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Photofocus Episode 80

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 80 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 non-typical things to photograph in Las Vegas:

Question One – What to Photograph in Las Vegas

I’ll be in Las Vegas in late July for a friends bachelor party. With nothing planned during the day I was wondering if you had any spots you would recommend for non typical (something other than casinos) day time shooting in or around the city. Patrick Edgett from Riverside, CA

Scott: Very popular is the ghost town of Nelson Nevada. Another place to consider is Red Rocks which is a State Park. Downtown Vegas during the day would be great for street photography. Springs Reserve is another great spot and if you’re into bird photography check out Henderson. Continue Reading

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Photofocus Episode 79

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

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

Welcome to Episode Number 79 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.

Continue Reading

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Direct Download: http://photofocus.podomatic.com/enclosure/2011-06-17T15_10_46-07_00.mp3

Photofocus Episode 78

Host: Scott Bourne (www.scottbourne.com or www.twitter.com/scottbourne) and special guest Rich Harrington (www.richardharringtonblog.com or www.twitter.com/rhedpixel)

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

Welcome to Episode Number 78 of Photofocus with Scott Bourne and special guest Rich Harrington. 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 panoramic film cameras vs.digital:

Question One – Panoramic Film Cameras vs. Digital

Sam Romney from Washington DC writes I used to use a dedicated panoramic film camera to make my panos, but now it seems like everyone uses digital cameras and stitches – in your opinion are these pictures as good as the ones from panoramic film cameras?

Rich: Is it better – that’s a subjective term. I think the technical side of things when working with film will become more difficult even though there is beauty to film. I think that digital provides greater confidence in your shooting and the ability to do things like HDR.

Scott: I used to use the Hassleblad X-Pan but that today it’s not as good. You’re limited to the resolution of that one piece of film. In digital you can shoot digital 35mm pictures x80 and get a lot more information. There are also the hassles and difficulties with getting film processed and printing.

Question Two – Ariel Photography

Kent Ross from Tampa, FL write I recently had the opportunity to shoot some real estate shots from a small plane. While the shots were satisfactory for our publication purposes, almost all suffered from a slight blur in the details. I shot with a D700, Tamron 28-300 lens with VC turned on, most shots aperture priority f11 1/500 and faster. Shooting error or just the nature of shooting from something moving in 3d space with wind, engine vibration etc.?

Rich: I have shot video but not stills from a moving platform. One thing to look at is to see if you have a 2nd position switch on your VR setting as some VR lenses have different settings depending on whether you’re photographing moving subjects or not.

Scott: I’m not familiar with the quality of VC on Tamron lenses so I don’t know how it compares to Canon, Nikon, or Sigma. As for shutter speed, I tend to think that 1/1000 is the shutter speed I try to stay above when shooting from a moving vehicle. Also, you want to minimize the contact you have with the moving vehicle as that vibration will transfer through your body to the camera.

Sponsor – Pocket Wizards

If you are looking for a great solution for off-camera flash without using a cord, be sure to check out the banner on the Photofocus web site to get a ton of information on Pocket Wizards.

Continue Reading

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Photofocus Episode 77

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 77 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 neutral density filters and different lens sizes:

Question One – ND Filters

Daniel Cinque from the UK writes: At the weekend I went down to the beach and wanted to capture some glossy water shots by the pier / crashing against the rocks which in turn meant I needed a slow shutter speed. As it was broad daylight this was impossible to achieve without blowing out the exposure even at 1 second shutter speed. Therefore I got thinking about ND filters. As a keen amature photographer I have 3/4 lenses that I use regularly but don’t wish to purchase a filter for each lens as this would be too expensive for the use I would get out of it.. Can you recommend any kits that you know of for manually placing over lenses no matter which size the lens is? How do these hold the filter in place and where can I get one from?

Scott: Adorama sells step up rings. Get the largest ND filter you need for your largest lens and then buy a step up ring for your other lenses. There are some filters from companies such as Lee, Singh Ray, etc that have drop-box type filters that you can screw on to the front. Continue Reading

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Photofocus Episode 76

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 76 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 a trend towards not having subjects smile in portraits:

Question One – Disturbing Trend in Portrait Photography

As someone who is 50, I am disturbed by the trend I see in people making portraits where the subject not only doesn’t smile but looks downright mad. Am I missing something? Clair Macintosh from Lexington, KY

Tamara: There is a huge trend towards this in editorial and advertising which influences portraiture. I think some of it is to show an attempt to show a range of emotions.

Scott: I’ve noticed it too. This tends to be cyclical. If you study photography history, you will have seen this trend back in the Civil War times. Then we had a time where people were smiling. I don’t mind serious but I’m not a big fan of portraiture where people look angry.

Question Two – Advice for Night Photography

I was wondering what advice you could give to a new photographer concerning night shooting. Randy Arthur

Tamara: Consider whether or not you want to use lights. If you’re not going to use lights, then you will need a fast lens, a tripod, and a camera with high ISO. If you don’t want to use a tripod then learn some good techniques to hold you camera and keep it steady.

Scott: If you’ll be shooting at night and doing long exposures, enable your long exposure noise reduction on your digital camera.

Sponsor – Pocket Wizards

If you are looking for a great solution for off-camera flash without using a cord, be sure to check out the banner on the Photofocus web site to get a ton of information on Pocket Wizards.

Question Three – Sharpness Tips

Camus from Columbia wants some sharpness tips.

Tamara: I do like to see sharpness in the eyes but I also like to see some softness in areas to create contrast. If I’m photographing an older subject, I might not want it overly sharp as that will show off imperfections.

Scott: I posted an article on sharpness recently that you can check out. An image doesn’t have to be sharp the whole way through. When I photograph birds for example, I generally want the bird sharp but generally I don’t want the background sharp. Also consider subject movement vs camera movement. Mirror bounce can also cause some camera movement so if you’re doing long exposures you can use the mirror lock-up feature.

Continue Reading

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Photofocus Episode 75

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

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

Welcome to Episode Number 75 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.

This week we kick things off with a question about shutter button technique

Question One – Shutter Button Technique

The picture Joe Farace used to illustrate his “Why you need a tripod” looks like the on board flash is to the right of the camera. This brings up the question of, when you shoot in portrait orientation, do you hold the camera with the shutter button up or down? Most pics I see show the shutter up, with the right arm raised and the hand on top of the camera (assuming you don’t have a pro camera or battery grip). I used to hold it this way until I broke my shoulder and couldn’t raise my arm. I started holding the camera with the button down (like it must have been in Joe’s shot) and it feels more comfortable. Is there a historical reason to do it one way or the other? As much as hash out everything else that has to do with photography, it seems odd this isn’t mentioned more. Just think. We can get another Canon/Nikon type thing going. Are you a “Button Up” or a “Button Down” shooter? Mike Spivey

Joe: My wife took that shot and she has no particular system. I will usually shoot with a grip and typically shoot with the button up because it feels natural. Go with what feels good.

Scott: I’ve never really thought about it but I just naturally shoot with the button up. Continue Reading

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Photofocus Episode 74

Host: Scott Bourne (www.scottbourne.com or www.twitter.com/scottbourne) and special guest Jerry Ghionis (www.jerryghionis.com or www.theicesociety.com or www.twitter.com/jerryghionis). Be sure to check out Jerry’s upcoming workshops in North America this summer in Portland, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, & San Antonio.

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

Welcome to Episode Number 74 of Photofocus with Scott Bourne and special guest Jerry Ghionis. 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 photographing into the sun:

Question One – Sunset Photographs

On your Sunset post (and I’ve seen it other places) you had a warning: “WARNING: Never look directly at the sun through your viewfinder – this can lead to serious eye damage.” With that warning in mind, what’s the safest way to shoot sunset photographs without damaging your eye(s)? Additionally, in your photos you have the sun in the picture, what did you do to mitigate the danger? John Reed

Jerry: When I shoot a sunset, I normally shoot in the opposite direction. I would say look at the sun as little as possible and use sunglasses when you’re looking at it to get things setup.

Scott: If your camera has Live View, It’s safe to look at the sun through the Live View to get things in position. Back in the old days before we had live view, I would put my thumb above the view finder to block the sun so I wasn’t looking directly into it. Continue Reading