Hope you can hang-out with me on my Google+ Hang Out on Thursday at 1 PM Eastern. I'll be sharing my favorite Route 66 photographs - enhanced with Nik plugins. Join the fun.
New to Nik? Check out the Nik Collection by Google on my Save on Plug-ins page.
Explore the light,
Rick
One of my favorite recent reads is Steal Like an Artist - 10 things nobody told you about being creative.
One of the quotes in the book is by Salavador Dali: "Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing."
Here is another good one from the book, this one by Pablo Picasso: "Art is Theft."
I think we can all learn by copying the art of others. Plus, it's fun!
Today I had some fun playing (stealing) with Topaz Adjust 5 while working on one of my Africa images. I used the Dark Sketch Charcoal filter in the Stylized Collection to create an image that reminded me of my first Santana album (still one of my favorites).
Topaz and other plug-ins are a great way to awaken the artist within. All the plug-ins I use are listed on my Save on Plug-ins page. Re Topaz: Save 15% with my code: rsammon.
Explore the light,
Rick
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Hey Gang - I'm very excited about my new, basic on-line lighting class, which is all about making great portraits in your home. I could have called the class, "Look Ma, No Studio," because I illustrate how to create studio-type shots in your home. Here is just one example.
The class will be up in June!
Shoot me an email to get on the info list for this new class, as well as my new on-line landscape class.
In the meantime, you can learn about lighting and photographing people in my two favorite books: Exploring the Light and Face to Face.
Catch you then my friends!
Explore the light,
Rick
Iceland. Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 17-40mm lens. Shutter speed: 2.5 seconds.
Shooting at a slow shutter speed is the key to capturing the beauty of a waterfall. The shutter speed at which you shoot can range from 1/5th of a second to 15 seconds, and even longer.
The shutter speed you choose depends on the two things: 1) the desired effect: the longer the shutter speed, the smoother and softer the water appears in your photograph; and 2) the movement of the water: when the water is moving fast, you’ll need a longer shutter speed than when the water is moving slowly.
My advice is to photograph a waterfall using several different slow shutter speeds, and then choose the image/effect you like best once you are back home and sitting at your computer monitor.
Croton on Hudson, NY. Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 25-105mm IS lens. Shutter speed: 5 seconds.
Using slow shutter speeds requires using a tripod. To prevent camera shake during long exposures, use a cable release, a remote release app, or your camera’s self-timer.
On sunny days, even if you set your ISO to 100 and your aperture to f/22, you may not be able to shoot at a slow enough shutter speed to blur the water. In that situation, use a Variable Neutral Density (ND) filter.
An ND filter reduces the amount of light entering your lens so you can shoot at slow shutter speeds. A variable ND filter lets you control (dial in) the desired amount of light reduction. I use a Tiffen 2-8 stop Variable ND filter. To reduction reflections on water, use a Tiffen polarizing filter.
If you don’t own a ND filter, shoot before sunrise and after sunset on sunny days – when the light level is low.
Keep your camera’s highlight alert on. Check to make sure highlights are not overexposed and washed out.
When shooting near waterfalls, keep a lens cleaning cloth
handy. The smallest water droplet on your lens can look like a big blog in your
pictures. Clean your lens often!
Sometimes you need to be in the water when photographing waterfalls. Knee-high rubber are one choice for keeping your toes dry. Neos, collapsible waterproof boots are another.
I teach waterfall photography on my workshops. I hope to see you on one soon!
If you like quick tips like these, you can subscribe to my blog.
Explore the light,
Rick
• • • • •
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Here's my latest quick lighting tip, thanks to my friends at Westcott.
Also, check out the cool challenge and nice prize.
Click the picture above to view the video.
Here's a link to Westcott Kit I use in the video.
To learn more about lighting, check out my Kelby Training class: Light, the main element in every photograph on My Apps page.
Good luck!
Rick
