Instructor's Tip: Digital Black and White

REMINDER: No "Instructor's Tip" next week as Russ will be leading his ten day photography tour to the Tetons and Yellowstone. I can't wait until I can save up enough to treat myself to one of Russ's tours. (Russ just wants me to so he can smirk while this admitted night owl is forced to get out of bed at 4:30 in the morning!

Digital Black and White

Black and white photography has a special place in my heart. I’ll never forget shooting my first roll when I took an introductory course to photography in college. I still remember the anxious feeling I had when I had to spool it onto the metal reel as I was the one who was going to develop it. What a thrill it was to make my first contact sheet and realize I did everything right. And then the absolute magic that did occur when I developed my first 8x10. I was hooked for life. But here’s the irony- with the sophisticated digital techniques that have evolved, I haven’t shot a roll of B&W in years. But that’s OK as the magic is still there. It’s just created via a different means.

There are numerous ways to digitally create a B&W image. Most cameras even have a setting that allows this at capture. There are many plug ins and stand alone programs that make the job easy and provide a lot of control to the finished product. Regardless of how you get to the final print, I strongly encourage you to dabble. If you haven’t tried the B&W adjustment layer in Photoshop, stop whatever you’re doing and give it a whirl.

Enjoy this week's "Instructor's Tip" by award winning nature photographer Russ Burden. The photo(s) in this post were taken by Russ Burden. To learn more about how Russ captured this image, join him on one of his photo tours. Visit Russ Burden Photography to get more information.

To take a class with Russ or a fellow Digital Photo Academy instructor in your area, check out the Digital Photo Academy. I took Russ' intermediate and advanced courses last year, and he continues to be a strong source of knowledge and encouragement as I progress in my photography.

Don't forget to check Take Great Pictures for Russ' most recent tips. On the home page, click on the "Photo Tips And Techniques" button in the left hand column. Additionally, check out his "Digital Tip of the Month" found by clicking on the Digital Photography button.

Instructor's Tip: Reflections

Enjoy this week's Instuctor's Tip: "Reflections," by award winning nature photographer Russ Burden Burden:

Reflections can be found on many different surfaces. Glass buildings,
mirrors, mylar, chrome bumpers, and puddles to name a few. All
provide the opportunity to produce creative images. Some provide
smooth and uninterrupted surfaces while others add a rippled texture
giving variations of the reflected effect. In the natural world, the
diversity of mirrored surfaces isn’t as vast narrowing the amount of
photographic opportunities. Nature photographers often rely on still
water for the effect. This mandates no wind. Early mornings and late
evenings are the best times to find this condition. A bonus is the
light at this time of day is warm and directional.

Still water reflections provide the nature photographer with great
opportunities to make gorgeous images. I encourage you to use a
graduated neutral density filter to even out the difference in
exposure between the reflection and top area of the photo.
Inevitably, the reflected part will be darker by as much as three
stops. With this in mind, I carry one and two stop versions on all my
workshops. I take a meter reading of both the actual and reflected
portions. If the difference is one stop, I use the one stop filter.
If it’s two stops, I use the two stop filter and for those times when
there’s a three stop difference, I combine the one and two to give me
three stops of filtration.


The photo in this post were taken by award winning photographer Russ Burden. To learn more about how Russ took the following photo in this post, join him on one of his photo tours. Visit Russ Burden Photography to get more information.

To take a class with Russ or a fellow Digital Photo Academy instructor in your area, check out the Digital Photo Academy. I took Russ' intermediate and advanced courses last year, and he continues to be a strong source of knowledge and encouragement as I progress in my photography.

Don't forget to check Take Great Pictures for Russ' most recent tips. On the home page, click on the "Photo Tips And Techniques" button in the left hand column. Additionally, check out his "Digital Tip of the Month" found by clicking on the Digital Photography button.

Get the Job Done: First Wedding A Success!

Whew! Man am I exhausted! I have to say that shooting yesterday's wedding was by far one of the most challenging photography experiences I've ever had. Not only was my brain done in Saturday, but my muscles were sore and taunt as if I'd run a marathon. Of course I didn't feel any of this while I was working. Adrenaline must have kept me going. But the enormity of the event hit me as soon as we stopped, and Mike was driving us home. I could barely bring myself to speak as the excitement drained away and all that was left was fear and worry. I stared blankly out the window while Mike held my hand. I kept thinking: "God I hope I did a good job. Please don't let me have messed this up."



But I can now say with great certainty though (after spending most of Sunday editing) that I think Jason, Mike and I did a great job covering my first official wedding assignment! The photos are fabulous and it's going to be very hard to narrow it down to only the 100 or so best.



I couldn't have done this without Jason and Mike. How does any one wedding photographer working alone get the job done? There is so much going on that I think it would have been a disservice if I tried to tackle this alone. There were simply times when I didn't have the best angle, but Mike did. While Jason drove to Watkins to be with Jordan, the groom, Mike and I hightailed it to Englewood to be with Tolisa, the bride. While I shot the bride and her bridesmaids getting dressed in the basement, Mike shot the bride's father and other male relatives outside.



My flash started to die right when I was supposed to be shooting the rings, so Jason and Mike stepped up to shoot. When the dancing started, I was on the ground while Mike took some amazing shots with an entirely new perspective from above, shooting off the balcony. The triple team idea was fundamental to making this a success.



I had the best young couple to work with. Tolisa and Jordan were fun, adventurous and up for anything. Capturing their happiness was easy. I'll never forget the moment after the ceremony was over, when the couple ran out of the church. I followed them and witnessed a memorable moment: while standing alone in front of the church, Jordan gripped Tolisa's hand and they quietly prayed together for strength in their new journey together. (I kept shooting the whole time...hope that was OK!)



Now here's the bad news: Between the three of us, we must have taken nearly 3,000 shots. Can somebody say OVERKILL! It's going to take a herculean effort to edit all of this, so I think I better get ready to "kill some babies." That's the term we use in the newsroom when a reporter has the terrible job of cutting their own stories down from 60 inches to 25. Those stories are often as dear to a reporter's heart as their own child. To have to edit anything can be an almost painful experience because you are so connected to each word, each sentence. I sorta feel that way about these photos, so I better prepare myself for the difficult process of culling them down.



One of my instructors Efrain asked me what "major catastrophes" did I encounter, what lessons did I learn and what went so well that I'm beside yourself? I'd have to say that should I get another wedding assignment, I and my assistants will have to be pickier about the shots we choose to take. I think that's the only way to avoid walking away from the event with thousands of photos.



I will surely be charging more, too. I completely understand why so many wedding photographers have high prices for their wedding services. Shooting a wedding is tough. You have to be quick on your feet, moving around constantly. And the work isn't done when the bride and groom leave -- we easily are talking about several hours of more work to edit these photos and give them a cohesive look.



I was paid upfront for my services while at the reception, and the bride as agreed to pay extra for a CD of all the images, but my greatest worry now is that I won't make enough money in print sales to even cover the cost of renting the 30D. Several people asked for business cards, so that could mean some business later. The groom's father needs promotional shots for his Christian ministry (he has a daughter getting married in Oklahoma that he asked me to shoot, but I'm not so sure about that assignment!) I will definitely have to look at this as more of a portfolio-padding, learning experience.

Q and A: Tips on Getting Paid Customers

Yeah! I've been getting a lot of comments and questions lately from readers and passersby of my blog, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. One of the hardest things about being a journalist is that you often don't get as much feedback as you would like about your work. And the only time you do is when you've just messed something up, so it's easy to get disillusioned or cynical. When someone takes the time to write to me, it really touches my heart, and the encouragement for my photography will never be forgotten.

I make it a point to answer people who respond to my articles that run in the Denver Post (even when they are telling me how awful they think I am); and I wanted to do the same here on my personal/business blog. To that end, I'm going to start a series of posts to show my readers some love and answer questions when I can.

REDTHEDUNNS ASKS: Any tips on how to get paid customers??? You know-to share the wealth of knowledge back with the Digital Photography School people?

ANSWER: Hello Redthedunn, thanks for your question. Here's one tip that I've learned along the way. Try to take advantage of every opportunity thrown your way because things tend to snowball. I got my first paid client thanks to Efrain Cruz, the owner of Illuminate Photography Workshops in Denver. A client needed Efrain to shoot at a dinner/reception being held by the Denver Womens League of Voters, but Efrain had another committment. So Efrain sent out an email to several of his students letting them know about the opportunity. All we had to do was email the contact.


Denver Womens League of Voters annual dinner


I was shocked to find out later that I was the ONLY student who contacted the source! I don't know why the other students didn't. Mind you, I fought with myself because I didn't think I had the experience. But how are you going to get experience unless you GET OUT THERE? I got the assignment (see photos here) and I passed out business cards to everyone who would take them. The following month, one of those folks who got my business card contacted me later to shoot for a similar event for the Allied Jewish Apartments (see photos here) .....and one thing led to another and another, and another. You never know who are you going to meet at these kinds of events or who might need your services later.


Allied Jewish Apartments 36th Chai Celebration



Lessons learned:

1) Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, at least until you are so busy that you have to start turning things down.

2) Take business cards with you every where you go and pass them out! You never know when that initial contact will lead you to your next assignment.

3) Take advice from clients when they are gracious enough to give it.


The "Grip and Grin" Shot

Nancy Ulrich with the Denver Womens League knew this was my first big assignment, and she was extremely helpful in telling me how to improve my skills. Organizations tend to need what I like to call "Grip and Grin" shots for newspaper society pages. Those are the images where everybody groups together in a photo and smiles. I personally hate those kind of shots, but Ulrich helped me see that what the client wants should be the most important thing. I didn't take enough of those shots during this assignment because of my own foolish personal bias. But I took more of them during the next shoot, which pleased that client.

Get Connected: Building Your Photoblog

Last week Natalie Norton's Digital Photography School post about setting up a photoblog inspired some of my readers to create their own sites showcasing their photography and ideals. In her follow-up post, Natalie shared more ways to build and boost our photoblogs for greater readership.

Here's the short list:
Keep it Fresh
Share the Love
R.E.S.P.E.C.T
Keep it Real
Keep it Simple
Larger than Life (posting large photos)
Piracy is Better than Obscurity
Chill
Know your Numbers (using analytical tools to study your progress)

I would highly recommend reading the entire post because I find her witty and engaging. I'm still very new to blogging myself, so it's great to use these techniques to produce something that my readers (as well as myself) will continue to find useful. There has been debate on many of the photography sites I frequent about whether it's a good thing to share what's happening in your personal life on a business blog. I have decided (and it seems Natalie thinks so too if you read her point about "Keeping it Real") that being open about what's happening in my world helps others relate to me and know what to expect about the product I can produce for them.

Did you start a new photoblog thanks to Natalie's tips? If so, send me a message and I will add links to your site. I totally agree with Natalie about the importance of "Sharing the Love" in Blogdom. Earlier this week I was so psyched to discover that someone visited my blog after reading about it in a fellow photographer's blog post. Professional Photographer Chad Phillips listed my blog among others he likes to follow. Given how many blogs are out there and how much we have pulling at our attention, I think that's one of the best compliments you can receive. Thanks Chad, and I look forward to staying in contact with you in the future.

Get the Job Done: Professional Portrait Session a Success

My last client emailed me today to say that she loved her portrait session! She chose 35 of the nearly 60 images I photographed of her, including professional shots she will use on her new business website (she is a professional errand runner), glamour portraits and artistic nudes. We are in the process of setting up additional shoots throughout the year for her, as well as surprise sessions she has planned for relatives and friends for birthday gifts.



This was the first time I took professional portraits, so I'm very pleased to be able to add these to my portfolio. I had my friend Dave Scott take a look at the images, and he gave me some suggestions. Dave hosts the Business for Photographers blog. One of his more successful niches is business portraits. Why? Dave says they are a great way to jump start your photography business because "nothing beats the business portrait for jobs that lead to more jobs."



Here are some of Dave's tips:

"I am always careful with my camera angle for business women. I
almost always use a camera height that is at her eye level. Lower
portrays authority and masculinity, higher feminine and submissive. I
like to keep the camera neutral for women for business portraits so
that male counterparts don't feel threatened by too much authority
and the businesswoman is not portrayed submissively."

Need more tips for business portraits? Preorder Dave's new eBook, "Shooting Business Portraits." The final editing is being done now and it will be released on May 20th 2008.

Get the Goods: Photoshop Basics -- Digital Photo Workflow

Monday night, I took a Photoshop 101 course with the newly established Illuminate Photography Workshops. Even though I completed an online Photoshop CS2 course last year, I thought I could fill in some of the gaps with hands-on, traditional instruction. Plus I enjoy being able to interact with and learn from fellow students.

Instructor Nathaniel Coalson is an Adobe Certified Expert and was extremely knowledgeable. He helped me pinpoint some shortcomings in my own digital photo workflow -- mainly how I should integrate backups and save my master files as TIF (rather than PSD) to avoid compression and maintain original resolution.

I think what's key to note is that you have to develop a workflow that works for you. Feel feel to tweak this as long as whatever you come up with makes things easier and faster for you to produce the best images possible.

Here are Coalson's tips:

1. Capture: Capture your photos in either RAW or JPG mode. RAW provides the highest quality but requires processing in the computer. JPG is lower quality but can be viewed and shared (such as in email attachments) right from the camera.

2. Transfer Images to Computer: Use a card reader (do not upload directly from camera) and copy the files to your computer. Immediately make a backup onto another hard drive or removable media such as CD/DVD. Depending on the software available, you can automatically rename the copied files, convert to other file formats and add metadta during the copy. If using catalog software, import the images into your database during this step.

I MUST get into the habit of backing up my images as soon as possible. I tend to wait until I have finished editing, then I save the edited versions. But I like Coalson's idea of fitting this early into the workflow so it becomes as second nature to me as sharpening or editing for color balance.

3. Review your edit: Use your file browsing software to review the photos from the shoot(s) and begin rating them for further processing. Mark your selects with flags, stars, labels, etc. to filter them from the rejected files. Delete the rejected files to save disk space. For the remaining images, add more detailed metadata, especially copyright notices and keywords. Sort the images as desired and create collections.

4. Process selects: Using your photo editing software, process your selected images to perfection. Consider tone and contrast (the range of light to dark) color (accuracy and saturation), sharpness and the need for cropping and retouching. Apply creative effects such as black-and-white conversion, colorizing, multiple image composites, localized dodging and burning in this step.

5. Save master and derivative files: A derivative file is any file that would be saved off your master. Using Adobe software, open your file and "Save As" a TIF. TIF files work with the nondestructive editing principle that says to leave a way for yourself to go back in later and make changes. You can also save flattened and resize files for other purposes, including JPG for the web, etc. If you intend to make prints of your photos, prepare the necessary files during this step. Make regular backups of your working files.

I asked Coalson about some problems I had been having saving PSD files in CS3. I could save an image as a PSD, but I had trouble reopening the file. Sometimes it would appear and other times it wouldn't. Coalson said the problem is well-known and yet another reason why TIF files might be a better choice.

6. Print and Present: Using your finished image files, you can make your own prints or send them to a lab for printing, uploading them to a web site, email them to friends, make multimedia presentations, etc. The requirements and specifications for these scenarios will depend on the situation.

Instructor's Tip: DPS' "Light and the Pinhole Camera"

Yesterday, the Digital Photography School online forum began its highly anticipated ongoing weekly series of articles titled "Photograhy 101 - A Basic Course on the Camera." The series will cover all the basics of camera design and use, including the "exposure triangle," focus, depth of field and sharpness, focal lengths as well as an indepth look at the camera itself.

When the first "semester" of Photography 101 is finished (and depending on the series' success) future semesters will be offered, possibly including Photography 102 - A Basic Course in Taking Photos, Photography 103 - A Basic Course in Processing and Photography 104 - Increasing Your Options with Gear.

I've been looking forward to this and will be following the series closely. Each lesson includes a list of resources for further study and fun assignments to try out at home.

Get the Goods: Gary Fong's Puffer

OK, so maybe I am a little "Fong Obsessed," as one of my buddies at the Wolf Camera store called me yesterday during my daily lunch break spent at the shop. But seriously, the Gary Fong Puffer Pop-up Flash Diffuser is an amazing piece of equipment for under $20.

The Puffer mounts into the hot-shoe slot of digital cameras with a pop-up flash and softens the quality of the light. It's a great tool for the budding photographer who isn't ready to invest in a costly external flash, but still wants to be able to take great portraits of family and friends. By now, the features staff at the Denver Post are aware of my photography and quite used to me trolling around the office taking practice shots whenever I get new equipment. I think I heard one utter under her breath "Oh God, here she comes again with that damn camera!" before she fessed up and told me, "You know I don't like myself in pictures." But I was able to convince Ed Smith, the entertainment editor, to pose for me while I tried out the Puffer (as long as I promised to send him the good pictures, which of course I did).

This image without the GF Puffer

The shadows are noticeably softened with the Puffer in the second image. And Ed's skin tone is more natural and true to form without that harsh glare unfiltered pop-up flash produces in the first image. The Puffer was incredibly easy to install, packs completely flat for convenient storage and has eight different mounting positions to fit any popup flash camera. Get one. It really works for those quick snap shots you want to take of people or close-ups of objects.

From My Portfolio

One of the best compliments I have ever received came from a newsroom colleague: "I don't think I've ever seen Bishop so alive and animated before." My colleague was talking about some portraits I took of Terilynn's shy and introverted son, Bishop. Having the opportunity to reveal a rarely seen side of this beautiful child was incredibly rewarding.

You might remember this image of Terilynn and her daughter Avery (it has become my signature shot). Before I took portraits of Teri, her husband and four children, I spent time at Teri's informal birthday party getting to know her family so they would be more comfortable with me when I brought them into my home studio a few days later. The key with shooting Bishop, and I believe all children, is allowing them to be them. Initially, Bishop seemed afraid of my camera, so I let him gently touch the lens and ask questions about my equipment. After that, I followed the children into the backyard and simply watched them play, snapping shots here and there. I wasn't too concerned about the images I took at that moment. I just wanted them to get used to me being in their space. I adjusted my settings to the wonderful late afternoon sunlight as I went. If they wanted me to take a picture of a flower they found in the garden, I did, making sure to show them the digital image immediately afterward. Soon, they were calling me "the camera lady" and asking me to take pictures of them jumping and running and throwing horse shoes.

So when Bishop decided he wanted to see if he fit inside this plastic storage bin, I was ready for a great shot. He was comfortable and at ease, and I think the resulting images show that. I shot this at f10, 1/200, ISO 200. If I were to take it again, I might use a shallower depth of field to blur out the grassy background, maybe at f4. Not every situation will allow a photographer that kind of quality time with a young subject. But when ever children are involved, it will be worth any time you have to spare getting to know them better.

Need more tips? Joel Sartore, a National Geographic magazine photographer, shared these ideas in the book "Photographing Your Family" (National Geographic Society, $24.95) featuring his work:

1) Consider what the child likes to do. Do they ride tricycles around the dinner table or wear a Superman outfit everywhere? Keep a camera handy to capture those moments before a child outgrows those antics.
2) Get down (or up) on the subject's level to create more intimacy and take advantage of great compositional angles.
3) People will do more interesting stuff if you let them do their own thing rather than direct them. Pretend to be looking at the camera, or fixing it, and take a few frames. You'll get more interesting pictures that way.