ON-LINE PHOTO INSTRUCTION-- with detailed critiques of your work
My new 4-week and 8-week on-line photo courses begin again on Wednesday, March 10. To improve your compositional skills, for example, click here to check out the outline of this course to see if you feel this material is exactly what you need.
I have a new photoshop course called Photoshop: Thinking Outside the
Box.
You can click here to see the outline of the course. It is very different from my other Photoshop courses in the types of techniques I demonstrate.
Do you want to make money in photography? Want to feel more confident in using natural light outdoors? Interested in learning more about Photoshop (like putting fireworks in the sky or removing lens flare). Are you insecure about your exposure skills?
The way the courses work is this. Every Wednesday, you receive a lesson that consists of text and photos, explaining various principles in photography, marketing your work, digital manipulation, or whatever subject you are studying. At the end of each lesson there is an assignment, and you have plenty of time to take pictures and upload them for my critique. You can use photos you did specifically for the assignment or images that you have taken previously.
On-line photo courses are like virtual classrooms but not in real time. Other students can see your pictures, read my critiques, and comment on your work. Similarly, you can comment on the pictures of other students. It is a unique and wonderful learning experience.
One of the great things about these on-line courses is that students participate from all over the world. In a single lesson's uploads, you may see pictures from Bryce Canyon or Brazil, or from Singapore or South Carolina. It's a very stimulating environment, and it will help you become the photographer or digital artist that you would like to be.
On the Betterphoto.com website, you can read the lesson outline of each course and see sample photos. In addition, you can also access the courses I teach directly by going to my website, jimzuckerman.com, and clicking on the link 'On-line Photo Courses'. at the top of the home page.
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OFF-CAMERA FLASH IN THE FIELD
My photography workshop in Venice, Italy last month was amazing as usual. The costumes were captivating, the medieval architecture gave us a wonderful background, and the friend's I've made there were so patient in allowing my group to photograph them in a 17th century palace, in a gondola, on Burano Island, and in other locations around the city.
 I have been to Venice many times now to photograph the annual Carnival, and I always try to come up with different techniques to expand what I share with my students who come with me to photograph this phenomenal event. This year I did a lot of off-camera flash. It's truly amazing how dramatic the light can be when it is placed to the side of the subject. This simple idea is responsible for producing truly beautiful -- and very different -- images.
For example, the picture below was taken at dawn. Notice how the side lighting separates the model from the dawn sky and how it helps to define her shape. Also notice how perfect the exposure is both on the model and in the background. That's the critical part of this equation. Sometimes black backgrounds are fine, but if the background happens to be beautiful, it's important to expose for all parts of the picture correctly.
 The questions that I had to deal with in producing these images were:
1. What camera/flash settings should I use for a good exposure on the subject as well as the background?
2. What is the best way to trigger the flash off-camera?
3. Where do I place the light relative to the model?
I know flash is intimidating to most photographers (amateur and pro alike) because it's impossible to assess the results simply by looking at the lighting on the subject as we can do with a photoflood. However, flash is not that hard if you understand one important thing:
You are not expected to know how to set the flash without help from a preview image.
Many amateurs think that pros know what settings to use right off the bat, and the pictures just happen to be consistently perfect. This isn't true at all. The reason why professional photographers used Polaroid tests in the past was simply to check the exposure and the way the shadows fell on the subject. When we shot film, we had no idea how the shots would look until the film came back from the lab. That's why we needed a test print to make sure the lights and our cameras were set correctly. This took the insecurity and the guesswork out of the equation.
Fast forward to the digital era and nothing has changed -- except now instead of a Polaroid test print we use the LCD monitor on the back of the camera. Instead of waiting 60 seconds for the Polaroid to develop, we get instant feedback on our composition, exposure, and how the shadows and highlights look on the subject. What a great time to be a photographer!
So, the setting I used on my flash was ETTL (iTTL for Nikon). On my camera, I used Program mode. If the flash exposure was too light or if it was too dark, I simply adjusted the flash exposure compensation feature on the flash unit itself. I then took another shot and examined it again. If I needed more tweaking, I repeated the procedure.
 Next I would adjust the exposure compensation feature on the camera for the ambient light. In other words, if the background was too light or too dark, I simply adjusted the exposure compensation in 1/3 f/stop increments.
It is obviously vital, then, for you to know how to access these two features on your flash and on your camera. Always travel with your camera and flash manuals for reference.
The next issue is how should the flash be triggered. There are two choices for a wireless trigger. You can use the Canon ST-E2 (which also works with Nikon, I'm told) which fires the flash with an infra-red beam. This works on a line-of-sight principle, thus the flash must 'see' the ST-E2 unit which sits on the hotshoe of the camera. If you want to do backlighting with this unit, you are out of luck because the flash won't see the camera since the light source must be directly behind the subject from the camera's point of view.
There are other problems as well. For example,
when I was shooting the three costumed people
above, I had placed my photo backpack on the ground and rested my flash against it. I angled the flash head to illuminate the group from below, and as I was getting ready to take the picture another photographer kneeled down about four feet away to shoot the same models. He blocked the line of sight from the ST-E2 transmitter to the flash, and I couldn't fire the 580EX flash unit.
Had I been using a Pocket Wizard, this wouldn't have happened. The Pocket Wizard works on the principle of a radio signal to trigger the flash, and this isn't affected by line of sight. The PW is perfect for backlighting, and in the case of someone positioned between the transmitter and the receiver (which attaches to the flash), it doesn't matter. I have since started using the Pocket Wizard because it is the superior method of triggering the light by remote.
The placement of the flash is another important issue. When I say 'off-camera', I am not talking about holding it at arm's length. That can work for macro work because you can get a 90 degree angle on the subject because it is so close to you. When shooting a model, however, you need to have the lens positioned at least at a 45 degree angle to the lens axis. In the photo below, the light was at a 90 degree angle to the axis of the lens. That's why you see an edge light on the model. I digital replaced the background here, but the the way the model was lit was from a large bank of windows in front of her and the single flash on the left side.
 The next Carnival in Venice workshop will be from February 27 to March 5, 2011. If you are interested in joining me for this wonderful experience, here is a link for more information: http://www.jimzuckermanworkshops.com/carnival-in-venice-2011/
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Comparing ring flash with the twin flash macro unit during the FROG workshop in St. Louis.
Last weekend I conducted another frog and reptile workshop in St. Louis. Everyone in the group got fantastic pictures. Truthfully, it's so easy it's like shooting ducks -- but of course in this case we are shooting frogs. They may be a little jumpy at first, but then they settle down and pose nicely for us.
 In the on-line courses I teach for Betterphoto.com, I see a lot of macro photos. Many of them are taken incorrectly because people get lazy and they don't want to take the time to do it right. By 'right' I mean they don't use a tripod and a small lens aperture. Macro photography is all about the detail, and if you are photographing great subjects like poison dart frogs (they are not poisonous in captivity because their diet is different from when they are in the wild) I feel it's important to get them as sharp as possible with as much depth of field as you can. That means that the smallest of lens apertures has to be used. I recommend to the workshop participants that they use f/32 (or smaller if they have it). Since the workshop is indoors, though, this means that the source of illumination has to be a flash. It would be impossible to use long shutter speeds with the frogs.
In the case of the workshop photography, a tripod is not necessary because we use a flash. The type of flash that produces the best images when shooting tiny subjects is either a ring flash or a macro flash setup with two small flash units on either side of the lens. These two options are similar but not the same in a few regards.
Ring flash vs. twin flash system
 
1. The ring flash circles the lens, and even though some of them allow you to do a lighting ratio (because inside the ring are two small flashes), it's not very effective. The twin flash setup gives you the ability to create more of a studio look with a main light and a fill.
2. The twin light system creates greater texture on the subject because the flash units are around 3 inches away and the angle of the light is such that the light can come from the side. The ring lighting is more uniform such that the light is evenly distributed across the subject. Both are valid ways of lighting a macro subject -- it just depends on what you want.
3. The ring light allows you to follow a tiny subject like a frog deep into a plant and provide even illumination. When using the twin flash system, often the leaves of the plant end up blocking the flashes when you move in very, very close. These frogs are very tiny (some are about 1/2 inch long), and that requires you to be very close.
 4. The ring flash puts an unattractive 'ring' of light in the eye of the subject as you can see in the photo above. This needs to be cloned out because it looks terrible. The twin flash system doesn't do that.
Both flash units have their place and I use both of them. However, if I had to choose between them, personally I'd go with the ring flash.
A problem that occurs with both flash systems is that the frogs are reflective, and much of the time there are many specular highlights that should be cloned out in Photoshop. Otherwise, they will be distracting.
For the backgrounds, I bring 13 x 19 inch prints of out of focus foliage. This works very well much of the time, but sometimes unwanted shadows show up on the backgrounds due to the use of flash. These need to be cloned out
 or you need to replace the background entirely. The blue frog on the yellow flower at left originally had a black background because the subjects were placed about two or three feet from the background, and the light fall-off was significant. I used Photoshop to cut and paste a photo of green foliage from my files.
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GREAT SUBJECTS MAKE GREAT PICTURES
I spent most of my life in Los Angeles, and it was constantly a challenge to find compelling subjects to photograph. L.A. is visually ugly. The air is brown, there are freeways everywhere, and it took a serious effort to find subjects that make great pictures. Boring subjects make boring pictures; conversely, great subjects make great pictures. If you find yourself in a place without much going on photographically, you have to be very creative in seeking out subjects that are artistic, intriguing, and that are worth your time pursuing them.
Below is a list of things I did to find subjects to shoot. I found that when I put my thinking cap on, it was amazing what I could come up with. As a result, I was able to take some wonderful pictures.
1. I contacted the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and spoke to the herpetology department to find out if there were any reptile clubs in my area. It turned out there was, and I joined the club to meet people who gave me access to photograph their snakes, geckos, frogs, iguanas, etc.
2. I went on-line to locate car clubs to find out where the members had competitions and shows. This enabled me to meet people who then allowed me to photograph their classic cars and hot rods. I chose locations and times of day, as in the 1936 Ford above.
3. I bought post cards in tourist shops to find vantage points of downtown Los Angeles that I might have missed.
4. I looked for tall buildings that were situated in locations that would give me a great view of the downtown area. I also had dinner at a restaurant on the 32nd story of a downtown building so I could photograph the city from their observation deck.
5. I made arrangements with pet store owners to photograph exotic birds, reptiles, frogs, tarantulas, etc. in their facilities. The green basilisk, above, was from one of those shoots. I brought the backgrounds and the lighting and either paid the store owner or traded for pictures.
6. Also in pet stores, I arranged to photograph puppies. I shot them against a black background I brought (black velvet) and then used Photoshop to put them in cute situations.
7. I went to insect fairs to buy exotic insects to shoot.
8. I visited various museums with interesting collections to see if I could photograph things that appealed to me. This included classic cars, native American objects as well as natural history subjects. One of the most unique subjects I photographed was a 150 million year old dragonfly fossil from the Jurassic period. The museum allowed me to take it up on their roof so I could position it nicely with respect to the sun.
 9. I contacted cultural groups through various consulates and by searching on-line so I could find out where dance performances were held. For example, I wanted to photograph Kabuki theater, Thai dancing, and celebrations of the Chinese New Year.
10. I contacted local florists to find out when flower shows happened. Tropical orchids and exotic irises were among the many species I photographed.
There are many other things you can do, too, to stimulate your creative juices and find great things to photograph. For example, you can become part of the Betterphoto.com community of people who love taking pictures. You will see a tremendous amount of sharing of information regarding photo techniques, where to find interesting things to shoot, and home projects you can do. This is the company for whom I teach on-line, and I am constantly seeing wonderful images of things that I hadn't thought of shooting, or if I photographed something in the past, perhaps it was time for me to revisit the subject matter and shoot it again. A friend of mine sent me some beautiful images of a nautilus sea shell, and although I had photographed this 20 years ago, I thought I'd try it again and with my Photoshop abilities, I knew I could come up with some very different types of pictures. I bought the shell on ebay and I've been having a lot of fun with it as you can see in the image below. The background of stars was created by sprinkling glitter on black velvet, and the reflection was made with the Photoshop plug-in Flood made by flamingpear.com.
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PHOTO TOUR to IRELAND
May 21 - 31, 2010
Come join me on a wonderful photography tour to beautiful Ireland. I've created an itinerary that encompasses castles, ruins, landscapes, cathedrals, old cemeteries and more. Ireland is a joy to experience, and you will cherish your pictures from our trip.
Here is a link to the promotional page on my website where you can see photos and read the day by day itinerary in brief:
http://www.jimzuckermanworkshops.com/photo-tour-to-ireland/
If this interests you, drop me a note at (photos@jimzuckerman.com) and I'll send you the complete schedule. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
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PHOTO TOUR to
EASTERN EUROPE
August 27 to Sept. 9, 2010
Lake Bled, Slovenia
My Heart of Europe trip was very successful in 2008, and I spent this past summer in Europe planning a Heart of Eastern Europe trip. As usual, I find the best vantage points, the most stunning cathedral interiors, and the best locations for twilight photography, and you will return home with images you will cherish. The countries we will visit include The Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, and Austria.
A classic view of Prague, Czech Republic
For a full description, pricing, and more photos, please check out this link on my website: http://www.jimzuckermanworkshops.com/heart-of-eastern-europe-2010/
Krakow, Poland
The
photo below is the stunning and very unusual ceiling of the Cathedral of Krakow. This is one example of the wonderful details you can find everywhere in Eastern Europe. If you have any questions about the trip, my direct email
is: photos@jimzuckerman.com.
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PHOTOSHOP WORKSHOP in my HOME
Sat. & Sun., April 24, 25
Photoshop is a photographer's best friend, and the creative possibilities are absolutely endless. In this personal and 'homey' environment, I start at the beginning -- assuming you know nothing -- but I quickly get into layers, cutting and pasting, plug-ins, and a lot more. I promise to fill your head with so many cool techniques that you won't believe what you'll be able to do.
Photoshop instructors approach teaching this program from different points of view. In addition to showing you how to use the various tools, pull down menus, layers, and so on, I spend a lot of time giving you creative ideas that will inspire you to produce amazing images with the pictures you've already taken.
A lot of people, once they learn what the tools and commands do, still need help in deciding what images to work with, what composites look good, and how to be artistic within Photoshop. This is one of the main things I address in this workshop.
I live in the Nashville, Tennessee area, and if you fly into the airport (BNA) I will pick you up. If you drive, I'll give you my address and you can find it on Mapquest. For the $450 fee, I include one dinner in my home (prepared by my wife who is an amazing cook and hostess) and two lunches, plus shuttling you back and forth from my home to your nearby hotel.
Contact me if you would like to participate. All you need is a laptop. If you don't have one, I have one laptop (a Mac) I can loan out. photos@jimzuckerman.com
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