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Photofocus Podcast Episode #92

Posted by scottbourne on November 5, 2011
Posted in: Tips. Tagged: , , .

Make sure you don’t miss a single Photofocus post – point your feed reader to the free Photofocus RSS Feed here and subscribe.

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Photofocus Episode 92

Host: Scott Bourne (www.scottbourne.com
or www.twitter.com/scottbourne) and Joe Farace (www.joefarace.com or www.twitter.com/joefarace)

Show notes by Bruce Clarke (www.momentsindigital.com
or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke)

Welcome to Episode Number 92 of Photofocus with Scott Bourne and special guest Joe Farace. Photofocus is the show devoted to your questions about anything
photography related including gear, technique, locations, etc. Your questions
will shape the direction of this show so be sure to send your questions to photofocus@me.com. We will try to answer as many as we can but we
get a lot of questions so we’ll try to take a collection of questions that
represent a particular topic and present them together.

Sponsor – Adorama

Adorama is more than just a camera store. Visit Adorama.com to shop for a variety of other electronic items.

This week we kick things off with a question about exposure compensation:

Question One – Exposure Compensation

When I set exposure compensation (on my Nikon D7000) what actually gets adjusted? Shutter speed? Aperture? ISO? I mean something has to give, right? David Rabenau from Webster Groves, MO.

Joe: It will vary depending upon what mode your camera is in. If you are in Av mode – the shutter speed will vary. If you are in Tv or Shutter Priority – then your Aperture will change. As far as ISO, many cameras have an auto ISOs feature but I find they often pick to high of an ISO.

Scott: Make sure you read your manual and it will do a good job of explaining the settings on your particular camera. Auto ISO can work well with fast moving subjects where the lighting might change very quickly. Many of the high end cameras allow you to set an ISO range.

Question Two
- Shooting in High Humidity Locations

What should I be concerned about when shooting in high humidity locations? I have a canon 5d Mark II. Kevin Banning Newburgh, Indiana

Joe: I would bag the camera. The change in temperature can cause misting and fogging. If you put it inside a sealed plastic bag and allow it to acclimate you should be fine.

Scott: You want to keep the condensation off the camera so if you put it in a bag then it forms on the bag and not on the camera. You don’t want condensation to get into the lens or it can create mold and that will ruin the lens. Check your manual for operating conditions for your camera.

Question Three – Shooting Sports with an ND Filter

I was shooting a high school football game recently in the middle of the afternoon. The opposing team, wearing all white, has a tendency to have their uniforms largely turn out as blown highlights with not a lot of detail even on a slightly overcast day. I was wondering whether it’s normal practice for professional sports shooters to use a neutral density filter to allow them to use a small f stop for short depth of field and blurry backgrounds, but also slow the shutter speed to not blow out the highlights in the uniforms? Scot from Cedarville OH

Scott: The way to avoid blown out hilites is to get the proper exposure. Sometimes we have more latitude in the scene than the camera can handle so adding an ND filter will just make the overall scene darker – it won’t reduce the range between the shadows and hilites. I’ve never seen any pro sports shooters use an ND filter. Understand that photography is always about compromise and the religion about blown-out hilites drives me crazy. If the exposure on the face is good, then I don’t care if the jerseys are blown out. If you shoot in RAW you might have more latitude in your shot.

Joe: He didn’t mention if he is using flash. If he is using flash, some fabrics might fluoresce.

Sponsor – Animoto

Animoto will replace what you think of as a slide show. Upload your photographs and Animoto will make an amazing slide show for you. You can try it for free and create short slide shows. Head on over to Animoto.com and try it today. They now offer 720p videos. Continue Reading

Photofocus Podcast Episode #91

Posted by scottbourne on October 25, 2011
Posted in: Audio Podcast. Tagged: , .

Make sure you don’t miss a single Photofocus post – point your feed reader to the free Photofocus RSS Feed here and subscribe.

PLEASE BE PATIENT – OUR SERVERS SEE LARGE LOADS ON PUBLISHING DAYS. THE DOWNLOADS MAY GO SLOWLY BUT THEY WILL FINISH.

Feed URL: http://bit.ly/ffwv9n

Download episode…

Photofocus Episode 91

Host: Scott Bourne (www.scottbourne.com or www.twitter.com/scottbourne)

Show notes by Bruce Clarke (www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke)

Welcome to Episode Number 91 of Photofocus with Scott Bourne. Photofocus is the show devoted to your questions about anything photography related including gear, technique, locations, etc. Your questions will shape the direction of this show so be sure to send your questions to photofocus@me.com. We will try to answer as many as we can but we get a lot of questions so we'll try to take a collection of questions that represent a particular topic and present them together.

This week we kick things off with a question about color issues when photographing mountains in Alaska:

Question One - Blue Mountains

I know you have been to Homer, Alaska so it seems like whenever I get pictures of the mountains across the Bay, they look too blue. I use a polarizer filter and can always correct things later in Lightroom. But how do I get rid of so much blueness in the shot itself. The less I have to edit, the better. I have been adjusting WB as well . . . but not sure. Gary Harris Alaska

Scott: Likely you've not been properly adjusting the White Balance. What are you using to establish your custom white balance and where is it located? If you are using a card near the camera to set it, chances are the light that is hitting the mountains far away is very different. Set a color temperature that matches the degree Kelvin that you get in post and that might solve the problem. The reason they are so blue is because they are reflecting the sky. It's easy to fix in post.

Question Two - Maximizing Frames Per Second

How do I get the most frames per second out of my camera? I am trying to capture action and want the best chance I can get at making the shot. Kim Chance Brooklyn New York

Scott: If action is the most important thing, then shoot jpeg. That will give you the most frames per second and the biggest buffer you can get. If you're just outputting for the web, make it a small jpeg. Use continuous auto-focus and experiment with the various settings available. Use a UDMA card assuming that your camera supports it.

Question Three - Getting the Most Out of Workshops

I love attending photo workshops and learned a lot from them. In November I'll be attending my first portraiture workshop. What kind of advice would you and/or your guest host give me to get the most out of this experience? Any thoughts on considerations beforehand? And I am not talking about gear. Just thoughts and ideas from an artists perspective. Rene Gruenkorn

Scott: Make sure you read your manual and be familiar with your gear because the chances of your instructor knowing your gear might not be great. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Listen and do what the instructor is telling you. Be assertive and don't let other students who think they know more than the instructor ruin the experience.

Sponsor - Animoto

Animoto will replace what you think of as a slide show. Upload your photographs and Animoto will make an amazing slide show for you. You can try it for free and create short slide shows. Head on over to Animoto.com and try it today. They now offer 720p videos. During the month of October, if you buy a month of Animoto Pro you'll get another month free. They are also throwing in a copy of my new book 'Going Pro'.

Question Four - Registering Images for International Listeners

You have mentioned several times on the show that we should register our images with the library of congress. I come from, and live in, Norway, I don't expect you to know our local laws etc. Do you need to register your photos in every country in the world? Or will registering it in the US protect you worldwide? Roar Engen

Scott: Can't give you legal advice but the US Copyright act has been adopted by treaty in many countries around the world. I only register my images in the US. It's probably not helpful in places like China and the old Soviet block. Contact your attorney for more details.

Question Five - Cropping 3x2 Images

My camera shoots a 3x2 image... So I frame my shot for a 3x2 image when I take it... But I have found as I print them that I rarely ever use a 3x2 print! 5x7, 8.5x11, 11x14, 13x19 These are all common paper sizes... None are 3x2... Only the small 4x6 matches the ratio of my original image. So in the end I almost always forced to crop my image to fit these paper sizes. And almost always I have to lose a little something something I liked in the original shot. So what is the solution? Do you shoot already knowing your eventual print size? Do you custom frame nearly every time? What about these people who say they 'never crop'? Seems impossible to me.. Ken Blacksburg, VA

Scott: Ignore those people that say never crop. I crop all the time. I don't worry about frame sizes. I tend to do a lot of work on canvas which don't need frames. You can also get a custom mat at the next size up in a standard frame.

Question Six - Backup Solutions

I use Time Machine to backup my entire system to an external drive. I also use Aperture's vault to back-up my Aperture libraries to a different external hard drive and by doing so , I have my photos saved in two places besides the main system. This seems to work for me but I'm curious if there is a better way. With that in mind, my question to you is: What is your backup routine? What backup software do you use and/or recommend and what kind of hardware setup do you have? Dan Fenn Coxsackie, NY

Scott: Currently my main drives are Weibetech drives in enclosures. My backup goes to another Weibetech device which is where I store my Aperture vaults. I take those drives out and take the other one home. I am about to buy the Promise Drives which use the new Thunderbolt connection and that will be used as my main drives and then I'll backup to the Weibetech array. Make sure you have at least two backups and at least one in another location. I use Time Machine only to backup my baseline computer stuff.

Sponsor - Smug Mug

SmugMug is a great place to store your images and videos online. You can now sell your videos with SmugMug. Check out www.smugmug.com.

Question Seven - Buying Lenses from Nextag

I'm about to buy the Nikon 70-200 F2.8. I see it at most retailers for roughly $2000, but Nextag shows it at roughly $1400. It LOOKS legit, but... Can I trust this? Any advice? Sean Boston MA

Scott: If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. You've probably run into one of those stores in Brooklyn. I say stick with the big providers like Adorama, B+H, Sammy's Camera, etc. There is a place called Resellerratings.com which can tell you how they come up.

Question Eight - Embedded Photos on 500px

On 500px.com they show a button on the bottom of every page that displays a photographer's photo called EMBED. It contains the code to embed the photograph in another site. If you do so it also include the acknowledgement to the photographer. The Canadian copyright law in lay terms (off their site) "Your photos may appear in iPhone, iPad, Android and other apps, ours and third-party, but they will be bound by our terms of use and will be required to use proper attribution, required by the Canadian Law". Is this EMBED capability the "bait of death"? If Canada sees it as OK based on their terms of service does that fly here in the States? I think asking the photographer about this is in order and 500px needs to state it. Tom Shay up here in Northern Maine.

Scott: Yes, if you're in the US and you accept their terms of service then you are bound by what they do. I do not use 500px because I wasn't comfortable with some of their terms of service. If you earn money with your images then I would be careful with where you decide to put your images.

Question Nine - Stacking ND Filters

I've recently experimented with a (couple of) Cokin P ND-filters to allow for longer exposures. The images, however, turn out darker, with a gray cast on them. I would not expect that from a NEUTRAL density filter. So, Am I doing something wrong and/or what should I do to get them right in camera? Adjusting the white balance is a possibility I know of, but is there something else? The filters I use are are the numbers 152 (ND2), 153 (ND4) and 154 (ND8) and I sometimes stack them. Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Scott: Cokin's filters are plastic and they have a color cast. You need optical glass like those from B+W or Singh Ray. The proximity of the filter to the lens can also fool the meter.

Question Ten - Focusing for Self Portraits

I was trying to make a self-portrait but didn't know how to set up my focus. I have a cable release but not long enough, and apparently with the self-timer the focus will be fixed when I press the button and will not refocus, even in Continuous Auto Focus or face recognition. How would you do it? My camera is a Panasonic GH2, which is not a pro camera but should have similar functionality to DSLRs like the 60D or D5100. Jorge from Madrid, Spain

Scott: Use manual focus to focus in the spot where you're going to stand and then use the self timer. A poor man's self-portrait can also be made in the mirror.

Sponsor - Tenba Bag

The Tenba Pro Messenger bag is a great bag for photographers. Check out www.tenba.com.

Question Eleven - Professional Quality Images from Micro 4/3 Cameras

I noticed you talking about micro 4/3 cameras lately. Do you think they are capable of delivering professional quality images? Herman Alexander Jacksonville, FL

Scott: I absolutely do. I'm using the Olympus EP3 which I used at a recent SmugMug meet up and I got some great photographs. It's small and lightweight and the results are pretty stunning but they are not cheap.

Question Twelve - Frequency of Color Calibration

I have a question about the frequency of color calibration. I did color calibration of my displays with Spyder (I assume Color Munki should be the same), but I wonder why this software need frequent re-calibration. What is the cause of the re-calibration, and how long the best interval should be for a re-calibration? Yue Dong from Beijing, China

Scott: This depends on the kind of monitor you have. If you have an old CRT monitor, you have to re-calibrate constantly. Each one of those pixels is dying from the day they were born. If you have an LED monitor, then once a year is enough. If you have an LCD monitor then you should do it every six months or so.

Sponsor - Borrowlenses

If you are looking to rent just about any piece of camera equipment, check out Borrowlenses.com. I've sold off a lot of my gear and I now rent the gear that I need for a job from them.

Question Thirteen - Setting White Balance

I have tried working with raw files, taking pictures of a white subject for white reference during editing, but I still can not get whites as whites. How do assure white to be white? Carlos, PR

Scott: It could be a function of color temperature. Make sure you are using the color temperature tool in the post processing application you are using. In Aperture, I like to use the eyedropper to touch something in the scene that is supposed to be white and then Aperture adjusts all the color in the scene so that it's white. In addition to that, there are post-processing tools that you can get that will help remove color casts.

Question Fourteen - Windows vs. Mac

This may be an old question but is a Windows machine better or worse than a Mac machine from a photographer's perspective? Craig Hilton, Toronto, Canada

Scott: In the old days, there was no contest - Macs were the preferred tools for creatives. Today, Windows has improved greatly, particularly at managing profiles. That said, I'm a Mac guy and have worked with them forever. What are the people around you using? Get what they get so they can help you. If you have a Mac, you can also run Windows on it.You might save a few dollars if you decide to go with a PC.

Question Fifteen - Adding Depth to a Scene

I've noticed that there are more male speakers and teachers in the photo world than female speakers and teachers. Am I reading something into this that's not there by wondering if sexism is at play? Ana Michaels San Francisco, CA

Scott: I don't think about people I invite to conferences from the perspective of whether they are male or female. I invite them based on whether they are good photographers and good teachers. Our industry has been more male dominated in the past but that is changing and in the portrait and wedding world I would say it's about a 50/50. I have seen many great female photographers speak at conferences including Jules and Joy Bianchi, Tamara Lackey, etc.

Wrap Up

We want themes and questions from you. Be sure to visit the blog at PhotoFocus.com for articles, how-to's, videos and more. E-mail us at photofocus@me.com follow us on Twitter. Don't just take pictures - make pictures.

Scott Bourne is at www.scottbourne.com or www.twitter.com/scottbourne or www.3exposure.com or www.carloves.com

Show notes by Edmonton Wedding Photographers Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

Photofocus Podcast #86

Posted by scottbourne on September 5, 2011
Posted in: Audio Podcast. Tagged: , , , .

Make sure you don’t miss a single Photofocus post – point your feed reader to the free Photofocus RSS Feed here and subscribe.

PLEASE BE PATIENT – OUR SERVERS SEE LARGE LOADS ON PUBLISHING DAYS. THE DOWNLOADS MAY GO SLOWLY BUT THEY WILL FINISH.

Feed URL: http://bit.ly/ffwv9n

Direct Download: http://photofocus.podomatic.com/enclosure/2011-09-04T19_15_49-07_00.mp3

Photofocus Episode 86

Host: Scott Bourne (www.scottbourne.com or www.twitter.com/scottbourne)

Show notes by Bruce Clarke (www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke)

Welcome to Episode Number 86 of Photofocus with Scott Bourne. Photofocus is the show devoted to your questions about anything photography related including gear, technique, locations, etc. Your questions will shape the direction of this show so be sure to send your questions to photofocus@me.com. We will try to answer as many as we can but we get a lot of questions so we’ll try to take a collection of questions that represent a particular topic and present them together.

This week we kick things off with a question about HDR:

Question One – What is HDR

Maggie Burk from London writes: What is HDR? I am new to digital photography and everyone seems to talk about it.

Scott: HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. What it means is that when you are in a situation where the contrast is too broad, you take multiple photographs at different exposures and combine them in software to see the entire dynamic range. What makes it looks good is the 2nd step called tone mapping.

Question Two – Where to Get Film Processed

Oscar Spearman from Atlanta, Georgia asks: I recently purchased a vintage film camera – my first. Do you have recommendations on where to have the negatives processed? What are your thoughts about local pharmacies that develop, like CVS, etc? I’d like to get a DVD or CD and prints.

Scott: Film labs are going away. I used to have dozens I could refer you to but now there are only a couple. My experience with the drug stores is generally not good but if you’re just messing around then I wouldn’t worry about it. Costco might be an option to check out. If you are doing it professionally then I would suggest finding a professional lab in your area. It will be expensive because there just aren’t a lot of people doing it but you could always develop your own. Check with your local professional camera store.

Sponsor – Animoto

Animoto will replace what you think of as a slide show. Upload your photographs and Animoto will make an amazing slide show for you. You can try it for free and create short slide shows. Head on over to Animoto.com and try it today. They now offer 720p videos.

Question Three – Filters

Gabriel from Puerto Rico asks: I hear all the time about having a good glass to get better pictures, but what about the filters? Could a filter affect picture quality? Is there any specification we need to watch out for in terms of quality, etc?

Scott: You do need to pay attention to the filter. People will often save up for a $1500 lens and put a $15 in front of it. Look for premium brands like B+W which are made with optical glass. Some of the high end plastic filters from folks like Singh Ray are pretty good as well but optical glass filters generally deliver the best results.

Question Four – Lenses with Bigger Diameters

Alexandre Oliveira from Portugal writes: I would like to know why some lenses have bigger diameters then others. For instants, the Canon 10-22 mm has 77mm and the 70-200 f/4 L USM has 67mm.

Scott: Basic reason is just that the lens elements have to be larger in certain cases to gather more light. Look at a 400mm f2.8 compared to a 400mm f5.6. Buy the largest filter you can find and then buy step down rings to use it on smaller lenses.

Question Five – Looking at Bad Photography

Thomas Emmerich Oxnard, CA asks: If looking at lots of good photographs can make you a better photographer, can looking at bad photographs make you worse? If yes, how do you know the difference? (I hope the answer is no)

Scott: I don’t think it will make you worse. If you’re looking at photographs published by main stream press, they aren’t going to be bad pictures. Looking at published photographs will get you thinking about composition, lighting, storytelling, etc.

Sponsor – Color Munki Pro from Xrite

If you’re interested in getting good color management, be sure check out the banner on our web site to learn more about the Color Munki or head over to Xrite’s web site

Question Six – What is Portrait Photography

Oscar Camejo writes: I’d like to focus on becoming a portrait photographer. What is portrait photography?

Scott: Portrait photography is taking photographs of a person. A person in almost any setting is a portrait. When you start taking portraits you start telling stories.

Question Seven – What is a 2nd Shooter

Bob Panick from Gibraltar, Michigan asks: I’ve heard the term “Second Shooter” at weddings, and while I have a pretty good idea what it might be, could you elaborate on the term?

Scott: A 2nd shooter is the person who helps out the photographer who got the job to shoot the wedding. A 2nd shooter is there to help lighten the load. Often they are there to learn. If you are planning to be a 2nd shooter, have a frank discussion with the first photographer to know what you can do with the photographs.

Question Eight – Lens and Flash Recommendations

Patsy Thomack from Sheboygan WI: On your recommendation I purchased a Nikon D7000 in January and love it. I mainly shoot outdoor sports, but I have been asked to make candid photos for a fund raiser that will be held this fall. It is an evening event, held inside a large tent with average to below average indoor lighting. I figure this is the perfect opportunity to try out Borrow Lenses. I am looking to rent a nice wide angle lens, as my widest is a 50mm, 1.4. I have a SB600, which I have never been able to work well with, so I would like advice on an external flash as well, 700? 800? 900?

Scott: SB900 is my favourite flash for the Nikon. As far as a wide lens, something around the 20-24mm should be just fine. You don’t want to get too wide when photographing people or you start to get barrel distortion on the sides.

Sponsor – Borrowlenses

I’ve sold off a lot of my gear and I now rent the gear that I need for a job from Borrowlenses.com.

Question Nine – Setting White Balance when Shooting Sunsets

Penny Durham from Sydney asks: How do you set white balance when shooting sunsets? without a neutral surface to use for a custom WB, should i set a particular Kelvin value?

Scott: It really depends on what you like. Do you want your image to be cooler or warmer. For consistency, I start out at around 5000K. Feel free to experiment with different settings and see what you like best.

Question Ten – Trouble Photographing Landscapes

Mark Mercer from Derby Uk writes: I thought I had moved passed a beginner photographer but feel I’m still making a rookie mistake when photographing landscapes with a blue sky and white fluffy clouds. It’s always over exposed in relationship to the foreground or it’s exposed well and the foreground is underexposed. I’ve tried grad filters but with no real improvement. I must be doing something wrong?

Scott: You may be in a situation where you have a dynamic range that exceeds the cameras capability. If you have a scene with more than 5 stops difference then you’ll never get it right – unless you use HDR. Try shooting a 3-stop HDR next time and see what results you end up with.

Question Eleven – Photographing & Selling Photos of Pro Motor Sports

Chuck Schultz from Anniston, AL: I’m starting to shoot cars and bikes on track at local road courses. The idea is to sell to the participants, who always seem anxious to have photos of their exploits, but there could be other uses for a good shot. It’s pretty clear to me that a rider on a bike is clearly identifiable, and I should probably get a release before using a shot for stock or other commercial use. I’m not so clear about race cars or even track day cars, however. Do I need a written release to sell car photos for other than personal or journalistic purposes? Also, are there special considerations with pro events? Do the teams, sponsors, or sanctioning bodies retain rights to photos?

Scott: I cannot provide legal advise. I am going to be shooting an Indy and a NASCAR event here in Las Vegas. By them granting me the access to the track to shoot the photos, they automatically acquire the rights to use the photographs however they would like. As for teams, that is generally not the case but that depends on the event. Typically once you get your photography pass you’ll get all the details. In terms of releases, I can’t give you legal advice but I generally get releases all the time.

Question Twelve – Average Lifespan of a Shutter

Michael Fey from Syracuse, NY: I recently upgraded myself from a point and shoot to the Nikon D3100. Within the first few weeks of owning the camera I’ve already released the shutter over 3,000 times. My question is this: What is the average expected lifespan of the shutter on a camera? Am I in danger of wearing out my amazing new piece of gear before it’s first birthday? Are there any tips to extending its lifespan?

Scott: Check your manual and it will tell you how many times your shutter is rated for. It’s usually between 100,000 to 150,000 shutters. In terms of extending it’s lifespan, only operate the camera within the specs you’ll find in the camera manual.

Question Thirteen – Tips for Outdoor Wedding Photography

Nate Knudtson from Swanville MN: Any tips as far as going about my first outdoor wedding shoot? I have done some sports photography but not as much portraits, etc.

Scott: Try to get to shoot closer to sunrise or sunset. When that happens, find shade and try to avoid mottled shade. Get tight and get close. Expressions sell every time. Concentrate on the bride. Protect your gear when you’re outside. You could bring diffusers and scrims to block out or soften harsh light.

Sponsor – Smug Mug

SmugMug is a great place to store your images and videos online. Check out www.smugmug.com.

Question Fourteen – Watermarking and Signing Images

Timothy Andrews: When is it appropriate to watermark and/or place a “signature” on an image and when is it not?

Scott: In my opinion, it’s always appropriate when you are sharing your image online above 500px. As far as a signature, that’s usually appropriate when you sell a print.

Question Fifteen – Clean Reflections when Photographing Cars

Car photo question – I was wondering if you have any tips for getting clean reflections on paint and chrome-work when you are shooting outside the studio? I often don’t realize that a great shot has been ruined by an ugly reflection until I get the file on the computer. I’m thinking of investing in some large screens/reflectors, do you think this would be a good way to go? Steve Ashdown

Scott: Those reflections are typically specular hi lites. Try using a circular polarizer as these will help to cut down on those reflections. You can also try setting up a scrim.

Wrap Up

We want themes and questions from you. Be sure to visit the blog at PhotoFocus.com for articles, how-to’s, videos and more. E-mail us at photofocus@me.com follow us on Twitter. Don’t just take pictures – make pictures.

Scott Bourne is at www.scottbourne.com or www.twitter.com/scottbourne or www.3exposure.com or http://www.carloves.com

Show notes by Edmonton Wedding Photographers Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

 

Photofocus Podcast Episode #85

Posted by scottbourne on August 25, 2011
Posted in: Audio Podcast. Tagged: , .

Make sure you don’t miss a single Photofocus post – point your feed reader to the free Photofocus RSS Feed here and subscribe.

PLEASE BE PATIENT – OUR SERVERS SEE LARGE LOADS ON PUBLISHING DAYS. THE DOWNLOADS MAY GO SLOWLY BUT THEY WILL FINISH.

Feed URL: http://bit.ly/ffwv9n

Direct Download: http://photofocus.podomatic.com/enclosure/2011-08-24T16_48_30-07_00.mp3

Photofocus Episode 85

NOTE: We had a sync problem caused somehow in the editing and conversion process in the original airing of the show. We fixed that and re-uploaded the show so if you want to avoid hearing the  poorly synced version please re-download the show. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Host: Scott Bourne (www.scottbourne.com or www.twitter.com/scottbourne) and Joseph Linaschke (www.apertureexpert.com or www.twitter.com/travel_junkie)

Show notes by Bruce Clarke (www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke)

Welcome to Episode Number 85 of Photofocus with Scott Bourne and special guest Joseph Linaschke. Photofocus is the show devoted to your questions about anything photography related including gear, technique, locations, etc. Your questions will shape the direction of this show so be sure to send your questions to photofocus@me.com. We will try to answer as many as we can but we get a lot of questions so we’ll try to take a collection of questions that represent a particular topic and present them together.

This week we kick things off with a question about using your camera in extreme heat:

Continue Reading

Photofocus Podcast Episode #83

Posted by scottbourne on August 5, 2011
Posted in: Audio Podcast. Tagged: .

PLEASE BE PATIENT – OUR SERVERS SEE LARGE LOADS ON PUBLISHING DAYS. THE DOWNLOADS MAY GO SLOWLY BUT THEY WILL FINISH.

Feed URL: http://bit.ly/ffwv9n

Direct Download: http://photofocus.podomatic.com/enclosure/2011-08-05T08_00_03-07_00.mp3

Photofocus Episode 83

Host: Scott Bourne (www.scottbourne.com or www.twitter.com/scottbourne).

Show notes by Bruce Clarke (www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke)

Welcome to Episode Number 83 of Photofocus with Scott Bourne. Photofocus is the show devoted to your questions about anything photography related including gear, technique, locations, etc. Your questions will shape the direction of this show so be sure to send your questions to photofocus@me.com. We will try to answer as many as we can but we get a lot of questions so we’ll try to take a collection of questions that represent a particular topic and present them together.

Sponsor – SmugMug

This week’s show is brought to you by SmugMug. Enter the SmugMug contest for your chance to win a brand new camera.

This week we are doing a themed showed all about selling your photography and we kick things off with a question about time spent selling vs. time spent shooting:

Question One – Shooting vs. Selling

John Ellington from NY writes: I’d like to know what percentage of your time you spend selling and what percent you spend shooting? I’ve heard that to be successful you have to spend more time selling than you do shooting.

Scott: You are correct. You do spend more time selling than you do shooting. I have to spend everyday on the phone doing the smile and dial. I’ve been at it for awhile so it’s easier than it used to be but ultimately it’s your job to sell your photography. Expect about 80% of the time selling and 20% of your time shooting. Continue Reading

Photofocus Podcast Episode #82

Posted by scottbourne on July 25, 2011
Posted in: Audio Podcast. Tagged: .

PLEASE BE PATIENT – OUR SERVERS SEE LARGE LOADS ON PUBLISHING DAYS. THE DOWNLOADS MAY GO SLOWLY BUT THEY WILL FINISH.

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Direct Download: http://photofocus.podomatic.com/enclosure/2011-07-24T15_13_05-07_00.mp3

Photofocus Episode 82

Host: Scott Bourne (www.scottbourne.com or www.twitter.com/scottbourne).

Show notes by Bruce Clarke (www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke)

Welcome to Episode Number 82 of Photofocus with Scott Bourne. Photofocus is the show devoted to your questions about anything photography related including gear, technique, locations, etc. Your questions will shape the direction of this show so be sure to send your questions to photofocus@me.com. We will try to answer as many as we can but we get a lot of questions so we’ll try to take a collection of questions that represent a particular topic and present them together.

Sponsor – SmugMug

This week’s show is brought to you by SmugMug. Enter the SmugMug contest for your chance to win a brand new camera.

This week we kick things off with a question about selecting focus points:

Question One – Selecting a Focus Point

Ken Stevens St. John’s, Newfoundland asks: With my T2i I use the central point for focusing and will often lock focus on my subjects eyeball but then re-frame the shot so they are not smack dab in the middle. But, I’ve read that this is not a good technique because turning the camera even slightly will cause the focus point to end up being behind where I want. Is this correct? What do you do?

Scott: It could put it in front or behind. If you’re shooting at 1.8 or 1.4 then it might make a difference but if you’re shooting above f4, that is a large enough depth of field that I don’t think you’ll notice it.

Question Two – Sharpness Issues

Tom J from Belgium My pics are in focus but not really sharp. Could this be, because I bought the cheapest lens I could find to start out with or do I just need a lot more practice :)? FYI: I have a Nikon D90 and a Nikkor AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G DX VR.

Scott: Without seeing your pictures I can’t say for sure. If they are in focus then they tend to be sharp. The kit lens won’t be the sharpest lens but it works well for most people. It’s possible that your depth of field might not be great enough. There could be camera or subject movement. I would work on technique. Put the camera on a tripod, shoot in plenty of light, shoot at f5.6 or great. Make sure you have a still subject and crank up your ISO to see if your images improve and then you’ll know it’s technique and not the lens.

Question Three – Selecting Photos to Edit or Delete

From Matt: How do you choose what photos to edit and what ones to skip or delete? I often find that I come back from a trip or a family visit with hundreds or thousands of photos. I delete the really bad ones in camera, but struggle picking what to edit when I get into Lightroom. When looking at 15 or so pictures of nearly the same thing, how do you pull the trigger on ‘the one’? Is Lightroom the way to go for this, or do you recommend something else like photomechanic?

Scott: I tend to shoot less these days which helps narrow it down. I don’t recommend deleting in camera- edit when you can see them on the monitor. While you’re busy chimping you may miss a shot. In terms of editing – Lightroom, Aperture, Photo Mechanic, etc are all good programs. I go through and look at them on the monitor and ‘X’ out the ones I don’t like. Then I start to group my images and then pick the best from the group. I continue to do this by continually refining until I get down to the images I want.

Question Four – Traveling with a DSLR

John in PA Looking for your thoughts on travel with my DSLR. In December we will be taking a family vacation to Disney World. My wife, our two daughters (4 and 7) and our three parents. I have a Canon 7D with the 28-135, 10-22 and 50mm 1.4. We also have a Canon A590 and Sony DSC-HX5, along with each having iPhone 4s. I enjoy using my DSLR way more than the P&Ss. What are your thoughts on the DSLR to Disney?

Scott: I would pair down and stick with a simple rig for Disney. I think the 28-135 and the 10-22 would be great. Disney can get picky about tripods so make sure if you bring one that it’s not in the way or obstructing anyone. If you’re there with you family, make sure the camera isn’t the star. Hand the camera to your wife and make sure she includes you in some shots as well.

Question Five – Water Damage on a Camera

Saemundur writes: I was shooting waterfalls in Iceland on a beautiful day and was planning on wading into the shallow creek to do a long exposure shot. Since it was getting warmer I decided to take off my sweater first so I put my camera on my rather small lightweight tripod but while I was taking my sweater off a strong gust of wind came rushing down the canyon and tipped my tripod over so the camera fell lens first into the water. I was able to react quickly so the camera was probably in the water for no more than 2 seconds. I did my best to dry off the water and was optimistic that everything was fine so I turned my camera on to see whether it still worked which it initially did but a few minutes later some of the buttons became inactive and there was condensation in the lens. I dried the camera in a warm area for the rest of the day and two days later I removed the battery, memory card and lens and put in a closed bag with silica packets for 3 days. The camera seems to work now but I am afraid that the accident might cause corrosion in the camera and that it might stop working someday in the future. Is there anything I can do about this now? Would I have been better off if the camera would have been swept away with the stream so that I could get a new one from the insurance company (I have an insurance that covers such losses)?

Scott: Once it hit the water you should have turned it off and put it in the bag with the silica and left it alone for a few days. If there are no electronics to engage, then there is nothing to fry once it hits the water. It’s possible that it will fail in the future sometime but if it works now then I would continue using it. Never ever walk away from your camera when it’s on a tripod – particularly near water.

Question Six – Considerations for Sharpness

Dusan Maletic, Babylon NY writes: When looking at my image in the process – what to pay attention to when considering sharpness? When looking at other peoples images (say, tack sharp birds and cars by certain jolly giant) – what to look for there to get the sharpening issue instinct right?

Scott: In terms of considering sharpness, it doesn’t hurt to have good glass. If you have good technique and good light then you’ll have good sharpness. Having a tripod always helps. Using the right aperture is also important. Lenses tend to be better at their sweet spot which is usually somewhere between 1 or 2 stops down from where they are the widest. Shoot with high ISOs and high shutter speeds and try to get your subject not to move. Also shooting a lot really helps.

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Question Seven – Tripod Recommendations

Kevin Osterman writes: I am looking to buy a tripod for shooting landscapes and occasionally portraits. Can you answer some questions about design considerations to think about when shopping? I am an advanced hobbyist not a professional. 3 sections vs. 4 (I was looking for something compact to travel with but concerned about additional flex with 4 section design) twist lock vs. thumb locks – does one provide a better grip to prevent the leg from sliding down?

Scott: If you get four legs it will be easy for travel but it won’t be as stable. Twist vs. thumb locks don’t make too much of a difference but it depends on who is making them. You also want the heaviest tripod you can afford and carry. The heavier it is, the better it will do at stabilizing the shot.

Question Eight – Camera Color Preference

Allen Lewis New York asks Is there any reason to prefer one camera color over another – black v. grey for instance?

Scott: Generally, I’m more interested in what kind of image a camera produces rather than what color it is. If you want to be more stealthy, then a black camera might be less conspicuous. All things being equal I tend to go for the black cameras but it’s not a big deal.

Question Nine – Post Shoot Workflow

Michael Fey Syracuse, NY I have a question about your post-shoot workflow. When I set my mind to capturing a photo I normally take many shots with many different compositions. When I get back to my computer I work through all the shots until I find the one that I feel best represents what I intended to capture and then delete the rest. Do you keep all your shots and flag a few as favorites or do you have a similar process for getting to the one true shot?

Scott: I keep all my shots because hard drive space is dirt cheap. I excise it from my view and then I’ll go back and review them several times. I think you can spend way too much time in post. I have a rule where we spend 2 minutes or less on each image.

Question Ten – Viewing Images on an LCD Screen on Sunny Day

Scot Thomas Silverdale, WA Just got a P&S cam. I noticed on the new point and shoot, and on all point and shoots that I looked at, there was no view finder. The first time I used this new point and shoot was in the sunny high desert of central Oregon. So ok, how do you see the screen on a super bright, sunny day? It should be just fine indoors or when it is overcast, but the sunny desert?

Scott: There are some P&S that do have a viewfinder. You can get a Zacuto Z-Finder which you can affix to the LCD. You can also buy anti glare pads which you can put on the screens.

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Question Eleven – Posting Images on Google+

Frank Henderson, Las Vegas I noticed that you said you wouldn’t be posting images on Google + It seemed to cause quite a stir. Although I can’t imagine why anyone else would care whether or not you post images on Google + could you address this on the podcast? It might be easier for me to understand if I hear it from you.

Scott: I just said that I wouldn’t post them on Google+ because they could affect me as a professional photographer. I never brought up copyright but what they do is demand a very open license to any images you post so that removes the ability to sell an exclusive license to an image if it’s posted online. It’s a very fine point which won’t impact most people. I get paid 10x to sell exclusive licenses and my lawyer tells me that it might impact me so I’ve chosen not to post images on Google+.

Question Twelve – Online Photo Books

Barb Cowart Miami, FL I want to make photo books online but I want to control the text and layout. Can you suggest an easy way to do it and still get professional results.

Scott: I’m sure there are many ways to do. I use Aperture 3.02 to make photo books. You can type text and use any number of templates. The printing service is fast and very affordable. If you don’t have Aperture, there are other solutions out there like Blurb.

Sponsor – Borrowlenses

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Question Thirteen – Ink Cartridges

Ben Chandler from Albq NM writes: I just bought an Epson photo printer. I noticed that the ink is rather expensive and that cheaper inks are available from third parties. Do I need to spend the extra money for the manufacturer’s inks?

Scott: Yes you do. Some of the manufacturers have the print head in the ink cartridge. The Epson photo printer profiles are based on Epson inks so if you’re using somebody elses’ inks then you may run into issues. I reviewed several 3rd party inks and had problems with them clogging, etc.

Question Fourteen – Noise in the Blue Channel

Gary duBoise Montreal writes: I have heard that the blue channel in an RGB picture tends to have the most noise. If this is true can you simply reduce noise in the Blue channel and get good results?

Scott: It is true. You can switch to your blue channel and and apply your noise reduction to the blue channel only.

Question Fifteen – Shooting Through Fences

Michael Sims from Washington DC writes: I’m going to shoot through fences at several zoos this summer. Any tips?

Scott: Get close to the fence and touch it with the lens if you can. If you have it right in front of the lens, most have a minimum focusing distance such that the fence won’t even show up in the photo.

Wrap Up

We want themes and questions from you. Be sure to visit the blog at PhotoFocus.com for articles, how-to’s, videos and more. E-mail us at photofocus@me.com follow us on Twitter. Don’t just take pictures – make pictures.

Scott Bourne is at www.scottbourne.com or www.twitter.com/scottbourne or www.3exposure.com or http://www.carloves.com

Show notes by Edmonton Wedding Photographers Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

 

Photofocus Podcast Episode #81

Posted by scottbourne on July 15, 2011
Posted in: Audio Podcast. Tagged: .

PLEASE BE PATIENT – OUR SERVERS SEE LARGE LOADS ON PUBLISHING DAYS. THE DOWNLOADS MAY GO SLOWLY BUT THEY WILL FINISH.

Feed URL: http://bit.ly/ffwv9n

Direct Download: http://photofocus.podomatic.com/enclosure/2011-07-14T12_20_00-07_00.mp3

Photofocus Episode 81

Host: Scott Bourne (www.scottbourne.com or www.twitter.com/scottbourne) and special guest Tamara Lackey (www.tamaralackeyblog.com or www.twitter.com/tamaralackey)

Show notes by Bruce Clarke (www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke)

Welcome to Episode Number 81 of Photofocus with Scott Bourne and special guest Tamara Lackey. Photofocus is the show devoted to your questions about anything photography related including gear, technique, locations, etc. Your questions will shape the direction of this show so be sure to send your questions to photofocus@me.com. We will try to answer as many as we can but we get a lot of questions so we’ll try to take a collection of questions that represent a particular topic and present them together.

This week we kick things off with a question about the best aperture for portraits:

Question One – Best Aperture for Portraits

Debbie Hume from Long Island, NY asks: I know this is very basic but I’ve struggled with knowing which aperture is best for general portrait photography. How much depth of field do I really need?

Tamara: There is no one perfect aperture for portraits. It depends on the look you want to go for. Shooting wide open is very popular these days to blur the background and separate your subject from the background. It will also depend upon how far you are away from your subject, the lens length, the distance they are from the background.

Scott: It depends but typically the style today is to shoot a bit more wide open. Continue Reading