Category Archives: How to

When the image you hoped for doesn’t materialize

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From far above the river I saw this great blue heron standing still on the rocks below. It was right on the river’s edge, waiting patiently for a passing meal. I carefully made my way down over fallen tree limbs and loose rocks. As I got closer I would stop occasionally and make a few photographs. After about five minutes I’d edge myself closer and wait and shoot some more. Then scoot a little closer still. I eventually got myself into a good position about 15 to 20 feet away.

From the moment I first saw the heron I imagined a photo of a good size fish struggling in that stiletto beak. I waited over an hour, sitting uncomfortably on solid rock, hoping for the bird to snag a catfish or bass from the water. There were several attempts, yet each came up empty. From my perch above I could see the occasional shadow of a fish swim by, but the heron either didn’t see it or it was too far out of reach to even try.

At one point another heron landed nearby. It was apparently just a little too close for comfort and this one chased it off. Then as it made its way back to its fishing spot I made this shot. Ultimately, other obligations made it impossible to stay any longer so I never got the fish-in-beak shot. But I’ll be back. And so will the herons. I’ll get the shot. Just going to take some patience.

Great blue heron at the potomac river near great falls, Virginia.

Sometimes the image you hoped for doesn’t materialize.
But that shouldn’t mean you come away with nothing.

 

 

Don’t listen to the snobs, the pop-up flash is not an amateur’s tool.

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I think it’s unfortunate that you can still find people out there bad mouthing the built-in or pop-up flash as a feature only “amateurs” use. They think a true “pro” would never waste their time with it. I think that’s snobbish and self defeating. Don’t listen to them.

The pop-up flash is an important and useful tool.

Fill Flash: Portrait in a non-formal portrait setting. Main light coming from window, camera right. One side of face lit, other side shadow. Dial down the pop-up flash to -1.3 EV. I find this puts just the right amount of light in there. Catch light in the eyes. It just fills in, doesn’t overwhelm. ( -1.3 EV worked for me in this case. Do some experimenting and see what works best for you.)

Portrait of John. Fuji X100S. 1/125 sec f 5.6. Built in flash fired at -1.3 (I believe!) Fills in shadow side of face just a touch. Small catch light in eyes.

Portrait of John. Fuji X100S. 1/125 sec f 5.6. Built in flash fired at -1.3 (I believe!)
Fills in shadow side of face just a touch. Small catch light in eyes.

 

Main Flash: Flowers in the shade. Sure, lovely colors. But flip the flash up, dial it down to about -0.3 EV and shoot. All those colors will now pop. More vibrant than without.

Flowers without flash.

Flowers without flash. Fine image. Nice colors.

Flowers with flash.

Flowers with flash. A little more vibrant.

Modified: This is useful for all kinds of flash/strobe photography, so I thought I’d toss it in here for a little extra tip. Using gaffer tape or, as I do, small strips of velcro, affix a 1/4 CTO gel to the flash and you get a more natural color temperature. Not that cold bluish/white color. It’s a slightly warmer tone and is usually very pleasing. I like this for almost everything, but definitely when shooting people.

Amber gel affixed to the pop-up flash of a Nikon D700 using custom cut velcro strips.

Amber gel affixed to the pop-up flash of a Nikon D700 using custom cut velcro strips.

Getting creative: Follow this link to a previous post on how to get an off camera soft-box look using your pop-up flash, a spoon and a white piece of paper (or–in this case–the back of an 8X10 print)!

Skateboard photography with the Nikon D750

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Is the D750 the best all around Nikon ever? Maybe. Just maybe. It is for sure a damn good camera that can do pretty much all I need it to.

I shoot a wide variety of subjects. Landscapes, portraits, action, and much more. And for the last few months I’ve put this fine camera seriously through its paces.

Do I have quibbles? Sure. Nothing’s perfect, and I’ll probably tackle some of that on another day. But for now I want to focus (heh-heh!) on the positives.

It is lightweight, has a deep, comfortable grip, and produces amazing files. But what has stood out the most for me is the remarkably fast and accurate focusing system. I have spent most of my digital life with a D200 and D700, both more than serviceable cameras. But the difference with focusing between them and D750 is stunning.

I’ve been doing a lot of skate photography lately. Much of it at dusk and in the evening under less than ideal lighting conditions. But I’m happy to report the hit and miss ratio has been heavy on the hit side. The focus tracking in continuous mode impresses for sure. I tend to use group area focusing most of the time with action, but I’ve used single focus points before and still usually get the shot.

I’ve been using mostly Nikkor lenses: 35mm f2, 17-35mm f2.8 and 70-200mm f2.8. I will note that these are all older models. There are newer, more advanced version of these lenses that no doubt have better focusing mechanisms. But I regularly nail the shots with these old guys.

A few examples:

Wes Bell at the Kennedy Center Open House. Finding a Line skate park.

Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8. Shot at f4 and 1/40th sec. Shoe-mounted SB800. No gel. Dusk.

finding a line. daryl grier, skater designer for Tout Noir, flying!

Nikkor 35mm f2. Shot at f5.6 and 1/8th sec. Shoe mounted SB800 with 1/2 CTO gel attached. Night.

finding a line. grinding. close up of skateboarder grinding.

Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8. Shot at f8 and 1/25th sec. Shoe-mounted SB800 with 1/2 CTO gel attached. Dusk.

The focusing system on the D750 isn’t as advanced as the D500 or the D5, but man it’s hard to see where it’s lacking! It more than takes care of my needs.

(Rumor has it an upgrade to this 2 ½ year old camera is in the offing — maybe as soon as July!? — so things can only get even better, right?)

*Fingers crossed*

90% of your Instagram followers do not like your photos.

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Go to your Instagram page. Take the last 20 images and average out the number of “likes”. Divide that number by the number of followers you have. That number will probably be somewhere around 0.10. That’s the average percentage of people who “like” your photos. About 10%. Doesn’t matter if you’re a famous photographer or a well known photographic organization. Doesn’t matter if you have 400 followers or 400,000.

After all that time chasing “likes” and followers, about 90% of your followers won’t “like” your photos. Now, it may be that they truly don’t like your stuff; it’s not compelling enough to even garner a simple double tap on the screen. But more than likely it’s because they didn’t even see your photograph because they too are chasing “likes” and followers. They too think more is better. They follow a ton of people in the hopes that those people will blindly follow them back. And your one in 2,000 photos on that person’s IG feed is going to get lost!

These people want to look at the number at the top of their IG page and see that it is greater than their friend’s and acquaintances because, you know… winning! They console themselves that the photo they posted earlier today has 150 “likes”, 25 more than the picture they posted yesterday. Yet the reality is the vast majority of their followers won’t “like”, won’t see their photographs.

My point in pointing this out is to give you a different way to think about social media and followers and likers and all that stuff. For me it comes down to quality over quantity. The vast majority of people I follow are people whose work or art I admire, and am genuinely interested in watching it evolve. I would hope people follow me for the same reasons. I don’t follow someone simply because they followed me. I don’t do “like-for-likes”. I appreciate it when I see someone new has decided to follow me. But I will still take the time to look at their page and see if it’s something I’m interested in before I click “follow.” And often I don’t. Sometimes those people continue to follow me and many times they take back their follow. Which is fine because they weren’t really interested in my stuff in the first place.

Yes, we all have friends and family we follow because they’re friends and family. I do like to keep up with all the nieces and nephews! But for me Instagram is mostly for the art, for the photographs. It’s my own personally curated gallery. A place where I can view interesting, powerful, and unique photography. It’s not a competition for “likes”.

What I’m getting at here is don’t waste your energy chasing those numbers. Because they really don’t mean anything. Or, I should say, they don’t quite mean what we once thought they meant. Follow who you want. “Like” what you genuinely like. Post photographs that mean something to you, that are true to your artistic spirit. The followers will come. You’ll still only see “likes” from about 10% of them, but they’ll be more meaningful.

5 tips for becoming a better photographer

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national gallery of art, washington dc, photography tips,

-know your camera inside and out-

Whatever camera you have — SLR, mirrorless, point & shoot, iPhone — what matters most is that you know it! Know its every quirk. Know how the flash system works. Know what all the dials are for. Know every page of the menu system. When you pick up the camera you should not have to think. It has to be second nature. One of the best ways to achieve that comfort level is to get out and shoot as much and as often as possible. But have it down pat before your first big assignment! Don’t want to be fooling around with buttons, dials and menus while the bride and groom impatiently stand by!

-R-E-S-P-E-C-T-

I don’t think photographers should strictly avoid shooting homeless people or the indigent or the mentally disabled. However, I hope photographers would first ask themselves, “Why?” Why am I photographing that guy sleeping on a bench? That lady in the tattered, dirty clothing? The young man talking erratically to himself? Show some respect. Think before you shoot.

-step outside your comfort zone-

Are you a portrait photographer? A wedding photographer? Have you ever tried street photography or nature photography? You should! Exploring different styles is nerve wracking and exhilarating at the same time. It also gives you an informed appreciation for the work of others. And it affects the way you shoot your everyday work. Much of what you learn from one genre can be applied to another. Expand your horizons.

-become an avid reader-

Fiction and nonfiction. Learning how the world works and seeing the world through the eyes of others is vital for a well rounded life. Reading lets us step outside our bubble, literally and figuratively. Ultimately, this helps photographers approach their subject with more empathy, creativity, and thoughtfulness.

-avoid cliches-

Give the obvious a wide berth. Someone jumping over a puddle? A cactus in foreground with snow-peaked mountain in background? An old nun walking past a poster of a scantily clad woman? If you think you’ve seen it a million times before, do yourself (and the rest of us!) a favor, don’t click the shutter.

Wildlife Photography with an iPhone.

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Move slowly, be patient. This is my mantra when it comes to wildlife. And it is especially important when you’re without a telephoto lens!

This morning as I walked along the C&O Canal towpath I saw a heron far up ahead as it landed on the edge of the trail. I was armed only with my iPhone so I thought I’d see how close I could get before it took off. And who knows, I thought, maybe it’ll fly in my general direction and I’ll get a shot as it soars past.

This was my first photo. (I’ve edited out many more that were repetitious and didn’t add to the story) From this point on I closed in… little by little, pausing between each small step.

IMG_1114

 

The bird did not seem troubled by my presence so I pushed on. Step… Pause… Step… Pause…

IMG_1118

 

At this point I was kind of hoping the creature would just take off and give me that nice action shot I was thinking about. A bird standing still isn’t all that remarkable. But no… It seemed to be perfectly content to hang out. So I moved closer. Step… Pause…

IMG_1128

 

Now it’s just getting ridiculous. I’m within 10 feet! It has to be feeling a little uncomfortable with this human’s presence, right? Surely you want to fly away! Apparently not.

IMG_1135

 

The heron simply saunters a few feet down the path and stops there. However, now a bicyclist is barrelling down the path toward us and I feel certain this will freak the bird out and send it on its way. Action shot to come!

IMG_1139

 

Nope. The creature casually ignores the bike and opens its wings and begins to dry itself in the sun. Its not going anywhere. OK, fine. Now I’m thinking, if it will let a mountain bike zoom past at close range I should be able to walk behind it and get a decent backlit photo from there. So I work my way slowly in that direction. (Careful to avoid that big pile of horse crap there on the left!)

IMG_1141

 

I move around the backside and get into position. This photo will be OK, I think. Not great. But OK. Then I notice the water stretching out to the right has interesting shadows and light. So I move a little further to my left. And…

IMG_1149

 

There. Much better. A groovy silhouette.

great blue heron silhouette. c&o canal nhp. potomac, maryland.

 

From start to finish this took about 15 minutes. Slow, deliberate movements, a laid back bird, and constantly on the lookout for an interesting composition, I finally ended up with this. Not bad for an iPhone, I’d say.

Thanks for tuning in.

Good light and good shooting.

Taking on the Billy Goat Trail

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Although hiking the Billy Goat Trail was more of an effort at 52 than I remember it being at 22, I did make it to the end! I’d forgotten what a spectacular hike it is. Definitely going back again soon.

Hope you enjoy this video.

Pop-up Flash Trick

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Did you know that with nothing more than your pop-up flash, a soup spoon and the back of an 8×10 photo you can make a pretty decent softbox-like product shot?

It’s true. Here’s how: First, you’ll need to put the flash on manual and crank it up to quarter or half or full power depending on all your other settings (I’ll leave it to you to figure all that out, as each situation may be different).

Next, place the spoon in front of your pop-up flash and angle it in such a way as to redirect the light backwards onto the backside of an 8×10 photo which itself is angled to re-redirect that light forward onto your product. It takes a little practice to get the angles correct, but when you’re in a pinch it’s worth the effort!

Here’s an example:

Pop-up flash technique with spoon and white 8X10 paper.

Portrait of a Fuji X100S using the pop-up flash, spoon and 8×10 print technique.

Pop-up flash technique with spoon and white 8X10 paper.

Straight pop-up flash.

 

And here’s an example of the set up:

Michael Kircher taking a picture of a fuji X100S.

Primitive, but effective!

Give it a go and feel free to share your results. Happy shooting!

-MK

 

YouTube: Potomac River Gorge, NPS 100

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This is the first in my new weekly series on YouTube celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service. Tune in as I share my favorite National Park entity, the Potomac River Gorge! (Also, photography tips!)