Shooting Products and Video Using Home Depot Lighting
Being a part of the UNDFIND ONE team, my job was to create the video and stills that would be used for the Kickstarter project.
We had a very tight budget, and I had recently done a behind the scenes video on creating and lighting a unique scene with just Home Depot lights. So, I thought why not do the same thing for the ONE project.
So, in this tutorial, I am going to show you guys exactly how we setup the lighting for this scene to pull off the final shots shown below. The entire budget for the shoot was $1,500, and lighting (including wiring) only cost a total of $265.
Final Result Samples
Samples from the final video – Shot 1080p 30fps on 5D Mark II w/ 100mm @ F/4
Samples from the final set of stills – Shot sRAW on 5D Mark II w/ 50mm @ F/4
The Setup
Step 1 – Flooring and Wall Tiles ($1065 Total cost)
The first step was setting up the flooring and the wall tiles. Interestingly enough, this was actually where the majority of our budget was spent. But, we figured that we would be using this set in future videos, so it wouldn’t be a one time cost.
The entire space is 10×10 feet. So we purchased 100 square feet of wood flooring tiles from Home Depot (which cost around $200) along with 200 square feet of Seesaw Wall Flat tiles to cover both walls. For some reason, these cardboard molded wall flats cost $86 per box and it took 10 boxes to cover both walls. So, yeah, that is where the majority of our budget went as it cost $860. To the attach them to the wall, we simply used 4 pieces of double sided tape per tile.
Step 2 – J.C. Our Lighting Dummy
Whenever I am doing scene setups, I place a lighting dummy where my subject is going to be in order to shape my light. It isn’t reasonable to have a person stand in for 60 minutes as I sit there and mold and shape our light. So, I pop in J.C., our lighting dummy, to give me a nice example of how the lighting is changing as I add and modify each light.
Step 3 – Wiring the Set ($50 in wires and strips at Home Depot)
Concealing cables on a set is always a challenge, especially when you are shooting wide. Luckily, in this video we didn’t shoot wide enough to see the flooring. But, for future videos I knew that we would. But, with the wood tile floors we had a simple solution, we simply ran the cables behind the tiles along the edge of the wall then pushed the wood flooring against the cables to pinch and conceal it against the wall.
Step 4 – Husky Daylight Work Lights ($50 each at Home Depot)
We used two Husky Florescent work lights as uplights to bring out the texture of the wall tiles. We used florescent daylight temperature lights because we wanted the background to be a nice shade of blue, while we white balanced to tungsten that would be used on the subject.
The image above shows the placement of the uplights on the floor. Each is evenly spaced from the corner of the set.
Step 5 – Workforce Tungsten Work Light Stand ($35 at Home Depot)
The next light in our setup is a twin head Workforce Work Light light which we use as a rim light on our subject off camera left.
While using work lights is cheap, there are downsides. Some of which include the heat, the lack of power control, as well as directional control. While we can’t change the first two, we can change the direction of the lighting. To prevent the tungsten light from hitting the uplit walls, I added on a little cardboard GOBO (Go In Between Object). Don’t worry, the light doesn’t get hot enough to burn the cardboard, though just to be safe, I wouldn’t leave the set turned on while I went to do my grocery shopping.
Step 6 – Workforce Tungsten Work Light ($15 at Home Depot)
To define the right side of the subject, I added an additional tungsten Workforce light to camera right.
Step 7 – Tungsten Modeling Light (Can use the $35 light used above)
Since we have modeling lights sitting around the studio, I didn’t need to spend more money on the work lights for our set. So, while we are using a modeling light as the main light, this would look and work exactly the same with the dual light stand used above. The benefit to using a modeling light is that I have a nice little barn door to easily control the direction of the light.
This light is placed directly to camera right and is used as the main light on our subject.
Step 8 – Softening the Main Light ($30 Scrim)
To soften our main light, we are using a standard scrim out of a simple silver reflector kit that can be purchased for $20 – $30 pretty much anywhere. The purpose of softening this light is to prevent hot spots and shine on the subjects face. This is particularly useful as our set is getting quite hot (literally) because of the amount of tungsten lights in close proximity. So, keeping that main light soft is going to help conceal any oil/shine on our subjects face.
The scrim is placed on a stand directly in front of the main modeling light as shown above.
Finished Set
With the ambient room lights off, you can see the final look of our set above. At this point, we are ready to bring in our real subject, and make a few fine tweaks with the light positioning in order to adjust the exposure and any stray bits of light.
Hope you guys enjoyed this little behind the scenes look. To check out this behind the scenes video as well as our other tutorials be sure to subscribe to the SLR Lounge YouTube Channel.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
Shooting Products and Video Using Home Depot Lighting
10 Techniques for Amazing Portraits
A guest post by San Diego Wedding Photographer, Wayne Yuan
As full-time photographers shooting 30+ weddings a year, we have to admit, sometimes it’s easy to fall into the same old formulas when it comes to portraits. Even with new poses, taking portraits can become very mundane if the same compositions and angles are used for every couple–we’ve definitely been through that creative rut where our pictures start looking very familiar. Throughout the years, we’ve challenged ourselves to stay on top of our game with a few useful techniques. Here are some of our best tips to help keep things fresh and unique for each couple.
1. Use a longer lens.
A lot of photographers out there say that their 50mm is a “must-have” portrait lens, but what a mid-range lens offers is a very familiar perspective, something that our eyes are used to seeing all the time. To create a more interesting image, we avoid shooting portraits in mid-range because the images look too ordinary. Most of our portraits are shot at 200mm or 85mm to create beautiful image compression that a 50mm would not be able to produce. The compression will not only flatter your subjects with less feature distortion, but shooting at a longer focal length will also create more dramatic background blur (bokeh) and brings the background closer to your subject. It may be more difficult to communicate with your subjects while shooting at 200mm, but the difference will be apparent and well worth it. Our solution to this problem was to have one of us interact with our couples at close range while the other shoots from a distance.
2. Find angles that aren’t eye level.
Many times we are stuck seeing what is right in front of us. It is, after all, the easiest answer to everything. Challenge yourself to find a different angle from above or below eye-level to bring a new perspective to the image. This technique can also be used to flatter subjects of different body types and heights. In the image below, we asked the bride to sit on the ground in order to focus on her face and hair ornament while blurring out the rest of her body. It makes a more interesting image than the typical straight-on bridal portrait.
3. Use off-camera flash.
During a wedding, our speedlites are never on-camera, even during the reception. Flash rarely flatters a person’s face when it is straight on, and the image looses its dimensionality. Using flash to light our subjects from the side, we are able to create both light and shadow on our subjects, flattering their features and bringing a greater range of highlights and shadows to the image. It also helps us bring out details in the background to create a more dramatic landscape.
4. Overpower the sun with flash.
Shooting at mid-day is no easy task when using natural light. But with some artificial lights, something as simple as a couple of speedlites can diminish the power of the sun and darken the image for better exposure. We use this technique especially when we are trying to create environmental portraits that focus on the landscape. Using our speedlites, we are able to overpower the sun and underexpose the sky while only lighting up the subject. To create this amount of artificial light, we have to use 2-4 off-camera speedlites (with no diffuser) in order to generate enough light to overpower the sun. Holding the speedlites closer to the subject (to the side) also helps put more light on the subject and allows us to underexpose the background even more for dramatic effect.
5. Find back-light.
It takes time and practice to train your eye to find great light. Once you learn how to “find the light” in any situation, it will help you master taking some amazing portraits. Lighting is, after all, the essence of photographic images. Whether you are using the sun, a window, or an ordinary light bulb, these light sources can be used to create beautiful edge light (a.k.a. hair light, rim light) when the light source is place behind your subject. The effect that rim light creates can enhance the dimension of your image by separating your subject from the background, outlining and focusing on your subject.
6. Look for silhouettes and reflections.
Learning to look for reflective surfaces and silhouetting opportunities will greatly enhance your images both visually and in depth. For silhouettes, it is key to find a strong light source and place it behind your couple; this could be anything from the sky to a window or even a patch of light on a wall. For reflections, try to be creative with the different types of reflective surfaces; sometimes, the best reflections are found in unexpected places like floors, glass, puddles, and granite walls.
7. Shoot through objects.
When objects are in our way, we like to use them to our advantage. In fact, many times we are purposely trying to find elements to place in the foreground of our image. Learning to find holes between tree branches, abstract objects, or even ordinary household items are simple, everyday things that will help enhance your images by bringing an interesting, and sometimes colorful, element to your composition. Using a longer lens will help blur out the foreground objects to frame the subjects in a more intimate way.
8. Use the sun as a light source.
It is not uncommon for photographers to avoid shooting in the sun and run for the open shade for an easier and even exposure. We covered back-lighting earlier as a solution for shooting in harsh sun-lit situations. But sunlight can also be used as a direct spotlight on your subject. By exposing for the areas directly in contact with the sun, the background and surrounding shadows will dramatically darken, drawing focus and light to your subjects. Applying this technique to different lighting situations will create varying visual effects.
9. Use video light for night portraits.
Video lights are very useful when no light source is available to light up your subject in dark situations. The great thing about video lights is that they are a constant light source so you can see what the image will look like in camera. We use LED video lights, which give us enough power to last 2+ hours. They are a great alternative to speedlites for low light situations and are quicker to adjust for dark situations.
10. Use gels on your speedlites.
Adding CTO (orange) or CTB (blue) gels to your speedlites will change the mood of your image. Sometimes shooting in an environment which is overcast and very blue, adding a CTB gel will warm up the whole environment if you adjust the white balance correctly. CTO gels can also be used to emulate sunlight.
For more examples of on how to take great images, check out our website: San Diego Wedding Photographer – Wayne Yuan
Wayne and Angela are photographers/owners of Wayne Yuan Photography. They live in San Diego and New York area, but shoot weddings worldwide.
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Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.
10 Techniques for Amazing Portraits
11 Great Camera Angles for Food Photography
Choosing the best angle, when shooting food, comes from a good observation and an inner feeling. Before composing your image, try to enter into a visual meditation, move calmly around your subject and simply observe with your bare eyes. Just keep in mind that this meditation cannot be long-lasting, as you know that freshly prepared food will not continue to maintain that “fresh look” for more than a few minutes.
Photographing food is very similar to photographing people in a sense that each person has her best side. Considering the variety of food out there, diverse cooking and presentation styles, the final results are endless. This array of unique subjects creates an opportunity for infinite camera angle choices.
What is the best angle? Here are my Top 10:
Angle 1: Head-on Zen:
The camera is completely centered to the subject. This created a very clean contemporary look and feel. Tip: Keep the props to the minimum.
Angle 2. From Above:
Camera is positioned directly above the subject and perfectly centered. This angle produces a very contemporary, graphic look.
Tips on overhead photography see Tips for Shooting Overhead.
Angle 3. Lost in Space:
For this shot, food was placed directly onto the white plexiglass surface, a soft box was positioned below the plexi. This created a seamless and shadow-less environment. When you do not have a point of reference (no horizon line, no plate, no sense of environment) you can shoot from most unusual angles and get away with it.
Angle 4. Tilt Towards:
Camera is tilted right, so the subject tilts counterclockwise and the dish is welcoming you in, motivating the spectator to indulge in image.
Angle 5. Tilt Away:
Camera is tilted left, so the subject tilts clockwise, pulling away from you, engaging the viewer the desire to follow.
Angle 6. Close up and personal
Don’t be afraid to get close to your subject. It won’t bite. Or will it? When you are shooting close ups, the point of reference loses its importance, so any camera angle will produce an appetizing image or not?
A
ngle 7. Above with Perspective:
The camera is positioned above the front of the subjectdd, then the camera is tilted up until the subject fills the frame. The photograph will maintain a graphic dynamic composition that will engaging the eye to scan the image from the foreground to the background.
Angle 8. Diagonal:
Turn you camera so the subject starts in one corner and ends in the opposite corner, breaking the space diagonally.
Angle 9. With respect to the Line:
When looking through the viewfinder align the edge of the frame to any line you see in your subject. In this case I chose to align three parallel lines (left and right edges of the slice). So I turned the camera until these 3 lines ware parallel to the vertical edge of the frame. This created a very monumental and unusual composition, granting unprecedented importance to this slice of a regular cheese cake.
Angle 10. Gentle tilt:
The camera was tilted just slightly to the left. Why? Because the human brain likes to scan things by section. If the camera had been leveled, then the middle wedge would create a horizontal line that would divide the composition in two sections and forcing the eye to travel away from the center. But in this case, I wanted the eye to flow freely though the whole image while stopping only at the focal point. So “gentle tilt” solved the problem.
Conclusion:
Try to forget about the rule of thirds and everything you just learned, just move around your subject and really try to see it and when you see it, draw the camera to your eye and start framing. Keep your mind clear, no thinking. When you start getting a warm fuzzy feeling entering through your stomach and spreading to your chest, just push the button.
Angle 11: Can you post a shot with your best angle?
Further Reading on Food Photography
- Food Photography Techniques and Tips
- Food Photography – An Introduction
- 10 Tips for Mouth Watering Food Photography
Sasha Gitin is a New York based food and lifestyle photographer shooting for advertising and editorial industries. His commercial portfolio can be reviewed on sashagitin.com.
In addition, Sasha is a co-founder of an educational photography blog LearnMyShot.com where he shares photography tips and techniques.
Post from: Digital Photography School
5 Tips to Create Graphic Photographs
No “graphic photographs” do not have anything to do with adult themed images. Graphical photography is an image style that utilizes shape, geometry and color to resemble something that might be drawn or designed. Photographs that are considered graphic in nature have distinct curves & lines, color contrast and highlight geometry with in a particular scene. It may sound more complex than it really is, as I’m sure you’ve seen photos everywhere that fit this description.
Finding and taking photographs with a strong graphic element takes an observant eye. Man-made objects such as machinery, architecture, roads, etc. are inherently great graphic photography subjects because they’re designed with geometry in mind by engineers, architects and civic planners. Nature subjects also have a strong geometric shape rooted in the molecular geometry of organic compounds like cellulose and inorganic compounds with crystalline structures like quartz. Whether your subject is made by man or nature if you add light, shadow and color plus follow the 5 tips below you have all the ingredients needed for a great graphic photos.
Here are 5 tips to capture great graphic photographs:
1. Look for curves and lines that provide contrast to shape and color.
Dusk at White Sands National Monument – featured in the new iPad app ePhotobook White Sands HD
Tech Info: Canon 1Ds Mark III, 70-200mm f/2.8 at 115mm, 15 seconds, f/22, Gitzo tripod
2. Look for color contrasts to distinguish shapes and leading lines.
The Bell Curve – San Francisco, California
Tech Info: Canon 1Ds Mark III, 70-200mm f/2.8 + 2x at 235mm, f/25, Gitzo tripod
3. Look for light contrast to highlight actual and phantom shapes. Sometimes objects outside of the scene make their presence known by their shadow or inverse shadow.
Architectural Abstract
Tech Info: Canon 1D Mark II, 20-35mm f/2.8, hand held
4. Experiment with your framing
By turning your camera or perspective sideways and even upside down to extract the shapes & colors from an otherwise recognizable scene to place additional emphasis on the graphical components of the image.
Pattern Abstract I – Death Valley National Park
Tech Info: Canon 1Ds Mark III, 300mm f/2.8 + 1.4x at 420mm, f/32, Gitzo tripod
5. Experiment with Black and White photographs to draw out shape and texture.
Stormy Badlands – Badlands National Park
Tech Info: Canon 1Ds Mark III, 16-35mm f/2.8 at 16mm, f/22, Gitzo tripod
Post from: Digital Photography School
Embracing the Weather with Photography: Part 2
Previously we discussed how sunny, rainy, snowy and overcast weather can affect your scene, now we will look at how other forms can help and hinder your photography…
Cloudy Skies
Image by MorBCN
Many photographers are often thankfully for bright but cloudy skies, as that thin veil of cloud can diffuse the sun’s rays producing a perfect delicate and soft light – much like a softbox does. However on a windy day clouds can be blown across the sky in minutes and your perfect light could be gone as quickly as it arrived so you’ll be forced to work quickly and if you have limited patience you may be forced to restrict yourself to grabbing safety shots before getting creative.
For the landscape enthusiast this can often lend itself to the genre; for example a valley sewn together with patchwork-like fields can look radiant with dappled sunshine and spotted a few darkened cloud shapes. To get the most out of this scene, meter for the whole frame to gain the average exposure or bracket exposures to compile together later. Some models now offer an in-camera HDR setting – if you are confident in its abilities perhaps try it here.
To capture nothing but the clouds, such as a fierce storm cloud before it breaks; set your camera upon a tripod, select a narrow aperture, zoom in as close as possible and meter across the scene due to the varying exposure levels within the frame – as such a circular polariser may be of benefit here too.
Frost
Image by Eduardo Amorim
Shooting in the early hours can often produce the best photography thanks to that soft, warm and subtle light and if the ground is sprinkled with a fine layer of frost, the colours of the earth can appear luminous as the ice shines against the shine’s glare. Find a location where the ground shows through and a variety in colours will also add interest. The potential for delicate frost-covered macro shots is vast, so pack a waterproof blanket and get as close to nature as you dare. Use a wide aperture and employ a polarizer should you want to saturate colours.
Lightening Storms
That elusive and fleeting electrical bolt can drive even the most patient of photographers crazy. To maximise your chances of a decent capture set your camera on a tripod and turn off the lens’ vibration reduction option. If are shooting with a compact switch it into fireworks mode and keep as still as possible or balance the device on something solid.
Image by Brujo+
Finding a good shooting spot is half the battle. Shooting in urban environments such as towns and cities are counter-productive as the light pollution can detract from the ambience of the storm, so if possible travel outside of the urban district and away from abundant light sources to a place where the skies appear darker.
When using a DSLR set the camera into Manual and ISO 100. A wide angle lens will give you a better chance of catching the fork as it falls and this offers you the potential to later crop in for effect. Alternatively zoom in with a telephoto for extra drama and the ability to play with perspective. In either case it is ideal to compose the scene to include foreground interest.
Ideally an aperture of around f8 will yield strong results but will depend on what else you want to capture within your scene. Keep the shutter open using the bulb exposure for a shutter speed of around 15 to 30 seconds (or even more in some cases) and release the button when the fork hits. Due to the sporadic nature of lighting you will find you have to repeat this process several times to get a decent shot and for well defined images it is recommended that you incorporate a remote to release the shutter or a self timer (although this will take extra patience).
Fog
Don’t think of fog as dull, think of it as enchanting and like most weather, fog looks best at first light. A tripod is essential and lengthy exposures will work best here with a polarising filter helping to control exposure.
Image by monkeyleader
Foggy scenes are generally low-contrast events and as such colours are muted – two things you can later tweak in the editing suite if required. However, this lack of immediate interest combined with a void backdrop will mean you will need to compensate in other ways to engage the viewer – i.e. intriguing foreground interest, so consider the composition wisely.
Wind
A strong gust of wind is often the common culprit for shaky landscape captures, so take a plastic bag along with you to the location and fill it with rocks and stones along the way. Hang this bag on the hook underneath the base of the tripod to ground it; alternatively you can use your camera bag backpack.
Image by dawn m. armfield
Once in position and a stable position too, consider using a lengthy exposure to capture the movement of clouds across the sky. Again a polariser or ND Grad filter could help you here.
Post from: Digital Photography School
Macro Photography: Mosquitoes Emerging
Brothers William and Matthew Burrard-Lucas are up and coming wildlife photographers from the UK. Their unique approach to wildlife photography involves working as a team to take imaginative and unusual photographs of wild animals. You can find out more about them on their website, Burrard-Lucas Wildlife Photography. In this guest post they talk about how they captured these incredible images of mosquitoes hatching.
As is the case with most of our macro photos, the inspiration behind this series came from getting outside and actively searching for subjects – you can’t always expect to come up with good ideas whilst sitting around!
We were looking for subjects in our garden in the UK when we noticed some mosquito larvae developing in a pot of stagnant water. We did a bit of research into their development and discovered that it takes about 1-2 weeks (depending on the temperature) for them to develop into the adult form that we all know and love! This was perfect, since it gave us a good amount of time to devise a set up to photograph them as they emerged.
Over the course of about 14 days, we maintained a keen eye on their development. We kept the larvae in a glass of distilled water indoors and covered it with perforated cling film – we didn’t want to suffer their bites during the night! Once the larvae had turned into pupae, we knew they were close to hatching. We soon discovered that when we saw one straighten out, we had about 5 minutes until go-time.
We transferred the mosquito into a special pot of water and made final adjustments to our setup. We were using a Canon EOS 5D with a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens. For the lighting, we had three flash units – a macro ring light and two supplementary speedlite flashes. Additionally, we had two halogen desktop lamps to illuminate the green printed background. Working at such large magnifications meant that we needed plenty of light to keep the ISO low, the aperture small and shutter speed high.
In order to obtain a strong reflection, we had to get an extremely shallow angle with the surface of the water. An aperture of around f/16 provided a sufficient depth of field, however, this meant that we did encounter some softness in our images due to small aperture diffraction. The mosquitoes were only a couple of millimetres long so in order to get the required magnification, we zoomed the lens in to 4x (this means a 1 mm object was projected to a size of 4 mm on the camera sensor).
After a mosquito had fully emerged from its pupal case, it would rest on the surface of the water for a few minutes whilst it pumped fluid into its wings. We took as many photos as we could, but we were limited by the time it took the flashes to recharge to full power. In total the whole process took no more than 5 minutes from start to finish.
It really was an amazing transformation to observe and the project gave us genuine respect for these much-maligned little insects!
Note that no mosquitoes were harmed during the taking of these photographs!
To see more mosquito photographs and many other projects, please checkout our wildlife photography blog, flickr stream or facebook page.
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
Macro Photography: Mosquitoes Emerging
10 Tips for Creating a Photography Kit on a Budget
As we continue to wait out the aftermath of one of history’s worst economic disasters, it can be prudent to continue to cut spending where possible. The digital medium does mean shooting costs are substantially lowered, but equipment and accessory costs can be still high. We’ve compiled a few simple home remedies for creating kit on a budget…
1. Reflectors can be a useful photography aid as the reflective surface, usually available in white, silver and gold stretched fabric, can fill in, reflect or diffuse light where necessary. Top brands can be on the pricey side so if you’re on a budget grab a cheap substitute such as a silver car sunscreen, reflective tanning mat or wrap a circular sheet of cardboard in aluminum foil.
2. A snoot is a fantastic lighting accessory designed to creatively direct and control an artificial beam of light, perfect for a beauty shot for example. Try the technique before you buy with a DIY alternative. Roll a sheet of black card into a cone and place a strip of black or gaffer tape along the seam to hold it securely in place. Next lock the end of a torch with the smaller whole of the cone using tape and you’re done!
3. Small plastic diffusers are used to soften the harsh light from a flashgun. They won’t cost a fortune but if you’d rather a free home made alternative then grab an empty and clean one litre plastic milk bottle. Cut off the base of the container a third of the way up. Measure the dimensions of your flash gun’s head and mould the base to fit – you may need to make a few cuts and bends in the opaque plastic to get the right size. When finished tape this cap to your flashgun.
4. Capturing Mother Nature at work is invigorating but exposing your kit to the elements definitely is not. You could buy a fully waterproof, custom fitted rain cover for protection in the rain but if you haven’t got the spare cash then opt for a clear plastic carrier bag (the thicker the better) so your kit is protected but the LCD, histogram and controls are still visible. Slice a small hole in the side of a carrier bag and stretch it over the lens hood, fastening with a rubber band to keep it in place. Create a second smaller hole where the eyepiece is and slide the eye-piece cover back on top to keep it in place.
5. Filters are fantastic for a plethora of reasons, but in particular the polarizer is superbly fun and effective. Photographers employ it for decreasing contrast, saturating blues and reducing harsh reflections. If a filter isn’t in your budget there is a household item that can be used as an affordable (yet less effective) substitute – sunglasses! This works best with a compact set on a tripod; simply hold a removed lens from the sunglasses’ frame as close to the front of your camera lens as possible. Results will vary and obviously images are unlikely to resonate the crispness that is achievable with the real thing – but it’s a start.
6. Underwater photography is becoming an increasingly popular genre but the equipment costs are extremely expensive. An achievable way to get started without shelling out thousands on specifically designed aquatic cameras, housing and strobes is to hire the equipment from a dive shop in tourist destinations, providing all the necessary gear at a fraction of the cost. Still not convinced? Camera manufacturers have really raised the bar in producing durable underwater compacts at affordable prices. In particular Olympus’ Mju: Tough range have a worthy reputation for shooting submerged scenes. Starting as low as £190 the Tough compacts are freeze proof, waterproof and shockproof.
7. Professional models can be expensive to hire so ask photogenic friends and family to pose for you instead. The additional benefit is their familiarity could produce more natural results. They may need more direction than their professional counterparts however, so have a stack of magazines on hand to offer posing guidance. Alternatively you could photograph an inexperienced model who is seeking head shots or a collection of images for his/her portfolio in exchange for their time. Gumtree.com and Starnow.com are great places to post ads or find willing subjects.
8. For many of us shooting models in a fancy studio backed with an encyclopaedic range of lighting equipment maybe more of a dream that a reality but that doesn’t mean beautifully lit portraits aren’t achievable. Natural daylight isn’t only free it’s very flattering, especially for portraiture and still life shooting. For the best results position your subject next to a large clean window. If the sun is too bright, drap a thin veil of white fabric (such as a cotton bed sheet or net curtain) in front of it to soften the effect.
9. Forget expensive printing services there are tonnes of websites offering free prints and bargain photo gift ideas so you have no excuse not to get creative. Popular choices like: Jessops, Snapfish and Photobox offer free print credits for every new customer and gifts that start from low price points.
10. Photoshop is one of the best editing apps on the market but it steep price tag isn’t, but there are plenty of cheaper and even free alternatives out there. Adobe’s Lightroom or Elements, Apple’s Aperture, Corel’s Paint Shop Pro Photo or Painter are all under half the cost of Photoshop. Many of these even offer a free 30-day trial, so be sure to try before you buy! And if you like free then don’t forget Picasa, a free editing app perfect for quick fixes and online album creation making sharing shots with friends, family and the world a piece if cake.
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
10 Tips for Creating a Photography Kit on a Budget
How to Photograph Abandoned Places
Abandoned buildings have become one of my favorite subjects to photograph. Over time, I have collected a handful of useful tips to get the most out of shooting in these environments.
Bring a Flashlight
The single most important tip I can provide anyone planning on visiting an abandoned building is to bring a flashlight. Most of these locations are without electricity and will have limited natural light. As such, you’ll need a flashlight to help navigate the dark rooms and corridors that you will encounter.
Beyond its more obvious application, a flashlight can also provide an interesting source of off-camera lighting. I have a small LED flashlight that I carry on my camera bag and it is often used to light up an area of a room during a long exposure shot. While a strobe can certainly be effective for many of these situations, a flashlight allows for a high degree of precision with the light. You can directly control exactly what is lit and for how long. A flashlight can also add an element of movement to the lighting that will result in an unusual combination of shadows that a flash otherwise may not.
It takes some practice to get a feel for how much light is enough, but with some work the results can be very satisfying.
Stairwell by Chris Folsom
Tripod not Optional
Because of the aforementioned lighting conditions, it goes without saying that you will need a tripod. More than half of the photos I take at these locales are shot on a tripod with a long exposure of anywhere from a couple of seconds to as much as 20 or 30 seconds.
For those instances when I don’t have my camera on a tripod, image stabilization and fast lenses help as well. My favorite lens is a 17-50mm f/2.8 paired with my camera’s in-body stabilized sensor. Wide open, I can usually get a relatively sharp image at 1/10th of a second. More often than not though, the best results will come from shooting on a tripod.
Control the Exposure
I am not one who believes all serious photographers should shoot in manual 100% of the time. There are plenty of instances where I am confident that the camera will properly meter the lighting and autopilot mode is fine. Unfortunately, that tactic will not work in most abandoned buildings.
Because of the extreme lighting conditions of these spaces, you’ll need to control all aspects of the shot. In the photo shown here, for example, I needed to control the aperture (I wanted this fairly sharp from front to back) and I needed to control the shutter speed to ensure proper lighting. So, in this case I shot for 30 seconds at f/8. This particular image is also another example of the flashlight technique described above… I used it to highlight and bring attention to the chairs while leaving the walls to be lit by the little bit of light coming from the window.
Auditorium by Chris Folsom
Go Wide
A wide angle lens can really add to the sense of emptiness and foreboding in these buildings. The photo shown below was taken by a friend of mine with a 10-22mm lens at 10mm. Having something that can go wide in the small areas you’ll be photographing can be a huge benefit.
The Lobby by Jonathan Mowry
Emphasize the Mood
Use creative angles and perspectives to play up the natural character of the buildings. Get your camera low to the ground and shoot upwards to emphasize the vastness of a room, or shoot an angle to heighten the sense of disorientation. As a photographer you are telling the story of the place you are in and even a subtle shift of the camera’s perspective can make a huge impact on the mood of the photo.
Mouth of Madness by Chris Folsom
Focus on the Details
While it is easy to get caught up in the architecture, try to also pay attention to the discarded items and details in the area as well. Chairs, books, phones and other remnants from days gone by can provide a powerful centerpiece to the image. Focusing on a single object can also act as an anchor in an otherwise chaotic environment.
Lost Art by Chris Folsom
My final tip is for you to be careful while exploring these buildings. No photograph is worth endangering yourself, so take extreme precaution whenever you enter an unfamiliar location. Be safe and happy shooting!
Chris Folsom is a hobbyist photographer who spends much of his time photographing buildings that are no longer in use. You can view his site at studiotempura.com or see more of his photos at Flickr. His photos have been published on numerous websites and newspapers.
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
How to Photograph Abandoned Places