Be a part of the photographic community

Almost every town of any size has photographic groups in them. Here in Austin, TX we have a whole bunch at "http://www.meetup.com/". If you haven't discovered this site it may be worth while to check it out. Meetup.com is one of the lesser discussed social networking sites, but I'd argue it's one of the most valuable in terms of bringing people together in the real world around a common theme or interest -- going beyond Facebook and Twitter to facilitate real-life interaction where so much of our communication is digital. You can "meetup" over all kinds of themes from wine tasting to rock climbing. And there a lots of photographic groups. Frequently they have a day or evening gathering about a particular subject. It's fun and you can learn from others. Another place to gain knowledge is at a photographic store. Many of these will offer classes. In Austin the best store is Precision Camera. http://www.precision-camera.com/ This rather amazing store has lots of classes plus you can just go in and wander about. The sales people are very knowledgeable and will answer questions as well. By reaching out you will find out things that you never even knew you didn't know.

Backgrounds in Photography

Have you ever taken a great photo of someone only to have a nasty background like a fast food sign or power lines? So you know what I'm talking about. Look around before you take the photography. You can move your subject to a location that is much more pleasant. This could even be the brick wall on the side of that same restaurant. While you're at it put them in the shade. There is nothing more distracting than mottled sunlight on someones face or body. All you need to do is place them under a tree or on the shady side of a building and voila a great photo. Remember to get in close and take more then one shot. You'll be amazed.

Photography of Religious events

I am presently in San Miguel de Allende Mexico for my yearly lecture slide show: The Guide to Semana Santa. The lecture is created from my book “Tears from the crown of Thorns”. It is designed to help the visitor understand the significance of the processions and to learn how to navigate the myriad of events. I am, of course, taking more photos. It has been an interesting time. Taking photos of religious events involves sensitivity. Many people do not appreciate people taking photos of their spiritual processes. However these are important to document and if you photography with respect there should be no problem. Here are my suggestions: 1. Do not use flash 2. Do not get in participants faces with your camera. Never. 3. Scope out the scene before hand to determine the best place to stand for sun, shade, good background and drama. 4. Get to the event early stand at the spot you choose and use a telephoto lens. I did my entire book this way and the photos are pretty extraordinary. Here are some of the images from this year. I will be adding more images in the next few days.

Perspective and the rule of thirds

Do your photographs seem predictable? Do you always shoot from your own personal height? Well, this is an easy remedy, change perspective. Try squatting down or even lying on the ground. Try holding a camera at an angle. These can all give dramatic effects and certainly will make your photography more interesting. Rule of THIRDS This is actually a concept from painters and great artists. This means dividing you photograph into 9 equal boxes, 3 across and 3 down. You can actually do this on your editing program with a photo you have already taken. The basic idea is your subject is more interesting if it sits on one of these lines. That means asymmetry. Look at the painting of the masters you will see time and time again that the subject is off center. Also the horizon line needs to follow one of these lines. Try it. You will be amazed at how much more interesting and professional you photos look. Of course there are times when you want to have your subject front and center but start to think this way when you look through your viewfinder. It will take practice but you will like the results.

Natural looking portraits.

If you are taking photos of people, engage and talk to them. Use your eyes – lower that camera and be human. Bring the camera up for a decisive shot. But remember to lower it, like you’re coming up for air, to check in with your subject. Chances are they are family or friends so joke around. You want natural looking photos. So make some dumb jokes and get them to loosen up. There are way too many photos of people with the phony smile. Also try to take photos while people are just talking. After a while they forget you are there and you can get some gorgeous images. Then you can just delete the ones that don't work.

Photographic books and learning

There is so much equipment out there to purchase. You could spend a fortune. However I suggest you purchase more books then equipment. When you really understand how light and your camera work you do not need a lot of extra stuff. Plus many books will show you how you can use common everyday things as photographic accessories. Later we will talk about diffusers and reflectors but as an example instead of buying these you can use a sheet for a diffuser or a piece of cardboard for a reflector. Also check out photo magazines. Rangefinder is free and has an on-line magazine as well. http://www.rangefinderonline.com/index.shtml One of my favorite authors is Scott Kelby. His books are task oriented with lots of illustrations. And he's kind of fun. He also has an amazing teaching site: http://kelbyone.com/ There is a slight charge (first month is free) but once you start checking out his lessons you will be hooked. The more you read and watch the more interesting photography is going to be. The possibilities are endless. Also if you really want to get the full treatment attend a conference. In Texas there is an amazing event every May. http://tppa.org/ It says it's for professionals but there are lots of wanabees. Have fun learning.

Ask permission before taking photos of strangers

Ask permission When photographing people, especially while in countries with different cultures and languages, it can be hard to communicate. In certain countries if you photograph someone you are not ‘supposed’ to photograph, it can get ugly and it can be insulting. So out of respect you should always ask permission. ??I think of it this way. You see this interesting face of an elder person, great wrinkles and expression. Now think of this as your grandmother. Would you want some stranger from another country snapping photographs of her? You get the idea, I will be heading to Mexico on Thursday for Semana Santa, Holy week. http://charlottebell.com/tears-from-the-crown-of-thorns/ This is the most important religious event of the year in MX. There are two major processions on Holy Friday. I have been so embarrassed in the past to see some idiot jumping in front of the casket of Jesus and snapping flash photos in the face of the mourners. Talk about the ugly American. Be very respectful in other countries. Ask at your hotel about customs for photography.

How to avoid red eye.

Nothing is more weird then "red eye" on your photo. Why is this happening? Believe it of not it's the flash. The pupil of the eye dilates with that bright light. So you are seeing the blood vessels from the back of the eye. Here are some hintspurchase a simple device that will soften the flash a "flash difuser" Do a google search using that term and you will find many devices in all price ranges. Not only will this avoid red eye but your flash images will have a much softer light. Ask your subjects to look just to the side or above the camera Use red eye reduction on your camera setting But the easiest is to purchase a simple device that will soften the flash a "flash difFuser" Do a google search using that term and you will find many devices in all price ranges. Not only will this avoid red eye but your flash images will have a much softer light. .

The San Miguel Writers conference

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Avoiding Blurry photos

The easiest way to avoid blur is to use a tripod. This is especially important if the light is low, as in night or late afternoon photography. Your shutter is going to open more slowly to allow in more light. This slow shutter is the cause of the blur. You cannot hand hold a camera with a shutter speed less then 30. You can try holding the camera close to your body and bracing yourself or the camera against a solid object like a wall or fence but this is chancy at best. Here is when ISO is very helpful. The higher your ISO the faster you shutter speed can be. Remember shutter speed, ISO and aperture all work together. So when it’s dark I first crank up the ISO open up my aperture put the camera on a tripod and I will have wonderful results. Here are some examples.

Light and photography

Does all this seem confusing? The reason why it’s so confusing, is, it’s so simple. Really. It is. We complicate matters. Think about a great blues solo. Simple. The worlds best bands- often using three chords, no more. Simple. The best images in photography are often very, very simple use of light.The key here is to learn how to use it, simply. Use it to bring out results, to elicit a feeling, a mood and paint a picture. What we need to learn is to see light. There is always a light source and that is the key. Look at how the light is reflecting on the face. Just turning you subject will change everything. Experiment. It's digital.

The big three

Balance in ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. ISO is how sensitive your camera is to light, shutter speed is how long it takes for your camera to take a picture (which in turn alters the amount of light coming in), and aperture is how dilated the lens of your camera is. Not all cameras have this, mostly only digital photography cameras. By balancing these and keeping them as close to the middle as possible, you can avoid the noise caused by high ISO, the blurriness caused by low shutter speed, and the depth of field side effects caused by low aperture. Depending on how your picture should be, you should change these settings accordingly to keep light at a good level but still have the effects you want on your picture. For example, say you are taking a picture of a cool bird coming out of the water. You will need a high shutter speed to get it in focus, but you will also need a low aperture or high ISO to compensate for the lighting. A high ISO will make it look grainy, but a low aperture is perfect because it also creates a cool blurry background effect that draws attention to the bird. By balancing these elements, you can make the best image possible.