Hi Friends,

Last summer, I spent a week with my good friend, Royce, and my invaluable assistant, Cat, doing location portrait work at the Mercedes Benz Classic Center in Irvine, CA to be used in their web and print marketing materials.  Being witness to this team of automotive artisans engaged in their craft was fascinating!  They are the nicest bunch of guys you’d ever hope to meet, and hopelessly passionate about their work.

They used a few of my images on their website shortly thereafter.  Just this week, I received a copy of a print marketing piece and was pleased to see that they’ve used one of my images there as well (see above).

A few of my personal favorites from last summer’s shoot:

Looking forward to seeing the wonderful folks from the MB Classic Center again at the upcoming Dana Point Concours in June.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BETTER LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY (PART 1)

And now for part 2…

Reach for the Sky

In most landscape photography, the sky will likely be featured somehow in your image.  If you have a bland, boring sky – don’t let it dominate your shot.  Consider placing the horizon in the upper third of your shot (like the Lone Cypress image on the previous post, or the San Francisco skyline above).

However if your sky is dramatic with interesting cloud formations and colors, emphasize it by placing the horizon lower (as in on the lower third line of the frame using our “rule of thirds” guide). Consider the Philadelphia skyline image below with dramatic, angry-looking clouds.

If you have access to post processing software (e.g., Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, Aperture, etc.), you may want to enhance contrast in interesting skies.  Alternatively, if your camera permits attachment of filters to the lens, you can use a circular polarizing filter to increase the drama and color saturation of the sky.

Take Me to Your Leading Lines

One of the questions to ask yourself as you make landscape photographs is how to direct your viewer to look where you want them to in your image. There are a number of ways of doing this (having a well-defined subject / focal point is one) but one of the best ways to guide your viewers is to compose your photograph with lines that lead them into an image. Lines, like the diagonal lines of the bridge roadway and vertical lines of the towers in the Golden Gate Bridge image above also give the image depth, scale and can be a point of interest in and of themselves by creating patterns in your shot.

Move that Landscape

We tend to think of landscape photography as images of stationary subjects: mountains, trees, the Grand Canyon.  But if you observe for a few moments, you’ll generally find that things are seldom completely still.  Watch for the effect of wind in the trees, flowing water, crashing waves, birds in flight, clouds scudding across the sky…

Capturing this movement usually requires a slower shutter speed, so camera stability (i.e., a tripod or other support) is critical to eliminate camera shake.  If your camera allows attachment of filters over the lens, this would be a good opportunity to use a neutral density and/or circular polarizer filter to allow you to use slower shutter speeds to capture that motion.

Check back soon for more landscape photography tips and tricks and feel free to chime in with your own in the comments.

More to come…

J

There’s just something about venturing out in nature with the challenge of capturing some of the amazing beauty of creation: waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity, all the while appreciating the moment-by-moment changes in the scenery as sun and clouds trek across the sky. Over the next couple posts, I’ll offer a few photography tips to help you make the most of your landscape / scenic photography endeavors.

Maximize your Depth of Field

The term, “Depth of Field” (DOF) describes how much of your scene in front of and behind what you’re focusing on is also in focus. For landscape photography, the typical approach is to ensure that as much of your scene is in focus as possible – from foreground (closest to the camera) to distant background. The simplest way to do this is to choose a small lens aperture (the opening in the lens that controls how much light enters the camera).  The smaller the aperture, the more is in focus from near to far (i.e., greater depth of field).  By their very design (digital sensor size and lens), point and shoot cameras naturally tend to have a greater DOF.  If you’re using a digital single lens reflex (DSLR – with interchangeable lenses), you will have more control over choosing your desired aperture.  Though it’s not intuitive, the smaller the aperture, the larger its number: e.g.,f/16 is a smaller lens opening than f/1.8, and will result in greater DOF as in the example at right where the rocks in the foreground are as sharp as the distant crag of the Mount Whitney summit.

A larger aperture (smaller number) decreases your DOF, allowing you to throw the background out of focus.  This is often used for portrait photography – even in nature – to draw your viewer’s attention to your subject by softening the background, like the portrait below from the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, CA.

If your camera has “scene modes,” you probably have one for scenic or landscape photography, which likely includes a small aperture for great depth of field.

Steady Your Camera -Use a Tripod

Camera shake can ruin a photograph. Even a slight amount of blur can be distracting (unless that’s the look you’re after – e.g, moving water). Any time you can use a tripod to stabilize your camera, your images will benefit for it. In fact even if you’re able to shoot at a fast shutter speed, using a tripod requires you to slow down and think about the composition of your image. The result is nearly always a more interesting image.  To avoid touching the camera during the exposure (and defeating the purpose of having the camera on a tripod in the first place), consider using your camera’s self-timer to release the shutter. Set the timer, push the button, and then hands-off until the image is completed.  The added advantage is that you can also run and get into the shot (like the Alabama Hills portrait at the right).

Find a Focal Point

Think of a photograph you’ve seen that really sticks with you.  Chances are, there was a specific subject in that image – a focal point – that grabbed your attention, and caused you to linger on that image.  All images need some sort of focal point – and landscapes are no different.  Without a focal point, a landscape image is just a cool background in search of a subject.  Your viewers will simply wander about the image without knowing where to look.

Focal points can take many forms in landscape photography:  a building or statue; a person, a silhouette, a boulder, a waterfall, a flower – the possibilities are endless.  But there should be something that you can point to as the subject of your photograph. For example, in the image at right, the purple coneflowers are clearly the subject of the photograph, set against the concrete and steel urban landscape of the Chicago skyline.

Also consider where you place your subject in the frame – think rule of thirds (more on that below).

Think Foregrounds

Related to the previous point about having an identifiable focal point / subject, consider placing your focal point in the foreground of your image (that is, closest to the camera) as in the above image of the coneflowers. This draws your viewer into the photograph, and also gives a sense of depth / distance.

The Rule of Thirds

Because most cameras by default have their autofocus point in the center of the frame, the natural tendency is to place the subject of the image in the center as well.  However, you’ll find you have a much stronger, more dynamic composition if you imagine a tic-tac-toe grid over your viewfinder (or LCD) and place your subject along one of those vertical or horizontal lines.  In the example of the Lone Cypress at Monterey at right, the tree, which is the subject of the photograph, is placed at approximately the intersection of the left and upper third lines – resulting in a strong composition that draws the viewer into the image. Notice also that the horizon is at the upper third horizontal line rather than smack dab in the center of the image.

Add Your Own Tips and Tricks

I’m sure you have some tips of your own for great landscape photography. Feel free to add them to the comments below.

Thanks for dropping by!

Jon

A few teaser images from a senior portrait shoot this week. Tom’s an avid street hockey player and a rabid Anaheim Ducks fan, so we wanted to capture some of that passion in his portrait session. It’s been a bit rainy here in SoCal this week, so we were fortunate to shoot between storms, and had some nice threatening clouds for background…

For the gearheads, here’s a wide shot of the lighting configuration for most of this… Key light: Nikon SB-800 in beauty dish, rim light – SB-800s, no modifiers (i.e., bare flash). In fact, in a couple shots, I included the lights in frame just for fun. Probably would have been more effective if I’d had, say, 20 or 30 more speedlights. But then, I’m not Joe McNally (Joe…are you reading this?) All Speedlights fired via PocketWizard Flex5/MiniTT1 system.

Tom was a terrific sport. Lots more images to come from this session.  In the meantime, for other examples of my senior portrait work, feel free to jump over to my senior portraits gallery…  And if you know of a senior (or parents of a senior) looking for something more exciting and creative and personal than your standard mall portrait studio shots to commemorate their best year in high school, I’d love to talk to them!

Thanks for looking!

J

Hi Friends!

I had the privilege of photographing Brenda and Don’s Orange County wedding earlier this month – a beautiful backyard ceremony… I’m pleased to announce that their wedding “album” is now available for preview and purchase in both print and digital formats via the above link to my MagCloud website.

Hi Friends,

I recently did some photography for Mercedes Benz, shooting their SL550 launch event at Warner Bros Studios and the Hollywood Hills “hidden racetrack.”  Some of my images were picked up by Mercedes Benz MB! online magazine, and I just found out that one of the Motortrend Magazine journalists who was there for the Sunday morning Hollywood Hills driving event has used some of my imagery as well!

The complete article by Eric Ayapana is here:

Driving the 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300SL and 1969 280SL Pagoda: Winning on Oscar Sunday

It’s always a joy working with the good folks at Mercedes Benz, and a thrill to see my work published!

Thanks for dropping by!  And special thanks to my good friend, Royce Rumsey, for hooking me up with this gig!

J

As a photography instructor, I frequently encounter folks who are simply overwhelmed by the options available on their digital cameras: exposure modes (full auto, program auto, aperture priority, shutter priority, manual); scene modes (nighttime portrait, sunny mountain ski slope, running man, cute cat playing piano for YouTube, etc.); ISO;  flash modes…the list goes on.

5.5 Tips for Learning Your Camera

1) and I credit Douglas Adams of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” fame for this: DON’T PANIC. It’s not necessary to learn EVERYTHING about your camera to be able to use it effectively.

Corollary to tip #1: Take a deep breath, and let it out…slowly.  Seriously. Not only will you feel better, but it will help you with holding the camera steady (key to reducing blur in your photographs).  Take a lesson from marksmen…

2) Turn off your flash. Unless you’re indoors in a low light situation where flash would be REQUIRED to make an image, you’ll be happier with your results via ambient / available light.  Built-in on camera flash (either pop-up or not) is not particularly flattering, and actually, not very effective beyond about 5 – 6 feet.  There are reasons to use flash (in fact, I shoot almost exclusively with flash – but never on camera, and seldom unmodified).  But for now, turn it off unless you really need it.

3) Get out of full automatic mode (usually denoted by a green icon on your camera’s exposure dial).  Until you do, you’ll never learn how to bend your camera to the will of YOUR photographic vision.

4) Pick ONE exposure mode and stick with it for a while until you get comfortable.  For example, if most of your photos are people pictures, try aperture priority mode (“A” or “Av” – you pick the desired aperture, your camera selects the shutter speed to go with it) so you can control your depth of field  – throwing the background out of focus so it doesn’t distract from your subject. Choose a large-ish aperture (the smallest f-number on your lens), and have at it. If you’re shooting sports and want to freeze motion, try shutter priority mode (“S” or “Tv” – you pick the shutter speed, camera chooses the aperture).  Pick a fast shutter speed (1/500 second, for example), and go out and shoot your preferred sporting event on a sunny day.

5) Keep your camera user manual handy.  Carry it in your car. Have an electronic (PDF) version on your computer or iPad. So when you need to know how to set the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, turn off the flash, format the memory card, what have you — you have the information at your fingertips.

Eventually, as the need arises, you’ll begin to explore some of the other features of your camera and have those skills / techniques in your quiver for the next time you need them. Just take it a step at a time.  You’ll get there with much less frustration!

Thanks for dropping by!

J

Following are a few of my favorite photos from Nina and Joe’s engagement portrait session last weekend. What a terrific shoot!  Nina and Joe are avid hikers, and wanted their engagement portraits to reflect that passion. So, off we went to Chino Hills and Carbon Canyon Regional parks for some lovely location portraits!  (Who knew there was a grove of redwoods here in Orange County!?)

Joe is also a motorcycle rider – and Nina (though concerned about being perceived as a “biker chick”) wanted to do some shots with Joe and his bike as well.

They’re getting married this summer at the Fullerton Arboretum with a beach / bonfire reception.  Can’t wait to photograph their wedding!

Get Closer to Your Subject

Robert Capa, renowned war photographer and photojournalist, said, “If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”

Getting close to your subject, filling the frame with what you want your viewer to focus on, creates interest.  We’re naturally drawn to whatever is closest in the frame: the assumption being that if it’s close and large, it must be important. Getting close also helps to isolate your subject from the background, either by throwing the background out of focus (the “depth of field” concept), or cropping away distracting background elements.

Getting close is pretty easy with a telephoto lens. In fact, getting close with a telephoto lens has the added benefit of creating a pleasing proportion and compression of the apparent distance between subject and background. Plus, with a long enough telephoto, you can stand off at a distance – handy when your “bipedal zoom” can’t get you near enough to the action.

Getting close with a wide angle lens, though, presents a couple difficulties…

Excuse Me, But You’re Sort of in My Personal Space…

Try this experiment.  Ask a friend to sit for two portraits.  Using your longest telephoto setting, frame your subject for a head and shoulders portrait. Make note of how large their head is in your frame and how far away you are from your subject. Take your picture.

Now, zoom out to your widest wide angle setting. Move closer to your subject so that their head is the same size in the frame as your previous telephoto portrait. How close do you have to get?  Is your subject’s breath now fogging up your lens? Take your picture…quickly…your friend is probably getting a little antsy by now… (Sorry, Cat – thanks for sacrificing style for the benefit of education…).

The point is, to get “close” with a wide angle–close enough, that is, to make a difference–you typically have to get really close…uncomfortably close in some cases. Did I mention it’s important to get close?

That proximity to your subject, though, can introduce some drama by virtue of the natural distortion of the wide angle lens settings.  Close proximity to your subject with a wide angle lens also tends to exaggerate the size / proportion of the subject, and the distance between the subject and the background – again, emphasizing the importance of your subject.

Wide angle lenses (generally, in the 11-35mm focal length) introduce some “barrel” distortion – particularly evident at the wider angles, and nearer the edges of the frame. If you think of the shape of a wine cask, you know what barrel distortion looks like. Moving in closer to your subject with the wide angle makes that effect even more apparent – more so if your subject is nearer the edges of the image. In the chopper pilot portrait above, and the gun collector portrait at right, I was within about 2-3 feet of the subject, shooting at 12mm focal length.

The distortion associated with wide angle lenses can create a more imposing presence, as in the case of this Boeing B-1B bomber:

Because of their inherent distortion, wide angle lenses are not typically great for portraiture, unless you’re going for that dramatic distortion. (Think of those cute pet portraits where the critter appears to have a huge head and little, teeny, tiny body – or high school homecoming spirit week nerd day portraits…I’m just sayin’).

A Pretty Background in Search of a Subject

Having a clearly-defined subject in the foreground of a landscape image adds interest and impact to the photograph. Including a prominent foreground element also provides context and a sense of scale, and an anchor for your viewer:

It’s a Matter of Perspective

Changing your point of view with a wide angle lens can also add drama and impact to your image. In the following examples, shooting from flat on the ground, angled upward gives us a different perspective than we’re used to seeing (unless, of course, you make a habit of lying on the ground looking up…)

Hope this gives you a few things to think about as you experiment with your wide angle lens.  So, this week, get yer wide angle on, and get in close….really close.