Wednesday, 31 January 2018
How to Shoot Macro Snowflake Photos at Home
This is my account of how I’ve fallen in love with snowflake photography… I’ve spent the better part of my life photographing nature’s smallest details. My early years of shooting botanicals eventually evolved into my current obsession with macro insect and spider photography. I’ve spent that same time running from the cold.
I’m what some may call a “fair weather” photographer. A “warm season” photographer. A “give me 95°F and 80% humidity and I’ll still be out chasing bugs” kind of photographer. I am definitely not a winter photographer. Besides, other than the occasional snow fleas, there aren’t exactly tons of insects and spiders out braving Ohio’s winters.
For years, friends and family encouraged me to try my hand at photographing snowflakes. And for years, the idea intrigued me but I couldn’t get past the mental image of me fumbling around with my camera and frozen fingers. Until now.
Last summer, I discovered a piece of camera equipment that changed my photography. I’ve been shooting macro with the reverse lens technique for many years, but using a 50+-year-old lens with a manual aperture ring has its limitations. My camera couldn’t communicate with my lens and, though I use my camera in manual, shooting with a stopped down aperture resulted in not always being able to see my subject clearly at ƒ/11 (my macro sweet spot) – it was too dark.
Someone recommended I look into a particular reverse lens adapter and let me tell you, it was a game-changer. Though I didn’t get the exact model recommended (it was $500+), I did find an alternative for around $100. Enter the Vello Macrofier Reverse Mount Adapter. Finally, I could see what I was shooting clearly in my viewfinder! Summer 2017 was my best year yet for macro insect and spider photography. I found and photographed more “new-to-me” bugs than ever before. Then came the cold weather.
Like every year before, I wallowed in sadness as Ohio’s winter chill overcame my beautiful local arboretum. Ice, snow, and frosty wind kept me huddled inside my warm home, my camera buried away in a cabinet. Until one day, I got the overwhelming urge to go outside and photograph snowflakes. I have no idea what evil spirit possessed me to go outside in single-digit temperatures, but I did, but not before crafting a makeshift “snowflake studio” from a plastic food storage container and a piece of glass from a small picture frame. I completed the studio by crumpling pieces of colored construction paper and placing them inside the container, under the glass plate. I tossed my “studio” on my front porch for ten minutes to cool down before bundling up and stepping outside.
My Equipment, Technique, and Process
My “snowflake studio” was made from a small plastic food storage container with a small glass plate taped to the top. I placed colored construction paper in the container to create a pastel background. It’s not very glamorous, but it’s what I had available and it works amazingly well.
I use the Vello Macrofier Reverse Mount Adapter to reverse mount my Canon EF-S 24mm ƒ/2.8 lens to my Canon 70D. The Vello adaptor retains electrical connectivity between my camera and lens, allowing me to look through the viewfinder with a completely open aperture, resulting in a bright and clear view of my subject.
I use my camera’s built-in flash for lighting. I pair the flash with the Graslon Spark flash diffuser to diffuse the harsh light. I’ve placed two sheets of polystyrene in the Graslon Spark for additional diffusion.
I tend to shoot with the following settings: ISO 200, ƒ/11, 1/250. Shooting at ƒ/11 provides just enough depth to get clear snowflake shots.
Here are the results!
Along the way, I’ve learned some helpful hints:
1. It’s important to set your glass plate outside 10-15 minutes before you intend to shoot to allow the glass to cool enough so the snowflakes don’t immediately melt when hitting the plate
2. Depending on the rate of snowfall, your glass plate will need to be cleaned often. I started cleaning my glass by unceremoniously wiping it on my pants. This technique worked quite well to clean the plate, but it warmed the glass enough to immediately melt all the snowflakes that landed on it for about a minute. You’ll need to let the glass cool down again, and by that time, you may need to clean it again resulting in a never-ending cycle of cleaning melted snow off your plate. I found using a clean paper towel worked better since it didn’t warm the glass as much, but the issue with this technique is that, because it doesn’t warm the glass, it smears snow across the glass plate, resulting in frozen smears all over the glass. Vigorous rubbing (but not too vigorous, because come on, it’s still glass) seemed to do the trick to remove all snow while keeping the glass cool enough to continue shooting quickly.
3. Many of your shots will end up with “snowflake debris” around your primary subject. You can easily remove these pieces of debris through the lasso and content-aware fill tools in Photoshop. I used the clone tool to remove additional dust spots, imperfections in the glass, and debris left from the paper towel.
4. I suggest playing around with different colors and textures of paper you use for your snowflake studio backdrop (or other materials you’d like to try). I have developed a style of bright and pastel backgrounds in my shots (even for insects and spiders, when possible), so I’ve chosen to retain that style, despite others’ suggestions to use a black background. Get creative and don’t be afraid to try something new!
5. Depending on outside temperatures, I recommend investing in a warm pair of gloves that allow enough mobility to operate your camera. I’ve used hand warmers in my gloves and they are awkward and don’t keep my fingers super warm. I’m still looking for the perfect solution.
6. Like my insect and spider photography, I shoot snowflakes handheld (I hate using a tripod). I hold my camera in my right hand and my “snowflake studio” in my left hand. I balance the weight of my camera on my left wrist while shooting. This provides the stability I need for sharp shots. Yes, it seems awkward, but it works!
7. With the constant cleaning, my glass plate eventually fell off the plastic container to which it was taped (luckily, it didn’t break). I continued shooting by placing the container with colored construction paper on my porch and holding the glass plate at varying heights over the container. I liked this better than holding the entire container with the glass plate attached. It was easier to maneuver the setup and easier to clean. Again, try different techniques until you find something that works and feels comfortable.
You’ll notice the vastly different shapes and sizes of snowflakes. I’m not a meteorologist so I can’t speak to the science of snowflake formation, but I’ve noticed some distinct differences in snowflake shapes and sizes depending on the outside temperature. In warmer temperatures (25-30°F), the snowflakes are more geometrical with refined edges.
In cooler temperatures (<10°F), the snowflakes were larger and more sprawling in design.
It’s fun to experiment in different temperatures to see how snowflake shapes and sizes differ. If you’d like some additional and far more detailed information about snowflake formation, I recommend checking out this Scientific American article.
While I’m still playing and perfecting my technique, I’m SO excited to have found macro subjects to keep my passion for photography alive all year. I’ve fallen in love with snowflake photography so much that I may just move to a snowy-all-year kind of place… I jest. Now, I’m craving snowfall and I never thought I’d be sad to say goodbye to winter. But alas, one day the insects and spiders will return and I’ll be back to chasing bugs. But for now, I’ll remain happy (elated, even) to chase snowflakes.
About the author: Danae Wolfe is a macro nature photographer residing in NE Ohio. Her primary artistic interests include shooting candid insect & botanical portraits. You can find more of her work on her website, blog, and Facebook page. This post was also published here.
from PetaPixel https://petapixel.com/2018/01/31/shoot-macro-snowflake-photos-home/
Aperture Versus Shutter Priority – Which Shooting Mode to Use and When
I too was once a beginner and I completely understand that how difficult it is to move into using Manual Mode directly from shooting Automatic. Thankfully camera manufacturers have also thoughtfully provided us with Aperture and Shutter Priority modes. These two camera shooting modes are possibly the best ways you can understand the nature and role of aperture and shutter speed.
Aperture and Shutter Priority are semi-automatic, or we can call them semi-manual camera modes. These two modes can help you get away from the fully automatic modes (P, Auto) and at the same time get you a step closer to using Manual Mode.
What is Aperture Priority Mode?
The Aperture Priority shooting mode allows you to take control of the aperture, whereas the shutter speed and ISO (if you are set on Auto-ISO) are still controlled by your camera. This means that you can adjust the amount of light entering into the camera through the lens. So using Aperture Priority you can set the aperture value as per your need and control the depth of field.
Unlike the automatic modes, this mode gives you the freedom to adjust the aperture value and set the amount of blur effect that you want in your photo.
When should you use the Aperture Priority Mode?
As we discussed, Aperture Priority mode allows you to control the aperture value, which ultimately affects the depth of field. This shooting mode is ideal if you wish to adjust the depth of field as per your desire, whereas leaving the shutter speed and ISO value selection up to the camera.
Situation 1: Portraits
While taking portrait or close-up shots, I am sure you would want to keep the subject in focus and blur out the background by choosing a large aperture (small aperture value). Using Aperture Priority Mode you can manually choose the required aperture value such as f/1.8 or f/2.8 to achieve a shallow depth of field.
Situation 2: Landscapes
While shooting landscapes or cityscapes, you might want to have both the foreground and the background very much in focus. This is only possible if you manually choose a small aperture (high aperture value). Aperture Priority Mode gives you the freedom to select desired aperture value such as f/16 or f/22 to get deep depth of field, while your camera takes care of the shutter speed and ISO value.
Situation 3: Low lighting
Suppose you are in a dim lighting condition and your photos are coming out underexposed. By increasing the size of the aperture opening (selecting a smaller aperture value like f/1.8), you can allow more light into the camera and capture a better-exposed photo. Read: 6 Tips for Getting Consistent Results Shooting in Low Light
Situation 4: Midday bright sunlight
If you are shooting in broad daylight and are getting overexposed photos while shooting in automatic mode, you can close the aperture opening. This means that by using a higher aperture number (like f/16), you can minimize the amount of light entering the camera through the lens.
What is Shutter Priority Mode?
As the name suggests, Shutter Priority mode allows you to take charge of the shutter speed. Just to brainstorm, shutter speed is the duration for which the camera shutter remains open for the light to enter the camera and ht the sensor. The slower the shutter speed is set on the camera, the more the light is received by the image sensor. Similarly, the faster the shutter speed the less light would hit the image sensor.
While you are shooting in Shutter Priority mode, you have the freedom to adjust the shutter speed as per your requirement while the camera chooses the aperture and ISO value on its own.
When should you use Shutter Priority Mode?
As we just discussed, if you want to take full control of the shutter speed and experiment with your camera then this is the ideal camera mode. Let’s look at two situations when you are most likely to shoot in Shutter Priority mode.
Situation 1: Freeze a moving subject
If you want to freeze a fast moving bird, animal, or car in your photo, using Shutter Priority mode will allow you to do so by setting a fast shutter speed. A shutter speed of anything faster than 1/500th of a second is considered ideal for freezing an object, but this may vary depending on the speed of the subject. Your camera will judge the required aperture and ISO values as per the available light.
Situation 2: Showing movement
If you are out and planning to capture star trails, light trails, or blue hour photos, you would have to select a slow shutter speed so that the subject’s movement is well captured in the single photo. To capture long exposure photos, you must carry a tripod along to avoid any kind of shake.
Situation 3: Dim lighting
If you are in dim lighting conditions you might get underexposed photos while shooting in automatic mode. By simply reducing the shutter speed (e.g. from 1/200th to 1/50th), you can allow more light into the camera and capture a well-exposed photo.
Note: Watch out for the shutter speed going too slow as to introduce camera shake into your image;
Situation 4: Broad daylight
Let’s suppose you are shooting in broad daylight and your camera is capturing overexposed photos while shooting in automatic mode. Here you can increase the shutter speed. This means that by using a faster shutter speed (e.g. from 1/200thh 1/1000th), you can minimize the amount of light entering the camera sensor.
Conclusion
Using Aperture and Shutter Priority camera modes enables you to get familiar with how the lens’s aperture and the camera shutter works. These modes ensure that you get well-exposed photos with your desired selection of aperture value or shutter speed, unlike automatic mode (where the camera makes all the choices for you).
So if your utmost priority is to manually choose the desired aperture value in order to get a particular depth of field, then you must shoot in Aperture Priority Mode. Otherwise, if your priority is to choose a specific shutter speed to capture something creative with the available light (freeze or blur motion), then you must go with Shutter Priority camera mode.
The post Aperture Versus Shutter Priority – Which Shooting Mode to Use and When by Kunal Malhotra appeared first on Digital Photography School.
from Digital Photography School https://digital-photography-school.com/aperture-versus-shutter-priority-which-shooting-mode/
Fujifilm Unveils the X-A5: Lightweight, Phase-Detect AF, and 4K Video
Fujifilm just announced the new X-A5 mirrorless camera. A new kit zoom lens, the FUJINON XC15-45mmF3.5-5.6 OIS PZ, is being announced at the same time, and this camera-and-zoom-lens combo is the lightest so far in the X Series lineup.
At the core of the X-A5 is a 24.2MP APS-C (non-X-Trans) sensor. It’s the first camera in the X-A line to feature phase detection pixels, which provide an intelligent Hybrid AF system that can lock focus onto subjects at twice the speed as previous X-A models. There’s also a new image engine that processes photos 1.5 times faster than before. The maximum ISO is now 12800 (extendable to 51200), up from 6400 (extendable to 25600) in the X-A3.
The X-A5 can shoot 4K video… kinda. It’s limited to 15fps (for up to 5 minutes) and is available in a feature called the Burst Function. Drop down to HD video resolution, and you’ll be able to shoot at frame rates of up to 59.94fps. You can also shoot at quad speed for slow-motion clips and in a Multi Focus Mode that stacks 4K images while automatically adjusting depth of field.
On the back of the camera is a 3-inch, 1.04-million-dot LCD touchscreen that can be tilted to 180 degrees.
Other features and specs of the camera include Fuji’s popular Film Simulation Modes, a pop-up flash, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, in-camera RAW processing, a battery life of 450 frames, and a startup time of up to 0.4s.
FUJINON XC15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ
The new XC15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 lens announced alongside the X-A5 is the first electric-powered zoom lens for X Mount cameras. It features a minimum working distance of just 2 inches, giving photographers a flexible lens that’s also lightweight (4.76oz/135 g) and compact (2.46×1.74″/62.6×44.2mm).
Pricing and Availability
The Fujifilm X-A5 will be available in three synthetic leather colors (silver, brown, and pink) on February 8, 2018, for $600 bundled with the lens. The lens will also be available for purchase separately starting on March 15th, 2018, with a price tag of $300.
from PetaPixel https://petapixel.com/2018/01/31/fujifilm-unveils-x-a5-lightweight-phase-detect-af-4k-video/
3 Bad Habits You Need to Break to Improve Your Photography
Teaching our photography workshops over the years, my wife and I have come to recognize there are three things many people do habitually which do not help the advancement of their photography experience. Here are three bad habits for you to break in order to improve your photography.
1. Don’t always stand when you take photos
Most beginner photographers do this. They stand at their full height to take a photo. It’s very natural to stand upright and take photos, but it is incredibly limiting. Sure, you see the world from a standing position most of the time, but it’s not always, (or even often,) the most interesting point of view from which to photograph something.
Climbing up on a chair or lying down on the ground will often give you a far more interesting perspective. Getting low or getting up high will afford you a different view of your subject which may be far more interesting because it is not how your subject is typically seen.
Squat down to make eye contact with your smaller subjects.
Look around you for opportunities
I am always looking around for opportunities to get above my subject to make photographs. But you don’t have to go to extremes. Just squatting down or even bending your waist slightly and you will see your subject differently than when you’re standing upright – as will the viewers of your images (that is the key to standing out from the pack).
Getting up higher, above your subject can create a more interesting photo.
Think about it each time you go to make a new photo. Consider getting lower or higher up than your subject. If you can, make a series of photos at each position and compare them all later on your computer. If you do this, pretty soon it will become a new habit.
A lower perspective and using the man’s arm in the foreground created this interesting portrait.
2. Research and understand your subject
Starting to photograph something new and not knowing anything much about your subject is limiting. If you don’t have some understanding of what you are creating photos of they will be more likely to look like anyone else’s photos of the same subject. Getting to know and understand your subject, even a little, before you take any photos will help improve your photography.
I am often surprised when we begin a day photography workshop here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, how little our customers know about the location. We don’t spend a lot of time teaching about the history or the economy. But some essentials about culture and way of life are so beneficial to help people have some understanding of what they are photographing.
For example, knowing that it’s okay to politely photograph monks, knowing a few phrases in the local language, knowing which direction the traffic moves on the road, etc. These are all simple things that can help you have a richer photography experience if you know about them in advance.
Monks in a morning market in Myanmar.
Connect with people
Getting to know a person before you photograph them will help you relate to one another and certainly alter the type of images you will make compared to having no communication with them beforehand. Photographing someone you already know is often easier, unless they are adverse to having their picture taken. But when you meet a stranger and want to photograph them it’s often best to connect with them first, even on some level (a smile can work too).
It does not often take much to encourage a smile.
A smile and saying “Hello”, (preferably in their language) are the best icebreakers most of the time. Often when I am photographing in the streets or markets I will just smile, say hello, and nod at my camera. If the person smiles back I go ahead and make a few pictures. I will then show them the back of my camera so they can see their photos. If I get a favorable response I will turn the camera around and continue to make some more photos.
When I find a person who enjoys the interaction and the experience I will spend more time. This relationship is valuable. Taking the time to relate to and get to know your subject even a little, will help you to make more creative photographs of them because they will be more relaxed and happy that you are showing an interest in them.
A quick internet search on anything you are want to photograph will provide you with more reading than you’re willing to do in a single sitting. You don’t have to go overboard with it, but do spend some time finding the essential information about your chosen subject so you are more informed and more interested in the location and/or person.
3. Use Manual Mode
Learning to use Manual Mode consistently when you are photographing will help your photography more than anything. Having your camera set to any of the Automatic or semi-automatic modes means your camera is in control of the exposure.
Photography is so much about light. The word “photography” literally means drawing with light. If you have no light you cannot make a photograph. The more you can appreciate and understand light, the better you can learn to control the exposure settings on your camera, and the more you will develop as a photographer.
Learn to master your camera
I know there are a lot of hard-core photographers who prefer using auto modes, but it’s really not that difficult to learn to master your camera in Manual Mode and gain the maximum amount of control and creativity with your exposures.
Your camera is incredibly intelligent and capable of making even exposures in many situations. But your camera is not creative. You are!
Taking the time to study a little about how cameras function to capture an image will help you to control your camera more precisely. It doesn’t matter that much which camera you study as they have not essentially changed how they make an exposure since they were first invented.
Practicing in Manual Mode, (and not cutting corners and slipping back into an auto mode,) will help you build your confidence and speed every time you come to make photographs.
Conclusion
Stepping out of your comfort zones and breaking some (bad) habits will help you to develop your style and you will come to enjoy your photography experience more and more.
Move around, look for alternative locations to make your photos. Learn about your subject. The more interested you are and the more knowledge you have will enhance your experience and you will therefore also produce more interesting photographs. Take the time and practice in Manual Mode. You may be frustrated at first because it is more difficult, but the results you will achieve will be well worth your effort.
The post 3 Bad Habits You Need to Break to Improve Your Photography by Kevin Landwer-Johan appeared first on Digital Photography School.
from Digital Photography School https://digital-photography-school.com/3-bad-habits-to-break-improve-your-photography/