Digital Photography Discovery

Spring 2011 Basics of Digital Photography

2011-04-22T09:41:00.001-07:00

Spring 2011 Basics of Digital Photography, a group on Flickr.

Another Class has ended. The unique photographic styles of the class are well documented in our group postings.

Another Class Ended

2010-04-15T05:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we ended our Basics of Digital Photography spring class at the La Plata campus.
As usual, it's a bitter sweet ending to an otherwise awarding and fun 11 weeks. As with every class we had a wide variety of personalities and talents. I hope I have given you the knowledge to improve on your craft and to take it to the next level. You have the tools, you understand the basics of your craft, now all you need is opportunity and initiative.

Just a couple of things to pass on:

This morning the Digital Photography School published an article on photographing the moon and adding copyright watermarks. This article can be found at: http://digital-photography-school.com/moon-photography-made-simple
The Landscape Powerpoint is posted at: http://www.slideshare.net/joelk/week-8-landscape-pictures-for-slideshare

Don't forget I will still be available on Flickr, so please critique my photos. I will let you know if and when I organize a travel study course on photography.

Happy shooting, Joel

Week 3 Lens And Focal Lenghts

2010-02-23T11:20:00.001-08:00

This is week three's presentation.

Week 3 Lens And Focal Lenghts

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The bald eagle story at the county landfill in Charles County

2010-01-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

When I first started my photography hobby I was always interested in taking wildlife photographs. To me, the long hikes in the woods to new exciting destinations was always remembered mostly for the photographic opportunities of the local wildlife. The day or week in the woods was only successful if I came back with hard-to-get photographs of bears, deer, elks, moose or eagles. It was the challenge of the hunt.

The art of wildlife photography is the combination persistence, patience, knowledge of the habitat, camera and photography knowledge and most of all - luck. Last week when I was making a dump run to the local landfill, I came upon a opportunity to capture some bold eagle photos. Luckily, I had my camera with me in the passenger seat as I drove on the dirt road to the location for dropping off trash. The drive took me past recent landfills with a host of birds sitting and flying around. Most of the birds were the common seagulls. However, mixed up in these groups of birds were eagles and hawks. With the bald eagle being a symbolic figure I have always tried to get photos to proudly display in my portfolio. So, as I sit in my truck full of trash, I took my camera out and started shooting the bald eagles that were closest to the truck. I should have got out and walked around but something told me that walking around in a county landfill taking photos is not such a good thing.

When I used to take photographs of wildlife I found on my excursions into the wilderness always as a story behind the photo. Typically it might be the story like the one of the two goats that raided my tent all night long on Mt. Anderson in the Olympic National Part in Washington State. Or it could be the story of the moose at Chimney Pond in Baxter State Park, Maine, that followed me around where ever I went for two days. Both of those stories still live in my memory because of the wildlife photographs I took and treasured.

But this story, "the bald eagle story at the county landfill in Charles County", would be much different. It would not involve long hikes or memories of tents, hot chocolate watching the sun set over the mountains. No, this story is of these majestic bald eagles driven to the land fill by their most primitive instincts - scavengers.

Maybe this photograph of the bald eagle will become another story for me to tell 20 years from now! The story behind the photograph of the day I went to the landfill and was rewarded with some opportunities to take shots of eagles as they prey on our waste. Not as exciting as goats invading my tent, or my pet moose following me around but still a memory captured forever in a photograph.

Fireworks at Thanksgiving?

2009-12-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving and fireworks!

Well, yes! If your in Myrtle Beach S.C.

Apparently, Broadway at the Beach has fireworks frequently. While visiting last year during the same timeframe I didn't have a camera. This year even though I was prepared with camera and tripod I experienced several technical problems. First, I didn't have a remote shutter release (forgetting it at home in my other camera bag). Second, the fireworks only lasted 3 minutes and they were not as colorful as remembered. Three minutes of fireworks is not a lot of time to experiment and choose. Finally, I didn't scope out a good enough place to sit my tripod that had an interesting foreground or backdrop element for my fireworks.

I can't stress the importance of having a good foreground and backdrop for your fireworks. Anyone can take photos of fireworks, but composing the scene with an interesting element can make the real difference. Thinking I had a good background, once the fireworks started the crowd gathered in front of my camera and smothered it. First it was a few people, then there was a crowd. I was forced to start shooting into the sky and avoiding the foreground elements that I had planned on using. Good thing I went with my 28-200 zoom lens and not the 35mm prime. With only 3 minutes of fireworks, I would have wasted valuable time switching lens.

I found that holding the shutter for about 2 seconds seemed to work the best. I basically just took photos every 2 seconds I hoped for the best. It is difficult to anticipate the fireworks. I left my ISO at 200, my aperture at f10 and focused in a distance where I estimated the fireworks would be exploding. Once I had that all set, I just experimented with different shutter speeds.

Close-up Photography

2009-11-17T10:12:00.001-08:00

Let's have fun with this week's assignment. The assignment is on slide 39 of the PPT presentation. Basically, take a photo using the Macro Mode or AV setting on your camera. The technique is close-up so choose subjects like flowers, leaves, insects, coins, stams, jewery and even regular household items. In any case, be creative! That's what makes close-up photography fun.

Next Monday is the last day of class. It's been fun!

Check out this Week's Presentation:

Close-up Photography

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Week 8 Landscape Pictures

2009-11-11T10:12:00.001-08:00

Week 8 we talked about Landscape Photography, Editing photos in Adobe Photoshop Elements, including ; 8 steps of image editing and using the clone tool to fix blemishes in photos. Finally, we imported a RAW image into Elements and discussed the extra features available with RAW files. Below you will find the Week 8 presentation and the assignment. Good Shooting!

Week 8 Landscape Pictures For Slideshare

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Week 6: The Digital Darkroom

2009-10-27T06:31:00.001-07:00

This week we started talking about a new aspect of the digital workflow and that is editing. The digital darkroom is similar to the traditional darkroom whereas we can adjust the tonal range, contrast, perform color corrections, use creative filters and dodge and burn items from our images.

There are numerous photo editing s/w packages available on the market at varied prices. For our photo editing workshops in the next two weeks, we will be using Adobe Photoshop Elements 7. At Computer Products For Education, Elements 7 is going for $68. You will need your student ID. If you want to download a trial version, go to the Adobe.com web site where Elements 8 is available. It doesn't matter which version you get.

Below are the two PPT that were used this week. Your assignment this week is to download a trail or purchased version of Elements.

See you next week!

Week 6 Pt1 Digital Photography Adobe

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Week 6 Pt2 Guided Fixes In Elements

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Week 5: Basics of Digital Photography

2009-10-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

Notice the images to the left, the same shot with flash and no flash. Notice the difference? The formations on the left are flat, void of detail, texture and contrast. The image on the right, with no flash firing displays vivid rich and warm colors with lots of dimension, depth and contrast.

REVIEW
This week was a good week. I talked about the advantages and disadvantages of using a flash on your DSLR. We also covered the advantages of using an external flash in your photography. Our assignment this week is to post one photo on the Flickr Group web site:

1. Flash being fired outside to highlight a close object(Fill Light)or,
2. The flash not being fired inside to use the existing natural light available

As always thanks for the participation on the Flickr Group web site. I look forward to this week's assignments.

Below is this week's presentation:

Week 5 Flash Or Not

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Week 3: Lens and Focal Lenghts

2009-09-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

Below is Monday's PowerPoint on lens and focal lenghtd.

As discussed in class, I have two changes:
First, an updated the syllabus. There was an error that I will not be in class on Oct 5. Please note the actually date is Oct 12.
Sep 28: Week 3: Lens and focal lengths
Oct 5: Week 4: The camera, lens attachments, filters
Oct 12 – No class
Oct 19: Week 5: Light and Exposure – Flash
Oct 26: Week 6: Digital Darkroom - Photoshop

Second, there was a last minute change to this week's assignment to reflect the class lecture: Angle of View
Post two photos from the same location but changing focal lengths. Changing the focal lengths alone does not change perspective, but it significantly changes the subject and meaning of the photo. See slide 20 - 21 for more information.

Week 3 Lens And Focal Lenghts

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Week 2 PowerPoiint

2009-09-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

Posted below is this week's presentation:

Assignment: Post 1 or 2 photos this week of any composition by using the AV (aperture priority) or TV (shutter priority), P (Program) modes. Explain the mode you used and the effect created. Ig you have a Point and shoot, use the creative pre-set mode. Please provide 1 or 2 critiques of other photos posted in our group.

SOme questions I had in the class that I would like to share
Question:
Q. How many pixels do I need (megapixels) in my camera?

A. Think about how you are going to use the images. For email you’ll need only a one megapixel camera; for bigger prints, look for a minimum of eight megapixel model.

Q. Do I keep VR or IS on at all times?

A. Read this topic regarding the debated answer:
www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=41267

Week 2 PowerPoint

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Museum Photography

2009-04-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

The next time you visit a museum don't forget your digital camera! I recently went to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and was delighted with the photos I took of some of the world's greatest art work.

First, when planning to visit a museum, make sure you are allowed to take photographs. I asked the security guard before entering, and he said there was no problem with using a digital camera. I didn't have a tripod, but as a general rule I don't carry one around in DC, security frowns upon people breaking out tripods to take photos around the Capital, Mall and White House. In any case, it is more fun to travel light when your visiting museums.

Second, I turned off my flash. Not only is the flash annoying to other museum guest, but the flash can cause unwanted glare.

Third, once you find a subject of interest, obtaining a good exposure may be difficult due to low room lighting. In my case, I opted to raise my ISO to 400 so my camera would be more sensitive to the low light condition. The downside of using a higher ISO is there will be increased noise in photos. Noise results in less photo detail and clarity. Because your shutter speed might be slow, keeping your camera still might be an issue. Use the viewfinder and not the live preview (if you have one) because you will gain stability when your camera is pressed against your face. Hold the camera with both hands, bend your arms downward and brace both of them against the sides of your body, take a deep breath and fire away. If you have the opportunity to support yourself by leaning against a wall or other support you will be better off. I found myself taking a lot of photos in the art museum and did not once fell like I was intruding on any one's experience. That would have been different if I used a tripod or a flash.

Finally, you want to avoid lens distortion. I typically stood about 6 feet from the subject, centered myself in the middle, and used a focal length of 50mm or more. Try to avoid those wide angle shots, as they will distort the subject. If possible, use a small aperture to get a larger depth of field.

One other tip is to take along a note pad so you can document the subject information. Because after you get home, you want to remember the subject's name, artist, date, etc.
There are many photo opportunities outside the museum, so look around for some shots.

Church Encounter

2009-04-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

It's always a good thing to take along your camera where ever you go, even on your way to work.

On a recent trip to Leonardtown Campus, I had my handy and portable Canon PowerShot riding shotgun with me. Always looking for a good photo opportunities, I noticed the Christ Church steeple just off Buds Creek Road, Route 234in Chaptico. I decided to stop and take some photos. It was a beautiful morning with some stratus clouds beginning to appear against the blue sky. The church is an older structure with red brick siding with a white roof and steeple. The grounds were littered with old grave stones bounded by a rusty steel black picked fence.

I parked the car, and with the engine still running, jumped out into the cold wind to snap a "few" photos. Not feeling real adventurous because of the cold, I composed a couple shots, then decided to run back into the warmth of the car. That's when I made the discovery I accidentally locked myself out. The reality hit real quick, what do I do? The car was still running, didn't have a phone and there was no one around. Next, came the realization I would have to walk to the nearest phone, which was at the intersection down the road. I walked down the road about 1/4 mile to a General Store and called 911 St. Mary's County Police. The dispatcher assured me they would send a unit to unlock the door. I went back to the church and waited. All I had was my camera, so I started snapping more photos.

After about an hour of patiently waiting no one came. So I walked back to the store and called 911 again. The 911 operator said they had some higher priority emergencies they were attending too and they they would answer the "lock out" call as soon as they could. I told them I would wait in the store where it was warmer and I could grab a cup of warm coffee. After about a 1/2 hour a unit arrived and took me back to the church. The police officer was able to quickly open the door because the door was not shut all the way. The officer was proud of his home made door opener. I was just glad to see the door open. I thanked the officer, and parted. After a 3 hour commute I finally made it to the college.

This experience taught me a lesson. Always carry your camera...and your car keys!

Landscapes

2009-04-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

This week we talked about landscape photography one question that came up is what is the definition of landscape photography? According to Wikipedia the definition is "a genre intended to show different spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic." That covers a broad range of photography. Typically, landscapes don't focus on human subjects, although as I showed you in the classroom, limited human activity can enhance a landscape photograph. So there is no real definition of landscape photography. Popular "landscape" photos include mountains, lakes, waterfalls and even industrial sites. In any case, your landscape photograph should capture the beauty or unique character of an rural or even urban area. Good luck. The PowerPoint for this week's class is posted below

Landscape

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Week 8 Portraits

2009-03-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

Not sure how much time we will have in class today. We got behind last week because of the power outage. Today we will focus on Adobe Photoshop Elements V6. Just in case we don't have time to talk about portraits I have uploaded the powerpoint.

Week 8 Portraits

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Basics of Digital Photography

2009-01-07T12:16:00.001-08:00

I've been receiving numerous e-mails and phone calls regarding the content of the Basics of Digital Photography class. Typically, my classes consists of equal instruction on basic camera operation, photo taking techniques, post editing process and photo sharing opportunities. The class runs 10 weeks so we cover a vast range of subjects hat give you a basic understanding of digital photography. Our classes consist of 1/2 point and shoot and the other 1/2 entry level digital SLR owners. So, the format is geared more for the beginner but also very useful for the photo enthusiast. Why? Because all of the content is updated with the latest technology, equipment, techniques and trends which is the nature of the digital technology.

We cover a majority of the manual settings. Some students will not have the manual settings, so I have to relate the same manual technique back to a pre-set mode on their automatic camera. We focus on exposure techniques such as shutter speed, aperture and ISO as well as basic camera functions including white balance, file format and size, metering modes, exposure bracketing and focusing. The activities I assign help you familiarize yourself with your camera.

It will be impossible to learn everything in 10 weeks but I want the students to walk away with a good comfort level with their camera's features, motivation to actively take more photos, a good eye for composition, a portfolio that you share with your friends and the photography community and respect for photography. If I can have you viewing your environment through the eyes of a photographer while driving down a road then I've accomplished what I've set out to do.

Visit my Faculty Web Site for more information on this course

Digital Photo Taging Experiment

2008-12-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

See my Experiment:

View Larger Map

More About Focal Lenghts

2008-09-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

A common question I get is why doesn't my lens display a narrow depth of Field? I want to get the effect of a blurred background. I tried the largest apature I have and it still doesn't give me that effect.

That's probably because the shorter the focal length of the lens, the greater the depth of field. Say you use a telephoto lens at 200mm to photograph to objects 5 feet apart. If you focus on the first subject, the rear subject would be out of focus. Thus, you have created an effect that isolates the subject and blurs the background.

However, if you used a lens with a focal length of 55mm at the same distance with the subjects in the same location, the subject in the background will be sharper. You are unable to get the desired effect of blurring the background to isolate the subject. You would need a telephoto lens to get this effect.

If you ever decide to upgrade your camera, I would consider upgrading your lens first. A lens of 70-200mm will give you more flexibility with Depth of Field while giving you more perspectives to choose from. Perspectives are affected by the lens-to-subject distance.

The Puffer

2008-09-10T10:33:00.001-07:00

I heard about a cheap alternative to buying an external flash called The PUFFER on the Digital Photography Show Podcast. Invented by Gary Fong, The Puffer clips on to the hot-shoe slot of digital cameras with a pop-up flash defusing the flash thus softening the light. Often when using the camera's pop-up flash you get a harsh shine on the subject. With this inexpensive gadget for under $30 (including shipping), you can take better portraits, shots of people at events and closeups of objects. You can purchase the Puffer on Gary Fong's web site at
http://store.garyfonginc.com/puf-01.html

Washington Post Photo Contest

2008-08-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

The results of the Washington Post's Photo Contest 2008 is at this web site:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2008/08/15/GA2008081502084.html

Approaching Storm

2008-06-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

O.K., so I got off to a slow start with my summer projects! My first project I attempted to tackle consists taking slow shutter speed photos of water movement. I prepare myself for this project two weekends ago buy taking my boat to an area on the Potomac where I could see the sunset. I was about ready to set up my camera when I noticed an approaching storm. Initially, I thought this would be a short summer shower, however the storm kept getting bigger and bigger. When the thunder and lighting combined with the wind started we decided to pack up and head back to the marina. The whole evolution was a little nerve-racking when the storm started to pound down on us. After some tense moments we were able to get back to port. Anyway, I was able to get a shot of the approaching storm before I had to focus on the helm.

This just goes to show, you never know what to expect when your out, so it's always good to have your camera ready to take photos of unexpected events.

Summer Projects

2008-05-30T05:58:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest obstacles of photography is a lack of motivation. Too often we put our camera away for long stretches of time. Out of site out of mind. One way to keep motivated especially in the summer when you have so many other interests, is to plan projects. I have four projects I would like to accomplish this summer. I plan these projects in the hope that they will motivate me to continue to take photos through the summer. We all know, the only way we will improve our photography skills is to use them, that's way self-motivation is so important. I will be talking about my projects through the summer.

My first project, which I intend to accomplish over the next month is taking slow shutter speed photos of water movement. I will be taking my tripod, camera, polarizer and ND filer to the banks of the Potomac and trying out these skills. This project was inspired by an article I read in Popular Photography, June 2008. The article is written by Darwin Wiggett called Paint with Time. He talks about how taking "long exposures can capture the light passing over the land to create effects you can't see with an unaided eye." So hopefully I will have the opportunity when the sun is setting and there is some wave action on the Potomac.

2008-04-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

8 Basic Steps of Image Editing

For those just starting to learn how to edit their digital photos in Photoshop, this tutorial by Matt LeClair, author of Oreilly's Photoshop in a Nutshell is all you need to get started. I use this in my Basic Digital Photography class as an introduction to basic photo editing.

2008-04-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

Got Lens!

I am excited because I am waiting for my new glass. For years I've used the Cannon Rebel XT with the standard 18-55mm kit lens. On occasion, I would attach my old FD lens to the camera, but was never satisfied with the quality of the images. With the old 35 mm Cannon lens, even though they are good lens, can only use manual focus and light metering. In the digital world, that leaves me at a disadvantage.

It took four months to decide on some new glass. Options I desired were image-stabilization technology without an outrageous price tag. Right away I started looking at my options, Cannon and after market brands. The Canon L lenses were immediately excluded because I didn’t need high end lens with my entry level camera. I started looking at the Canon EF series. Next, I thought about what type of photos I would use these lenses for? I take a wide variety of photos, from landscapes, outside parties, close ups to wildlife photography. I also do not like carrying around a large selection of lens, I like to travel light! I wanted one lens that would allow me a wide range of shooting opportunities. So the 18 – 200mm lens looked to be a perfect match. After research, the Canon EF series didn’t carry the 18-200mm, although they do have the 28-300mm. On the Internet there are some good reviews of the 28-300mm lens but the price was very hefty, $2000. Taking price into consideration, my search narrowed down to the Sigma 18-200mm lens which are competitive with the Cannon lens but significantly cheaper at $550. Taking this research one step further, I started looking at the Ritz Camera Quantaray brand, which to my understanding is identical to the Sigma brand. The Quantaray brand carries the lens that met all the features I needed; comparative quality, prize, IS and a good focal range 18-200mm - Quantaray 18-200mm OS lenses.

Finally, I had to decide where to purchase the lenses. I looked at my local Ritz Camera store and B&H Photo. I then discovered that Ritz Camera is part of the AAFES Army and Air Force Exchange Service “Exchange Mall.” Being retired Navy; I always find the AAFES online store offers better prices. The lenses at the Exchange Mall were 10% less than the Ritz Camera sale price, plus I didn’t have to pay for shipping. So, in the end I saved $100 – not bad. Now I can’t wait until they arrive.

Discover Digital Photography

2008-04-16T05:50:00.000-07:00

I've started a blog to document my journey into my renewed interest in photography. My interest in photography started back in 1982. During that timeframe I processed a lot of B&W photos. I was fortunate enough to be the Command Photographer during my first 2 duty stations in the Navy, so that provided me with access to the command's dark room. My interest in photography floundered after my Cannon AE1 died. I was unable to find the money to replace my camera and as a result for several years I didn't do any photography. Finally, my interest was renewed when I started using Adobe Photoshop 3.0 in 1995. Soon after that came digital cameras and the opportunity to take photos on travels and at family events. Just within the last couple of years have I returned to my interest in digital photography as an art. With the purchase of a Cannon Rebel XT several years ago, I've been taking photos continuously. Now, I teach basic digital photography at the College of Southern Maryland, which pays for buying new equipment.

This blog is a location for me to share and discuss all things related to digital photography. It also serves as a vehicle to motivate me to keep shooting and to track my progress in the discovery of digital photography. It also gives me a chance to build relationships with other photographers and friends. But the bottom line is "I want this to be fun!"