ON-LINE PHOTO INSTRUCTION-- with detailed critiques of your work
My new 4-week courses begin again at Betterphoto.com on Wednesday, April 4, 2012.
To improve your compositional skills, for example, click HERE to check out the outline of the Developing Your Creative Artistic Vision course to see if you feel this subject matter 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 this unique course that will introduce some intriguing techniques that you've probably not tried before -- like 3D, making a sketch, and more. It is very different from my other Photoshop courses, and it's a lot of fun.
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.
|
|
|
|
Photographing Chaos:
Festival Photograpy I led a photography tour to India last month, and it was timed so my group could shoot the amazing elephant festival in Jaipur, a city in the desert state of Rajasthan. In more than 40 years of taking pictures, this was probably the most difficult photography I've ever done. It wasn't the lighting, the contrast, or the subjects that were so difficult. It was the throngs of people -- tourists, local people, news media, VIPs -- that made this extremely challenging. Because of this experience, I decided to write an article to give you some strategies in dealing with such a crazy and chaotic situation.
When we first arrived -- two hours early to insure good seating --- there were plenty of places to sit to watch and photograph the parade of decorated elephants. However, as more and more people entered, the seats were taken and then people starting sitting along the railing dividing the parade ground from the spectators. I quickly realized these people would prevent my group from a clear view of the spectacle, so we abandoned our seats and jostled for position at the railing .
More and more people kept entering the area, and pretty soon it was wall to wall people -- literally -- in the spectator area. When the procession of elephants began, we were presented with another problem -- the news media, VIPs, and government officials who wanted to see, photograph, and get their picture taken with elephants were mixed in with the procession. They were all around the elephants, making good photography virtually impossible. I waited for an opening to get a shot, but it was very, very difficult
Then, more and more people cajoled their way -- or pushed their way -- onto the parade grounds until photography was impossible from where we were sitting. The only way to get anything good was to do the same, and that's what we did. By this time, though, there were hundreds of people surrounding the elephants.
What is the solution here? How did I get these pictures devoid of non-costumed spectators?
Here is what you have to do:
1. Be aggressive. You have to push your way into a position that gives you the vantage to get a good shot.
2. Be patient. Let people in front of you shoot, then as they move out of the way, you must ease into the position they occupied.
3. Be fast. When an annoying tourist is done getting his or her picture taken with the elephant and moves away, shoot fast before another one gets in your way.
4. Be clever. Know in your mind's eye what Photoshop can do. If the background is cluttered, know that you can replace a background as in the picture below (I replaced the original background with the fort). If someone or something is in your way, think about using another element to cover them up. For example, in photo at the top of this article, the woman in the green sari was cut and pasted there to block out a man who just wouldn't move.
5. Shoot tight. Use a telephoto to zoom in and capture parts of the whole.
6. Shoot from a low perspective to eliminate background elements.
7. Use a wide angle very close to the subject. This can eliminate a lot of people you don't want in the picture.
8. Use Program mode so you don't have to think about your lens aperture or shutter speed. You may not have the time to dwell on this. Program mode allows you to shoot faster.
9. Wear a photo vest so you have fast access to your lenses.
10. Don't get frustrated and give up. Be determined to get your shots, and with persistence you'll be able to get something good.
I wouldn't call this kind of high pressure photography fun. It's frustrating, extremely annoying (even angering), and very tough, but if you have a clear previsualized image of what you want to capture, don't give up until you get it or until the event is over.
|
PORTRAITS IN SOFT LIGHT The best type of lighting for portraits in my opinion is soft and diffused light. It is also the easiest to find. All you have to do is photograph someone in the shade, on an overcast day, or when the sun is so low in the sky that it is no longer a factor. Here are the reasons why I think this kind of light is so good:
1. Contrast is low so the images are devoid of overexposed highlights or black shadows.
2. Exposure is easy since the contrast is low. In other words, bright highlights or black shadows won't adversely affect a meter reading.
3. The person doesn't squint from a bright sun, and this means their face isn't contorted and their eyes can be fully open.
The two portraits above were taken on my recent photo tour to India. Both were taken in late morning when the sun was high in the sky causing terrible contrasty conditions, but I photographed these people in the shade. Note that it's important that the background be in the shade, too. In these two portraits, that was easy because the background walls were right behind the subjects.
In the picture below, I used Photoshop to combine the portrait of the romantic couple at carnival in Venice with the background. This was the first time I saw snow on the ground in Venice, and it was exciting to shoot it but due to the wintry conditions no costumed models were out. So, I combined the couple I took two days later with the snow scene. Notice that the lighting matches. The couple were photographed in the shade, and the overcast wintry environment produced the same kind of soft light. I thought it was a nice touch that the glass in the lamps match the color of their costumes.
|
Upside down reflections
When you photograph reflections and you fill the frame with nothing but water -- i.e. the reflected object itself -- try presenting it to your viewers upside down. It will obviously looks right side up when you do this. This is what I did with the photo colorful houses on Burano Island near Venice, Italy as they reflected in a canal. If the water is too disturbed from wind or boats, you won't get a clear reflection, and this technique won't work. The
ideal scenario is to have still water with a slight ripple or wave. This allows you to retain enough definition in the subject to discern what it is, and yet it will look painterly.
The image of an autumn reflection in Vermont is similarly very painterly. This looks like an impressionist work of art simply because I inverted it. |
| Self-critique
There are two things about the first picture below that bother me enough such that I wouldn't show this to a client or put it on my website. The camel was looking toward the camera, and that means I lost the recognizable and powerful shape of the animal's silhouetted head. In a silhouette, what makes or breaks the photo is the graphic design of the subject. In this case, I feel the profile of the camel was needed to make this truly successful.
The same is true of the man leading the camel. He was looking toward me, and I would have preferred to see his profile. However, his profile wasn't as important as the camel's.
The picture below is more dynamic in terms of the camel's body language, but look what a difference it makes to see entire shape of the head from the side. It makes all the difference in the world. I still would have preferred to see the man's nose in profile, but I can live with that because the camel's body language is so good.
These pictures were taken in the Thar Desert near Jaiselmer in Rajasthan, India during the photography tour I led last month. I hired the camels to parade in front of the sun at the perfect time, and then my group had a wonderful dinner on the dunes.
|
| eBOOKS
Click HERE to read about the contents and to see sample pages.
eBooks are great because they are much less expensive than conventional books, and you can carry them with you on an iPad, iPhone, or laptop. In addition, trees don't have to be cut down to make the paper for the books. The colors in the images are dazzling, too -- much more so than in a conventional print book because the photographs seen on a computer or an iPad are illuminated from behind. What a great time it is to be a photographer!
The ebook on composition is my newest -- I just finished it a couple of days ago. The toughest subject in photography to teach and to learn is composition simply because the world is what I call a compositional mess. It's hard to make artistic and visual sense out of all the elements we must deal with in taking great pictures. I think this ebook will help you sort that out. I give you concrete things you can look for to significantly improve your photographic compositions. The ebook is generously illustrated with lots of pictures that will inspire you to be a better photographer.
|
PHOTOSHOP WORKSHOP in my
HOME Sat. & Sun., May 19, 20, 2012.
Photoshop is a photographer's best friend, and the creative possibilities are absolutely endless. In a personal and 'homey' environment (I have a very cool classroom setup in my home), I start at the beginning -- assuming you know nothing -- but I quickly get into layers, cutting and pasting, plug-ins, using 'grunge' textures, modifying lighting, 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. My approach is to be as expansive in my thinking as possible in creating unique, artistic, and compelling images. 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 in the workshop and I will tell you how to sign up (photos@jimzuckerman.com).
I will do my best to inspire you with all the great things Photoshop can do. All you need is a laptop. If you don't have one, I have two laptops (they are Macs) I can loan out.
|
FLASH AND WHITE BALANCE
Kelvin is a temperature scale like Fahrenheit and Celsius. Zero degrees Kelvin is absolute zero, meaning no molecular movement (this is a theoretical state; outer space is about 2 degrees Kelvin). The color of light is measured in degrees Kelvin, and this is derived by heating a black piece of metal until is glows red, yellow, white, and then blue as it gets hotter and hotter. The temperature of the metal when it is glowing white, like the light from the sun during mid-day, is 5500 degrees K. The daylight white balance setting, then, is 5500K, and so is flash. Some manufacturers tweak the light output from flash a little so it's 5200K (making it less bluish, i.e. warmer), but basically flash and daylight are the same color of light. Therefore, Flash WB and Daylight WB will give you the same color results. By leaving the camera on daylight, it's one less thing to think about when you are shooting. This is why I never use Flash WB. |
|
|
