Blog

Hi,

Most people are aware that there are several "rules" (well actually guidelines but most people call them rules) pertaining to image composition such as "The Rule of Thirds". One such "rule" is leading lines.

For those who are not familiar with this, a "leading line" is something that more or less points to the subject of your photo. It can be any number of things. Some common leading line candidates are a path or a road, a fence, a tree limb on the ground, a row of items, etc. The possibilities are endless. It is also common wisdom that leading lines work best if they come from the edge of the photo and even better from one of the corners. But, does it matter which corner?

Many people will say, "No, it doesn't", but I disagree. Here's a theory that I think holds water. At least it does when I look a photos. In our western culture we read left to right (L2R). The theory goes that leading lines that start at the left edge of the photo draw the viewer's eye into the image as they scan left to right- leading them to the subject. On the contrary, lines that start at the right edge of the photo tend to be noticed first inside the photo as the eye wanders around at which time the line leads the eye to the right (reading direction) and out of the image. In cultures whose reading direction is R2L this would, of course, be the other way around.

Take a look at the image on this blog. In the right mage, I find my eye tends to follow the dirt road out of the frame at the lower right.

Now take a look at the left image where the seems to grab the dirt road where it enters the frame at the lower left and then follows the line into the image.

Do you think this makes a difference or not?

Dan
www.danhartfordphoto.com

What camera should I buy? In my role as a photography instructor I am asked many times for advice in selecting a camera to purchase. This is a very hard question to answer as it depends on many factors such as budget, seriousness of the photographer, shooting style, types of intended subjects, importance of convenience, and many other factors that are unique to each person. So, I thought I’d jot down my thought process when I’m asked this question.

1) Let’s first talk about brand. Remember that with changeable lens cameras (DSLR for example, but others are coming), you are not just buying a camera, you are investing in a camera system. In other words you are committing to a line of equipment that will extend well past the life expectancy of the specific camera you’re buying today. Let’s say today you buy a camera and a lens to go with it. 6 months later you get another lens as a birthday present. A few months after that you buy an external flash that talks to that camera. Then you decide to take a trip to Africa and you buy two more lenses. A few years later, you decide to get a better camera body. In this case you can either just get a new body in the same camera system such that all your lenses and flashes still work with the new camera or you can throw all of that stuff out and start over with a new system. Given the amount of money involved to replace everything, the odds are you will stay with your original system and just add/replace individual pieces from time to time.

My advice is to stick to a system from a major player such as Canon or Nikon. These manufacturers are in it for the long haul, have a good record of leading the technology, tend to make reliable and high quality gear, have a history of staying current, and most 3rd party gear (e.g., lenses) is made to be compatible with these lines.

2) The next question is the seriousness of the photographer and convenience. Most people taking my classes are at least a step above P&S (Point and Shoot) in their seriousness. First of all, they have, or are shopping for, a DSLR of some sort and have decided to spend some money on learning how to use it. But even so there is still a wide range of seriousness. Let’s take you as an example. Are you someone who will stop and spend 15 to 60 minutes making photographs at a scenic overlook or do you just want to stop, take a few shots, and move on in less than 5 minutes? Are you someone who will get up before dawn to shoot at the morning magic hour or change your normal dinner meal time so you can be in the field at the evening magic hour? Are you willing to carry two or three extra lenses and other “stuff” when you’re out and about shooting or do you just want to have one camera/lens combo hanging from your shoulder and nothing else?

If your answers to the above questions tend to be more toward the serious or committed end of the spectrum then look for cameras that are designed with fewer “fully automated” features and gravitate toward one with more control oriented features. In other words, having a camera with a faster burst mode shooting rate (frames per second) or more focus points is a better investment than a camera with more pre-programmed “scene” modes. In addition, look for a camera that allows you to change settings with buttons and dials rather than requiring you to wade through menu’s to make changes. One major example of this is how many control/command dials does the camera have. If it only has one, then that dial has to serve two or more functions (aperture vs shutter speed, or exposure shift vs compensation) and you need to press and hold a button to change it’s purpose of the dial from one function to another. If, on the other hand, you have two dials then it is way more convenient to make those changes as each dial serves one purpose.

Still within the convenience topic is size and weight. There is a significant size and weight difference between cameras in the entry level range and those in the pro or pro-am range. This may be an important factor if it means the difference in taking the camera with you or leaving it in your closet.

3) Now comes budget. The general thought is to buy at the top end of what you can afford with the understanding that whatever you buy, in short order you will be salivating for a higher end model. Having said that, remember that the camera is a tool. A lousy photographer with a great camera will still produce lousy images and a great photographer with low end equipment can still produce great shots. But, having better equipment gives you more flexibility and capability to realize your photographic vision. For example, if you’re vision is a shallow depth of field image of a flower with a highly blurred nearby background, you’re not going to be able to do that with an f/5.6 lens – especially on a small sensor camera no matter how good you are.

Having said all of that, you may want to determine which features you are willing to pay for and which aren’t that important to you. For example, if you don’t intend to shoot video then a lower priced camera without HD Video may be a better choice than one with it.

4) Now comes your intended subject mix. While pretty much all DSLR cameras on the market are good at the full range of subject types, some cameras and lenses are better suited to certain kinds of subjects and others are better suited to other subject types. If you’re a sports/action shooter having a faster burst rate and fast (wide aperture) lenses is more critical to you than it would be to a landscape photographer. If you like shooting at night or indoors with ambient light, low noise levels at higher ISO’s is something to be concerned about. If you like close up shooting spending more on lenses (e.g. macro) and less on a camera body may be a good strategy.

5) These days, most Entry Level and Pro-Am cameras can be purchased as “body only” or as a “kit”. The kit form includes one or more lenses and perhaps includes other things that you don’t get in the “body only” box. A little caution is advised here as the kit lenses are usually (but not always) from the lower part of the manufacturers line of lenses. This isn’t to say they are not decent lenses but you may be better served to buy your camera body and lenses separately where you have a wider selection of lenses to choose from rather than buying them bundled in a kit. However, if your lens of choice happens to be the same one available in a kit then buying it bundled with the camera is a good choice.

As you can see, there are a lot of considerations in buying a camera and lens combination to suite your needs and budget which you should think about before plunking down your hard earned money.

www.danhartfordphoto

I've had many discussions with fellow photographers about the use of the Program Shooting Mode (P). In these discussions I am constantly bombarded with comments like "P mode is for wimps", "I thought you were a serious photographer”, “Why would you ever use P mode?", "P mode is for idiots who can't figure out how to use their camera" and "No self respecting photographer would ever use P mode." Well, I think these comments are hogwash.

First of all, let me say that I use all 4 of the "Manual" modes - M, A, S, P (or for Canon M, Av, Tv, P) depending on the situation. However, I shun and absolutely never use the "Scene Automatic" modes - or as I call them the Point & Shoot modes (portrait, landscape, sports-action, etc.). I also never use the full automatic modes. These modes rely on code written by some underpaid programmer in some office building deciding what I want when I dial in one of these modes. IF I happen to know what this programmer was thinking AND that happens to match what I'm after AND the lighting situation I have happens to be somewhat close to what this programmer had in mind AND I'm happy with whatever shutter speed, Aperture, and ISO the program selects then these modes work OK. But, the odds of all that being the case are at best small and at worst the exact opposite of what I desire. Then the kicker is that in these modes you have no option to tweak the settings the camera comes up with if you don't happen to agree with them. So, I never use these modes.

I do use all of “Manual” modes which are M (Manual), A or Av (Aperture Priority), S or Tv (Shutter Priority), and P (program). Since many serious and pro photographers shun the use of "P" mode, when and why do I use it?

First, it should be noted that "exposure" is controlled by 3 things: Shutter Speed, Aperture, and ISO. That's it. At the instant an image is taken there will be a shutter speed, an aperture and an ISO that is used to take the shot. For any given combination of these 3 items, it does not matter to the image if you manually picked those values or the camera picked them or you picked some and the camera picked others. Which shooting mode you use, which metering pattern you use, and if you have AUTO ISO turned on are all just convenience choices on your part to arrive at settings for Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. In some situations it may be more convenient to select a specific Aperture and let the camera select the rest. In other situations, it may be more convenient to select the aperture and ISO and let the camera figure out the shutter speed. Or, you may choose to just set them all by hand. Even if you choose to let the camera determine one or more of the settings, you may also decide to tweak the value(s) the camera came up with to deliberately under or over expose the image by a certain amount using Exposure Compensation – It’s OK, and sometimes mandatory, to disagree with your camera.

For those not familiar with P mode, let me explain how it works. In P mode, when you press the shutter button half way down, the camera selects both the shutter speed and the aperture depending on the light coming through the lens. In some camera models, if you have Auto ISO turned on it will also select the ISO. In other words it does pretty much the same thing that the full "Auto" (or green box) does but there is a big difference. P mode will never pop up the built-in flash for you. It may blink the flash icon to tell you that the camera thinks you should use the flash but it won't automatically turn it on. The second BIG difference is that whatever settings it comes up with can be changed by you with a quick turn of a dial on the camera giving you ultimate final control of the exposure settings.

In P mode I can change the ratio of shutter speed to Aperture with the turn of a dial. This is called exposure shift. As it let’s in more light with a larger aperture it reduces the shutter speed by the same number of stops leaving the result in the overall exposure the same but obtaining it with a different combination of shutter Speed and Aperture.

I can also move another dial to either increase or decrease the overall exposure. This is called Exposure Compensation. On some cameras that only have a single control dial, you may need to hold down a button while turning the single control dial to invoke this function.

Between these two dials, one for Shift and one for Compensation, I can achieve virtually any combination of Aperture and Shutter speed I desire very quickly. This then brings us to the question of when do I use P mode instead of one of the other 3 modes?

When I’m walking around with the camera hanging on my shoulder I typically leave the mode dial on P, with Auto White Balance (AWB) turned on, Evaluative/Matrix meter pattern selected, and the center single focus point selected. I’ll either have Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) turned on or Continuous shooting (burst mode) turned on. Sometimes I’ll have dialed in a specific ISO if the lighting where I’m walking around is somewhat consistent otherwise I’ll turn on Auto ISO. I do this so I can shoot quickly. For example if a Mountain Lion (which we have in the hills around here) happens to jump down from a tree onto the trail in front of me I want to be able to grab the camera and shoot within 1 or 2 seconds – before the cat sees me and runs off into the brush. P mode affords me the best chance of getting at least a half way decent shot in under 2 seconds. As I’m bringing the camera to eye level (within the 2 seconds) I am also moving the Exposure Compensation dial on the back of the camera with my thumb if the subject is overly dark (e.g., panther) or overly bright (e.g., polar bear). I know that each click clockwise is 1/3 stop overexposed vs what the camera wants, and each click the other way is 1/3 stop under. So, a light colored mountain lion would get 1 or 2 clicks toward over exposure. Since I usually have AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) turned on I’m also getting an additional two shots, at 1 stop over and 1 stop under respectively at the same time – just in case.

Now, if the cat seems content to hang around for more than a few seconds, I’ll turn my dials to select a better shutter speed or a different aperture or other changes as I continue to shoot, but I usually stay in P mode in this situation but am paying close attention to the shutter speed and aperture values showing in my view finder and tweaking as needed with my camera dials without lowering the camera from my eye.

However in a different situation where I’ve stopped at some location that I’m going to work for awhile, like Morning Glory Pool in Yellowstone, where my subject is not going to run off while I’m fiddling with my camera, I move off of P mode and into M, S, or A (M, Tv, or Av on Canon) and take more time with my settings.

I consider P mode as a quick and easy way to get a shot that may not be there a few seconds later. I also use it if I know I’m only going to take one or two shots at a given location before moving on as it’s easier than changing to another mode and I can get to the same combination of settings I’d get in the other modes anyway. Since P mode re determines the settings for each shot, if I’m going to take more than 1 or 2 or so shots at a given location I’ll move off of P so as to have more consistency between shots allowing me to make subtle, or not so subtle, changes from a consistent set of values.

If you haven’t done so, give P mode a try and see if you like it. I do.

www.danhartfordphoto.com

Planning a trip to an exotic place like Africa or Peru or just not getting the results you want from day to day photos of your family and friends? Vacation snapshots leave you un-impressed compared to those magnificant photos you see in the local craft and art fairs? Even though you now have a fancy DSLR why do your pictures look the same as those you've been taking for years with your point-and-shoot or (shudder) even your cell phone? Your DSLR has all kinds of buttons and dials and menu options that you don't understand, so there you are with the mode dial set on "Automatic" and you push the button -- just like you did with your point and shoot but that's about it.

Reading the 200 page camera manual is of no help. It tells you what the buttons do, but not why you would want to do that or what benefits or detriments come along with those settings. It tells you how to display the menu, but not the meaning of the 80+ items in 3 levels of options or why one would want to use those options.

But, you want to move from just "Taking Pictures" to "Making Photographs" -- which is why you got that camera in the first place.

I'm an award winning photographer with great teaching skills who can teach you how to "Escape the Green Box" (get off of the Auto setting) and really use your DSLR. My one-on-one classes are tailored to your skill level, your camera, and can be as shallow or in depth as you like. The lessons take place at my place in Palo Alto near the Mt. View Border (near El Camino Real and San Antonio Rd.) but I can travel to your location in cities from Menlo Park thru Sunnyvale for an extra per lesson fee.

I will tailor the Material based on how deep you want to go and even what things you want to concentrate on.

My flat hourly rate is $50/hr but see banner at the top of this posting for specials and discounts.

Lessons can be arranged in sessions of 1 to 3 hours duration each (2 hour minimum on first lesson). As a guide, for a novice covering all material to an in-depth level, will take 6 total hours. However a fast once over of the key points can be covered in 4 hours

See my work at www.danhartfordphoto.com
See reviews of lessons at http://www.yelp.com/biz/dan-hartford-photo-palo-alto-2