Photography News

 

 

1. What Gear Will I Need? 

• Telephoto zoom lens – Gets you close to the window without having to climb a ladder
• Wide-angle lens – Useful for when the window's particularly large
• Tripod – In dark churches you need a sturdy tripod
• Remote release – minimise shake

 

2. Support

When you walk through the doors of a church you instantly notice how dark the interior is and as flash is banned from most historical buildings you'll be relying on long exposures to get your shot. As a result, a tripod and remote release are essential pieces of kit but if you're out for the day with the family and didn't plan on stumbling across a stained glass window you just had to photograph you need to look for a wall you can put your camera on or find a pillar you can rest against while you take your shot. Just remember to keep your arms tucked into your body and hold your breath while you fire the shutter to minimise shake.

 

Not all churches will allow photographers to use tripods or if they do there may be a fee so it's best to double-check before you start taking your shots.
 

3. Position

In an ideal world, you'd be able to use a ladder or even scaffolding to get you directly in line with the window to minimise distortion but as people would be a little upset if you started erecting poles in the middle of a church, you need to find a spot further back from the window and use a longer lens to zoom into the stained glass. If you can't find a position that lines you up with the centre of the window take the shot anyway as you can edit this as well as problems with converging verticals once you're back home.
 

4. Size

Some stained glass windows are so big that even with a wide-angle lens you can't get the whole window in-frame. You can take several shots of the window and stitch the images together when you're back home or you could forget about the big picture and focus in on the colourful detail.

Due to the size of the window and as you'll be looking up at them you will probably need a small aperture to ensure everything from the bottom to the top of the window is in focus.
 

5. Exposure

A bright window surrounded by dark interiors will confuse the camera's exposure system and you'll either get a shot where the window is too bright as the camera has compensated for the surroundings or a shot of a perfectly exposed window with black surroundings as the camera has taken its reading from the window light. One way to solve this problem is to take two shots, one exposed for the window and the other for the surroundings, then once you're back home you combine them to make one perfectly exposed shot. You must use a tripod and ensure the camera doesn't move if you do this as the slightest of nudges will mean the final shots don't line up correctly.

If you don't want to include any of the building's structure in the shot you can usually rely on the camera to meter correctly unless it's a really sunny day then you'll need to use exposure compensation.

 

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You can use any lens you like for landscape photography as with many things in life, it is not what you have got, it is how you use it.

Your choice of focal length entirely depends on how you want to interpret a scene. It is true that if you put two photographers in front of a stunning scene, one will fit a wide-angle and move in closer and the other will fix a telephoto and take a few steps back. Basically, there is no right or wrong when it comes to lens choice so long as it has produced the image you imagined in the first instance.
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1. Standard Zoom

 

Your standard zoom will find plenty of uses for landscape shooting, and you probably know that already. Its focal length coverage from moderate wide-angle through to short telephoto makes it a perfect partner for general photography.

Using a standard zoom is straightforward enough and the two sections on wide-angle and telephoto lenses cover the key techniques you need to know at the two lens extremes.
 

2. Wide-Angle Lenses

 

Wide-angle lenses have a wide-angle of view so get more into the frame. That is pretty straightforward and that is how such lenses are used, ie to get more in. But wides are also great at letting you get in much closer to the subject, giving greater intimacy.

There is a knack to getting the most from wide-angle lenses. The most important technique is to fill the frame, especially the areas directly in front and directly above the subject. A common mistake of inexperienced wide-anglers is to include too much blank foreground or too much bland sky. To stop this, just look around the whole viewfinder before you take the pictures, and if you think there is too much emptiness use the zoom to alter the crop. Or simply move your feet. It is too easy to be rooted to the ground when taking a stride or two closer to the subject or finding some foreground to fill the frame will improve the picture.

 

3. Telephoto Lenses

 

While wide-angles include more, telephoto lenses let you be much more selective in what you include in your frame. For landscape shooting, a telephoto lets you isolate details and it will also make it easier to crop out a blank sky and compressed perspective.

For landscape work, being able to isolate detail and to compress perspective is a very powerful tool in your armoury. Picking out strong lines, textures and features like trees, barns and so on is incredibly useful. As the saying goes 'less is more'. On days when the sky is not very interesting, a telephoto also makes it much easier to crop it out.

  4. Macro Lenses

 

You might think that a macro lens is not much use for landscape, but you'd be wrong. A typical macro lens is a short telephoto so it has plenty of general uses, but being able to focus really closely can be a real bonus in certain circumstances such as when the light isn't great and you have a very bland sky.

If you have a day like this, turn your attention to micro landscapes where you can use the close-focusing ability of a macro lens to get you right into a scene. With a macro lens, you can explore clumps of moss and lichen or patterns in leaves or flowers.

When working with macro lenses you do have a very limited amount of depth-of-field available even at very small apertures. With this in mind, focus very carefully and use the camera's depth-of-field preview to check what is going to come out sharp at different apertures. If you use the preview, allow your eye to get used to the darker viewfinder image before making an assessment.

Once you are this close, the camera's autofocus can struggle and it will end up searching back and forth for sharp focus. If this happens, just switch to manual focus. Have a tripod handy too as it will help avoid camera shake and allow you to make very precise and repeatable compositions. 

 

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Portrait photography is a very popular subject and with so many ways you can capture a brilliant photo of a person, it's easy to see why it's one of the most uploaded genres to the ePHOTOzine Gallery. From capturing images outdoors with natural light to indoor shoots with a full lighting set-up, close-ups, candids and professional model shoots, there are plenty of themes and methods to keep a photographer occupied!

To get you off on the right path, we've put together 10 top tips all on portrait photography and, please, if you have any top tips of your own, we'd love to see them in the comments below. 

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1. Look Your Subject In The Eye

Make sure the eyes are sharp and breathe more life into your shot by adding catchlights into the eyes.

If you're photographing children get down to their eye level. This leads to a more natural posture as they don't have to look up. The shot will also be more personal and intimate, particularly if you crop in close so they're looking directly out of the frame.

2. Simple Backgrounds

Take a good look around your shot before you hit the shutter button. Make sure there are no lampposts growing out of your subject's head and that cars or rubbish bins aren't stealing your attention. Plain backgrounds will always work best, as they help place emphasis on your subject, however you can't always find a plain wall to take your shots against so make use of your camera's wider apertures and throw the distracting background out of focus.

 

3. Use Flash Outside

Bright sunlight will create ugly shadows on your subject's face so use a pop of flash to eliminate them. Try using the flash from the side as this will give the image more dimension. While on cloudy days you can leave your flash in your camera bag as the soft, diffused light the clouds help create is perfect for portraiture work.

For more tips on using flash outdoors take a look at our previous article – flash outdoors.

 

 

4. Play With Backlight

By placing the sun, window or studio light behind your subject you'll be able to create hair/rim light that lights the edge of your subject. This can really make your subject 'pop' out of the image as the outline of light acts as an extra layer keeping your subject separate from the background.

 

5. Be A Director

Most people won't know what pose works best or what light works where so make sure you talk to them, giving direction when needed. If you make the effort to have a conversion they'll become more relaxed in front of the camera too.

 

6. Don't Centre Everything

Standing centre stage may work for an actor but off the boards and in a photo that's not cropped you want your subject to be slightly to the left or right of the shot. This gives the shot a more pleasing perspective and interest. If your subject's not looking directly into the lens give your subject room to look into and if they're moving through the shot make sure there's space for them to step, run or cycle into.

Imagine a rule of thirds board that looks similar to a naughts and crosses board sat over your scene can help with composition. Take a look at our rule of thirds advice.
 

 

 

7. Create Candids

Candids are shots of people who aren't posed. This could be children playing with their toys, a groom chatting to his new bride quietly in a corner or your mum making a cup of tea. The key to candids is not taking your shot straight away. Wait until the person you're photographing has forgotten about the camera so they're focused on their activity before you take your shot. If you're out on a planned shoot try taking a few photos while you're on a break as your subject won't feel as self-conscious and you'll be able to capture a few natural-looking shots.

If you're working with children make sure they're having fun because the minute they get bored they'll turn unco-operative. Don't forget the odd prop such as balls and sweets. They'll rarely get turned down and they'll soon have them so occupied they'll have forgotten you're there with your camera.

8. Make A Frame

When something gets in the way of your shot the first thing you think to do is move but this isn't always necessary. Finding spots where branches, walls, fences, flowers and other objects can add colour and interest to your composition by creating a frame. Just remember to use a longer focal length to blur your frame so all focus still falls on your subject.

 

9. Get Closer To Your Subject

Using longer zoom lenses will let you crop tighter on your subject without distortion or having to invade their personal space. This bit of extra space will leave your sitter more relaxed and as a result, you'll end up with a more pleasant portrait. As well as having a pleasing perspective your shot's background will be nicely thrown out of focus, even if you're using a smallish aperture and your backdrops only a few feet behind your subject.

Filling the frame with your subject will create a shot that has more impact, is more intimate and if you're using a longer lens, it will help flatter their features for a more pleasing shot.

10. Shoot Reflections And Silhouettes

Your subject's reflection will give you an image that's more visually interesting. For example, getting your subject to place their hands and head on a table with a reflective surface will add depth to a shot. Be creative with the surfaces you use and look for walls and objects that are reflective as well as using the more obvious reflective surfaces such as puddles and glass.
 

All photos by Joshua Waller.
 

 

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  Take a walk around your town and you'll soon realise there's plenty to make a photographic project from. You'll have a collection of buildings housing a variety of businesses all with their own architectural quirks and highlights. Even if you live in a small village with a pub, a post office and a few small shops you'll still find plenty to photograph.

 

1. Gear Suggestions

A zoom will let you capture details and a wide-angle lens will give you a bigger depth of field to help the viewer understand the location. A tripod is useful but as you're on the move a monopod is even better as is a bag that will give you quick, easy access. Spare batteries are always handy, too.

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2. Time Of Day

As you live there you'll have a rather good idea about what's around your town but do you always go there at the same time? By taking a walk during different times of the day you'll be able to see how the light/angle changes and how many people will be there. If you go early morning you'll find that the light is more diffused whereas twilight will give you a dark blue sky and detail from the lights in the town/city. If you don't want people in your shot then early morning is better and the streets are cleaner, less cluttered. If you want people in your shots, the town at nine o'clock in the morning will have those on the commute while three hours later you'll have shoppers. Also, people do draw attention away from the surroundings so unless they add to the composition of the image do you really want them in the shot?

  3. Patterns, Textures And Reflections

Contrasting architecture, colours and textures work well and all towns feature buildings built in different years, even centuries. A brand new, metal and glass tower block will contrast an old, pub well for instance. 

Reflections in buildings, in puddles or even water features, can add a twist to an architectural image. You should take your time to see what angles work best and if glare gets too much use a polarising filter.

 

 

4. Themes And Stories

Why not shoot to tell a story or pick a theme? You could choose to photograph the theme of food suppliers, for example, and this could be anything from greasy spoons to greengrocers and supermarkets. Or how about a project on shop windows, or numbers, or signs? If there's any construction going on, make a series out of the building work. If you know of a major renovation you could do a photo a day from start to completion.

Look for shots that show how your community live. Meeting places, parks or even washing lines full of washing outside someone's house can all make for good pictures - and have a social element.

 

 

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