Nationals

Nationals was such a great experience! I learned so much there that will help me to better my photography. We spent a whole week at Kansas City, MO. The competition itself only spread over the course of two days the rest of the time was spent at different activities that Skills had set up for us. For the first day of the competition we had our photo shoot. The next day was full of thing we had to do: we had to create a contact sheet form photos we took the previous day; we had to identify various problems in photos; we had to do a studio shoot; we had to edit a photo and replace one plane with another in the same image; we had to have an interview; we had to take a written test; and we were able to meet with some professional photographers and review our portfolios. During the course of the competition I knew I had made some stupid mistakes that would cost me later but were to late to fix. Then I found out at the end of the nationals competition that I took 13th in the nation. Not bad for my first time around but next year I will get 1st! :)

Skills USA State

I competed in the Skills USA State competition over the past couple day. It was an awesome experience were I was able to compare my knowledge and skill in photography to that of the rest of the students in the state of Utah. We had to take a written test on the various components of photography like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, rule of thirds, ect. Then we had to go to a computer lab to make a panorama and color correct a very askew image and create a photo-montage out of nine random pictures that they gave us. After that we had to go to the studio and take pictures given the specifications that they gave us and I did awesome in this part the guy was really impressed in my knowledge of studio lighting! Then we had to go on an hour on campus shoot were we had to take pictures of specific categories that we were assigned then go back to the lab and edit those in Photoshop. At the awards ceremony that night when they got to photography they called third place.... not me, then they called second place.... not me and I figured my chances of getting in the top three were slim at that point, but then when calling the first place they call "From Murray High School" and my mind starts racing and I think oh my gosh I'm the only photographer from Murray! Then they call "Cameron Pickle" and I was so excited, I'm still excited right now, ha ha I won 1st place in the state of Utah in photography! Now I go on to nationals to compete with the best photographer from each state!!!

How To Take a Great Photograph

I have been busy recently (as you can see by the lack of posts) with lots of school homework, bleh! ha ha but one of the things that I was doing was I was writing a research paper in Honors English on any topic of my chose, so naturally I chose to write it on photography :) I picked the topic of "What makes a great photograph" and started researching the topic. The assignment became more of a well, I know that this and this and that all make a picture better. So it more came down to me putting my knowledge of what makes a great photo all into one essay. Then I thought, well since I wrote it, I might as well add it to my blog! It does have a academic voice and approach to it since I did it for class but enjoy what I have found makes a great photograph! :)

Photography has been around for around two hundred years and was publically available around a hundred years ago. At first the average middle class person would only buy the cheapest camera there was and could not the nicer cameras that were available unless they were professional photographers. Once digital photography came around many people were able to buy nicer cameras with the affordability of the digital cameras. Even the nicer Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras are much more affordable to the average person. With the wide spread of many cameras among the general population people often wonder, “What makes a great picture?” Although many people own a digital camera, very few know how to take a great photograph.

How the Camera Works

The first thing that should be understood in order to take a great picture is how to work the camera. The biggest problem that photographers face is the pictures they take don’t turn out like the way they actually saw them. This is because the camera doesn't “see” things the way our eyes do. The photographers who learn how to “see” the way that the camera does are able to take great pictures. Knowing the controls of the camera makes it possible to make the picture turn out the way the scene was originally viewed. Aperture is one of the biggest things that affect the way the picture turns out. Aperture refers to the size of the hole in the lens which changes the amount of light let into the image sensor and changes the depth of field of the picture. When using aperture, the lower the f/stop the bigger the opening in the lens, the more light let in, and the shallower the depth of field. The higher the f/stop the smaller the opening in the lens, less light let in, the wider the depth of field. Depth of field can be used to isolate the subject of a photo. This is very useful to keep the viewer’s eye from getting distracted by all of the “stuff” in the background. This will help to keep the mind thinking about what is important in the photo not some obscure detail in the background that distracts the viewer and causes them to lose interest in the photograph.

The purpose of shutter speed is to let the camera know how long to keep its shutter open and allow light into the camera. With a short shutter speed the motion in the picture can be frozen and create a crisp image. The problem with fast shutter is that it lets in less light causing the picture to be under exposed. International Standards Organization (ISO) is the film speed of a camera and can be sped up to make the image brighter to compensate for the under exposure of fast shutter speeds. The problem with increasing the ISO is that it creates specs on the picture known as grain. If the camera is set to a long shutter speed motion will be captured as a blur. This can be useful for taking pictures of things such as running water in streams and will make the water look smooth and flowing instead of frozen at one particular moment. If the picture becomes overexposed from the long shutter speeds it can be compensated by lowering the ISO or by putting on a neutral density filter which reduces the amount of light passing through it. There are also many other filters which allow lots more creative control in taking pictures. Some of these filters include UV filter, star filter, polarized filter, and colored filters. Filters are used by attaching them to the end of the camera’s lens.

The different types of lenses are another important aspect that one should understand. There are three main types of lenses macro, wide angle, and telephoto. Macro lenses are made for close up shots of the subject that other lenses won’t allow due to how they work. They also tend to have the ability to go to a very low f/stop which allows shallow depth of field that is common in macro photography. Then next type of lens is the wide angle lens which allows much wider views than other lenses and can cause distortion in the edges. These types of lenses are good for landscape shots and group picture shots in a small room or area. The other kind of lens is the telephoto lens which is designed for zooming over large distances. It can be very useful for sporting events for close ups of the people playing without having to be in the way of the game. They are also useful to be able to take pictures of things which are too dangerous to approach such as wild animals. Also if the subject is just too far away and there is no way to reach it to get the picture that has been conceptualized, then a telephoto lens will be the best to get the job done.

Composition

One of the biggest factors that set a great photo apart from an “ok” one is composition. There are many composition guide lines that have been developed by people who have studied art and found commonalities between the photographs that many people consider to be great photos. One of the composition guide lines is the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds states that if there were to be two lines evenly spaced vertically and two lines evenly spaced horizontally across the picture, that would look like a tic tac toe board, if the subject were placed at the intersections of the lines it creates more interest in the photograph. Another suggestion for composition is to balance the main objects in the photo to strengthen the photograph. Also framing within the photograph creates more interest in it. The frame doesn’t have to be perfectly focused but it will help to prevent the eye from wandering off of the picture. In landscape photography with rivers finding a bend in the river that creates an S shape creates a stronger photograph. If the river is winding and bending through the picture it is more entertaining to the eye than a strait segment of river. Leading lines are the major lines in a photograph that direct the viewers eye around the picture. They can be used to create a strong composition if they are used correctly. Having lines that go off the page will make the viewers eye go off of the picture, therefore, making them lose interest in the picture. Horizontal lines can be used to show stability and lack of change or timelessness. The use of vertical lines in a picture gives the feeling of growth as well as stability. Vertical lines also give off a peaceful mood. Diagonal lines make the picture more dynamic and show activity within the picture. Irregular or jagged lines convey a mood of unease, tension, and dread.

Elements of a Great Photo

One element of a great photo is it tells a story. This is the reason people look at pictures, to get the story behind the image. When looking at a photo the viewer wants to know “who” the person is that they are looking at or the story behind the shot. When taking a picture of a child who has just won their soccer game, including the soccer field will show that it was winning the game that brought the child joy instead of the subject just a happy kid. To make the picture even better it needs to make the viewer feel an emotion. Adding emotion to a photo will make viewers have more of a connection to the picture. By practicing thinking about the emotion that one wishes to convey in a photo they can increase the emotion displayed in the picture. The story and emotions displayed need to present a theme that the viewers can relate to. By having a theme it makes the picture more personal because others can relate to that specific theme.

Make sure to not over crowd a photo with lots of unimportant “stuff”. Simplicity makes picture much stronger. To better apply simplicity in to one’s photography they might think, “What makes this photo interesting?” Then once decided they would crop away unnecessary extra in the picture. This will help the viewer to keep interest in the photo because it doesn't have dull and unnecessary extra background.

Another element that a great photography should have is good exposure. Under exposed photographs are unpleasing to the eye and unless they were purposefully under exposed for dramatic effect it will cause the viewer to lose interest in the photograph. Even a photo that has been under exposed for dramatic effect has parts that are exposed properly and are pleasing to the eye; it just has to be used correctly to not loose the viewer’s attention. Different types of light in the photograph can make it good or bad. If there is harsh lighting it adds strong lines between the shadows and the light which isn't pleasing to the eye. By adding a fill light the harsh shadows become soft light that is more pleasing to the eye. Another type of lighting to avoid is horror lighting. Horror lighting is when the light is coming from below and is casting shadows in the subject’s eyes and casts other unpleasant shadows. There is also always ambient light in the photo which is the atmospheric light of the scene. Adding fill lights, hair lights, background lights, and other lighting can fill in under exposed shadows and create separation between the subjects and the background. Filling the frame is an important element to a great photograph. If there is dead space in the photo it can leave it dull and uninteresting. The dead space can leave the photo empty and make the subject get lost. The dead space over powers the image and the viewer is less likely to notice the interesting pare. Dead space can, however, be used for dramatic effect if one knows how to use it correctly. It can be used to make a feeling of emptiness and loneliness.

Useful Hints When Taking Pictures

To be able to take a great photograph one must try taking pictures at different vantage points. Taking pictures from different heights changes the impression of the subject that the viewer takes. From a high vantage point the photo has a contemporary look and has less background allowing the viewer to focus on the subject’s face. From a low vantage point the subject had added emphasis and size. A low vantage point also ands weight and importance to the subject. It is also a good way to photograph children. It puts the viewer in their perspective and minimizes distortion.

Focus in a picture is important to be able to take a great photograph. While it is fairly obvious it is very important none the less. The subject should be what is in focus, if not the viewer will be distracted by what is in focus. With the autofocus features of today’s cameras it is a lot harder to not have the picture in focus so many people take that for granted and don’t make sure that their picture is in perfect focus. One good way to make the picture be even sharper and get rid of blur is to use a tripod. This will stabilize the camera and will also cause more thought to be put into each shot before it is taken because it requires more setup consequently making frequently better images.

There are three different ways that movement is captured to create a great picture. The first technique is to freeze the motion with fast shutter speeds. This way of capturing the picture leaves a crisp image with no blur if done correctly. The big disadvantage of this technique is that it requires fast shutter speed which makes it so less light enters the lens causing low lighting and consequently under exposed pictures. Another way to capture motion in a picture is to have what is moving blurred. If a person is waving their arm then it will be blurred in the area that they were moving it. This technique is good for flowing water and moving objects were details aren't desired but fluid movement is. This technique can be acquired by setting a long shutter speed. The last way to capture motion is by panning the subject. This is achieved by moving the camera along with the moving subject consequently keeping the subject in focus while the background is blurred.

In order to have a great picture the background can’t be ignored. The background should complement the subject and if possible frame the subject. Framing the subject keeps the viewer’s eye drawn to the subject and helps to keep the eye from wandering off of the page. To get a better background one can try moving around the subject to decide what the best background is. Another option is to use a shallow depth of field to create a bokeh in the background which is intentional blur that has creative quality. Another consideration to put into the background is putting a landmark that everyone is familiar with. This can be beneficial or detract from the image depending on the purpose of the picture. To create a stronger connection with the picture, add a landmark that people can connect to such as the statue of liberty. In an image were more emphasis is wanted on the subject keep known landmarks out of the picture to keep the viewer from being distracted by the landmark.

Using natural lighting is another way to make an image stronger. Using natural lighting from the sun keeps a natural look. It also keeps the picture from having problems lighting can bring such as red eye and horror lighting. Knowing how to use a flash and man made lighting can be used to greatly enhance pictures lacking the necessary light to properly expose an image. Flash can be used to create contrast, fill shadows, help backlight subjects, and create separation between subject and background. Make sure to use a flash or turn up the ISO to properly expose an image or both because and underexposed image will never be a great photograph. Under exposure can ruin an otherwise perfect picture.

There is several ways in which one should prepare in order to be able to take great pictures. One must know how to use the camera and all of its functions properly. One must know how composition works to be able to create a balanced and pleasing image to the eye. They must know the elements that are in a great photograph such as telling a story, theme, emotion, and simplicity. Also one must take into consideration all the small things such as vantage point, lighting, movement, and blur. When one takes all these things into consideration a great photograph may be made every time that they take a picture weather it be with a high quality SLR or even a cheap compact point-n-shoot camera. While many people own cameras very few know what it is that makes a great picture.

What Makes a "Great Picture"?

What makes a great picture? This is a question with no one definite answer. For one of the classes that I am taking I have to do a research assignment and chose that topic of what makes a great picture. I would like to have the opinions of many people on what they think makes a "Great Photo" so if you have to time E-mail me at pickledigitalphotography@gmail.com Thanks :)

HDR Photography

I am currently learning how to create High Dynamic Range (HDR) pictures. You may wonder, what is HDR Photography? It is when you merge photos that have been taken at different exposures to create a greater dynamic range or in other words be able to see detail in the shadows and highlights that would otherwise be impossible to see with the range that your camera's image sensor would pick up. It is a lengthy process but it creates stunning images. I will be posting my HDR images once I have worked out the kinks. Once I have mastered how to create HDR photos, I will have a post on how to make them, so be sure to follow up! :)

To check out some examples of HDR photos click on the following link http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/03/10/35-fantastic-hdr-pictures/

Camera Modes

One of the basics of photography is knowing what each mode on your camera is used for. It is surprising to me how many people own nice cameras and don't know how to use the different modes and features that made the camera so expensive in the first place. Because of this I decided that I will go over the different modes on the camera dial. There are two types of modes on cameras
automatic and creative modes. The automatic are easier to operate because they automatically set the settings on your camera to the specific shot based on the mode that you choose. The creative modes let you choose the settings of the camera and give more flexibility and creativity.

Automatic Modes

Automatic - This is a fully automatic mode that the camera sets all the settings solely based on what it detects during each different lock. This mode is the worst mode that you can shoot in because you are not giving the camera any additional information besides telling it that you are taking a picture. I would never suggest using this mode unless you feel that you absolutely don't understand anything about photography or the different modes at all.

Portrait - usually depicted as a womans head on the mode dial. This mode automatically give you as large an aperture as possible (low f/stops) to blur out the background because of the narrow depth of field that it creates. This will make the person that you are taking a picture of the central focus of your image. This mode is designed for taking pictures of a single person, not groups.

Macro - usually depicted by a flower on the mode dial. This mode lets you take close up pictures and still have them in focus. In this mode the camera will set you aperture wide open giving you as very shallow depth of field. Due to the shallow depth of field it is ideal to have a tripod because moving the camera at all can make your subject go out of focus. Using the built in flash in macro photography is a bad idea and will most likely wash out your photograph.

Landscape - usually depicted as mountains with a cloud on the mode dial. This mode is pretty much the opposite of portrait, it sets the camera to a small aperture (large f/stop) which give you a wide depth of field so that your entire image is in focus. This mode can often have long shutter speeds due to the small aperture which makes a tripod a very good thing to have. I tripod is good to haProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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anyway because it will help make you image less blurry because it will take out shaking due to hand movement and it will make you slow down and think about your shot more before you take it.

Sports/Action - usually depicted as a runner on the mode dial. This mode is used to capture fast moving objects such as people playing sports, children, pets, wildlife, and anything that moves. This is achieved by the camera setting a faster shutter speed. To be able to get a even clearer image you can try to focus the camera were your subject is going to be ahead of time. You could also pan the shot by moving the camera along with the subject. These techniques take practice.

Night Portrait - usually depicted as a person with a star behind them on the mode dial. This mode sets your camera to a slow shutter speed and uses a flash to light up your foreground and subject. Due to the slow shutter speed your images can be blurred and your background will unless you use a tripod.

Creative Modes

Program - usually a P on the mode dial. This mode is similar to Automatic mode and sometimes is automatic mode. On cameras were there is both program usually gives you a little more control over features such as flash, white balance, ISO, ect. To know exactly what your program mode does check your user manual.

Shutter Speed Priority - usually a Tv or S on the mode dial. This is a semi-automatic (or semi-manual) mode. It lets you set the shutter speed while the camera sets aperture, white balance, ISO, ect. You can still change most of the settings manually, but you can't change aperture. Set a fast shutter speed (big number) to take pictures of fast moving objects. Set it to a slow shutter (use a tripod to keep the image clear) speed to take pictures of things such as a waterfall or a river. It can also be used to make the picture brighter.

Aperture Priority - usually a Av or A on the mode dial. This is a semi-automatic (or semi-manual) mode. It is pretty much the opposite of Shutter Speed priority. In this mode you adjust the aperture in measurements of f/stops. The smaller the f/stop the the shallower the depth of field (I will explain aperture and depth of field in an upcoming post in more detail) and the more light it lets in. The larger the f/stop the larger the depth of field and the less light let in. The shutter speed will most likely be opposite the aperture so the more larger the aperture (smaller f/stop) the shorter the shutter speed and the smaller the aperture (bigger f/stop) the longer the shutter speed (use a tripod to reduce blur).

Manual - usually a M on the mode dial. In this mode you set all of the settings on the camera. This mode gives you the most flexibility but you have to know what you are doing to make your pictures turn out right.

Panorama

To create a panorama you  need to  use a program such as Photoshop to stitch multiple images together. I will be teaching you how. What you need is:

Your digital camera

Either a tripod or a flat surface on which you can rotate your camera

Your computer and Photoshop with the photomerge utility

To begin taking your panorama you need to decide your subject and the location that your are going to be taking your picture from. This is very important when taking a panorama because you have to be able to keep your camera is the same location while you only rotate it. If you have objects obstructing the picture your are taking or you have shadows on your camera you should find another location to take the shot. It is important that you maintain as much consistency between shots as possible because when Photoshop puts the images together is looks for similar areas to merge and if two pictures don't line up close enough Photoshop will discard the single one or with only two pictures it won't create the panorama.

When taking the shot start at either the far left or right side. Take a picture to see if you have the settings you want, if you don't readjust until you do. Then once you have a good first shot swivel the camera so that you have a 20% or more overlay into the next image. It is better to have too much overlay than too little because Photoshop needs to be able to see what parts of the image line up otherwise the picture when stitched together will look terrible. Continue taking pictures swiveling your camera with 20% or more overlay between each picture.To make sure that the image ends up correct you need to set the ISO, white balance, and aperture to set values so that they don't vary from image to image. If this happens it makes it harder for Photoshop to merge the images together. It also will make the final product look bad.

Next open Photoshop and go to File-Automate-Photomerge... From there press the browse button and find the pictures that you took for your panorama. If you took the pictures from left to right the lowest number should be on top. Once they are in photomerge press ok and let photoshop do its thing. It may take several minutes to complete.

Once it is done the image that Photoshop gives will probably be a strange shape because Photoshop adjusted the pictures to compensate for and lens distortion. Now all that is left to do is crop the image and apply any final adjustments that you would like to make!

Rule of Thirds

I decided that I will start with the basic Rule of Thirds. The Rule of Thirds is essentially if you took your image and put two lines space in evenly vertically and horizontally then found the four intersections of those lines. Those four areas (circled intersections below) are the points of interest on your photo. Studies have shown that putting your subject in those points of interest make looking at the photo more natural for the viewer.

The photo to the left demonstrates the red leaf being in the upper right point of interest instead of being centrally focused.

Another thing Rule of Thirds can also be used in photography to make stronger images by making lines along one of the Rule of Thirds line through the image. An example of this would be a horizon in a landscape photo being along the upper third line or the lower third line instead of the center of the photo. In the photo to the right the skyline of the mountains is on the upper line of the Rule of Thirds lines.

While using Rule of Thirds isn't always necessary, it can greatly enhance images and make them look more natural to the viewer. A great thing about digital photography is you can crop your images to make your subject in Rule of Thirds after you have taken the photo. If you don't already I would suggest trying taking pictures with the Rule of Thirds in mind. You can even take two pictures one where the subject is centered and one where the subject is in one of the points of interest based on the Rule of Thirds and compare to see the difference. With this you can find when and where you think that Rule of Thirds make a more effective photo over a central subject.