus area.

To take focus, I half-press the shutter button. I can also lock the focus by pressing a second button but I rarely need to do this. Depending on your style of photography you might need to lock the focus more often.

Focus at a specific distance

What if the object that requires focus does not have a cleanly defined edge or is dimly lit? The camera may not be able to accurately focus on it.

To solve this problem, look further afield for an object you can use (defined edge, well lit) and perhaps move yourself (+ camera) to set a focus at the required distance.

Again, take focus. In this situation focus lock may be more convenient than just using the shutter half-press. Return to your original location, frame and take the shot.

Focus first, then set exposure?

Nope - sometimes I determine the exposure first then the focus and other times it's focus first then set the exposure. My process for determining focus and exposure is something like this...

1. Is the object more than 3m away? If so then set the focus to infinity then determine exposure.

2. Is the object more then 3m away and there's a mid-tone - with an edge - at the same distance? If so then take the focus then verify exposure (the mid-tone should get me close to the correct exposure).

3. If the object is too bright or dim (compared to a mid-tone) then determine the exposure first then determine the focus.

Hopefully, the information above helps you determine the desired focus for your photographs.

Why look for a well-lit edge to determine focus?

The auto-focus system in your camera (in fact, any camera) determines focus by proxy; that is, it doesn't really "know" that the object in the centre (white rectangle) is in focus.

However, a camera can measure contrast and it can also determine if one image has greater contrast then another image. A well-lit edge is an image that the camera can quickly and accurately measure contrast. As the camera adjusts the lens to change the focus, a well-lit edge quickly changes contrast. At the point of maximum contrast it turns out the edge is also at sharp focus. The auto-focus system looks for maximum contrast as a means to provide the sharpest focus.

Mt Lofty to Bridgewater

2009-02-28T13:23:00.008+10:30

The Mt Lofty to Bridgewater walk has proved to be popular with the walking group. As usual, I often drift to the back of the group to take photos.

Even though I do some of these walks many times, I usually find something new to photograph. Previously we had a negotiate a creek by rock-hopping, but the local Council erected a small but well constructed bridge over the creek. I took some shots from the bridge and of the bridge.

Determining the Exposure - Part 3

2009-02-27T21:22:00.007+10:30

In the previous two posts of this topic, I discussed some theory on exposure and how the human eye perceives a scene. I then discussed the tools for setting exposure - namely ISO, aperture, shutter, ambient light and flash. I also discussed the means for checking exposure - how the image appears in the LCD and how the image can be represented as a histogram.

This knowledge is the basis for achieving a well exposed image from the camera.

However, as previously discussed the camera is not the end of the line; we can take the image and further refine it using an image editor.

If the image - or important parts of it - are mildy under-exposed then an image editor is a good tool for correcting the exposure. An over-exposed image does not respond as well to post-processing (but it's the only option available for making the best of it).

Once you are practised at determining a good exposure, your most common issue will be under-exposure. If the scene ranges from dark to bright you'll need to under-expose the image to retain detail. This is not your fault, but a limitation of current digital cameras (point-and-shoot more so than DSLR).

How to brighten under-exposed images

The primary tool for addressing this problem is usually named the "Levels" tool in image editors. There is a more sophisticated version of this tool named "Curves". After the Crop tool, make sure the Levels tool is your next best friend in photography!

I wont explain how to use this editing tool as many websites already do an excellent job.

Here's a typical image that's been exposed reasonably well (perhaps a little under-exposed judging by the histogram). The scene ranges from deep shadow to bright sky forcing the photographer (me) to under-expose. However, when taking the shot I knew the Levels command could be used to improve the final [apparent] exposure.

I wanted to keep the sky and the wisp of smoke from the chimney well exposed, so I based the exposure on this part of the image. But in doing so the side of the pub came out dark:

Using the Levels tool in the image editor I was able to brighten the darker tones whilst keeping the lighter tones almost unchanged. The overall exposure is much better and still looks natural:

If the dark areas of the image are very dark you might find when you brighten them using the Levels tool there is not much colour available. Provided some colour does remain, try the Saturate Hues tool to give this remaining colour a boost.

Determining the Exposure - part 2

2009-02-26T21:10:00.012+10:30

In part 1 of this topic I discussed some of the basic concepts & issues around determining exposure.

Before going into more detail, let's look at a basic approach to determining exposure for a simple outdoors scene in daylight. I've picked this scene as it's easy for a camera to automatically determine a good exposure, and easy for a person to recognise a good exposure.

Using the Camera's LCD

Consider the following image of a creek in some bushland, at four different exposures ranging from under-exposed to over-exposed. For the moment, ignore the graph to the right of each image:

The first image is clearly too dark and the fourth is clearly too bright. Looking at the second and third images, the third is too bright. A good exposure for this scene is the second image or something just a touch brighter.

This is my opinion - you might have opted for one of the other images. But in my defense I took the photograph and this is how I remembered the scene!

So looking at the image - in the LCD at the back of the camera - is a simple yet effective way to determine exposure. Basically, if it looks good then we're done.

Using the Histogram

For most beginners, and for many scenes, how the image appears in the LCD is a good tool for judging exposure. However, the display of the image in the LCD is often manipulated in point-and-shoot cameras to brighten the shadow areas. And it's easy to underestimate by eye just how much of the image is in the brighter region - perhaps too bright and over-exposed.

Is there a semi-scientific approach or measure we can use? There is and it's called the luminosity histogram, or "histogram" for short.

Next to each of the above four images is it's associated histogram. The vertical axis plots the number of pixels and the horizontal axis plots the pixel brightness. The result shows how much of the image is dark tones, mid-tones and lighter tones. The darker the image the more pixels to the left of the histogram; the lighter the image the more pixels to the right of the histogram.

For the sample pictures, as the image goes from dark to light the "lump" in the histogram travels from left to right.

Note that I used the terms "dark" and "light", not under-exposed and over-exposed. This depends on the content of the image - remember the examples of the black labrador dog and the light blue sky.

If the image contains a modest amount of dark tones, a smaller amount of light tones and a large portion of mid-tones then the histogram typically resembles that of the second image above. If the histogram is significantly bunched to the left and starts "climbing" the left axis then it's definitely under-exposed. If the histogram is significantly skewed to the right with peaks in the graph hard-up against the right axis then it's definitely over-exposed.

Your camera has options for displaying a histogram on the LCD. For example, the histogram might overlay the image or the image is reduced in size with a histogram alongside. Every digital camera let's you view the histogram after you have taken the shot. Some cameras let you view the histogram before you take the shot, during the shutter half-press. Be sure to locate the histogram feature on your camera!

Correcting Exposure

If the image is too dark or even under-exposed - based on how it appears on the LCD and in the histogram - what do we do? And similarly for an image that is too bright?

If the image is too dark then we can...

1. Wait for the scene to brighten. For example, for a landscape we wait for the sun and for a dockyard we wait for the floodlights to be switched on.

2. Find a way to add more light to the scene ourselves. For a small subject that is not too far away we can use a portable floodlight or the camera's built-in flash.

3. Use the camera's Exposure Compensation feature to increase exposure.

For option 3, change the Exposure Compensation amount from zero to a positive value (typically a value up to an including "2"). The camera increases exposure in the same way it sets exposure in the first place - by choosing values for ISO, aperture and shutter speed.

I set the ISO value manually, so this leaves the camera to choose aperture and shutter speed.

Always keep an eye on shutter speed. If it gets too slow then camera shake or subject motion blur can creep into your images. Camera shake is usually unwelcome but motion blur may be an affect you want to achieve.

What's too slow for shutter speed? For hand-held then 1/60 second is usually fine. Any slower and you should brace yourself before taking the shot. Once the shutter speed slows to 1/8 second you should opt for a solid support for the camera. At 1/2 second or slower it's best to mount the camera on a tripod. Experiment to see where your personal limits are (you might have very steady or very shaky hands).

Also realise that if using the telephoto setting, the more you zoom in (magnify the image) the more you also magnify any camera shake. The physical amount of camera shake stays the same but it becomes more visible in the image. For hand-held shots you'll need faster shutter speeds as you zoom in (increase the focal length).

I avoid using flash (when I can) as it gives the subject an unnatural look. Compromise with the slow-synchro flash setting which uses some flash but keeps the shutter open to utilise the ambient light. Be aware that in this setting some cameras can keep the shutter open for up to 1 second, which means you still need a solid support (if not a tripod). This is when I increase the ISO to 200 or very reluctantly to 400, in an attempt to keep the shutter speed within the bounds of hand-held camera use.

If the image is too bright...

This is a much simpler problem. Use the Exposure Compensation feature and set it to a negative value.

If the image is still over-exposed make sure you are using the lowest ISO setting. On my camera this is 80.

And if it's still over-exposed then you must be pointing the camera at a bright light, which is a boring subject at the best of times!

Note that when framing a very bright scene in the LCD you might see purple streaks of light in the LCD. This is only an aberration on the LCD - the image will not contain the purple streaks.

What's Next?

You've done your best with the available light, the built-in flash and exposure compensation but some important parts of the image are still too dark? My next post explains how to tackle this common situation.

Determining the Exposure - part 1

2009-02-25T22:18:00.005+10:30

Getting the right exposure for an image is critical to the success of the image.

Is determing the right exposure a simple thing? Can we simply position the subject in the middle of the frame and have the camera automatically determine the best exposure? The parts of the scene that form the background and the foreground take care of themselves?

In some scenes this might be true. But depending on your style of photography, the "subject centric" approach may work some of the time, most of the time or rarely.

It would be nice to have a recipe for determining exposure that works for 99% of situations. I don't think I can give you a "follow the dots" recipe but I can tell you what I do.

Ground-work on Understanding Exposure

Firstly, let's cover some ground-work (that's a nice word for "theory"):

1. In the real world, a scene can cover a huge brightness range from inky black shadows to sunlit highlights.

2. The brightness range in the real world is greater than what your eye can perceive. What your eye can perceive is greater than what the sensor in the camera can register. The brightness range that your camera can record as a .JPG is greater than what you can display or print.

3. The exposure meter in the camera assumes the subject is a mid-tone. This means if your subject is very dark and fills a good part of the frame (say, a close-up of a black labrador dog) the camera is tricked into over-exposing. Conversely if your subject is very bright (say, a bright pale blue sky fills most of the frame) the camera is tricked into under-exposing.

4. As parts of an image become more and more over-exposed they lose colour and detail then soon turn into white coloured pixels with no detail (a white blob, so to speak). Similarly, as parts of an image become more and more under-exposed they soon turn into black blobs.

5. There is no "correct" or absolute exposure for a given scene, but a range of candidates. Like any other camera setting, it's your choice.

6. The human eye (+ brain) is naturally drawn to the brightest parts of an image. If the brightest part of the image is your subject, or defines your subject (say, a shadowy outline) then you've made a good choice in the "design" of your image. However, if the brighest part of the image is a blob in the background then it acts as a distraction and weakens your image.

7. What appears as passably bright to the human eye (say, a room with a window to a sunny day) is reasonably dim to a camera. At "normal" camera ISO values (50, 100 or 200) the human eye is considerably more sensitive to light.

8. There are three camera settings at the heart of exposure: ISO, aperture and shutter speed. ISO refers to the sensitivity of the sensor to light, aperture refers to the volume of light passing through the lens and shutter speed refers to how long the sensor is exposed to light. All three settings can be increased or decreased with a corresponding increase or decrease to exposure. However, there are trade-offs to your image when you change each of these settings, in addition to the overall brightness of the image.

Go over the above points a few times. Individually they all make excellent advice but taken as a whole you are probably thinking "How do I make my way through this maze to determine a suitable exposure?".

The good news there is a method that is part scientific and part creative.

Note: You'll always be able to determine an exposure but whether or not it captures the scene to your satisfaction is personal choice.

What's Next

The method I use. Perhaps "method" is to strong a term, how about an "approach"?

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens to Bridgewater

2009-02-24T20:37:00.008+10:30

Here's are some pictures from a walk starting at the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens and finishing at the township of Bridgewater. The last picture is the local pub in Bridgewater.

This is one of the first walks where the walking group added a new dimension: choosing the end point based on a suitable eating establishment!

Making a photograph - part 3

2009-02-23T20:48:00.010+10:30

The previous two posts are a summary of my approach to the 'shoot' and 'edit' steps of photography. In this post I'll look at the remaining three steps of 'Rationale', 'Subject' and 'Presentation'.

Rationale

For the hobby photographer the reason for making a photograph is entirely up to you. But it's always a good idea to have a reason as this helps you find or recognise a subject. The rationale gives the photograph context and includes...

- the subject looked interesting / compelling / cool to my eye
- humour
- making a "statement" (not a rationale of mine, not to date anyway!)
- creative outlet

There are others but you get the idea.

In my view the most important reason you want to make a photograph is you simply found something visually cool and you wanted to record it. Without this basic spark of inspiration I can't see anyone making progress as a photographer.

With a rationale providing the impetus, you can set about inventing a project or projects. Each project represents a certain type of photography that is of interest to you. Sample projects might be...

- Highlights along a certain bush walk (perhaps taken over a period of time)
- An event (social or cultural)
- Backlit trees and flowers
- a study of a particular type of animal
- man-made objects in the natural environment
- testing my new camera
- experiementing with various type of blur
- red & green colours
- buildings at night time

and so on.

Notice that each project has it's own set of skills needed to produce a good result. Some projects involve action shots that need good reflexes whereas others need an eye for colour.

I believe inventing a regular stream of projects - both short and long term - is the best (and possibly) only way to improve as a photographer. Like any personal endeavour you need some theory, some challenges and plenty of practice.

Also recognise the primary skills in photography are visual. Spend time studying art before studying photography. Seek out people who create interesting images, not those who focus on equipment or technique.

Subject

Every photograph has a subject, right? It's the person / tree / building / dog in the middle of the image?

I have to admit I've spent most of my time photographing things. Later I got better and included the primary thing and a secondary thing in the one image. The focus, exposure, framing were fine but my photographs had a certain blandness about them.

It's only recently (after reading some very good blogs) that I discovered the "magic" ingredient is colour and contrast. Contrast covers everything from colour, to light, to size, to texture, to shape. The human eye (+ brain) sees colour and contrast first - things come second.

I suspect colours can create an emotional response in people whereas things create more of an intellectual response.

Study art then go look for some interesting colours to photograph. Then marry up the colours with things!

Presentation

Spend a little time thinking about the best way to present your work. Include other people in your efforts whether they be knowledgeable critics or just spectators. Only show the spectators your best work.

Here's a few items to consider...

- How much editing is done before & after pressing the shutter button;
- Aspect ratio of the image;
- Image resolution (pixels) and compression (JPEG);
- How do I phyically show people my pictures?

Editing: no editing for photo-journalistic style, corrective edits (what I generally do), fine art edits (complex edits such as Andreas Manessinger), creative edits (see the 1x or onexposure website).

Aspect ratio: 3:2 (same as film), 4:3 (default digital format), 5:4 or 7:6 (professional format), 16:9 (wide screen) or square images. Alternatively whatever suits the current image.

Image resolution and compression: less quality for the web, medium for slide shows, maximum quality for printing.

Physical presentation: the camera's LCD, email attachment, photo-sharing website, social web-site, personal blog, digital slide-show, printed photographs, printed photo-book.

Finally, don't be afraid to splash out with your own work. I've taken pictures with a 7mp point-and-shoot, had them enlarged to 28" x 21" then framed and hung on the wall.

Making a photograph - part 2

2009-02-21T22:30:00.010+10:30

In my previous post "Making a Photograph - Part 1" I discussed the concept of making a photograph as an improvement to simply taking a photograph. There are five steps - rationale, subject, shoot, edit and presentation.

Most people understand the importance of taking a shot to produce an image, so I explained this step in part 1. The details I discussed are based on my current point-and-shoot camera, but it's relevant to any type of camera.

In this post I'll discuss the second most recognised step in the process - editing the image.

Editing - Concepts

At this point in time, I don't plan to explain the details of using an image editor in this blog. There are already many excellent web-sites on this vast topic. My intention is to introduce a number of editing techniques to you, then you can then look up the details elsewhere.

Before I list the edits I typically apply to an image, let's cover some groundwork.

Image editing has been around since day one. Not day one of digital photography but day one of photography period. The act of picking out a subject, an angle, a focus is editing. And this is before you press the shutter button! Did I mention placing filters in front of the lens and using artifical light? Then what about during printing when the image is further modified...this is what people do in their B&W darkrooms.

I know some people regard image editing as "cheating" but I think they misunderstand the photographic process. Sure, you can choose not to use an image editor but that's an individual choice. Just as some people choose not to use a tripod, choose not to take colour images or choose to buy very expensive equipment when cheaper equipment may suffice.

To me, the process of physically setting up a scene, setting the camera, pressing the shutter at the right moment then editing the image is a continuum of essential steps. The .JPG file that comes out of the camera is not a photograph; it's the input to the image editor. The image editor outputs the photograph (as a .JPG), whether it's one hour of edits or no edits. Hmmm...there's always at least one edit and that's making a copy of the original file with a new file name. I never edit the original and I also make a back-up copy of the original .JPG and my edited .JPG.

Having said all this about using an image editor, it's important to be efficient. Don't spend time using an image editor when it's more easily done earlier in the process, and vice-versa. For example, if a person's face is in deep shadow then use some flash rather than trying to adjust the exposure in the editor. Alternatively, crop the image in the editor if you couldn't get any closer by using the telephoto setting and walking towards the subject.

Finally, I tend to lump edits into two groups - corrective and creative. A corrective edit modifies the image to more closely match my perception of the actual scene. A creative edit modifies the image to look different - sometimes wildy different - from the actual scene. I guess there's a third group of edits - deceptive; contrive an image that looks real.

It's worth noting that a particular editing technique can be used for a corrective, creative or a deceptive edit. It's not the nature of the edit itself but how it's employed by the photographer that counts.

Editing Techniques I use

- Trim sides off the image (crop)
- Brighten shadow areas (Levels and Curves)
- Colour correction (make whites look white)
- Increase saturation (brighten colours)
- Increase contrast (improve apparent detail)
- Increase sharpness (improve apparent detail)
- Add vingnette (darken perimeter of image)
- Straighten a crooked horizon
- Paint out distracting objects / reflections
- Paint in missing details (especially lost by a reflection)
- Blur the background (and foreground)
- Remove keystone (tilt perspective, converging verticals)
- Remove barrel distortion (straight lines that appear to bow outwards)
- Tone down distracting bright areas
- Remove red-eye (or other colours if an animal)

Be sure to research each of these editing techniques. Using them correctly can turn an average image into a good one and a good image into a great one!

What's Next?

I'll discuss the remaing three steps - Rationale, Subject and Presentation - in the next post.

Making a Photograph - part 1

2009-02-20T21:13:00.010+10:30

In a previous topic "Features I use for taking a shot" (comprising several posts), I listed every feature in my current camera, which ones I use and which ones I don't. Now, I don't run through all of these possibilities every time I take a shot but I do have a "top 10". In this new topic I'll build on my previous posts and describe the overall process I mentally go through when making a photograph.

You'll notice the title of this topic is "Making a Photograph" rather than the more prosaic "Taking a Shot". Let me explain.

The novice camera user is reactive - they see something, point the camera, press the shutter button and hope the best. The camera setting of choice for this approach has to be "Auto".

The photographer is generally pro-active. They have in mind the types of photographs they are interested in, when they see something they'll assess the possibilities, carefully set the camera, wait for the right moment to take the shot, refine the image with an editor (the software variety not the person) then finally publish (present) the image in the appropriate form.

The novice camera user takes a shot. The photographer makes a photograph. Appreciate the difference?

Also note that the difference is not in the equipment used or even the techniques applied, but the mindset driving the entire process. I believe good photography is 99% selecting the right scene and 1% processing.

Making a photograph:

- Rationale
- Subject
- Shoot
- Edit
- Presentation

I'll discuss each of these points over the next few posts, as another multi-part topic.

How I take a shot

Now, back to making sense of all the camera features for taking a shot. I'll exclude the camera settings that I don't change (set once then forget) and I'll also exclude the features / settings I rarely use. What's left is what I go through for 99% of my shots:

- ISO
- Focus Zone
- Focal Length (zoom)
- Colour
- Shutter Speed
- Exposure
- Focus

Here are the details (also see the previous topic "Features I use for taking a shot").

ISO: If there's enough light on the subject for ISO 80 then I stay with my default. Otherwise I creep up to ISO 200 or 400.

Focus Zone: Macro, Normal or Infinity.

Focal Length: To frame the subject and background as required, I change my physical distance from the subject as well as the focal length setting. Also consider the shooting angle - from below, above or level with the subject.

Colour: If it's natural light or flash then I stay with the Daylight preset. Otherwise I manually set the White Balance.

Shutter-speed: The slower the shutter speed the steadier the camera needs to be. Do I need a tripod, a make-shift support, hand-held but in a brace position or simply hand-held?

Exposure: Do I meter off the subject or should I meter off the background? Is the ambient light adequate or should I add flash?

Focus: Can I simply use the shutter half-press or do I need to resolve the exposure before taking focus?

Hmmm. This is starting to get complicated again! I'll need to expand on some of the above points in later posts.

Years ago I was taking (making) some PR shots for a businessman. He asked if photography was simply "all in the timing of pressing the shutter button". I knew he played the piano, so I commented that I could easily walk up to a piano, press a key and make a note. But does that make me a musican?

What's Next?

I'll continue with posts on the remaining four steps for making a photograph - rationale, subject, edit and presentation.

Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens

2009-02-16T22:05:00.005+10:30

I took these shots some 10 months ago, in April 2008. It was a drizzly early Autumn day in the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens. I kept my camera in a plastic bag and took shots when the drizzle abated.

I was in a group of walkers and one made a few friendly jibes about my pocket-sized camera. He told me about his expensive German-made SLR camera and the wonderfully sharp pictures it could take. I asked him where his camera was and he said "It's at home in a bookcase; it's too wet for photography." I replied "Well, I guess have the best camera today!".

The best camera is the camera you are prepared to carry with you.

Features I use for taking a shot - part 4

2009-02-15T15:29:00.005+10:30

[This post is the fourth and final instalment. Please read the previous three parts before reading this post.]

This post discusses how I set the "3rd tier" camera settings. For my current camera, the following features appear in a menu system, with the idea they need to be set infrequently and perhaps only once. Fortunately this holds true for my style of photography.

Auto-Focus Frame

I use a single auto-focus frame in the centre of the LCD. This gives me the choice of pointing the centre of the frame at the subject to establish focus (then re-framing if need be), or pointing the centre of the frame at any other area of the scene that I wish to base the focus on (then re-framing).

My current camera has two other auto-focus methods (a cluster of 9 frames and Face-Detect), but I find the behaviour of these two methods slightly unpredictable.

Auto-Focus Frame Size

If I choose a single auto-focus frame - which I do - I can also choose the size of the frame. I've opted for the small size to make my focus more specific (think of spot focusing).

Auto-Focus Point Zoom

I've disabled this feature.

The idea is when you half-press the shutter button, the area in focus (depends on the AF Frame method) enlarges so you can visually check focus, prior to taking the shot. I prefer to take the shot without further to-do and check the focus afterwards (see 'Review After Shot' below).

Auto-Focus Servo

I've disabled this feature.

The idea is when you half-press the shutter button, the camera continues to focus. This might be handy if the subject is moving. It's not clear in the manual but I presume the camera has calculated the exposure at this point? Perhaps a feature to experiment with.

Auto-Focus Assist Beam

I've enabled this feature.

In dim light the camera shines a red-coloured beam of light on the subject. If the subject is more than 3m away then the 'inifinity' focus setting would do the trick.

Digital Zoom

I've disabled this feature.

Digital zoom at the time of taking the shot is no different to cropping the image with an image editor. I prefer the latter.

For best image quality I stay with the optical zoom and also walk forwards or backwards (if possible). If your style of photography requires a good zoom capability then a camera with a large optical zoom (say 10x) is a better way to go than a "standard" zoom of say 4x.

Flash Slow-synchro

I normally have this feature turned off, but I do enable it for particular shots to greatly improve the look of the image.

In bright light, the flash can fire with a shutter speed as fast as 1/500 second but in dim light the shutter speed (with flash) is limited to 1/60 second. In dim light at a 1/60 second, the scene is mainly lit by the flash and the ambient light makes little contribution.

To include the ambient light in a dimly lit scene I enable the "slow synchro" flash. The flash fires and the shutter stays open longer than 1/60 second, up to a maximum of 1 second. This gives a much more natural looking image.

The downside of Slow-synchro is the potentially long shutter time of up to 1 second. For a hand-held shot or a moving subject this can create an image with unwanted camera shake or image blur (or both!). Best to half-press the shutter to check what the shutter speed is and then decide if it's going to create an issue.

The camera display (LCD) does not indicate if slow-syncho is enabled, but if flash is enabled and the shutter speed is more than 1/60 second (at half-press) then you know slow-synchro is enabled.

Flash Red-Eye Correction

I've disabled this feature.

I haven't used this feature but past experience tells me that an automated red-eye correction is a hit-and-miss affair. I use an image editor to remove red-eye.

Flash Red-Eye Reduction Lamp

I've disabled this feature.

I haven't used this feature but the idea is to emit a [red coloured] light beam at the shutter half-press. The subject's pupils might dilate and hopefully reduce the potential red-eye in the image.

Rather than potentially distract the person with red coloured light beams (or pre-flashes as other cameras do), I prefer to get my subject with a good expression on their face and then fix up any red-eye after the event, using an image editor.

Contrast Adjustment

I've disabled this feature.

I haven't used this feature but the idea is for the camera to automatically brighten dim parts of the image. I prefer to use an image editor which gives me more control.

Drive Settings

I set the timer delay to 10 seconds.

For tripod work, I change this to 2 seconds. There are other custom settings which I haven't used.

Review After Shot

Immediately after taking a shot, you can set the default action to one of the following:

1. No review - the camera is ready to take the next shot;
2. Review for a nominated time (2 to 10 seconds) or until the shutter is half-pressed;
3. Review indefinitely until the shutter is half-pressed.

I prefer to review the shot immediately, so I can check framing, exposure and focus. I set the default action to 3 to give me all the time I need to verify the image (or quickly skip the image and shoot again).

Review Information

If after a shot you've asked for a review - which I do - the next question is how much information do I want on the camera display (LCD)?

1. Just the image;
2. A small version of the image with shooting details and a histogram;
3. A split version of the image and the focus area.

For quite a while I used option 1 - just the image. Recently I've been using option 2 which also allows me to click a button to view just the image then also zoom in to check focus etc. When I'm done I half-press the shutter button to exit review mode (and I'm ready to shoot if need be).

Rather than just rely on the image to judge exposure, I've started checking the histogram as well. I'll discuss exposure techniques in a later post.

Grid Lines

I've enabled this feature. The camera overlays the display (LCD) with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, dividing the image into 9 rectangles.

I use this to verify the camera is level with the horizon (or aligned to an obvious vertical). It also doubles as a composition aid for the "Rule of Thirds".

Image Stablisation

My current camera includes optical image stablisation. This helps reduce the negative effects of camera shake and allows me to shoot hand-held a steady (sharp) image in dimmer light than otherwise possible. I have this feature enabled as a default, but turn it off when using a tripod.

What's Next...

Well, thanks for hanging in there and reading all four parts to this topic. I learnt a few things myself just writing this all down! Hopefully you found this a useful Starters guide to the labyrinth of camera features in a typical point-and-shoot camera.

With this article as a background, I think there is still the need for me to write a "recap" or "putting it all together" post. Plus there'll be a couple of follow-up posts going into the finer points of exposure and focus.

Features I use for taking a shot - part 3

2009-02-14T18:31:00.012+10:30

[This post continues on from parts 1 and 2. Please read the previous two parts first.]

Parts 1 and 2 looked at the camera features that are accessed directly from a button or switch. I loosely refer to these shooting features as "1st tier". In this post I'll look at the "2nd tier" features that are accessed from a menu that is displayed on a single screen.

Exposure Compensation

The camera has its own way of calculating the exposure ("overall brightness") for a given scene. You can influence this calculation by choosing a metering method (see below). Whatever the metering method, you can manually vary the final exposure using Exposure Compensation.

Exposure Compensation is an adjustment to the camera's calculated value, and is expressed as a number from -2 to +2. A value of 0 (zero) means "no adjustment"; in other words you'll stay with the camera's decision. A negative value reduces the exposure, making the overall image darker. A positive value increases the exposure, making the overall image brighter.

You can set the Exposure Compensation on a shot-by-shot basis.

I'll discuss techniques for setting exposure in a later post.

Long Exposure (manual shutter speed)

My current camera does not let me specify the shutter speed for "normal" shots (say 1/2000 second to 1/8 second), but if I need to make a long exposure I can specify a shutter speed from 1 second up to 15 seconds. Given a shutter speed, the camera determines the aperture.

I use Long Exposure for shots of objects in dim light, whether it be indoors or outdoors. This gives me better image quality than increasing ISO.

Long Exposure is not an option for people, animals or anything that moves!

White Balance

I use the Daylight setting (a preset) for sunny outdoors and the Custom setting for most other situations. I should try the Cloudy preset on overcast days.

We see objects by the light they reflect. If the incident light is "pure" white then the light reflected from the object is it's "true" colour. However if the incident light is not pure white - it contains a mix of colours, however subtle - then the colour of the object is slightly "off".

For example, objects seen under the light of an incandescent light bulb have a yellowish tinge. Fluroscent lights can give rise to a greenish tinge.

The human eye (and brain) is clever enough to correct for minor colour variations. The humble camera - any camera - is not.

The White Balance feature is used to make a white-coloured object look white in the image, no matter what the incident light.

Prior to taking a shot, I can use the custom setting to set the "white balance" based on a white object (such as a handkerchief) near to the subject. My white "control" object should be in the same light as the desired subject. Of course, I can trick the camera by using a non-white object or using different light; this can be used as a creative effect.

If I forget to set the white balance (or get it wrong) then I can correct later in an image editor.

Colour Mode

I simply use the Standard colour setting (a preset) for every shot. I use an image editor to brighten (or dull) colour, convert to B&W or convert to Sepia.

An image editor gives you much more control over colour manipulation. It's important to realise the camera has only one setting for "vivid" or "B&W" whereas in reality than are scores of possibities. Why limit yourself to the camera manufacturer's idea of colour manipulation?

Contrast

I use the default contrast setting. If I need to increase contrast I use an image editor.

On my current camera the contrast setting is fine. The idea of tweaking contrast prior to taking a particular shot seems rather extreme.

Sharpness

I use the default sharpness setting. If I need to increase sharpness I use an image editor.

Saturation (Colour strength)

I use the default saturation setting. If I need to adjust saturation I use image editor.

Metering Method

I normally stay with the default metering method of "Evaluative". This method takes various camera settings into consideration as well as the brightness (or otherwise) of a number of points in the scene, then applies an algorithm to determine the overall exposure.

Depending on your style of photography, or the particulars of a certain scene, you may find one of the other two metering methods - Centre-weighted or Spot - to be more effective.

My current camera always returns to the Evaluative metering method; I cannot set Centre-weighted or Spot metering as a default method.

To adjust exposure prior to taking a shot, I can use the Exposure Compensation feature. To adjust exposure after taking a shot I use an image editor.

I'll discuss techniques for setting exposure in a later post.

Image Compression

I use the default image compression of "minimal" (Canon use the term "Superfine"). This gives the best image quality at the expense of bigger files on the memory card. But high-capacity memory cards are cheap and image quality is important to me.

The camera stores images as a file on the memory card. Every [computer] file has a format. The format a point-and-shoot camera uses for images is named JPEG; the files have a suffix of ".jpg".

Converting the image that passes through the lens into a file on the memory card is complicated. Part way through this process the image is represented as a grid of tiny coloured dots (pixels). For a 10 megapixel camera this means 10 million coloured dots. Storing this amount of information on the memory card is possible but not entirely practical. The JPEG format was invented to store this information in a compressed but still accurate form.

A JPEG file is typically 15% the size of simply storing all the dots, but [amazingly] retains 95% of the image quality. A 10 megapixel image requires 30Mb of storage, but JPEG only requires around 4.5Mb.

The JPEG format supports several levels of compression. Minimal compression means bigger files (around 15%) but very good images; higher compression means smaller files but poorer images.

Once you have downloaded the JPEGs from the memory card to your computer, you can use an image editor to compress the files if need be. Always keep a back-up copy of the original image file from the camera!

Aspect Ratio

I use the default aspect ratio of 4:3. I use 4:3 as I generally prefer the look of images with one side being 4 units long and the other side being 3 units long.

For example, 3600 pixels x 2700 pixels is in the 4:3 ratio and yields an image of nearly 10 megapixels.

Note that film cameras use an aspect ratio of 3:2. The cheaper photo processing outlets and many standard picture frames [from the shop] are still in the 3:2 aspect ratio.

Depending on how you framed your subject in an image, you might be able to change the aspect ratio of the image using an image editor (refer to the edit operation named "crop").

I'll discuss aspect ratio's in a later post.

Image Size

I store every image at the maximum image size. This gives me the maximum number of pixels and therefore the best quality, at the expense of bigger files on the memory card.

Every image is stored in a nominated aspect ratio, so "image size" is expressed as "x pixels by y pixels".

The maximum image size depends on the particular camera. For a 10 megapixel camera using the typical 4:3 aspect ratio, the maximum image size is around 3600 pixels x 2700 pixels.

Once an image file is on the computer, you can use an image editor to reduce the number of pixels. As mentioned above, always keep a back-up copy of the original image file from the camera. Only edit a copy!

Features I use for taking a shot - part 2

2009-02-08T19:49:00.009+10:30

[This post continues on from the previous post "Part 1". Please read part 1 first.]

Drive Mode

I use 'single shot' most of the time; press the shutter button and the camera takes one shot.

I occasionally use 'self-timer'. To include myself in a group shot I use the 10 second shutter delay. For macro shooting I might put the camera on a tripod and use the 2 second shutter delay - this reduces camera shake to the absolute minimum.

I am yet to use 'continuous' shooting; press the shutter button and the camera takes a series of shots, one after the other. My current camera only takes 1.4 images per second (7 images in 5 seconds) so it's pretty slow. With Flash turned on it's even slower.

Self-Timer

As mentioned above, I use the pre-set self-timer settings of: one shot after a 2 second delay and one shot after a 10 second delay.

I am yet to use the 'Custom' self-timer which allows you to specify the delay and the number of shots. I've never found the need, but I'm sure it works fine.

I've never considered the 'Face Detect' self-timer which trips the shutter when a new face (presumably yours) appears in the frame. The current crop of point-and-shoot cameras have an obsession with "face detection" technology. Personally, I've always been able to recognise a human face and don't feel the need for computer assistance on this task!

Auto-Focus Lock

The auto-focus lock allows you to set then lock-in the focus. You can then determine the exposure in your own time (often after repositioning the camera).

This feature is essential if it's not possible to accurately set the focus and exposure off the same part in the scene. Auto-focus lock allows you to set the focus and exposure from two different parts of the scene. This feature allows you more control over the camera and therefore more control over your shot making.

Implicit in the point-and-shoot approach is the idea that you base your exposure and focus on the [main] subject. Depending on your style of photography, this approach may work some of the time, most of the time or all of the time.

A classic application of auto-focus lock is when the camera is unable to determine the focus on your subject, for example it is too dim. If you can readily find a brighter object that is the same distance from the camera then use this to set the focus. Re-frame the camera on the original subject and complete the shot.

I'll look at focus and exposure techniques in a later post.

Auto-Exposure Lock

The auto-exposure lock allows you to set then lock-in the exposure. You can then determine the focus in your own time (often after repositioning the camera).

Also see my comments above for auto-focus lock.

A classic application of auto-exposure lock is when the camera is unable to determine the exposure for your subject or you are not satisfied with the camera's exposure for your subject.

If the flash is turned off, auto-exposure lock is based on the ambient light. To achieve a darker exposure for your intended subject, point the camera at a brighter object and set auto-exposure lock. Re-frame the camera on your intended subject and complete the shot. An alternative is to use the exposure compensation feature.

If the flash is turned on, auto-exposure is based on the flash + ambient light. To achieve a darker exposure for your subject, move the camera closer to the subject and set auto-exposure lock. Re-frame the camera (return to the required camera-subject distance) and complete the shot. This technique is a little messy for people shots; a flash exposure compensation feature would be a welcome feature.

Shooting Information

You have the option of overlaying the display screen (I always use the LCD, never the TV) with the current setting for many of the camera's features.

My current camera provides two options - none or "full". I choose "full" as I like to see my current values from exposure compensation, white balance, ISO, flash, shutter speed, aperture + others.

My camera does not display every setting I would like to see (such as focal length, slow synchro) nor does it allow me to tailor which settings appear. But this feature does get better with successive models (I previously used the SD800).

What's Next?

In part 3, I'll continue reviewing the camera features associated with shooting.

Features I use for taking a shot - part 1

2009-02-07T22:59:00.018+10:30

In the previous post "The Many Camera Features for Shooting an Image", I listed most (if not all) of the features on the Canon SD880, those features associated with shooting images. This camera is a well-equiped point-and-shooter, so the list is typical of most of the point-and-shoot style cameras available today.

Starting in this post, I'll list which features I use and why. You might find this article helpful in getting the most out of your camera. In the previous post I identified the features I use with an asterisk ("*"). I seem to have settled on this particular feature set within a few months of starting with a point-and-shooter. It's now nearly two years of point-and-shoot experience, so a review is well overdue!

There are many features to discuss, so this topic is going to take four separate (but contiguous) posts. I'll label them as Part 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Digital cameras have many features, so two and often three methods are required to access & set all of the features. The most commonly used features (in the opinion of the camera manufacturer, anyway) are accessed via a physical button or switch mounted on the camera. The "2nd tier" functions are typically grouped together on a neat single-screen menu that is accessed by a single button press. The "3rd tier" functions (if any) are grouped together in a series of sub-menus; the main menu is also accessed by a single button press.

For want of a better approach, I'll list the features on my camera in the same way they are listed in the Canon SD880 manual. Your camera should have many of these features, perhaps accessed via slightly different buttons and menus. Parts 1 and 2 cover the "1st tier" features, part 3 is "2nd tier" and part 4 is "3rd tier".

Shooting Type

I marked "Still Image" and "Video Clip" with an asterisk as I use these two features. I didn't mark either of the Scene types as I have yet to explore them. I rarely make a video clip, so I will not discuss this feature at all. Most of my interest (and this entire blog) is about still images.

Program AE Mode

Although the camera has a fully automatic shooting mode and many scene modes, I only use the 'Program AE mode'. This shooting mode gives the best mix of automatic control and manual settings. I say "best" as there are some features I absolutely want to set and can only do so in the Program AE mode. The Auto mode on my current camera is very restrictive (but I guess that's why its Auto mode). Features I can only set in Program AE mode include 'Flash On', specific ISO values, AF Lock, exposure compensation, custom white balance, slow synchro (Flash + ambient light) and spot metering.

If you want the best out of a point-and-shoot camera you cannot stay in Auto mode. You need to take the drivers seat and control the camera, which requires at least Program AE mode. I say 'at least' as some point-and-shoot cameras support a true 'manual' mode, which includes control over shutter speed and aperture. My current camera does not have a manual mode but it still allows me a good level of control.

Without a doubt the most important setting for me is ISO. Whenever possible I use ISO 80 as this gives the most detail and best colour. If the ambient light is too dim for ISO 80 then I'll go to ISO 200, then grudgingly to ISO 400. Beyond this the detail and colour deteriorate considerably. If you leave the camera in Auto mode then it chooses the ISO setting, which means the image quality can vary significantly from one shot to the next. This infuriates me!

If your style of photography involves dim light, no flash and hand-held then it would be differcult for you to make regular use of ISO 80. You will probably be disappointed with the image quality from the current crop of point-and-shoot cameras; an SLR would be the way to go.

Focal Length (Zoom)

My current camera has a modest but very useful zoom range, 28mm wide to 112mm telephoto.

My style of photography favours wide-angle. I understand that many people would find a 112mm telephoto too short. If I need a better telephoto then I walk towards my subject or crop the image later on. One of the benefits of a camera with a lot of mega-pixels is that you can crop the image and still have a good number of pixels leftover.

Having said all this, a telephoto at 135mm or 140mm would be welcome.

Focus / Exposure Lock

One of the most important - and accessible - features is Focus / Exposure lock. This feature allows you to set the focus and exposure based on one part of the scene, then move the camera (usually a small amount) to re-frame before taking the actual shot.

A classic application for this feature is for taking a head-and-shoulders shot of two people. You want to set the focus and exposure using one person's face but then you need to re-frame to include both people in the final shot. The camera typically bases the focus and exposure on whatever is in the middle of the frame, which could be a distant point between the head of each person - the result is a picture that is certainly out of focus and probably out of exposure.

Another excellent application of this feature is to pre-set the focus and exposure; when the subject (or you) move to the correct position you can instantly take the shot. The camera needs a small amount of time to calculate the focus and exposure - just long enough for you to miss a shot in a quickly moving situation. However, once the focus and exposure are pre-set the time taken by the camera to complete the shot is negligible.

This feature is always there for you, literally under your finger tip. It's the shutter button! A half-press of the shutter button sets the focus and exposure; a full press completes the shot.

Flash

Prior to every shot I consciously set the flash, to either 'on' or 'off'.

I use the 'on' setting to force the flash to fire, not matter how much ambient light is around. If it's very dim then flash is a must; even if it's not the perfect result it's better than a hopelessly dark subject. I also use flash in daylight shots of people, to ensure there are no shadows in people's faces.

If you set the camera to 'Auto' flash then it's who camera decides when to fire the flash. As you might have gathered, I prefer a little more control over proceedings.

Focusing Zone

Prior to every shot I consciously set the focusing zone, to either 'macro', 'normal' or 'infinity'.

If it's a close-up shot (the subject is within 1/2 metre) then I must set the camera to macro. The camera lens needs to "change gears" to allow it to focus this close. Be sure to turn off macro before your next non-macro shot though!

For shots over 1/2 metre the 'normal' setting works fine.

If I know I'm doing a series of shots over 3m away then I can set 'infinity' to stop the camera from spending any time focusing. The lens snaps to 'infinity' focus without thinking.

What's Next?

I'll continue discussing this topic in parts 2,3 and 4.

Mt Lofty Walking Trail (retrospective)

2009-02-03T19:06:00.016+10:30

After fluffing around with the camera for several months, it was August 2007 before I was making shots I was happy with. I'm a member of a walking group and from time to time we would do the one hour walk from Waterfall Gully to Mt Lofty (in the Adelaide Hills region).

I started bringing my camera and over a three month period took a series of shots along the entire walk. Without realising it at the time, this was my first digital photographic "project". I learnt how to drive the camera enough to produce results I was happy with. I also learnt how to post-process an image. My editing skills were very limited - crop, brightness (no levels), saturation!

One important lesson I learnt is that it's not all about the camera. The image editor plays an important role too. I prefer images with a realistic look rather than an "over-processed" look. I use an image editor to make up for limitations in the camera, my technique and occasionally distractions in the actual scene. I don't expect the scene to be "perfect".

One lesson I knew from my previous experience [SLR film days] is that you have to have a good idea of the shot before you press the shutter. As the famous photographer Ansel Adams said "There's nothing worse than a sharp photograph of a fuzzy idea.".

The many camera features for shooting an image

2009-02-02T19:49:00.039+10:30

Point-and-shoot cameras are marketed as "easy to use", but are they? When I first picked up a digital camera in March 2007 I was bamboozled for several days. Now after almost two years using the camera, on a fortnightly basis, I'm very comfortable with it. I shoot a range of photographic subjects (perhaps with only one "style") using a particular set of the camera's features.

In this post, I've listed as many features as I could identify from the manual, but I'm sure I've missed a few! The settings for each feature I actually use are marked with an asterisk (*). In a later post I'll discuss why I use certain settings but avoid others. There'll be some settings I don't use but perhaps I could take advantage of.

So, let's look at the features available on the Canon SD880. Whenever you pick up the camera to shoot, you must choose a "shooting type":

Shooting Type - Still image * / Video clip * / Scene by Subject / Scene by Effect

Once I've selected a shooting type (99.9% of the time it's Still Image), I must also choose a "shooting mode". There are different shooting modes depending on the shooting type:

Still image - Fully Automatic / Program AE *
Video clip - Standard * / Colour Accent
Scene by Subject - Portrait / Night shot / Sunset / Foliage / ... (12 subjects)
Scene by Effect - ISO 3200 / Digital macro / Colour Accent / Panoramic

For shooting Still Images, you'll notice only use the 'Program AE' shooting mode, never Auto. I prefer to have as much control over the camera as possible. My intended audience with this blog is people who choose a point-and-shoot camera for it's convenient size rather than it's ability to shoot pictures in a fully automatic mode.

Each shooting mode has a subset of the following functions available to it. Program AE gives me the ability to set values for all of the following functions, which is why I like it!

Focal Length (zoom) * - 28mm to 112mm (35mm equivalent)
Focus / Exposure lock * – On / Off
Flash - Off * / Always On * / Auto On
Focusing Zone * - Normal / Macro / Infinity
ISO Auto - Normal (up to 800?), High (up to 1600)
ISO Manual - 80 * / 100 / 200 * / 400 * / 800 / 1600
Drive Mode - Single Shot * / Continuous Shot / Face-detect delay / Timed delay *
Auto-focus lock * - On / Off
Auto-exposure lock * - With no flash / With Flash
Display - LCD * / TV
Face Selection - Auto / Manual
Shooting Information - Minimal / Full * (function settings, aperture + shutter)
Exposure Compensation * - -2 to +2
Long Exposure * - 1" to 15"
White Balance - Auto / Presets * / Custom *
Colour - Standard * / Neutral / Vivid / B&W / Sepia / ...
Contrast - -2 to 2
Sharpness - -2 to 2
Saturation - -2 to 2
Metering method - Evaluative (matrix) * / Centre-weighted / spot *
Image Compression - Low * / Medium / High
Aspect Ratio - 4:3 aspect * / 16:9 aspect
Image Size (4:3) - Large * / Medium... / Small
Auto-focus frame - Face-detection / 9 frame / single centre frame *
Auto-focus frame-size - Normal / Small *
Auto-focus point-zoom - On / Off * (magnified focus display when shooting)
Auto-focus assist beam - On */ off
Server auto-focus - On / Off * (continually focus on a moving subject)
Digital zoom - Off * / Zoom / Tele-converter
Flash slow synchro * - On / Off
Flash red-eye correction - Auto / Off *
Flash red-eye lamp - On / Off *
Contrast Adjustment - Auto / Off *
Drive Settings - 2 sec delay * / 10 sec delay * / custom timer / custom Face-detect
Review after shot - Off / 2-10 sec / hold *
Review info - Off / Basic / Detailed (with histogram) * / Focus-check
Save original image - On / off * (applies to Colour Accent)
Auto-category - On / off * (saved with image file)
Grid lines - On * / off (overlay on screen)
3:2 aspect guide - On / off * (overlay on screen)
Image Stabilisation - Off / shoot only / panning / continuous *
Date-stamp - Off * / Date / Date & time (saved with image file)

The above list is just the available settings for shooting! There are more features for the playback (review) mode, printing mode and the camera's general behaviour.

I'll soon start work on an article titled "Features I use for taking a shot". This will be a big topic so expect to see a number of posts!

An evening at Henley Beach

2009-02-01T22:52:00.008+10:30

I'm not one for the beach, but enjoyed taking these shots on my first visit this year.

Adelaide's experiencing a heat wave of record proportions. Over 38 Celius for 5 days and more to come :-(.

We got to the beach by 7pm and it was still hot, so we had dinner then went for a stroll at 8pm. The beach was packed and I happily spent the next hour dodging people, dogs and various types of balls to capture these photos.