creative collection , composition, lighting, and landscapes
TRANSCRIPT
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Ifocusedonthewaterdrop,lettingtheflowerinthebackgroundgooutoffocustobecomeanabstraction.
200mmmacro,36mmextensiontube,1/5ofasecondatf/32andISO100,tripodmounted
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Titlepage:ThesoftfoldsofthehillsbalancedthecloudsinthisCaliforniacoastalrangelandscape.
120mm,1/640ofasecondatf/10andISO200,handheld
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CreativeComposition
DigitalPhotographyTips&Techniques
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HaroldDavis
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IstitchedthispanoramaoftheGoldenGatetogetherfromtencapturestogiveasenseoftheentirevistafrommoonrisetosunset.
Eachexposure:42mmatf/4.5andISO100,tripodmounted
CreativeComposition:DigitalPhotographyTips&TechniquesbyHaroldDavis
PublishedbyWileyPublishing,Inc.10475CrosspointBoulevardIndianapolis,IN46256www.wiley.com
Copyright©2010byWileyPublishing,Inc.,Indianapolis,IndianaAllphotographs©HaroldDavis.
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PublishedsimultaneouslyinCanada
ISBN:978-0-470-52714-6
ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica10987654321
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Acknowledgements
SpecialthankstoCourtneyAllen,MarkBrokering,JennyBrown,GaryCornell,VictorGarlin,KatieGordon,HannuKokko,SamPardue,BarryPruett,SandySmith,andMattWagner.
Credits
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Page6:Ishotthisdetailofanartfullydecoratedcarusingmy105mmmacrolenstocapturethefulldetailofthepaintingat1/800ofasecondatf/8andISO200,handheld.
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IntroductionDrawingisdeception.—BrunoErnst
Asimpleobservation,thataworkofartisnottheliteralequivalentofthesubjectitportrays,hasbeenlongbeenknowntophotographersaswellasartistsinothertypesofmedia.SincethedaysoftheRenaissance,painterssuchasLeonardodaVincihaveknownthatperspectiverenderingisanopticaltrick.ManyofthebestcreationsofM.C.Escherexploitthevisualconfusionbetweenthree-dimensionalrealityandthewaythisrealityisportrayedonaflatsurface.
Soifaphotographisnotreality,thenwhatisit?Thereareaprobablyanumberofgoodanswerstothisquestion.Myworkingdefinitionisthataphotographisatwo-dimensionalimagethatowessomeorallofitsorigintoaversionofitssubjectcapturedusingchemistryorelectronics.
Thisdefinitionisbroadenoughtoincludeanyphotograph.Fromtheviewpointoftheworkingphotographer,itleadsimmediatelytoquestionsaboutphotographiccomposition,including:
Whatarethetoolsofphotographictechniquethatyoucanusetocreate,andimprove,photos?Ifaphotoportraysasliceoflife,howcanyou“sliceanddice”life—andhowshouldyourphotobeframedtoreflectthatslicinganddicing?Howdoyouimprovethecoherenceandconsistencyofaphotowithinitsframe?Sincelifeinvolvesthepassageoftimeandstory-telling,whatkindsofstrategiescanyoucanusetointegratetimeandnarrativeintoyourphotographs?Howcanthesubjectmatterofyourphotobestbeintegratedwiththevisualappearanceofthephototocreateemotionalimpact?
InCreativeComposition:DigitalPhotographyTips&TechniquesItacklethesequestionsandissuesfromapracticalviewpoint,andinthecontextofdigitalphotography.ThisisnotabookaboutArtSchoolrules.Thisisabookaboutbecomingabetterphotographer.
Insomerespects,goodcompositionisaboutkeepingthingssimple—oratleast,
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Insomerespects,goodcompositionisaboutkeepingthingssimple—oratleast,apparentlysimple.Badcomposition,ontheotherhand,isadealbreaker;itgoesbeyondalmostanyotherphotographicmistakeyoucanmake.Youcanoftenfixalousyexposure,butifyoucutoffyourAuntLouisa’shead,there’snothingyoucandoaboutitafterwardexceptapologize.Ofcourse,youmighthavewantedtoshowheadlessAuntLouisabecauseyouweremadather.Buteventhen,youshouldbeawareofyourintentionwhenyoutakethephoto,andyourcompositionshouldreflectyouranger.
Myhopeisthatyou’lluseCreativeComposition:DigitalPhotographyTips&Techniquesasacompaniontoyourphotography.Hopefully,thebookwillshowyousomeimportanttechniquesandhelpyouavoidsomebasiccompositionalmistakes.I’veprovidedsomesuggestionsforfurtherreadingintheResourcesSectiononpage234.
Ihopethisbookhelpsyoutoseeandthinkmoredeeplyaboutwhatyouphotograph,andtobetterintegrateyourthree-dimensionalworldintoits“wrapper”:thetwo-dimensionalphoto.
IlearnmostaboutphotographybylookingatphotographsthatIfindinteresting.Bydetermininghow,andwhy,thephotowasmade,Ilearnagreatdeal.
ThissensethatapictureisworthathousandwordsisthebasisforthenarrativestrategyofCreativeComposition.Sinceeachphotohereillustratesacompositionalpoint,you’lllearnwhyandhowIcomposedthephotosthewayIdid.Fulltechnicaldataisprovidedforeachimageinthebook.Pleaseenjoy!
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Iwantedtomakesuretheviewerofthisphotowouldstartwiththereflectioninthecarmirrorandthenexaminethefence,soIusedaLensbabywiththe“sweetspot”trainedonthemirror.
LensbabyComposer,1/3200ofasecondusinganf/4apertureringatISO400,handheld
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Camerasdon’ttakephotos,peopledo
LookingdownfromahighcliffatDrakesBayoffthecoastofCalifornia,Iwasstruckbytheabstractpatternsmadebythewaves.
TechniqueandComposition
Photographictechniquecanonlygetyousofar.Techniquebyitself—withoutpassionorvision—isshallowandmeaningless.Camerasdon’ttakephotos;peopledo.
Thatsaid,almostallphotographerswhocreateeffectivephotoshavemasteredtheircraft.
SometimesIthinkofmycameraasamusicalinstrument.IfIwanttobeavirtuoso,Ineedtopractice.Indeed,Itakephotosalmosteveryday.Ifaweek
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virtuoso,Ineedtopractice.Indeed,Itakephotosalmosteveryday.IfaweekgoesbyinwhichIhaven’tdonemuchphotography,thenIfeelrustywhenIpickitupagain.Ittakesafewhoursformetoreallyfeelcomfortableandgetbackinmy“groove.”
Understandingmycameraandphotographictechniqueleadstoacompositionaladvantage.IknowhowthetechnicalchoicesImakeinthefieldwillaffectmycompositions;Ihaveanawarenessofthe“palette”oftechniquesavailabletome;andIcanusemycameraanditsfullrangeofphotographictoolstoenhancemycompositions.
Anotherwaytosaythisisthatunderstandingphotographictechniqueisnecessarytobeinggoodatcomposition,butit’snotsufficient.Beforeyougettothemoreabstractandvirtuosoaspectsofphotographiccomposition,youneedtounderstandthenotes—thebasicelementsofyourcraft.
Sohere’sthedeal.Almosttwo-thirdsofCreativeComposition:DigitalPhotographyTips&Techniquescoversphotographiccompositioninawaythatassumesyouknowphotographybasics.Thefirstthirdisakindof“cheatsheet”:Itbrieflycoverswhatyouneedtoknowabouttechniquetobecomeadeptatcomposition.
Specifically,thissectionontechniqueandcompositionincludesknow-howon:
Lensesandfocallengths,andwhatchoicestomakePre-visualizingExposuresandchoicesrelatedtoISO,shutterspeed,andapertureDepth-of-field,akeytoolinaphotographer’scompositionaltoolboxTheadvantagesofworkingwiththedigitalcameraRAWformat
Again,thesetopicsarecoveredbecause,whileCreativeCompositionisnotabookaboutexposure,forinstance,youdefinitelyneedtoknowsomethingaboutexposuretocomposegreatphotographs.You’llfindinformationaboutexposurebeginningonpage34.
EdgeofNight,shownbelow,isanelaboratecompositeimagecreatedfromthirteenfour-minuteexposures(forthenightsky),andoneten-minuteexposureintendedspeciallyforthelighthouse.IputtheimagetogetherusingtheStatisticsscript,whichisavailableintheExtendedversionsofPhotoshop.Inotherwords,creatingthisimagerequiredconsiderabletechniqueinordertoachievethelong
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nightexposuresandtoassemblethepiecesthatmakeuptheimage.Ineededtechnical“chops”toachievethisimage,butIhadtostartoutwithapre-visualizationofwhatIwantedtoachieve.WithoutforesightofwhereIwasgoing,Icouldnothavecreatedthisphoto.SeeUnleashyourimagination(beginningonpage82)formoreaboutpre-visualization.
EdgeofNight:10.5mmdigitalfisheye,foreground10minutesatf/2.8andISO100,background13stackedexposuresat4minutesandf/4andISO100,totalcapturetimeaboutonehour,tripodmounted
200mm,1/500ofasecondatf/5.6andISO100,tripodmounted
Thephotosonthispagetellastoryofworkingwithyourcamera,andnotagainstit.Atbest,acameraisanextensionofyou:yourimplantwithdigitalimagestoragecapabilities.Whenyouaretruly“inthezone,”yourcompositionaldecisionsareachievedalmostasfastasthought—whichisgoodbecauselightcanchangeveryquickly.Ifyouhesitate,youmaylosethedecisivemoment.
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Wakinguponawinter’smorninginYosemiteValleyIhurriedoutsidebeforesunrise…whiletheworldwasstillindarkness.Astherisingsunhitthewallsofthevalley,Iplacedmytripodinthesnowandusedamoderatewide-anglefocallengthtocapturethisimage.Themomentquicklypassed,andsoonthelightwasflatanduninteresting.
18mm,1/500ofasecondatf/11andISO200,tripodmounted
Isawtheearlymorningsunshiningthroughthispoppy.Downinthegrass
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behindtheflower,wetwithmorningdew,Iusedmytelephotomacrolenstocapturethisnatural“stainedglass”effect.Momentslater,thesunwasupandtheopportunityhadpassed.
200mmmacro,1/500ofasecondatf/11andISO100,tripodmounted
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LensesandFocalLengths
Focallengthisthedistancefromtheendofthelenstothesensor.Thismeasurement,incombinationwiththesizeofthesensor,determineswhetheralensappearstobringthingscloserormakesthemseemfurtheraway.
Normallensesprovideroughlythesameangleofviewashumansight,about43degrees.Youcanuseanormallenstomakethingsseem,well,normal.Images,intermsofperspectiveandangleofcoverage,willapproximatehumanvision.
Ifyouareworkingwitha35mmfilmcamera,a“normal”lenswillhaveafocallengthofabout50mm.Seepage18forinformationabouthowlensesonacamerawithadigitalsensorcomparetolensesontraditionalfilmcameras.
Telephotolensesbringthingscloser(think“telescope”).(Seepages16,18,and19forexamples.)Telephotolensesaregoodforisolatingspecificpartsofasubjectagainstanout-of-focusorblurrybackground.Theopticsofatelephotolensworktocompactlinesofperspective.Thiseffectcanbeusedwithmoderatetelephotolensestocreateflatteringportraits,and,insomecases,toincreasetheattractivenessoflandscapes.Moderatetelephotolenseshaveafocallengthrangingfromabout70mmtoabout150mm,andstrongertelephotolensesgoupfromthere.
Wide-anglelenses(pages20–23)showamorebroadviewoftheworldthanweareusedtoseeing.Theyaregoodforbringingexpansivesubjectsintoasingleframe;showacohesiveviewofasceneusingtheinherentlyhighdepth-of-fieldofwide-anglefocallengths.(Seepages50–55formoreaboutdepthoffield.)In35mmterms,lensesinthe28mmto40mmfocallengthrangeareconsideredmoderatewideangle;focallengthslessthan21mmin35mmtermsaredefinitelyextremewide-angle.
Muchofthephotographyyou’lldoiswithzoomlenses,whichoffervariablefocallengths.Somezoomlensesrangefromwide-anglethoughtelephoto.Soit’snotstrictlycorrecttospeakof“wide-angle”or“telephoto”lenses;itmayreallybethefocallengthsettingonazoomlensthatonerefersto.
Therearemanyspecialpurposelensesthatcanbeusedforcreative
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Therearemanyspecialpurposelensesthatcanbeusedforcreativecompositionaleffects.SpecialpurposelensesthatIusefrequentlyincludeamacrolens,afisheyelens,perspective-correctinglenses,andaLensbaby.
Macrolensesareusedtocreateclose-upphotos.Amacrolenscanhaveatelephoto,normal,orwide-anglefocallength.Wide-anglemacrosareuncommonandundesirable.Macrolensescanalsobeusedtotakephotosthatarenotclose-up.Theytendtohaveacrisp,butflat,overalllook,whichworkswellfordetailedsubjects,butisnotflatteringforportraits.Goodmacrolensesaredesignedtobeopticallyfirst-ratewhenusedwithsmallapertures(whichisoftennotthecasewithnon-macrolenses).Formoreonapertures,seepages50–51;forexamplesofmacrolensesusedtoadvantage,seepages26–29.
Fisheyelensesareusedtocaptureanextremelywide-anglehemisphericalviewwithpronouncedopticalcurvature.(Seepages24–25formoreonthistypeofphotograph.)
PerspectivecorrectinglensesandtheLensbabyallowyoutomovethebarrelpositionaround.Perspectivecorrectinglensescanbepreciselyadjustedandareusedtoalterlinesofperspective.
TheLensbabystartedoutasapieceofopticalglassattheendofaflexiblehose!AndwhileLensbabieshavecomealongwayfromtheirorigin,theconceptofadjustingthelenstubetochangethe“sweetspot”offocusremainsthesame.(Seepages60–61foranexample.)
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IphotographedthisviewofthesunsettingbehindthetoweroftheGoldenGateBridgeusingapowerfultelephotolens.Theimageisshownhereasit’sbeenpublished,croppedintocreatetheillusionthatthelargesunisproportionallyevenlarger.
400mm,1/1000ofasecondatf/16andISO200,tripodmounted
SensorSizeandFocalLength
Notallsensorsarethesamesize.Thesmallerthesensor,thecloseragivenfocallengthlensbringsyoutoyoursubject.Forexample,ifasensorhashalftheareaofanothersensor,thenaspecificfocallengthlenswillbringyoutwiceascloseonacamerawiththesmallersensor.Yetsmallsensorsoftenhaveissueswithnoiseandresolution.Butthat’sadifferentstoryforadifferenttime.Formoreaboutnoise,seepages42–43.
Intermsoffocallength,smallersensorsaregoodfortelephotolensesandhardonwide-angles;largersensorsmakeforgoodwide-angleopticsbutdiminishthepotencyoftelephotolenses.
Sincedifferentcamerashavedifferentsizedsensors—unlikeinthedaysoffilm—itisnotpossibletohaveauniformvocabularyoflensfocallengths.Sopeoplecomparefocallengthstotheir35mmfilmequivalentbyadjustingforthesensor
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comparefocallengthstotheir35mmfilmequivalentbyadjustingforthesensorsize.ThisiswhyIintroduced35mmfocallengthequivalencesinmydescriptionofnormal,telephoto,andwide-angleoptics.
Tomakethecomparisonwith35mmfilmfocallengths,youneedtoknowtheratioofyoursensortoaframeof35mmfilm,whichiscalledthefocal-lengthequivalency.Thephotosinthisbook(exceptasnoted)werecreatedusingNikonDSLRswitha1.5times35mmfocal-lengthequivalency.TofindouthowthefocallengthsIusedcomparewith35mmfocallengths,multiplymyfocallengthsby1.5.
Tocomputethecomparablefocallengthonyourowncamera,youneedtoknowthefocal-lengthequivalencyfactorofyoursensor.Checkyourcameramanualforthisinformation.
Forexample,ItookthephotoofthesettingsunandGoldenGateshownonthepreviouspageusinga400mmfocallength.The35mmequivalenceis600mm,oraboutonetentha“normal”angleofview.
Idon’tusuallytakewide-angleclose-upshots,butthisexotichydrangeablossomcalledouttome.Thefrontofmylenswasliterallyonehalfinchfromtheflower.Myideawastoexaggeratetheperspectivesotheflowerwouldseemtofilltheearth.
24mm,12mmextensiontube,13secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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Iuseda200mmtelephotolensfocusedonthepoppiesinthebackgroundtocreatethepainterlyeffectofthesoftflowersintheforegroundofthisphoto.
200mm,1/250ofasecondatf/14andISO100,tripodmounted
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WhenIpre-visualizedthismotherandchildimage,Isawitwithinacircleofdimlight.IknewthatIhadtoframethephototoemphasizethedynamicsofthecircularmovementofthearmsholdingthebaby.
SinceIwasstandingclosetothesesleepingangels,theshotrequiredamoderatefocal-lengthlens.IusedahighISOsettingtodealwiththeextremelow-lightconditions.
32mm,1/8ofasecondatf/4andISO2000,handheld
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Whenphotographingthisornateneo-baroquecathedralindowntownSanFrancisco,IsawthattocreateaneffectivecompositionIwouldneedtobringinasmuchofthechurchaspossible.IwentaswideasIcouldgoinmychoiceoffocallengthswithoutcausingvisiblecurvature.Opticaldistortionisaconcernwithextremewide-anglelenses.Insomecases,it’saninterestingeffectthatenhancesanimage,butthisdoesnottypicallyapplytoarchitecturalphotography.HereIneededthelinesofthechurchtobeappearstraight.
12mm,6secondsatf/13andISO100,tripodmounted
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TogivethesensethatthisrockformationintheSouthwestUnitedStateswaslikeagiantflowerthathadbeenfrozeninstone,Iusedamoderatewide-anglefocallengthtobringinareasonablybroadvista.Thishelpstogivetheimageasenseofplacewithoutlosingthecompositionalabstraction.
31mm,4secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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UsingaFisheyeLens
Adigitalfisheyelensisoneofthosepiecesofopticalglassthatyoumightthinkisanovelty:funtoplaywithatfirst,butthenburiedinthebottomofyourcamerabagandseldomused.
Thisisnotthecase.Idon’tusemydigitalfisheyelensallthetime,butIuseitoften.Itispartofmy“carryeverywhere”kit.AndwhenIdousemyfisheyelens,nootherlenscouldpossiblygetthejobdone.Here’swhy:
Afisheyelenscanfitinmoreofascene.Iusethisspecial-purposelenswhenIcan’tgobackanyfurtherandneedtoincludeawidesubjectinmycomposition.Insomesituations,distortionthatcurvesafisheyeimage—mostnoticeablyalongthephoto’sperimeter—cantrulyenhanceacomposition.Fisheyephotosgetattention.Theseimagescanbeverystrikingand,yes,humorousaswell.Theyareconversationpiecesandcanengageyoursubjectswithyouraudience.
LyingonthefloorofFrankLloydWright’smagnificentMarinCentercivicbuilding,Irealizeditwouldbedifficulttogetboththeoval-shapedrotundaandthecast-irongatesinonecomposition.Iswitchedtomyfisheyeandusedmaximumdepth-of-fieldtogetbothcompositionalelementsinfocus.Ithinktheresultlookslikeabig,mechanicaldragonfly—trulyanabstractionofthewonderfularchitecture.
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10.5mmdigitalfisheye,1/8ofasecondatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
Itookthisfisheyeportraitofmydaughterdownonthegroundwithmyfisheyelensaboutaninchfromhernose.
10.5mmdigitalfisheye,1/250ofasecondatf/8andISO400,handheld
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WorkingwithMacroLenses
Close-upphotographyisaspecialpassionofmine.Ilovetophotographflowers,insectsandweirdobjects…upcloseandpersonal.Therefore,asyoumightimagine,Ihaveanextensivecollectionofmacrolensesandclose-upequipment.Eachofmymacrolenseshasaspecialvisualsignature,andI’vecometoknowandrespectthesepiecesofglassfortheiruniqueindividuality.
Bytheway,youdon’treallyneedanexpensivemacrolenstotakegoodclose-ups.Aclose-upfilteronthefrontofyourlens,oranextensiontubebetweenyourlensandyourcamera,willoftendothejob.(Remember,camerasandlensesdon’ttakephotos;peopledo!)
Partoftheappealtomeofmacrophotographyistheextenttowhichitisajourneyofexplorationthroughtheunknown.Extremelyclose-up,thingsjustdon’tlookthesame.Beingextremelyclose-upisalsodisorienting.IoftenfindthatIneedtofocusonageneralareaofmymacrosubjectsandthenstartlookingthroughmymacrolensasthoughIwerenavigatingamap.
Mycompositionsbenefitfromthesevoyagesofvisualexploration,becauseIfrequentlymakediscoveriesthatresultinimagesthatdifferdramaticallyfromwhatIhadinmindwhenIstartedthemacrosession.ManyofmybestmacrosinvolvepatternsdiscoveredonlyafterIlookedverycloselyatmysubject.
IwassurprisedwhenIlookedthroughmycameralensatthisEchinaceaflowertoseetheinterestingpatternthewhitepetalsmade.Isettheaperture
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atf/14togetenoughdepth-of-field(seepages52–55)tokeepthepetalsandflowercoreinfocuswhileblurringthebackground.
105mmmacro,1/4ofasecondatf/14,tripodmounted
Earlymorningwaterdropsshowedtherefractionsoftheclumpofvariegatedgladiolasthathostedthedrops.Bygettingvery,veryclosetothewaterdrops,Imadethemappearfarlargerthanlife—perhapsmorelikewatermelonsthanmorningdew.Thewholecompositionaleffectisunearthly,asthoughthisimagecomesfromanotherplanet.
200mmmacro,36mmextensiontube,+4close-upfilter,1/4ofasecondatf/36andISO200,tripodmounted
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IphotographedthisIrisonawhitebackground,arrangingitcompositionallysoitlooksalmostmorerealthanrealbyappearingtocometowardtheviewer.Byfocusingthemacrolensonthemiddleportionoftheflower,andusingthemaximumpossibledepth-of-field,Iwasabletogettheentireflowerinfocus.
100mmmacro,fourcombinedexposuresbetween1/2ofasecondand2secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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Humanhandsarenotmytypicalclose-upsubject,butinthiscasethetinyhandofaprematurebabyholdingontothelargerhandofhermothertellsastorythatcannotbeignored.Imadethisphotographwithanon-macrolensandanextensiontube,whichwaswhatIhadwithmewhentheopportunityarosetotakethephoto.
Sometimesmacrophotosrevealtoomuch—inthiscase,thatthetiredmombadlyneededamanicure.Somypost-productionworkonthisimageincludedgivingheravirtualmanicure.
150mm,36mmextensiontube,1/25ofasecondatf/5.6andISO2500,handheld
Sometimesmacrosthatarefocusedononespecificpartofthesubjectcancreatealovelycompositionaleffect.Actually,havingareasofanimageoutoffocusmakesthecenterofthispoppyappearevenmoredefined.
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100mmmacro,1/800ofsecondatf/2andISO200,handheld
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ChoosingtheRightFocalLength
Ofcourse,youcan(andshould)experimentwithfocallengthswhenyouarephotographing.Byallmeans,seewhathappenswhenyouusedifferentlenses.Trytherangeoffocallengthsonyourzoomlens,andseewhatworks.Ialwaysencourageexperimentation!
Buttoreallybecomeamasteratchoosingtherightfocallength,youneedtohoneyourpre-visualizationskills.Topre-visualizemeanstobeabletoseeinadvancetheresultsofyourphotographic(andpost-production)choices.
Increasingyourabilitytopre-visualizeisoneofthemostimportantthingsyoucandotowardsbecomingamorecreativephotographer.There’sareasonmoviedirectorscarryaroundlittleviewfindersthathelpthemtopre-visualizetheresultsoftheirlenschoices.
Startbythinkingaboutwhatyouwantyourphototoshow.Forexample,ifyouarecapturingavastlandscape,awide-anglefocallengthwillshowthescopeandgrandeurofthescene.Atelephotoviewcanbeusedtoshowmoretexturaldetailsorperhapscompressthedetailsofacompositionintoanelegantsilhouette.
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Iusedamoderatewide-angletocapturethescopeoftheGrandCanyonfromNavajoPoint.AhintoftheColoradoRivergivestheviewer’seyesomethingtoreston,andhelpstogivethecompositionitsmeaning.
20mm,threecombinedexposures,eachatf/11andISO100,tripodmounted,withexposuretimesof1/4ofasecond,1/3ofasecond,and1/6ofasecond
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Atelephotofocallengthhelpedmecapturethepatternmadebythelate-afternoonsunreflectingontheColoradoRiverasitpassedthroughitsdeepgorge.
200mm,1/80ofasecondatf/7.1andISO100,tripodmounted
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Iwasphotographingsunsetinthecontextofawidearea,namelytheSanFranciscoBaywiththesurroundingmountainsoftheCaliforniaCoastalRangeandtheGoldenGate.ThenIlookedatthediskofthesettingrun,visuallyseemingtoracealongaslotbetweenthemountaintopsandtheclouds.Irealizedthatthesuninits“slot”wasmycompositionalstory,andIswitchedtoalongtelephotolenstomakethisquasi-abstractcapture.Thevisualpoweroftheimagehasnothingtodowiththefamiliarnearbygeographiclandmarks.
400mm,1/800ofasecondatf/9andISO100,tripodmounted
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UnderstandingExposure
Anumberofdifferentapproachescanbeusedtodissectphotographsinordertolearntomakebetterimages.Andwhiletheseapproachesmightseemtobedifferent,thetruthisthattheyareallrelated.Forexample,takethesubjectmatterofthisbook,composition,andexposure.
Toreallymastercompositionyouneedtobeabletoworkwithdepth-of-field(amongotherthings).Depth-of-fielddependsuponaperture.Andapertureisacomponentofexposure.Forthisreasonalone(andthereareothers),itmakessensetokeepexposurebasicsinmindwhenyouarethinkingaboutthecompositionofyourphotos.
Anexposuremeanstheamount,oract,oflighthittingthecamerasensor.Italsoincludesthecamerasettingsusedtocapturethisincominglight.
Givenaparticularcameraandlens,thereareonlythreesettingsthatareusedtomaketheexposure:shutterspeed,apertureandsensitivity.
Shutterspeedisthedurationoftimethatthecameraisopentoreceiveincominglight.Inotherwords,it’stheamountoftimethesensorisexposedtolightcomingthroughthelens.(Seepages44–49formoreaboutusingshutterspeedincomposition.)Apertureisthesizeoftheopeninginthecamera’slens.Thelargertheaperture,themorelightthathitsthesensor.Thesizeoftheapertureiscalledanf-stop,writtenf/n,andnisalsocalledthef-number.Somewhatconfusingly,thelargerthef-number,thesmallertheholeinthelens;thesmallerthef-number,thelargertheopening.You’llfindmoreaboutapertureonpages50–51.Depth-of-fieldislargelyafunctionofaperture,andIexplainhowtoworkcompositionallywithaperturestartingonpage52.Sensitivitydetermineshowsensitivetolightasensoris.SensitivityissetusinganISOnumber.ThehighertheISO,themoresensitivitytolight.You’llfindmoreideasaboutusingsensitivityinyourcompositionsonpages42–43.
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Changinganyofthethreeexposuresettingsimpactsthelightnessordarknessofyourphoto.So—assumingyouwanttokeepyourphotoconstant—ifyouchangeonesetting,youalsoneedtochangeanothertocompensate.Eachoftheseadjustmentshascompositionalimplications.
Jugglingthesubtleinterrelationshipofshutterspeed,apertureandsensitivityislikeadancewithpossibilitiesandconstraints.Yourdecisionshaveaprofoundimpactonyourphotographiccompositions.
WhenIpre-visualizedthisblack-and-whiteimageofsurfcrashingonadarkbeach,IknewthatIwantedtomakethewhitesurfcontrastasmuchaspossiblewiththedarkshore.Ialsosawinmymind’seyeanimagewiththewavesabstracted,lookingalmostfeather-like.
Toachievethesegoals,Ineededtomaketheexposureaslongaspossible.I
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Toachievethesegoals,Ineededtomaketheexposureaslongaspossible.IsetmyISOatitslowestpossiblesetting(100),andstoppeddownthelenstoassmallanopeningaspossible(f/32).Thesetwosettingsimplieda1.6secondexposurebasedonareadingofthelight(usingthecamera’sexposuremeter),longenoughtomakethewaveslooklightandfeathery.
170mm,circularpolarizer,1.6secondsatf/32andISO100,tripodmounted
Tomakethepatternofgrassblowinginastiffbreezesharp,Ineededafastshutterspeed.SoIsetthecameratoshutter-preferredmodeandusedashutterspeedof1/1000ofasecond.
200mm,1/1000ofasecondatf/10andISO320,tripodmounted
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Withthismedium-closeflowermacro,Iwantedasmuchofthesubjecttobeinfocusaspossible.SoIstoppeddownthelenstoitsminimumaperture:f/36.Iusedaperture-preferredmeteringtoletthecamerachoosetheshutterspeed.
200mmmacro,1/30ofasecondatf/36andISO200,tripodmounted
UsingExposureModes
Themoreprofessionalthecamera,thefewerexposuremodesithas.That’sbecausetherearereallyonlyfourexposuremodes:programmedautomatic,shutterpreferred,aperturepreferred,andfullymanual.Here’stherundownofthesemodes:
Inprogrammed-automaticmode,thecameramakesalltheexposuredecisions.Dependingonyourcameramodel,ISOmay(ormaynot)beconstrained.SowithsomecamerasyoucandecideeithertosettheISOortoletthecamerasettheISOalongwithapertureandshutterspeed.
Idon’tuseprogrammedautomaticallthatoften,becauseIdon’talwaystrustmycamera’sjudgmentovermyown.Butsometimes,whenyouneedtomakeafast“grabshot,”there’snothinglikehavingthecameraonautopilot.
Inshutter-preferredmode,yousettheISOandshutterspeed,andthecamerapickstheaperture.Thisisausefulmodewhenyourcomposition
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requiresaspecificshutterspeed(seepages44–49).Withaperture-preferredmode,youpicktheISOandaperture,andthecamerachoosestheshutterspeed.Aperturepreferredcomesinhandywhenyourcompositioncallsforaspecificaperturesetting.(Seepages50–59formoreinformation.)Whenthecameraissettomanual,youchooseISO,apertureandshutterspeed.
UsingExposureHistograms
Ahistogramisabargraphshowingadistributionofvalues.Anexposurehistogramshowsthedistributionoflightsanddarksinanexposure.
Yourcameracanshowyoutheexposurehistogramforacaptureyou’vemade,andsometimesbeforeyou’veactuallymadetheexposure.Checkyourcameramanualfordetailsonhowtodisplayexposurehistograms.
Inbrightconditions,whenyoucan’tseeyourLCDscreen,ahistogramisgreat.Butonceyougetinthehabitofcheckingit,anexposurehistogramcantellyoumoreaboutyourexposurethanviewingtheLCDinalmosteverysituation.
Theexposurehistogramofanunderexposedphotoisbunchedtotheleft,andthehistogramofanoverexposedphotoisbunchedtotheright.Atheoretically“correct”exposurewillberepresentedbyahistogramwithabell-shapedcurvesmackdabinthemiddle.
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IphotographedthisClematisblossomonalighttablewiththeideaofcreatinga“highkey,”orverytransparentandbright,whitecomposition.Toachievemygoal,Ineededtofindexposuresettingsthat“pinned”thehistogramtotherightsideofitsgraph.Icreatedthiscompositeimagefromfiveseparatecaptures,usingthehistogramtomakesurethateachonewas,technicallyspeaking,“overexposed.”
85mmperspectivecorrectingmacro,fiveexposuresrangingfrom1/8ofasecondto2seconds,eachexposureatf/48andISO200,tripodmounted
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CreativeExposures
Acreativeexposureisonethatdeviatesfromanoverall“correct”lightreadingofyoursubject,asdeterminedbythelightmeterinyourcamera.Thepointofthisexposuremodificationistoimproveacompositionbycorrectlyexposingforlightordarkportionsofyourphoto.Inotherwords,youcanmodifytheexposuretoreflectyourpersonalaestheticpreferencesthroughunderoroverexposure.
Mostexperiencedphotographersfindthatmany,ifnotmost,oftheirexposureshaveanelementofcreativity.Correctexposuresareusuallyblandandneutral,withanexposurehistograminthemiddleofthecurve.Strikingcompositionscanoftenbeachievedsimplybymovingthehistogramtotheleft(underexposing)ortotheright(overexposing).(Exposurehistogramsarefurtherexplainedonpages38–39.)Checkyourcameramanualforinformationaboutcreativeexposurecontrolsinautomaticmodes.Usually,there’sagoodwaytocompensatebyunderexposingoroverexposing.Youcanalsobracketexposuressoyou’llhavearangeofchoiceswhenyougetachancetolookatyourworklater.
Tounderexposemanualexposures,decreasetheISO,chooseafastershutterspeedorasmallerapertureopening(oracombinationofthethree).
Tooverexposemanualexposures,increasetheISO,andchooseaslowershutterspeedoralargerapertureopening(oracombinationofthethree).
Usually,oneofthethreeexposurecomponentsistheoneyoucareaboutforyourcomposition.Forexample,youmayneedtoexposeataspecificaperturetogettherightdepth-of-field.Oryoumayneedacertainshutterspeedtocapturemotion.Withthefixed-exposurecomponentinmind,adjusttheothersettingsasneededtoobtainyourcreativeexposure.
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Iintentionallyunderexposedthisphotoofababyinhermother’sembracesothatthepotentiallydistractingbackgroundwouldgoblack.IthenlightenedthebabywhenIprocessedtheimage.
95mm,1/30ofasecondatf/5.3andISO2000
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Thelineoflightaroundthefine“hairs”ontheflowerpodofthispoppybudmadeaninterestingshape.IthinkofitasaPoppysnake.Toshowonlythe“snake,”Iusedacreativeexposurethatintentionallyunderexposedtheoverallphoto.
200mmmacro,1/400ofasecondatf/11andISO100,tripodmounted
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ISOandNoise
Noiseisakindofstaticinadigitalimage.Alldigitalsignals,includingdigitalimagecaptures,createsomenoise.Noiseistheclosestthinginthedigitaleratograininafilmphotograph,andit’softenconsideredundesirable.
Soyoumaybesurprisedtolearnthatnoisecanbeusedeffectivelyasanelementofphotographiccomposition.
Therearemanycausesofnoise(seesidebar),butifyouwanttousenoisecompositionally,aneasywaytoincreasenoiseistoboostyourISO(sensorsensitivity).ThehighertheISO,themorenoise.Theamountofnoiseyou’llgetiscamera-,exposure-andsituation-dependent,butyoucanbeprettysurethatanISOabove1,000willproducenoise,althoughcamerasaregettingbetteratcapturinghigh-ISOimageswithlessnoiseallthetime.
CausesofNoise
It’safactoflifethatthesmallerthesensor,themorenoisethereisforagivencapturesize.Thisisbecauseamplifyingasignalalsoamplifiessignaldistortion.(Thesmallerthesensor,themorethecaptureneedstobeblownup,or“amplified.”)
Othercausesofnoise:
Thesensorandcamera’sprocessingsoftware:Thisvariesbymanufacturer.TheISOsetting:ThehighertheISO,themorenoisetherewillbe.Thesizeoftheimage:Thegreatertheblow-upfromthenativecapturesize,themorenoisewillbeapparent.Exposuretime:Exposuresthatarelongerthanaboutfivesecondscanbecomequitenoisy.Underexposure:Underexposedareastendtohavemorenoise.
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Thefadingtwilightwasdim,butboostingtheISOto2,000allowedmetocapturethisunusualviewofadaisyatafastshutterspeedinabriskbreeze.ThehighISOhelpedcreateinterestingeffectsintheout-of-focusbackgroundareas.
LensbabyComposer,+4close-upfilter,1/1000ofasecondusingf/4aperturering,ISO2000,handheld
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UsingahighISOhelpedmecapturethiscompositionofanarchitecturaldetailthat’sreflectedinthedarkindoorpoolatWilliamRandolphHeart’sSanSimeon.Thevisualimpactofthenoisecomplementsthecreativetilework.
75mm,1/125ofasecondatf/5.6andISO6400,handheld
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ShutterSpeedandMotion
Aslongasyouunderstandthatsettingtheshutterspeedisreallysettingthelengthoftimethattheshutterwillbeopen,you’llfindshutterspeedeasytoworkwith.Thelongerthelengthoftime,themorelightisletintothecamera.Conversely,theshorterthelengthoftime,thelesslightgetsin.
Theprimarycompositionalimpactofshutterspeedisontherenderingofmotion.Ifanobjectandthecameraarecompletelystationary,thenitshouldn’tmatterwhatshutterspeedyouuse.Butonceeventheslightestmotionofcameraorsubjectisinvolved,itisaverydifferentstory.
Ifyouconsidercameraandsubject,thenthewaymotionwillbeappeardependsuponthemovementofthecamera,themovementofthesubject,therelativedirectionofthatmovement,andthedurationoftimethatisusedtocapturethemotion.
Obviously,ittakesafastershutterspeed(ashorterdurationoftime)tofreezearacehorseinmotionthanaturtleinmotion.Thatsaid,andassumingthatthecameraisstationary,youcanmaketheroughassumptionsshowninthetablebelowaboutthecompositionalimpactofshutterspeedonmotioninyourphotos.
ShutterSpeedRange ImpactonMotionVeryfastshutterspeeds:usuallyfasterthan1/250ofasecond
Mostmotionisstopped,renderedcrisply,andthesubjectinmotionappears“frozen.”
Fastshutterspeeds:between1/30ofasecondand1/125ofasecond
Dependingontheirspeed,objectsinmotionmayappearslightlyblurred.
Slowshutterspeeds:between1/15ofasecondand4seconds
Objectsinmotionareprobablyrecognizablebutverydefinitelyblurred.
Veryslowshutterspeeds:longerthan4seconds
Motioncreatessomedegreeofabstraction;objectsinmotionwilllikelytraverseacrossasubstantialportionofthephotoframe.
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PhotographingafterdarkattheVenetianHotelinLasVegas,Nevada,Iwaitedforagondolatocomeintoviewoppositemycamera.Ipurposelyusedaslonganexposureaspossibletoturnthegondolaintoamotionblurwhilethebackgroundremainedsharp.
18mm,10secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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IwasphotographingonMareIsland,anabandonednavalbaseandshipyardnearSanFrancisco.Thisphotoshowsacardrivingupandthenturningoffitsheadlights.Thelong-exposurerenditionofthecarheadlightsmakesthisamoreinterestingphotocompositionallythananyoftheversionsImadewithoutthecar.
22mm,30secondsatf/5.6andISO100,tripodmounted
Whilemakingthis30-secondexposureoftheGoldenGateBridge,Imoved
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thecameramid-exposure,comingupwiththecreativeeffectofmotionlines.
60mm,30secondsatf/4.8andISO100,tripodmountedinseveralpositions
Icreatedthiseffectfromcitylightsbymovingthecameraupanddownonthetripodduringtheexposure.(Ilayeredinthemoonlater.)
200mm,1.6secondsatf/2.8andISO200,tripodmounted
Ashutterspeedof1/400ofasecondwasfastenoughto“freeze”thewatertumblingoverVernalFallsinYosemiteNationalPark,California.
25mm,1/400ofasecondatf/10andISO200,handheld
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Iuseda1.6secondexposureinthisphotoofCataractFallsincoastalCaliforniatocreateapleasingeffectthatvisuallytransformswaterinmotion.
75mm,1.6secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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Aperture,FocusandDepth-of-Field
Anapertureisaholeinthelens.It’sassimpleasthat.Thesmallerthehole,thelesslightgetsin.Ifyoumaketheholebigger,morelighthitsthesensor.
Thesmallertheaperturehole,thelargerthef-numberusedtodesignatethathole.
Anf-stopisoneoverthef-number.Sof/22referstoaverysmallopeninginalens,whereasf/2.8isamuchlargerhole.If,infact,thelenscan’tbeopenedanywiderthanf/2.8,thenf/2.8iscalledthemaximumapertureofthelens.
Thediagramaboveshowssomeaperturesandthecomparativesizeholestheymake.
ThisphotoofaDahliawastakenwiththelensalmostallthewayopenforminimaldepthoffieldatf/4.ThephotoshowstheDahliainfocusandthebackgroundelegantlyblurred,isolatingtheflowerfromthebackground.
105mmf/2.8macrolens,1/1250ofasecondatf/4andISO100,tripodmounted
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Iwantedasmuchofthisfloweraspossibletobeinfocus,soIstoppedthelensdownallthewayformaximumdepth-of-field.
200mmmacrolens,1/30ofasecondatf/36andISO200,tripodmounted
Depth-of-Field
Depth-of-fieldisthedistancebehindandinfrontofasubjectthatisapparentlyinfocus.Depth-of-fieldisakeycompositionalelementinmany,ifnotmost,photographs.Itisonethemostimportanttoolsaphotographercanusetocreatestrikingimages.
Thebiggestcompositionalimpactoftheaperturesettingisthatitcontrolstheextentofthedepth-of-field.Ofcourse,itdependsuponthelensyouareusingandwhereitisfocused,butgivenaparticularlensandafocussetting,your
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andwhereitisfocused,butgivenaparticularlensandafocussetting,yourcontrolofdepth-of-fieldisbasedsolelyonhowyousettheaperture.
Thesmallerthelensaperture,themoredepth-of-fieldthereis.Atitsmaximumaperture,sayf/2,alenshasalmostnodepth-of-field.Atintermediateapertures,suchasf/11andf/16,thereissome,andattheminimumaperture,sayf/32,thereisagreatdealofdepth-of-field.
Sincedepth-of-fielddependsuponyourlensaswellastheaperturesettingyouchoose,opticalfactsoflifedocomeintoplay.Wide-anglelenses(seepages20–25)inherentlyhavefargreaterdepth-of-fieldthantelephotolenses(seepages16–19)…andmoreforgiveness.Butthemorepowerfulyourtelephoto,thelessdepth-of-fielditwillhaveatagivenaperture.Thismeansthatfocusbecomesfarmorecriticalwithlongerlenses.
AsI’venoted,choosinganaperturetomakeachoiceaboutthedepth-of-fieldisavitalpartofphotographiccomposition.Extremelyhighdepth-of-fieldcanbeusedtomakeanentireimageappearsharpandhyper-real.Lowdepth-of-fieldcanbeusedtocreateaselectivefocuseffectthatemphasizestheimportanceofaparticularpartofyoursubject.
Bytheway,justbecauseanimagehasahighdepth-of-fielddoesn’tmeanthatthephotowillappearsharp.Manyfactorsimpacttheapparentsharpnessofaphoto,includingthelightquality,theopticalqualityofalens,andmotion.
Tovisualizetheimpactofyourdepth-of-fieldchoiceonaphoto,youcansnapthepictureandviewtheresultsinyourLCD.Ifyoudon’tlikewhatyousee,changethesettingsandtryagain.Ifyouareworkinginverybrightconditionsandit’shardtoseetheLCD,orifyoursubjectismovingsoyoucan’tshootmultiplecaptures,thenyoucanusethedepth-of-fieldpreview.(Checkyourcameramanualtofindthelocationofthiscontrol.)Thedepth-of-fieldpreviewonaDSLRletsyoulookthroughthelensfullystoppeddown,soyoucangaugethedepth-of-field.Inaddition,somecamerasletyoucheckdepth-of-fieldinrealtimeintheLCDusinga“liveview”mechanism.(Onceagain,checkyourcameramanualtoseeifyourshasthisfeature.)
FocusingandtheHyperfocalDistance
Keepinmindtheinfinity(∞)settingonyourlens.Infinityisthefarthestdistancealenscanfocus.Normally,whenyoufocusalensoninfinity,everythingbeyond
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infinityisinfocus,evenwhenusingthewidestaperture.Soinfinity,inphotography,isactuallyafinitedistance!
Aphotothatisentirelyatorbeyondinfinitywillbeinfocuswhenyousetyourlenstoinfinity,andyouraperturesettingdoesn’tmatter.Youcan’tbemore“infocus,”sodepth-of-fieldisirrelevantinthissituation.
Thehyperfocaldistanceistheclosestdistanceatwhichalens,atagivenaperture,canbefocusedwhilekeepingobjectsatinfinityinfocus.Ifyouhaveaphotothatincludesinfinityandsubjectmatterthatisnotatinfinity,andyouwantasmuchaspossibletobeinfocus,youshouldfocusatthehyperfocaldistance.Roughlyspeaking,ifyoustopalensallthewaydown,thehyperfocaldistanceisabouthalfthedistancefromthefocalplanetoinfinity.
Alsorememberthatthereisalwaysslightlymoredepth-of-fieldbehindthefocalpointthaninfrontofit.Therefore,thebestplacetofocusformaximizingdepth-of-field(assumingyouwillbestoppingyourlensdown)isslightlyinfrontofyoursubject.
I’mnotsayingthatyouneedtogooutandstartmemorizingopticalformulasandtables.Butdepth-of-field,controlledbyfocusandaperture,isanextremelyimportantcompositionaltool.Astimegoesby,makeapointofobservingaperture,focusanddepth-of-field,andbecomeacutelyawareofhowtheyinterplay.Then,useyourobservationstocontrolthisaspectofcompositioninyourownphotos.
Beyondthemechanicsofapertureandfocus,it’sgreattolearntousedepth-of-fieldtobringyourcompositionstolife.
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Iusedselectivefocusandanopenapertureforshallowdepth-of-fieldtohighlightthevisualimpactoftheorangeflowerinthewind.
130mm,1/125ofasecondatf/5.6andISO200,tripodmounted
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Iusedamacrotelephotolens,settoafairlyopenaperture,andfocusedonthewaterdropsIcouldseethroughthispinkpeony.Theresultisacompositioninwhichtheout-of-focusareaplaysanimportantrole.
200mmmacrolens,1/250ofasecondatf/9andISO100,tripodmounted
Iusedamoderateapertureandfocusedonthedistantflowerstogetareasonableamountoffocusonthedistantflowerswhilekeepingthe
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foregroundout-of-focusandimpressionistic.
200mmmacrolens,1/30ofasecondatf/18andISO100,tripodmounted
Togetthisentirevistainfocus,Itookadvantageofthegreatinherentdepth-of-fieldinthewide-anglelensIwasusing,andIstoppedthelensdownallthewaytogetevengreaterdepth-of-field.
SinceIknewthatpartoftheimagewasatinfinityandthatIneededasmuchdepth-of-fieldaspossible,Itriedtofocusatthehyperfocaldistance—roughlyspeaking,thebushinthemiddle-leftforeground.
16mm,1/60ofasecondatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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Icreatedthisflowerabstractionwithselectivefocusinmind,andIintentionallyusedanaperturewithlittledepth-of-field.Thisresultedinashallow-focusimagethatemphasizesthebrillianceofthebacklitflowerpetal.
200mm,1/180ofasecondatf/7.1andISO100,tripodmounted
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Selectivefocusinthisportraitontheeyesofababycreatesamorepowerfulimagethanifithadbeensharpend-to-end.Theimagehasalmostnoinherentdepth-of-field;onlytheeyesaresharp.Iintentionallycreatedthiseffectsothecompositionwouldemphasizetheimpactoftheeyes.
LensbabyComposerwithaplasticlens,1/250ofasecondusinganf/4aperturediskatISO200
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WorkingwithaLensbaby
TheLensbabyisprobablythemostinnovativenewlens—orsystemoflenses—tocomealonginrecentmemory.Theideaistomovethebarrelofthelensaroundonaflexibletube,soyoucanchangetheareaoffocus,calledthesweetspot.IntheoriginalLensbabies,thelenstubelookedlikesomethingyoumightseeonavacuumcleaner,butrecentmodelsaremuchmoresophisticated.
Youdon’tsettheapertureonaLensbaby;instead,youusemagneticapertureringsthatgoinsidetheflexiblelensbarrel.Thesmallertheaperture,themoredepth-of-field;soasmallapertureonaLensbabykindofdefeatsthepurposeofitsabilitytogiveyouaselective-focussweetspot.SoItendtousethemorewide-openapertureringswithmyLensbaby.
ThemostrecentversionoftheLensbaby,theLensbabyComposer,canbeusedwithanOpticSwapSystemthatallowsyoutoswapouttheglasselementandreplaceitwithanumberofoptions,includingaplasticlens,apinholeandmore.Youcanalsoaddauxiliarylenses,close-upfiltersandapertureringswithunusualshapestothemix.Forinstance,tocreatetheupperimageonthenextpage,Iusedanapertureringshapedlikeastartocreatethestareffectsinthebackground.
Don’texpectimageswithgreatend-to-endclarityfromaLensbaby;that’snotatallthepointofthistoolanditsrelatedaccessories.Thepointistoallowyoutocreateunusualcompositionsthatfeaturepartialclaritywithcontrolledblurring.Theseimagescouldnotbecreatedwithanyotherequipment.Withitsselectivefocuscapabilities,aLensbabyallowsyoutounleashyourcreativitybygivingyouthetoolstoexperimentwithnewwaysofseeing.
Thisbriefdiscussiondoesn’tbegintocovertheimmensemenuofopticalpossibilitiesthataLensbabyanditsaccessoriesprovide.
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IusedtheselectivefocusoftheLensbabytoisolatethewhitetulipsandcrystalvasebytrainingthesweetspotontheflowers.Myideawiththisimagewastocreateamonochromephotoofflowerswiththecolorimplied,sotheviewerperceivescoloreventhoughtheimageisblackandwhite.
LensbabyComposer,1/640ofasecondusingf/4apertureringatISO200,handheld
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IshotthisphotoofaShootingStarflowerusingacreativeaperturediskcut-out.IplacedthediskinthebarreloftheLensbabytocreatethestareffectsinthebackgroundofthisphoto.Inmyopinion,thestareffectgoeswiththeShootingStarflower.Usingblankdisks,youcancutoutanyshapeyou’dlike.Anyspecularhighlightsintheimagewillappearinthatshape.
Lensbaby2.0,+4close-upfilter,staraperturering,1/500ofasecondatISO200,handheld
UsingtheLensbaby“sweetspot,”IisolatedtheJaguarhoodornamentfromthecar’sredhood.
LensbabyComposer,+2.8aperturering,1/5000ofasecondatISO400,handheld
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BlurandBokeh
Somephotographsarecompletelysharpedge-to-edge,andthebeautyofthesecompositionsoftenliesintheclarityateverylevelofdetail.However,notallimagescan—orshould—becompletelysharp.Inmanycases,blurredorout-of-focusareasbecomeanintegralpartofaphotographiccomposition.
Sometimesthepointofblurredorout-of-focusportionsofaphotoistoemphasizethepartsthatareinfocus.Comparinga“soft”backgroundtoaclearlydefinedforegroundelementcanmakethesharpelementseemmoreimportant.
Anotherapproachistouseunsharporblurredportionsofanimagetocloaktherealsubjectmatterofanimage.Whentheviewerfinallyteasesoutthesignificanceofthephoto,itcanseemmorepowerfulthanifitwereeasilyrevealed.
Furtheralongthespectrumofblur,therearepowerfulimagesinwhichthebluritselfisthemostimportantaspectofthephoto.
Photographswithcompositionsthatemphasizeblurringandout-of-focusareas,likesomepeopleyoumayknow,marchtothebeatofadifferentdrummer.
Therearemanycausesofblurring.Probablythesimplestwaytocreatethiseffectistouseselectivefocustocreatesomeareasthatareout-of-focus.Motionofthesubjectorcameracanalsobeusedtocreateblurs(seepages44–49).Andspeciallenses,suchastheLensbaby,canbeusedtointentionallycreateout-of-focuseffectsonsomeorallofacomposition.Anon-equipment-basedtrickistorubaclearfilterwithVaselineorusefabricinfrontofyourlens.
ThewordbokehcomesfromaJapanesetermthatmeansblurring,typicallyinthecontextofink-washpainting.Inphotography,bokehhascometomeanblurringinaselective-focusimage.Goodbokehissmoothandalmostcreamy,whilebadbokehshowsabruptlines.Howgoodorbadbokehis,andtheextentofthebokeh,dependsonthelighting,theapertureyouselectandtheopticalqualitiesofyourlensataparticularaperture.
Lensesthatroutinelyproducegreatbokehareveryspecialandshouldbetreasured.Generally,thebestbokehiscreatedusingshallowdepth-of-field.
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treasured.Generally,thebestbokehiscreatedusingshallowdepth-of-field.Slightchangesinyourposition,yourpointoffocus,andthecameraangleinrelationtothesubjectandthedirectionoflightcanmakeahugedifferenceinbokeh,soitisworthexperimentingwiththesethings.
Atelephotomacrolens,usedinanextremeclose-upwithshallowdepth-of-field,createsaselectivefocuseffectandbokehthatpleasesbecauseitappearstobeglowing.
200mmmacro,56mmcombinedextensiontubes,+4close-upfilter,1/250ofasecondatf/5.6andISO100,tripodmounted
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Thisexposuredemonstratestwokindsofblur:motionblursfromcarlightsandatmosphericblurfromtheeveningfogthat’screepinginofftheocean.Themotionofthecarlightsformastrongverticalelementthathelpstomakethisaninterestingcomposition.
200mm,30secondsatf/29andISO100,tripodmounted
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Thisphotodemonstrateslong-exposureblurcausedbythemotionofthecloudsandsurf.Youcanalsoseemotionblurintheshiplightsouttosea.(Youwouldn’tseetheselinesinashorterexposure.)Thenoiseinthisimagealsoworkstocreatemoreblur.Theblurinthecloudscomplementsthewaveblurandcreatesaninterestingcompositionduetothecontrastwiththerelativelyfixed-motionstars,headlandandshiplights.
12mm,3minutesatf/5.6andISO100,tripodmounted
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Thesharpimageofthewaterdropiscomplementedbythebokehoftheflowerinthebackground.
200mmmacro,36mmextensiontube,1/5ofasecondatf/32andISO100,tripodmounted
Thisextremeclose-upofthewingofaTipulidaeoleracea(“Mosquitoeater”)usesamoderateaperturetocreatealowdepth-of-fieldimagewithpleasingbackgroundblur.
105mmmacro,64mmcombinedextensiontubes,+4close-upfilter,4/5ofasecondatf/8andISO100,tripodmounted
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UnderstandingDynamicRange
Imagineyouareinadarkroom.Suddenlytheblindsarethrownopenandashaftofbrightsunlightilluminatesonewall.Graduallyyoureyesadjust.Youcannowseedetailintheshadowareasoftheroomandalongthewallthatisilluminatedwithsunshine.
Similarly,dynamicrangeisthedifferencebetweenthelightesttonalvaluesyoucansee(thebrightsunshineonthewall)andthedarkesttonalvaluesthatstillemitafaintbitofdetail(theshadowsinthecorner).Brightareas,alsocalledhighlights,thataresobrightthatyoucannolongerseeanydetails,aresaidtobe“blownout.”Darkareasthathavegonetotallyblackare“plugged.”
Itisasadfactoflifethatthehumaneyeiscapableofperceivingagreaterdynamicrangethancanbecaughtonasingleframeoffilmorinasingleversionofadigitalcapture.I’veemphasizedthephrase“inasingleversion”becausethekeytocreatingimagesthatmatchandsurpassthedynamicrangeofhumanvisionistorealizethatdigitalphotographyisnotlimitedtoasingleversionofacapture,orevenonlyonecapture.Masteringthecraftofextendingdigitaldynamicrangeenablesyoutocreatecompositionsthatwouldhavebeenimpossiblebeforedigital.
WhenyousetyourcameratocaptureJPEGfiles,thenyougetonlyoneversionofyourdigitalcapture,anditsdynamicrangeislimited.However,theadvantageandpowerofshootinginRAWformatisthatyoucanaccessalltheinformationthatwaspresentwhenyoumadethecapture.Evenmoreexcitingisthatit’spossibletoprocesstheRAWfilemorethanonce,forbothlighteranddarkerpartsofthephoto.Youcanthenmulti-RAWprocess,whichmeansyoucreateacombinationofthebestofthevariousversionstogreatlyextendthedynamicrange.
Therearenoreal“gotchas”here,exceptittakesquiteabitoftimetocarefullyprocessaRAWimagefilemorethanonce.CombiningtheversionsinPhotoshoporsomeothereditingprogramalsotakestime.Ofcourse,therearesomecompositionsinwhichyouwanttheblackstobeveryblackandthewhitestobeverywhite;theseareprobablynotgoodcandidatesformulti-RAWprocessing.Inthesecases,asingleconversionwilldojustfine.
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processing.Inthesecases,asingleconversionwilldojustfine.
AsingleprocessedversionofthisphotoofawhitefenceandthelongPointReyesNationalSeashorebeachwassufficientbecauseIwantedthefencetobebrilliantlywhite.Thereweren’tmanyshadowareasinthephoto,andIdidn’tmindiftheywentcompletelyblack.
55mm,1/400ofasecondatf/10andISO200,handheld
ThisalmostmonochromaticimageofawinterstorminYosemitefeaturesahighdynamicrangebetweenthedarkareasunderthebranchesandthebrightestpartofthesnow.Itwouldnothavebeenpossibletoholdthedetailinbothlightanddarkareaswithoutprocessingtheseareasseparatelyand
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combiningthemtomakethefinalimage.
Fromacompositionalstandpoint,thisimageworksbecausethedarkbranchesintheforegroundoftheimageframetheclassicviewofYosemiteValley.Withouttheabilitytoextendthedynamicrange,thecompositionwouldbelesssubtlebecausetheforegroundwouldbemuddyandextremelydark.
20mm,1/250ofasecondatf/10andISO200,tripodmounted
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ExtendingDynamicRange
SnowinYosemiteNationalParkislikecatnipforalandscapephotographer.Ihadagreattimeshootingforanextendedbookproject,andIdidn’tworrytoomuchaboutthingslikedynamicrangewhileIwascreatingmyimages.
YetwhenIsawthiscaptureofasnowstorminYosemitefromthefamousTunnelViewoverlook,thecompositionseemedabitbland.IfIprocessedthephotofortheforeground,theskywouldbetoolight;processingfortheskyleftaforegrounddarkandwithoutdetail.
Fixingthecompositioncalledformulti-RAWprocessing.IcreatedtwoversionsofthephotofromthecameraRAW:oneprocessedfortheforeground,andoneprocessedforthesky.ThenIcombinedthetwoimagesusinglayers,alayermaskandtheGradientToolinPhotoshop.
Puttingtogetherthetwolayerstookonlyacoupleofminutesandresultedinacompositionwithafargreaterdynamicrangethaneitheroftheseparateconversions.Ofcourse,tofullybringoutthegrandeuroftheYosemitelandscape,afewfurthertweakstothecolorandcontrastwererequired;butthetwo-stagemulti-RAWconversionistheessentialbasisforthefinishedimage.
Imadethisversiondarkersothatthedetailsineventhelightestcloudareaswereheld.
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IprocessedthisversionfromtheRAWfiletobringoutthedetailsintheforegroundtrees.
ThisviewofadramaticwintersnowstorminYosemiteValleyshowsagreaterdynamicrangethanwouldhavebeenpossibleinasingleversionofthephoto.
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ExposingfortheEarthandSkyatNight
Adarklandscapewithastarryskypresentsanexposureconundrum:theskyismuchbrighterthanthelandscape.Tofixthiskindofcomposition,youcanusemulti-RAWprocessingtocombinelighteranddarkerversionsofthesamephoto.
Tocapturethisimage,Iopenedtheshutterforthirtyminutesatf/4,withtheskyandstartrailsinmind.WhenIprocessedtheskynormally,theTenayaValley(belowHalfDome)wasprettymuchblack(upperversion).
Byeye,Icouldseedetailsinboththeskyandinthelandscape.YetIknewthataconventionalexposurewouldnotbeabletorenderbothareasinmycompositionwithmeaningfuldetail.
Byopeninguptheexposureapproximatelythreef-stops,Iwasabletocreateaversioninwhichthevalleydetailwasrendered.Thisisaneight-times-exposuredifference,aseachsuccessivefullf-stopletsinhalfthelightoftheprecedingf-stop.
Usingmulti-RAWprocessinginPhotoshop,Icombinedthetwoversionsasthebasisforaninterestinglandscapecompositionwithstrikingstartrailsandanextendeddynamicrange.
Inthisinstance,extendingmydynamicrangeopenedcompositionalpossibilitiesthatdon’texistinconventionalsingle-capturephotography.
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Iprocessedthisversionforthestartrails.
IprocessedthisversionforHalfDomeandthevalleyfloor.
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FrommyperchonGlacierPoint,IwatchedthestarswheelintheirgreatdisplayoverHalfDome.Asmyeyesadjusted,IcouldbegintomakeoutdetailinHalfDomeandalongthevalleybottom.Idecidedtousemulti-RAWprocessingtocreateanimagethatshowedthisentiredynamicrangeinonecomposition.
12mm,about30minutes(1805seconds)atf/4andISO100,tripodmounted
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Multi-RAWProcessingBeyondLandscapes
It’snotjustlandscapesthatneedmulti-RAWprocessing.Many,ifnotmost,capturesrequiremorethanoneprocessedversiontobringoutcolors,tonesandhiddendetailsinbothbrightandshadowareas.
Evenphotographsmadeinastudiocanusuallybenefitfrommultiplecombinedcaptures(seepages76–77foranexample).ButwhenImadethisimageofatinywildCalypsoOrchidontheforestfloor,IknewthatIwouldneedtoworkwiththeimagedatawithinasinglecapturebecausetherewastoomuchmovementtosuccessfullyalignmultiplecaptures.
PhotographingwildCalypsoorchidscanbeachallengebecausetheyareverysmall,pronetomovementandusuallyfoundindarkareasoftheforest.Topartiallyovercomethesechallenges,IboostedmyISOwhenImadethiscapture.
SometranslucentpartsoftheCalypsoOrchidreflectedindappledbeamsofsunshinewhereraysoflighthittheforestfloor.Iprocessedadarkversionfortheselightareas.Next,Iprocessedalighterversionforthecomparativelydarkpartsoftheflower.Iusedlayers,alayermaskandtheGradientTooltoputthetwolayerstogetherinPhotoshop.
IprocessedthisversionforthebrighterareasoftheCalypsoOrchidinsunlight,sotheversionisdarkoverall.
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Iprocessedthisversionforthedarkerareasoftheorchidandbackground,sotheversionislightoverall.
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AlongthePacificforestfloor,foraweekortwoinlatespring,Calypsoorchidsbloom.Youhavetoknowwheretolookforthesetinyflowers,whichareoftencamouflagedinoldleaves,pineneedlesandotherforestdetritus.Bycombiningthelighteranddarkerversionsofthiscapture,Icreatedacompositionthatispleasingacrossitsentiredynamicrange.
200mmmacro,36mmextensiontube,onesecondatf/40andISO400,tripodmounted
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BracketingLandscapeExposures
Oneapproachtoextendingthedynamicrangebycombiningdifferentexposuresistousesoftwaretocreatethecomposite.IprefertouseahandHDR(HighDynamicRange)processinwhichIdecidewhatpartsofthecompositionaremappedtoeachexposure.Inmyopinion,handHDRleadstomorenaturalcompositionswithincreaseddynamicrange—althoughcombiningseparateimagesbyhandistimeconsuming.
LookingdownatZionCanyon,Utah,inthebrightspringsunshine,itwascleartomethatIcouldn’tcreateasingleexposurethatwouldcapturethedynamicrangefromthedeep,blackshadowsintheforegroundtothewhitecloudsinthebackground.
SoImadeanumberofdifferentexposuresataconstantaperture,bracketingtheshutterspeeds.Ithencombinedthedifferentexposurestocreateasingleimagewithgreaterdynamicrangethananyoneiftheindividualcaptures.
Top:Imadethisdarkestexposurewiththebrightcloudsinmind.
1/200ofasecond
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Middle:Thisexposurewascreatedwiththemid-tonesofthelandscapeinmind.
1/100ofasecond
Bottom:Thisexposurebringsoutthedetailinthedarkshadowareasinthecliffalongthelowerleftoftheimage.
1/50ofasecond
Southwesternlandscapescanpresentphotographychallengesbecauseoftheextremedynamicrangebetweenshadowareasandthebrightsky.Forexample,thisviewofZionCanyoncouldnotencompassbothcloudsandshadowinasingleexposure.Withdigital,itispossibletocombineexposuresandcreatecompositionsthatshowdetailacrossatremendous
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exposurerange.
Totheeye,thislandscapelooksnaturalbecauseitmimicsthedynamicrangeofhumanperception.Yetthephotopresentsapleasingcompositionthatcouldnothavebeenobtainedconventionallyandworksbecauseitcombinesthebesttonalrangeofseveralexposures.
Aboveandpage74:22mm,threecapturesatshutterspeedsbetween1/200ofasecondand1/50ofasecond;eachcaptureatf/10andISO100,tripodmounted
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CombiningFlowerCaptures
Iphotographedthissmallfloweronalightbox,takingmultiplecaptureswithaplantocombinethemtogetthefulldynamicrangeofthetransparentflowerwithitsdarkerstems.
Iusedthesameapertureoneachcapture,varyingtheshutterspeed,andtookcarenottomovethecamera,flowerortripod.
Providedeachseparateexposureisexactlylinedup,itisveryeasytousethebest“passages”fromeachcapturetocomeupwiththefinalcomposition.
IreviewedthedifferentcapturesI’dmadeatdifferentshutterspeedsinAdobeBridgebeforehand-processingtheversionstogether.
Herearetheexposures,rangingfromlightesttodarkest:
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Top:Iexposedthisversionat13secondstogetmaximumbrightness.
Seconddown:Ateightseconds,thedetailwaspleasing.
Thirddown:Liketheeight-secondversion,thefour-secondshowsnicedetail,butit’sabitdarkerformoresaturation.
Bottom:Thedarkestexposure,attwoseconds,suppliedsomeofthedarklinesforthefinalversion.
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ThefourcapturesofthissmallNegillaDamascena(commonname,Love-in-the-mist)werecombinedtocreatethecompositeimageshownabove.Thecombinationofsharpandsoftelements,derivedfromthedifferentcapturesshownonpage76,makeacompositionthatisstrikingandunusual.
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ExtendingFocalRange
Usingthe“magic”ofdigitalphotographyandpost-processing,youcanextendmorethanexposurerangeinaphoto.Bycombiningcaptures,inaprocesssometimescalledfocusstacking,youcanextendthefocalrangebeyondwhat’spossibleinanysingleimage.
Thishigh-focal-rangetechniquecreatesakindofhyper-realimpactandisapowerfulcompositionaloptionthatwouldnothavebeenpossiblepriortotheadventofdigitaltechnology.
Generally,eachexposureinafocusstackshouldbeatthesameaperture.Ifyouvarytheapertures,thendepth-of-fieldwillnotbeconstant,leadingtoperceptualdifferencesinthecapturesthatmakeupyourimage.
Thisleadstothebiggestchallengeincreatingfocusstacks:composingyourimagessothattheyseamlesslyfittogether.
Besuretopickyourfocuspointswiththisissueinmind.Forexample,intheextremeclose-upoftheflowershownbelow,IknewthatIcouldeasilymeldthetopofthestyleontotherestoftheflowerbecausetheedgesweredefinedandtheexactsizingdidn’tmatter.
Justkeepinmindthatchangingthepointoffocusalsochangesthemagnification.Inotherwords,imagesofthesamesubjectthatarefocuseddifferentlywilllookbigger(orsmaller).Thismeansthatyouneedtochoosefocuspointsthatarefairlyclose.Iftherearesignificantgapsinthepointsoffocus,thenthecapturescannotbejoinedsmoothly.
Ifout-of-focuselementsareanannoyanceratherthananelegantpartofyourcomposition,youcanconsiderextendingthein-focusareasofanimageusingmultiplecapturesatdifferentfocuspoints.Thistechniquemakesitpossibletocreatecompositionswithgreaterapparentclarity.
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Iphotographedthisverytinyflowerindoors(tocontrolwind)andbacklititwiththebrightlightofthemorningsun.YetIcouldnotgetboththestyle(whichsticksoutabit)andtheanthers(thethingscoveredwithpollen)infocus.
Mysolutionwastoextendthefieldoffocusbytakingtwoseparatephotographs,eachwithadifferentpointoffocus.SinceIusedthesameapertureineachexposure,Icouldmanuallycombinethetwoimagesaslayersinpost-processingtoextendthefieldoffocus.Inthiscase,Itooktwocaptures—onefocusedonthestyleandonefocusedontheanthers.
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Thereflectionsinthisswimmingpoolladderintriguedmebecausetheylookedlikeanabstractworkofstainedglass.Ifocusedonthreedifferentpoints,usingtwodifferentexposuresforeachfocuspoint,andlatercombinedthesixcapturesbyhandinPhotoshoptoextendboththedynamicandfocalranges.
Althoughthereissoftwarethatautomatestheprocess,IprefertomanuallycombineimageswithdifferentfocuspointsinPhotoshop.
Bycombiningthedifferentfocuspointsinthisimage,Imanagedtocreateacompositionthatcontraststheentirelyin-focusrailwiththeblurofthewaterinthepool.Iftherailwasnotcompletelysharp,thiscompositionwouldnotwork.
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WorkflowandDigitalAssetManagement
I’vementionedbeforethatitisimportanttophotographfrequently.“HowdoyougettoCarnegieHall?”goestheoldjoke,withtheanswer,“Practice,practice.”
Todevelopandmaintainphotographicvirtuosity,youneedtopractice,practice…bytakinglotsofphotographs.Anditfollowsthattakingmanyphotographsgeneratesmanyfilestostore,aneedforacoherentandconsistentworkflow,andtheneedtoprotectyourimagecollection—ideallywithadigitalassetmanagementscheme.
Photosthatrequiremulti-RAWpost-processing(seepages66–73)involvemultiplecapturestoextenddynamicrange(pages74–77)ortoextendfocalrange(pages78–79).Andmultiplecapturesconsumemorestoragespacethan“singleton”images.Plus,ifyouliketoplayinPhotoshop,asIdo,thatwillburnthroughevenmorespace.
Soyouneedanarchivingsystemthatwillallowyoutofindthecomponentpiecesoftheseimagesifyoudecidetoworkonthemmoreatalaterdate.
Youshouldarrangeahierarchicalfolderandfile-namingsystemthatenablesyoutofindyourimageseasily.Setupafolderforeachyear;andwithinanygivenyear,listfolderschronologicallybyyear,month,andday.Youcanuseadescriptiveslugoneachfoldertohelpyoufindyourphotosessions.
Ifyoudon’twanttocomeupwithyourownsystem,there’savarietyofsoftwarethatwillhelpyouwiththesetasks.
Everymajorstepinyourpost-processedworkflowshouldbearchived,soyoucangetbacktothatstepandresumeworkfromthereifyoueverneedto.
It’simportanttosaveredundantcopiesofyourphotofiles.Unfortunately,there’snoperfectwaytoarchiveyourbackupfiles.DVDdisksarenotgenerallyverystable,sothebestbetistostoreyourbackupsonharddiskdrives.(Iusenetwork-attachedstorageunitsinRAID5configuration.)Inaddition,ideally,onebackupcopyshouldbeoff-siteincaseoffire,theftorotherunexpectedevent.
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event.
ThisisaphotographofapileofbarkfromaMulberryTree,sometimescalledthe“PaperTree.”Ienjoyedframingatexturalcompositionfromthistranslucentbark.
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IcreatedthisabstractcompositionusingthephotoofPaperTreebarkasitsoriginalbasis.Therewerenumerousintermediatestepsinthisprocess,andIendedupsaving25differentfilesintheprocess.Thepost-processingworkinvolvedmorethan300layers.
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Unleashyourimagination
SunsetcameswiftlyalongtheruggedCaliforniacoast;afewminutesafterItookthisphoto,theworldwasimmersedinfog.
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UsingVisualAmbiguity
Lookatthephotoonthefacingpage.Whatdoyousee?
DoesthisimageshowaChineselandscapeofmountains?Lookagain.Lookmoreclosely.
Ifthisisaphotoofalandscapepaintingofmountains,whyaretherefootstepsrunningacrossthetopsofthemountains?And,couldthatbedriftwoodspecklingthescene?
Amomentofcloserinspectionwillrevealthatyouarelookingatapatternmade
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Amomentofcloserinspectionwillrevealthatyouarelookingatapatternmadebywavesonabeach.Infact,thephotoonthefacingpageisacroppedandrotatedversionofthephotoshownbelow.
It’shumantoseeonlywhatweexpecttosee.Animplicationisthatphotographersoftenmissvisualambiguity.
Butambiguitypacksrealcompositionalpunch.There’ssomethingmagicalandcompellingaboutinspiringtheviewertosay,“Nowwaitaminute!”
Evenifyouknowperfectlywellthatyouarelookingatabeach,atsomelevelyoumaynotbecompletelysure.Seedingthiskindofdoubtintheviewer—ataconsciousorunconsciouslevel—addspowertoyourcompositions.
Lookforopportunitiestocreatecompositionsthatcompeladoubletakeandofferthedeliciousvertigoofvisualambiguity.Here’show.
Startbylearningtoidentifyvisualambiguitiesyourself.Watchforvisualsthatcanbeinterpretedinmultipleways.Someofthebestsubjectsforthisarefoundinnature:water,wood,animalsandtopographyappearinshapesthatresemblethingstheyarenot.
Onceyoubeginseeingtheseopportunities,youcanworkphotographicallytoemphasizetheambiguity.
It’salsoimportanttopayattentiontounusualdetailsandpatternsthatareeasytomiss.Sometimestheoverlookedaspectofasubjectisexactlywhatwillmakeaninterestingphoto.
That’swhyIwasthrilledwhenIsawthepatternofwavesonthebeachshownintheseimagesandrealizedtheyresemblemountainswhenthecropisturnedsideways.
Anotherpoint:It’salwaysworthtakingasecondlookatyourphotostoseeiftheymightbenefitfromadifferentcrop,enlargementorrotation.Sometimesaverysimplemovecanvastlychangethewayanimageisseen.
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Bothcrops:LookingdownatthegreatbeachinPointReyesNationalSeashore,Iwasentrancedbythepatternsofwaterleftbythesurf.IusedaPolarizingfiltertobringoutthecolorinthewater.
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SeeingtheUnexpected
It’satruismthatweseewhatweexpecttosee.Preconceptionscolorandinfluencetheimageswefind,anditischallengingtomakephotosthatdon’tfitthemoldofourexpectations.Learningtobecomeflexibleaboutthephotoopportunitiesinfrontofyouisvitallyimportanttomakingphotosthatgobeyondtheordinary.
Iconfess:Iliketoreadfantasyandadventurenovels.I’veespeciallyenjoyedreadingnavaladventures—manysetintheNapoleonicera.Inthesestories,thehero,oftenadaringanddashingcaptainofasmallbutpowerfulfrigate,invariablysaveshiscommandfromsurpriseattack—becauseheisabletoseetheunexpected,suchasanenemyshipwherenoshipoughttobe.
Similarly,thesinglemostimportanttraitofacreativephotographerislearningtoputasideexpectationsandsee“whatisreallythere”withoutpreconceptions.
Onmyassignments—whetherfromaclientorself-assigned—Ialwaystrytolookbeyondtheliteralproject.Iaskmyself:Isthereanotherwaytoapproachthis?WhatifItryanewdirection,eventhoughitisnotquitewhereIexpectedtobegoing?
Whenyouwanderinanemptystadiumliketheoneshowninthephotototheleft,doyouseeseatsandbleachersorhorizontallinesdividedbydiagonallines?Whichinterpretationismorereal,whichisclosertowhatisreallythere,andwhichismoreinteresting?
Withoutacamera,observeasceneclosely.Lookfortheabstractpatternthatdominatesthescene.Decidewhetheryougetmoremileagefromthecontentofthephotoorfromtheabstraction.Eitherway,havingmorethanonewayofseeingathinghelpstoexpandyourworldofartisticoptions.
Asanexercise,picksomethingthatyou’velookedatoftenandthatyouthinkisvisuallyboring.Now,letgoofyourpreconceptionsaboutthesubject.Studyitcarefully.Findsomethingyouhaven’tnoticedaboutitbeforeandmakeanimageusingthisdetail.
Iguaranteethattherearenewwaystoseeanysubject—nomatterhowoftenyouhavelookedatit.Keeponthelookoutforunexpectedsubjects.Youneverknow
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havelookedatit.Keeponthelookoutforunexpectedsubjects.Youneverknowwhereyouwillfindthem.Honingthese“unexpected”waysofseeingwillhelpyourphotosbecomericherandmorepowerful.
Iwasinastadiumlookingforanoverallarchitecturalshot,butthelightingconditionsdidn’tcooperate.Yetthestairsandemptystandsinthegoldenlateafternoonlightmadeaninterestingpattern.SoIletgoofmypreconceptionforthisshootandmadethephotothatwasthereforthetaking.
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Onedoesn’texpecttofindastrikingbluefeatheronagrittyurbanstreet.SoIwassurprisedtolookdownandseethisbeautifulbluefeather.Itwasn’twhatI’dbeenexpectingtoseeortophotographthatday.ButIwasabletorecognizeasubjectdespitemypreconceptions.
Theambientlightonthefeatherwasgreatjustwhereitwas,soIgotdownonthesidewalkwithmytripodandmacrorigandstartedshooting.Passersbylookedatmeoddly,buttheonlyrealtechnicalhitchwasthatthefeatherkepttryingtoblowaway.
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InremotedarknessIdescendedthestairstothePointReyesLighthouse.Dropletsofwaterhungtoeverythinginthedensefog.Soundsseemedmuffled;eventhesavagePacificOceanbreakerscouldbarelybeheard.Nightphotographyinthefogpresentedtwoenormouschallenges.Icouldhardlyseethehandinfrontofmyface.Thentherewasmomentarybrightness,andI“saw”thepossibilityofanunusualandsubtlecompositioninthefogthatemphasizedthebrightnessofthediffusedlight.
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ThePowerofVision
Whenphotographersusethepowerofvision,theyknowwhatascenerevealsandhowtheywanttopresentitinthefinalphoto.Inotherwords,thethreestepstousingvisionare:
1. Clearlyseeingasubjectasitis,forbetterandworse,includingaspectsthatwereunexpected.
2. Pre-visualizingthefinalimage.3. Understandinghowtoaccomplishtheimageyouenvision.
Withoutpre-visualizinganimage,it’sdifficulttochoosethetoolsandtechniquesneededtocreateit.Knowingwhatyouwantwithanimagehelpsidentifythestepsyoumusttaketomakeit.
Sometimesphotographsarespontaneousandcasual“grabshot”responsestoasituation,andthat’softenokay.Butfrequentlyanimageisimprovedwhenamorethoughtfulapproachistaken.Ithelpstostartwithasenseofwhereyoumightbegoingvisually.Togainthe“PowerofVision”advantage,youneedto:
Practiceseeingwhatisinfrontofyou,includingtheunexpected.Figureoutwhatyourphotoisreallyabout.Workonpre-visualizinghowyourphotowillcomeout.Createagameplanforcapturingandprocessingtheimage.
Onceyouimplementthepowerofyourvisioninphotography,youwillprobablynevergoback.Yourworkwillbericherandshowaninnermeaning,becauseyourvisionwillfacilitatephotosthatareuniquelyyours.
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Forme,thistreesymbolizesbothstrengthandsolitude,asitstandsaloneagainstalltheworld.Tobringthecompositionoftheimageinlinewithmyvisionofthesubjectmatter,IprocessedthephotoinPhotoshoptomakethebackgroundsoftanddream-likeincontrasttotheharderedgesoftheoff-centertree.
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Withsunshineintermittentandminglingwiththestorm,Iphotographedthetreeswithgreatsnowycliffsbehind.Tovisuallyunderstandthescaleofthelandscapeinthisphoto,youneedtoseethetreesinthemiddledistance.Thecompositionisinterestingbecauseitcomparesthetinytreesinthedistancewiththemuchlargertreeintheforeground.InamedthisphotoEnteringtheSanctuary,becauseformeitisaboutcomingintoaveryspecialplace.
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ComingintoYosemiteValleyinaragingblizzard,Istoppedtophotograph,intriguedbythegnarledshapeofthetreeatthelowerrightcornerofthephoto.Thestormliftedforamoment,andthecontrastbetweenthetreeandthedistantviewacrossthevalleycreatedaninterestingcomposition.
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PhotographyisMagic
There’sathinlinebetweentheeverydayworldwethinkweknowwellandthemagicalworldofstunning—butoftenoverlooked—details.It’snotalwayspossibletocrossthislineandbe“inthezone”whenyouwantto.
Forme,sometimesitisn’teasycomingbackonceIaminthezonecreatingphotographicmagic.Butwhenphotographersareabletosuccessfullyintegratethephotographicworldsofthemundaneandmagical,interestingimagesusuallyresult.
InTheKingofElfland’sDaughter,EdwardianfantasywriterLordDunsanywroteaboutslippingoverthelinefromourworldbeyondthefieldsweknowintofaerie.Onreturning,yearshadpassedandnothingwaseverthesameagain.
Thethemeoffindingbeautybutatacostcomesupoverandoveragaininnearlyeveryartform.Onceyoufindyourcreativityandinspiration,youcan’tgohomeagain.Butwhywouldyouwantto?
IwasthinkingofDunsany’snovelwhenIslippedoutbeforedawntophotographdandelionscoveredinthemorning’sdew(imagetotheright).Asthemorningsunstartedtorise,thedropletsofdewwerecoloredwithmagicalcolorsandmyimaginationwastransportedtoanewandstrangeland.Ithinkthephotoconveys,asoneviewerhassaid,the“intricatedetailofnature’sperfection.”
Magicalphotographyhappensbymovingbetweentheworldofyourmundanerealityandfantasticpossibility.This,bytheway,doesn’tmeanthattheresultingimagesmustbebeautiful;thesephotographsarejustdifferentandofteninawaythatishardtocategorize.Thissenseofdifferenceisoftenwhatgivesmagicalphotostheirpower.
Toharnessthispower,startwithaplaceyouknowverywellandfindawayto“slipthroughthecracks”andseeitwithneweyes.Useyournewperceptionstocreatephotosyoucanbringbackandconnecttotheeverydayworld.
Incidentally,youdon’thavetobelieveinmagictomakemagicworkforyou.Attemptingtomergeexperienceandtranscendentpossibilitycanbeapproachedasanexercise.You’llbegintoseeunexpectedpatternsanddetailsandtoclaim
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asanexercise.You’llbegintoseeunexpectedpatternsanddetailsandtoclaimyourownvision.Thisexercisewillhelpyouowntheprocessofimagecreationthatisakindofphotographicmeditation.
Inthechill,dampairbeforesunrise,Ilefttoexploreafieldinthefog.Asthesunrisebegan,thedewdropscoatingthissmallflowercamealivewithamyriadofunusualcolors.Ifocusedcarefullyonthecenteroftheflowertocreateanapparentexplosionofcolorinthewaterdropsthatreflectedthe
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sun.
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There’smagicinthemundane.Photographicmagicisnotjustaboutlargevistasandhugepossibilities;itisalsoaboutthesmallthingsinlife.Ifyoulookcloselyateverydayobjects,itisalmostcertainthatyou’llseedetailsyoudidn’texpect.Forexample,unlessyou’velookedreallycloselyatthekindofbabypacifiershownonthesepages,youmaynothavenoticedthattheopeningsaremoldedintheshapeofaheart.
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Householdobjectsreflectthequietmagicofhearthandhome.Personalobjectscanconveythemagictheirowner.Indeed,sometimesyoucanfindartinthemostunlikelyplaces.
Wherecanyoufindmagicinthemundane?
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AWorldofMystery
Torevealallistoleavenothingmysterious—nothingtotheimaginationofthosewhoviewyourphotos.
Neverunderestimatethepowerofimagination.Fromsmallscrapsofavisualidea,imaginationcanbuildpalaces,peopleandlandscapesthatarefargranderthananythingyoucouldexplicitlyconstruct.
Ifyoushoweverydetail,there’snothingleftforyourviewertoexplore.
Ontheotherhand,ifyouframeyourphotosusingmystery,thentheportionsofyoursubjectmatterthatarehiddenwillbeasimportanttoyourcompositionasthepartsthatareclearlyvisible.
Fogcanbeusedasagreat“cloakingdevice”thatshroudsportionsofalandscapephoto.Whatotherwayscanyoucomposeaphotowithasenseofmysterybyonlypartiallydisclosingyoursubject?
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Thefogonthecliffclearedforamoment,andImadesuretocaptureplentyofthewalloffogasabackgroundinthisphoto.Thisallowedthefogtoframethevisibledetailandtherebycreateasenseofmystery.
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DoubleTakes
Visualpuns,ornearpuns,areagoodwaytocreateanimagethatmakesviewersdoadouble-take.
IfIhavetolooktwicetomakesurethataphotois(orisn’t)ofsomethingnaughty,thenI’mmorelikelytolooktwice.(Theflowerphotosonthenextpageusethiskindofvisualdoubleentendre.)Thesizeofreproductionplaysanimportantroleindouble-takesaswell.Whenaphotoislargeryoumaybeabletoclearlyseeeverythinginit,whichmeansthereismuchlesspossibilityofambiguityoradouble-takeresponse.Butwhenthesamephotoisshownatpostage-stampsize,itismorelikelythatthecontentmayappeartobesomethingitisnot.
Doubletakesdon’thavetobe—andusuallyarenot—absolute.Thehintofasecondmeaninginaphotohelpsprovideextrainterest.Butthehintdoesn’thavetofoolanyoneforverylong.
ShippedinfromChinaandclearingtheGoldenGateBridgebyonlyseveralfeetatlowtide,thesegiantcranesdominatePortOakland,California.Ienjoyedmakingthisphotobecausethesehugepiecesofindustrialequipmentresemblegigantichorses.
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AsIstrolledacrosstheoldNavajoBridge,camerainhand,IrealizedthatafisheyeviewofthemoremodernparallelspanacrosstheColoradoRiverlookedsomewhatlikeahumaneyeifthesizeoftheimageisreduced.
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Flowersareinherentlysexy,andnoflowerismoresothanpoppies;thisoneisshownclose-upwiththepodjustopening.Poppiestendto“pop”veryquickly(whichiswhytheyarecalledpoppies!).Ifyouwanttocatchonepopping,youneedtopaycloseattention.Iwatchedthispoppycloselyover
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thecourseofafewhoursandcaughtitjustasthebudwasemerging.
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Thisisanextremeclose-upofthespadix—thereproductiveorgans—ofaCallaLily.Imadethiscompositionbecauseitisanunusualviewofaflowerthatmostpeopleneversee.
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It’seasytoprojectothermeaningsonthisphotoofawetIcelandicpoppy.Theinterestofthesubjectmatterisobvious;asapracticalmatter,gettingmytripodinpositiontoframethiscompositionwithitscrossingverticalanddiagonallineswasquiteachallenge.
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PhotographyandNarration
Photographstellstories.However,thestoryisnotalwayscleartosomeonelookingataphoto.Infact,thenatureofthenarrativeissometimesuncleartothesubjectofaphoto.Asaphotographer,youshouldbeawareofthestoryyouaretryingtotell.Youdon’tnecessarilyneedtofullysharethestorywithyoursubjects.
Forinstance,whenfamedenvironmentalportraitistArnoldNewmanphotographedGermanindustrialistAlfredKrupp,NewmanwantedtoshowKrupp’sroleasanemployerofslavelaborbehindtheNaziregime.AsNewmannotedinaninterview,“Kruppwasaveryevilman”whofedtheslavelaborersinhisfactorieshalfthecaloriesthatevenHitlerallowed.Andwhentheseprisonersbecametooweaktowork,Kruppmovedthemtoneighboringconcentrationcampstodie,replacingthemwiththenextbatch.
NewmanthoughtofKruppasa“devil”andknewthatwashowhewantedtoportrayKrupp.Atthesametime,Kruppwasnofool.ThestoryofhowthephotographerNewmanoutwittedtheevilindustrialistandhishenchmenbyhidingwhathewasdoingfromthemmakesgoodreading.
ClearlyNewmanneverwouldhavegotthegreatportraithedidwithoutbeingveryclearhimselfaboutthenarrativehewantedhisphototoshowandbeingpreparedtomanipulateKrupptogetit.
Newman’sportraitofKruppplaysonaworldstagewithextremeevilasthebackdrop.Butdramatakesplaceallthetimearoundus,onabigandsmallscales,inhomesandfamilies,allthetime.
Forexample,acarnivorousplantdigestsafly.Isthestoryofthisphotoaboutexoticflora,orisitaboutthetragedyofafly’sshortlifeandearlydeath?Asphotographer,ifyouplayyourcardsright,yougettodecide.
Ofcourse,timeisacrucialelementinmoststories.Somethinghappens,andaphotographcapturesafrozenmomentoftime.Eventsbeforeandafterarethere,butonlyimplied.Sometimesasinglephotocapturesthewholestory,butmoreoftenittakesasequenceofmanyphotostotellafullnarrative.
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oftenittakesasequenceofmanyphotostotellafullnarrative.
Sothinkcarefullyaboutthenatureofnarrativeinyourphotos.Doyouuseyourphotostotellshortstories,novelsorpoems?
Aphotographwithanobviousnarrative—suchasNewman’sportraitofKrupporacarnivorousplantdigesting—islikeashortstory.Photographsthatarepoetic,suchaswaterdropsintherain,aremoreoblique.Likepoetry,thereisastory,butaviewermayhavetoteaseitout.Itisnotstraightforwardnarrative.
IttookthisVenusFlytrapquiteawhiletodigestthisfly,soIhadtimetocomposethisphotoandshowthestory.Ichosethisanglebecauseitbest
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showedtheprocessoftheflybeingeatenbytheplant.
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Thisportraitofafive-year-oldfocusesontheeyeofachild,andittellsastoryaboutthesimplepleasureofenjoyinga“chocolatesandwich.”
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Thestoryofovernightrainturningtoasunnymorningistoldpoeticallyinthisphotoofwaterdropsonaleafthat’sreflectingthebluesky.Notallnarrativeisdramatic;inthiscase,Iwaslookingatwaterdropsonleavesinmygarden.IknewIhadaninterestingcompositionwhenthecloudsbegantomakewayforblueskyandbitsofthebluewerereflectedinthedrops.
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PhotographyIsPoetry
Ithinkofmanyofmyphotosaspoems.Theseareshortpoeticworks.TheyarenotHomer’sIliadorOdyssey.TheyaremorelikeJapanesehaiku:offeringabriefglimpseofbeautysosweetithurts.
It’suptotheviewertotaketimewiththeseimagesandtofinddeeperpersonalmeaning.Atleast,itismyhopethatdeepermeaningcanbefoundinmyphotographs.
Itisn’talwayseasytocreateaphotographthatisapoem.Likemodernverse,photosthatarepoemscanbefree-formandunstructured.Inmyopinion,thebestapproachisoneofZen-likewonderment.IfyouhaveinternalizedphotographictechniqueasIdescribedinthefirstpartofthisbook,youcanletgoandimproviseasyoucreatephotos.
Whenthingsaregoingright,there’safeelingIhave.IknowwhenIam“inthezone”forcreatingpoeticphotos.Anditdoesn’talwayshappen.It’sagreatfeelingwhenitdoesthough.
Photosthatarepoemsareverycenteredinthemoment.Thereisnopast;the
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Photosthatarepoemsareverycenteredinthemoment.Thereisnopast;thefutureisyettobe;andthebeautyandpoignancyofthepresentareallthereis.
Namedafterthewind,anemonesaredelicateflowersinthebuttercupfamily.IphotographedthisAnemoneJaponicatoemphasizetheinterplaybetweentheroundflowercentersandthetransparentpetals.
200mmmacro,3secondsatf/36andISO100,tripodmounted
Iworkedhardtocapturetheelegantsimplicityandtransparencyoftheblossomsonthischerrybranch.Theprimarychallengewascreatingacoherentcompositionfromwhatseemedamass—albeitabeautifulmass—ofpetals.IovercamethischallengebycarefullyselectingthesegmentofthebranchIphotographed,arrangingthecompositionwithstrongdiagonalandverticallines,andusingahigh-keyexposuretobringoutthecontrastbetweentheblossomsandthebranch.
100mmmacro,4secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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Isnow-shoeduptoVernalFallsinYosemiteValleytocapturethisshot.Inabreakinthestorm,Icapturedtheverticalmotionofthewaterinaworldofstillwhiteness.
150mm,1/800ofasecondatf/5.6andISO200,handheld
Thetexturesofaworldundersnowcontrastwiththesingledetailofthecreekthat’sopenwithrunningwater.
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PhotographyThatTellsaStory
WhenKatieRose,mydaughter,wasbornveryprematurely,shewasgivensingle-digitpercentagechancesforsurvival.Wepreparedfortheworst.Butinthedaysthatfollowed,KatieRosemiraculouslydefiedtheodds.
IknewIhadtophotographtotellthestory—tocapturethemedicalappliancesthatkeptKatieRosealive.Itwasalsoimportantformetocapturetheemotionalcoreofherstoryofhope.
Theremaybepoetryhere,butitisaby-product:thisisphotographyasnarrative.ThestoryisKatieRose’sprogress,organizedonatimeline.
PhotographinginaNewbornIntensiveCareUnit(NICU)presentedsomespecialchallenges:lowlight,widelyvaryinglighttemperatures,andasensitiveenvironmentwhereIcouldn’tuseflashtosupplementthelighting.
ItwasimportanttometotellthestoryofKatieRose’sprogressinamatter-of-factway,sothatotherfamiliesinsimilarsituationsmightbeabletofindhopefromourexperience.
Ialsowantedtoconveytheemotionalimpactoflivingwithababyinintensivecaredayafterday.There’salwaysthepossibilityofheartbreak,butthemiracleofholdingthislittleembodimentofthelifeforce“kangaroo”styleagainstone’schestislifechanging.
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Parentsofpreemiesareencouragedto“kangaroo”holdtheirtinybabiesassoonasitismedicallysafe.Skin-to-skincontacthasbenefitsforbothbabyandparents.
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KatieRosewasconnectedtoIVlines,andshebreathedwiththehelpofaventilator.“Bili”lightsworkedtopreventjaundice.Hereyeswerecoveredtoprotectthem.
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WhenKatieRosewasborn,hereyeswerestillfusedshut.Itookthisphotothedayhereyesfirstopened.
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KatieRose’sbigbrotherscometotheNICUandpeeredthroughtheportalsofherincubator.
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HerpediatricianholdsKatieonherfirstvisitaftercominghomefromthehospital.Sheismanytimesherbirthweighthere.
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IphotographedKatieRoseusingasinglelow-wattagelamptocreateachiaroscuroeffect.
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KatieRoseandhermomenjoyaquietmomentathome,relaxingafterthestressofthemonthsinthehospital.Thiscompositionworksbecauseofthelightonthebaby’sfaceandthecircularmotionofthemother’sarmsaroundthebaby.
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ResearchingYourSubject
AsLouisPasteurputit,“Fortunefavorsthepreparedmind.”Yourchancesofcomposingspecialphotosaregreatlyimprovedifyou’vedoneyourhomeworkbeforeyoustartshooting.
Photographypresentsavastarenaforunleashingyourimagination—thewholeworld…andbeyondtouniversesknownandunknown.Thekindsofresearchrequireddependsuponwhatyouareshooting.Herearesomegeneralideasaboutthekindsofresearchthatmayhelpyouwhenplanningyourphotographysessions.
TheInternethasmadepre-shootresearchmucheasier.Butitstillmakessensetouseold-fashionedtools.Beingabletoeasilyreadamapandfigureoutgoodphotolocationsisanimportantphotographicskill.Anddon’tforgettopickupthephone.Humanbeingtohumanbeing,youcanaskquestionsaboutlocations,conditions,permissionsandaccessibility.Bytalkingtosomeone,youmaygetinformationyoucouldneverfindonawebsite.
Ifyouaregoingtoalocation:Learnaboutthepeople,placesandthingsthere.Studyroadandtopographicmapscarefully.Reviewthehistoryofthearea.Understandthetopographyandtheplantsthatgrowthere.Makenotesinadvanceofsignificantstructures,theirhoursofavailability(iftheyareopentothepublic),andwhatyouneedtodotogetaccessiftheyareprivate.SinceIuseatripodinmostofmyphotography,andsincesomequasi-publicareasdonotallowtripodshooting,thisisanimportantpointformetoresearchinadvance.Ifnecessary,applyforaspecialpermit.
Ifyourshootdependsuponcelestialpositions:Checktheweatherforecastandsatelliteweathermaps.Verifysunrise,sunset,moonrise,moonphase,andmoonsettimesanddirections.YourGPSmayhelpwiththis,andtherearealsowebsitesthatcanproviderelevantinformation,suchastheUnitedStatesNavalObservatory,http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO.
Ifyouareshootingspecificfloraorfauna:Learnasmuchasyoucanabouttheenvironment,habitsandbiologyofyoursubjects.AfterIhadbeenphotographingflowersforawhile,Ipickedupabotanytextbooktolearnmoreabouttheflowerreproductivecycle.TheknowledgeIgainedhashelpedme
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composememorablefloralimagery.
Ifyouarephotographingpeople:Researchyoursubjectsiftimepermits.Mosteverybodythesedayshassomepresenceontheweb.Ifyouknowabitaboutwhatmakesyoursubjectstick,you’llbeabletobetterengagetheirinterest.You’llalsobeinabetterpositiontocomposeinterestingenvironmentalphotosofthem.
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MareIslandisadecommissionedWorldWarIInavalshipyard.It’salocationwithplentyofromantic,industrialbuildingsandmachinery—someinruins.BeforeheadingtoMareIslandforanightshoot,Iresearchedthehistoryofthelocationaswellasthetimeanddirectionofmoonrise.Asthemooncameupbetweentheseabandonedcranes,Iwasreadyforit.
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BeSpecific
Atonetimeorother,almosteveryonehasexperiencedtherevelationofunderstandingaworkofart.Theplotofanovelormoviethatseemedconfusingbecomesclear.Somethingout-of-focuscomesintofocus.Mostpowerfulofall,werealizethatsomethingunclearorvagueisactuallysomethingspecificwecanrelateto.
Bypresentinganapparentlychaoticcompositionthatisactuallyveryspecific,aphotographercangivethoseviewingtheimageasenseofaccomplishmentforpiecingtogetherthepuzzle.
Astheconundrumisresolved,theviewermay“becomeone”withthephotographer.Inotherwords,bringingorderthroughspecificityisagreatstrategyforengaginganaudienceinyourcomposition.Ithelpstoemotionallyalignthoseviewingyourphotographswithyou.
Manysurfaceshavereflections,andmostreflectionsarevisuallyinteresting.Thisdoorknobinalow-lightlocationprovidedaverywide-anglereflection(aswellasaportraitofthephotographer).
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Thisapparentlyabstractcompositionisactuallyahead-on“portrait”ofanantiquecrystaldoorknob.
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Abstraction
Abstraction,asappliedtophotography,hasseveralmeanings.Anabstractphotoisaformalphotothatgetsitspowerandmeaningfromtheshapesandcolorsintheimageratherthanitssubjectmatter.
Takingitonestepfurther,abstractioncaninvolvetakinganimagethathasspecificandidentifiablecontentandusingthatcontentasthebasisforanewcompositionthatabstractsthesubjectsoitmaynolongerbeinterpretedliterally.
Notallattemptsatabstractioninthissecondsensewillwork.Makingthiskindofimagetakesagreatdealoftrialanderror.Butwhenthecompositionsdocometogether,theyareamongmymostartisticallyandcommerciallysuccessfulwork.
Thereflectioninthepotonthestovetopinterestedmebecausethecompositionseemedtoimplydomestic,householdmagic.
Iworkedtocreateseveralabstractionsfromtheoriginalphoto.
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Lookingattheimagewithoutseeingthephotoitderivesfrom,aviewerperceivesanimagethat’strulyabstract.IworkedhardinPhotoshoptomakeanimagethatlooksmorelikeawatercolorthanaphoto;youcanseethisparticularlyinthebluebottleontherightsideoftheimage.
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Iphotographedraindropsonaredsodacan(below).Next,Icreatedgreenandbluecanvasesfromtheredversionbyreversingcolorchannelswithintheimage(right).Then,Iproceededthroughaseriesofabstractions,whichIcombinedintothefinalversions(farright).
Allimages:200mmmacro,2.5secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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Itransformedthesimplephotoofashadowonacarpet(above)intotheinterestingabstractionshownontheright,usingPhotoshop.
Oneofmyfirststepswastorotatetheimagesothatitwashorizontalinsteadofvertical.Then,Iinvertedtheblackshadowtomakeitappeargrayish.Afterthat,Iusedpaintingandcolorizationtechniquestocomeupwiththepsychedelicpaletteyouseeintheimage.
Bothimages:52mm,1/200ofasecondatf/8andISO200,handheld
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PlausibleAbstraction
Allowingviewerstoresolveanambiguouscompositionintospecificityisapowerfultechnique.(Thedoorknobphotosonpages120–121areexamplesofthistechnique.)However,attimes,abstractionitselfcreatesthepossibilityofcompositionsthatarericherthananythingfoundin“reallife.”(Youcanfindexamplesonpages122–127.)Howcanthisapparentcontradictionbetweenthenaturaldesiretoresolveambiguityandtheenjoymentofabstractionberesolved?
Thekeyistocreatepartialabstractionsthataregroundinreality.
Itmaynotbevitaltothesecompositionsthatthespecificsubjectmatterisrecognizable.Atthesametime,viewersshouldunderstandthatitisreal.
Thisgroundstheabstraction,makingitplausible,andpresentsthepossibilityofcreatingcompellingandmagicalimagerythatdoesn’toverwhelmtheviewerwiththekindofqueasinessonecansometimesfeelaftereatingtoomuchrichfood.
ThisisaphotographtakenattheMarinCivicCenterinSanRafael,California.ThebuildingwasdesignedbythefamousarchitectFrankLloydWright,asoneofhislastmajorprojects.Theuseofafisheyelensinthis
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photoabstractsthecurveofthisstairwell,essentiallyusinganopticaltricktoturnwhatwouldbeaconventionalphotoofarchitectureintoaplausibleabstraction.
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ThisisanotherphototakeninFrankLloydWright’sMarinCivicCenter.Asopposedtothephotoontheoppositepage,whichisclearlylookingdownastairwell,youmaynotbeabletotellthattheviewshowninthisphotoislookingupastairwell.Formanyviewers,ittakesabitoftimetoseethespecificityinthispartialabstraction.Thephotocanbeenjoyedonbothlevels:asanimageofarchitectureandasaplausibleabstraction.
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Photographyandparadox
Icombinedaphotographofaspiralstaircasewithoneofaspiralshelltocreateaseamlesscompositeoftwoverydifferentspirals.
Stair:18mm,6secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmountedShell:50mmmacro,8secondsatf/32andISO100,tripodmounted
CombiningImages
EverytimeIcombinephotosintoacollage,Iunderstandthatmyfinishedimagesmusteitherworksurrealisticallyorhaveelementsofparadox…orboth.
I’vefoundthataverysuccessfulcompositionaltechniqueistoblendphotoswithcopiesofthemselves,reproducedatavarietyofsizesandangles.
Whethercompositinganimagewithitselforwithanotherimage,itisimportant
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Whethercompositinganimagewithitselforwithanotherimage,itisimportanttokeepcontinuityofcompositioninmind.
Anoftenoverlookedpointisthatthecolorvaluesandlightingdirectionofallpartsofaphotocompositeneedtomatch.Inaddition,thecombinationshouldalmostalwaysbeseamlesssothatlinesandshapescontinuefromonepartofthecompositiontoanotherwithoutobviousbreaksordiscontinuities.
IshotthisspiralstaircaseinabackareaofSanFrancisco’sEmbarcaderoCenter.
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ThisimageisreminiscentofM.C.Escher’sstaircases;thiscompositeiscomprisedofmanyresizedandrotatedversionsofthespiralstairsshownontheleft.
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PhotographyIsDeception
ArtistM.C.Escher’sworkexploredthenatureoftherelationshipbetween“reality”andaperson’sperceptionofit.Hedidsobywarpingrealityintosomethingnewanddifferentthatlookedpossiblebutsomehowviolatedtheknownrulesofperspective.
OtherartistssuchasSalvadorDaliandReneMagrittealsodepictedrealitybutusedapparentlyrealelementstocreatescenesthatcouldnotpossiblybereal.
AsInotedintheintroductiontothisbook,aphotographisnotreality.Atmost,aphotoisatwo-dimensionalrepresentationthatinsomerespectscorrespondstoourperceptionofreality.
Accomplishedphotographersofthepre-digitalera,includingManRayandJerryUelsmann,usedthedarkroomtocreatecompelling,butunreal,imagesthatwereclearlyaformofdeception.
Theartofrearrangingtheelementsofaphotoorcombiningphotostocreateanewimageiscalledphotocompositing.Digitaltechnologymakesiteasierthaneverbeforetousephotocompositingtomakecompositionsthatareexplicitlyintendedtobefantastic,paradoxicalorsimplyunreal.
Infact,withdigitalphotographyithasbecomequiteachallengetodeterminewhatis“real”andwhatisnot.
Post-processinganimageshouldnotberegardedasasubstituteforcreatingthebestpossiblein-cameracompositionatthetimeoftheexposure.Forme,thepossibilityofextendingmyphotosusingcompositingtocreateimagesthatareimplicitlyorexplicitlyunrealaddsexcitingpossibilitiestomycompositionalpalette.
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FortPointisahistoricmilitarystructurethatpre-datesCalifornia’sindependencefromMexico.Withinthedarkinteriorpassages,IsawatunnelthatpresentedthekindofrepetitivevisualelementthatIlookforwhencreatinganimagethathasanimpossiblydistantvanishingpoint.Ifyou’rethinkingofcreatingthiskindofimage,ithelpstorealizeinadvancethatyouwillneedpointstograftbiggerandsmallerversionsoftheoriginalimageontotheoriginal.Thisrequiredexactrepetitiononareducedscale.
Forinformationaboutcombiningmultipleimagesinpost-processing,seethesuggestionsforfurtherreadingonpage234.
Photocompositeofimagewithitselfinlargerandsmallerversions;originalphotoshotat14mm,3secondsandf/22,tripodmounted
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PlayingwithScale
Scaleorientsusinlife.Apebbletousisahugebouldertoanant;toahypotheticalgiant,ourlakesarepuddles.
Withoutanextrinsicpointofreference,viewersofaphotoareunabletodiscernscale.Providingyouraudiencewithasenseofscaleisafunandinterestingaspectofcreativephotography.Playwithit!
Someofmycompositionsthatplaywithscaleviacompositesattempttocreateanillusion.Intheseimages,thescaleisnotwhatitseemsatfirstglance.Theapparentlyhugerocksbelowareactuallyquitesmall.
Inothercompositions,thescaleisobviouslywrongbecausetheelementsintheimageareabsurdtogether,likeaflowerblossomfillingaroom.Inthiskindofimage,asenseofwrongnessdrawstheviewerintotakeacloserlook.
Therocksinthisimageareaboutthreeincheshigh.AfterItookthephoto,Irealizedtheytherewasnoscalereference.Therockscouldbeanysize.Asgigantic,toweringrockformations—possiblyonanalienplanet—theyseemedtocalloutforamoon,soIobliged…bycompositingonein.
Moon:300mm,1/30ofasecondatf/8andISO200,tripodmounted
Rocks:18mm,1/250ofasecondatf/10andISO200,tripodmounted
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IattemptedinthisimagetorecreateapaintingbyReneMagritte,TheWrestler’sTomb.ThepointoftheMagrittepainting,andmyhomage,isthedifferenceinscalebetweentheflowerandthebackground.
IknewthekindofimagethatIwantedtoputtogether,soIlookedthroughmylibraryfortheappropriatepiecesthatwouldechotheMagrittepainting.Thedarkshadowsoftheroom’sinteriormadeiteasytopasteintheflower.Iwasalsocarefultopicktwoimagesinwhichthelightcamefromthesamedirection.Formoreinformationaboutcombiningimages,seethesuggestedreadingonpage234.
Flower:85mmmacro,1secondatf/51andISO100,tripodmounted
Background:12mm,5secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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WhatIsReality?
Sometimesrealitysucks.Well,maybeitdoes;maybeitdoesn’t.Theworldcanbebothaterribleandwonderfulplace.Itcanalsobeboring.ThephilosopherHannahArendtspokeofthe“banalityofevil.”
Evilcanbebanalandlifeboring,butthere’snoreasonourimagesneedtoportraythis.Mostanythingcanbetransformed.
Iliketostartwithanapparentlyordinarysubject,suchasthecartireshowntotheright,andthenworktoconstructsomethingnewanddifferentfromtherawmaterials.Whowouldhavethoughtthatawheelhoststhesoulofaflower?
Startingwiththewire-rimwheelsofaclassiccar(below),Ilayeredinmanycopiesoftheimageandaddedcolortocreateaflower-likeimage(bottom).
Compositecreatedfromasinglephoto;85mmmacro,8/10ofasecondatf/45andISO100,tripodmounted
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Iwasaskedtoillustrateabutterflycomingtolifeandbeginningtofly.First,Iphotographedadried,pinnedbutterflyonalightbox.Then,Icreatedthiscompositeusingthreedifferentcoloredversionsoftheoriginalphoto.Eachoneisplacedabitfurtherfromtheoriginalposition.
Compositeimagecreatedfromthreeversionsoftheoriginalphoto;100mmmacro,2secondsatf/8andISO100,tripodmounted
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TheMysticalLandscape
Landscapesplayanimportantroleinmanykindsofart,includingink-brushChinesepaintings,impressionistpaintingsand,ofcourse,photography.Formanyartistswhoworkinlandscape,subjectmatterplaysanimportantroleandcantakeonamysticalquality.
Beautiful—andevenrelativelyordinary—landscapestendtosootheoursoulsandspeaktothespiritualelementwithinus.Whentheselandscapesareaccurateportrayalsofreality,theycanbeperceivedasplaceswe’dliketobe,orstatesofbeingweaspiretoattain.Ifyoufindyourselfinweatherthat’swreathedinfogoronalonelybeachattwilight,thenconsidermakingthiskindofimage.
Byaddingphotocompositingtechniquesintothemix,youcanaddworldsofpossibilities.Landscapesnolongerhavetobeliteralcapturesofanactualscene;instead,theycanshowplacesthatdonotexistasaphysicalplace—onlyasanideaorstateofbeing.
Asyoushoot,it’sreasonabletokeephalfaneyeonthepossibilitiescreatedbycompositingtools.Digitalmeansyoudon’thavetosayifonly…anotherelementwerepresentinascene.Youcanalwaysaddthemissingelementlater.
Justbecauseyoucandosomethingthoughdoesn’tmeanthatyoushould.WhenIcreateacompositelandscape,Itrytorememberthatmypurposeistomakeanimagethatisinteresting,orfeelsspecial.Iliketousemyskillsasaphotographerandcompositortopresentlandscapesthataretrueworldsofwonder.
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IcreatedthiscompositeimageoftreesandreflectionsinapondtoillustratetheWoodbetweentheWorldsinoneofC.S.Lewis’Narniabooks.Itexploresthequestionofwhereoneworldendsandthenextonebegins.
Trees:105mmmacro,1/80ofasecondatf/14andISO200,tripodmounted
Pondreflections:65mm,circularpolarizer,6secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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ThemountainssurroundingYosemiteValleyarehardedgedandsevere,buttheyareevenmoreinterestingtomewhenwreathedinfog.Iprocessedthisimagetoexaggeratethecontrastbetweenthedramaticspiresandthefoggybackgroundbyincreasingthecontrastinthecomposition.
130mm,1/250ofasecondatf/6.3andISO100,handheld
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Dusk,whendayturnstonight,istraditionallythehourinwhichlightingmagicisreleasedintotheworld.Inthisphoto,Itriedtocapturetheessenceofduskinalonelyplace.Youcanseethefirstlonecarlightfarinthedistance.
22mm,8secondsatf/4andISO200,tripodmounted
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Takenduringtheearlyhoursofanightphotographyvigil,thisphotopresentssomeoddvisualeffects,especiallywheretheoceanmeetsthehorizonline.
Ifyoulookcarefullyatthephoto,you’llseethatitdoesnotseemnatural.Thelinesofthewavesintheintermediateforegroundareechoedintheskyinawaythatisunusualinnature.Forme,themoralistokeepyoureyeswideopenwhenyouarephotographingsomeplacelonelyasnightcomeson.
19mm,4/5ofasecondatf/4andISO100,tripodmounted
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TheNatureofParadox
Canwelovesomethingandhateitatthesametime?Canaphotoshowsomethinguglyandbebeautiful?Conversely,canaphotographofsomethingbeautifulseemugly?
Theanswertoallthesequestions,ofcourse,is“Yes!”
Compellingphotosembracethisparadox.Theyshowbothsidesofasubjectandpresentopposites—goodandbad,evilandkind,cityandwilderness—inasingleframe.
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WanderingindowntownOakland,California,Isawthesereflectionsintheglassfaçadeofamodernofficebuilding.ThedistortednatureofthereflectionsremindedmeofafamouspaintingbySalvadorDali,ThePersistenceofVision.Andtheappearanceofthebuildings,astheywarpreflections,arereminiscentofthearchitectureofAntonioGaudi.
170mm,circularpolarizer,1/250ofasecondatf/7.1andISO500,handheld
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Toincreasetheamplitudeandcolorofthereflections,IusedacircularpolarizerinthisseriesofphotostakenindowntownOakland.
200mm,circularpolarizer,1/320ofasecondatf/9andISO500,handheld
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Ithinkourcivilizationisremarkableforwhatithasbuiltandforitsmanyaccomplishments.Butofcourse,thereareothersidesofcivilizationthatarenotsogood—frompollutionandglobalwarmingtowarsandconcentrationcamps.Photographyisapowerfultoolforremindingeachotherofourimpactonnaturallandscapes.
AsIbeganworkingtocreatethiscomposition,Imeditatedonboththegoodandbadofcivilization.Althoughtheimagecontainssomeunsettlingelements,itisessentiallydecorative.
Compositecreatedfromtwophotosofreflectionsonbuildings.Oneofthesephotosisthehorizontalimageshownonpage142.
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“Ireadthenewstoday,ohboy,”sangJohnLennonoftheBeatles.AndIknowwhathemighthavemeant.WhenIreadthenews,whichIdoonmostdays,mythoughtscanturnnegative.Thewholeworldcanseemaconfusedjunglewiththingsupsidedownandoutofplace.
IcreatedthesephotocollagestoshowaspectsofsocietythatcanseemliketheTowerofBabel,withthingsgoingeverywhichway…andabeautifulbutscaryanarchypredominating.
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Combiningimagesisoneofthosethingsthatisvisuallyharderthanonemightthinkatfirst.Notallimagesworktogether.Theremustbeacompositionalpointtotheblend,andacoherencytothefinalimages,orthecompositionwillnotbeofmuchinterest.
Withtheseimages,IwascarefultoretainthekeyrecognizablearchitecturalcomponentsfromtheoriginalphotoswhileIblendedtheminwaysthatwerevisuallyinteresting.Ialsopaidattentiontothecontextoftheshapeswithinthecompositionalframe.(Formoreaboutthesematters,turntopages180–197).
Ifyoulookatthefinalimagesfromthisviewpoint,you’llseethateachhasacoreverticalspiralshapeflankedbyalessphoto-manipulatedframetotheleftandtotheright.
Forinformationaboutcombiningmorethanonephotoinpost-processing,seethesuggestedreadingonpage234.
Allimages:eachcompositecreatedfromtwophotosofreflections,oneofwhichistheverticalimageshownonpage143.
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Surrealism
Surrealismbeganasanartisticmovementinthe1920sasareactiontothetragedyoftheFirstWorldWar.Itwasalsoarevolutionaryresponsetotheperceivedinequitiesandinefficienciesofbourgeoissociety,anditevolvedasaliteraryandartisticmovement.
Surrealistworksofartareintentionallysurprising.Theyfeatureunexpectedcombinationsandjuxtapositions;visualscombinedascomponentsofasingleimagethatdon’tmakesensetogether.Atthesametime,foraphotograph(orotherworkofart)toachievesurrealintentions,someplausibilitymustexist.
Surrealphotographscreateanalternativereality.Butthisisanalternativethatcallsattentiontoitselfandemphaticallystatesthatitisdifferent…andmanipulated.Thisisadifferentphotographicintentionthansubtlymanipulatedphotos.Forexample,mysticallandscapes(seepages138–141)maybeunreal,buttheintentistocreateauniversethatisplausibleandserene.Surrealistimagesareintentionallyjarring,andthescenestheydepictarerarelyplausibleinarationalsense.
Iwantedtocreateanimagethatshowedthereishopeinthefaceofdespair.Thisisacombinationofaphotoofamountainlionskullandaphotoofa
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dragonfly.Themountainlionskullrepresentsdeathanddecay,andthedragonflyinvokesthepossibilityofresurrection.Butisresurrectioneverentirelystraightforward?Thereisasinisteraspecttothedragonflyinthiscomposite.
Mountainlionskull:85mmmacro,1.6secondsatf/51andISO100,tripodmounted
Dragonfly:200mmmacro,2secondsatf/32andISO100,tripodmounted
Thisimagecombinesphotosofasunset,wavesandagroupofflowerstocreateanunearthlycompositionthatwouldnotbepossiblein“reallife.”
Whenchoosingimagesforthiscomposition,Iwascarefultopickphotoswithcomparablyintensetonalvalues.Theorangeofthesunisaverydifferentcolorthantheblueofthewavesorflowerpetals,butitsharesalevelofintensitywiththeseotherelements.Withoutthiscommonality,thecompositionwouldnotwork.
Sunset:400mm,1/800ofasecondatf/9andISO100,tripodmounted
Waves:200mm,1/250ofasecondatf/6.3andISO100,tripodmounted
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Flowers:85mmmacro,fivecombinedexposuresatshutterspeedsfrom1/2secondto8seconds;allexposuresatf/51andISO100,tripodmounted
Here,IwastryingtoillustratealinewrittenbyHermanMelvilleinMobyDick:“Yes,aseveryoneknows,meditationandwaterareweddedforever.”
Tocreatethesenseofpeacefulmeditation,Ioriginallycombinedpondreflectionswithbackgroundtrees.Theresultingcompositiondidn’tprovidequiteenoughspecificityforme.Therewasnowherefortheeyetorest.SoIaddedthelotusflowerstothelowerrightfromathirdphoto.
Itwouldhaveseemedartificialfortheretobeonlyoneflower.However,Ididnotwantthelotusflowertobethemostimportantelementinthecomposition.SoIplacedthreeflowersonthelowerright.
Theeyecanstartwiththeflowers,butitdoesnotlingerthere.Thekeypointinthiscompositionisthecontrastbetweenthesereneforestandskyreflectionandthebusysurfaceofthepond,filledwithdetailssuchasleavesandsticks.
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Compositeimageofthreephotos:
Lotusflowers:200mmmacro,1/500ofasecondatf/8andISO200,tripodmounted
Pondreflections:65mm,circularpolarizer,6secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmountedBackgroundtrees:105mmmacro,1/80ofasecondatf/14andISO200,tripodmounted
Ifyoulookcloselyattheeyeinthecenterofthissucculent,you’llseethatitshowstheplantitself.Inmycombinedimages,Iliketopresentdetailsthataren’timmediatelyobviousbutsignificantwhenyouseetheminalargerscale.
Compositeimageoftwophotos:
Succulent:75mm,1/60ofasecondatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
Eye(massivelycropped):140mm,1/40ofasecondatf/5.3andISO500,handheld
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Icomposedthisphototoshowaframedsequenceofdiminishingdoorways,eachdoorsmallerthanthepreviousone.Maximumdepth-of-field,achievedbystoppingdownthelenstoitssmallestpossibleaperture(f/22),insuredthatallthedoorswereinfocus.
WhenIlookedattheresults,thedoorswerenottrulyendless.Thecorridorwentagooddistance,butitdidcometoanend.Iwantedtheimagetoshowanapparentlyinfiniteprogression,soIcompositedlargerandsmallerversionsoftheoriginalphototocreateanextensionofthelineofthedoors.
Thedoorsgoonfurtherthanyoucanseeunlessyougetthechancetoviewareallylargeprintwithamagnifyingglass(ormagnifythehighresolutionfiletothesinglepixellevelonagoodmonitor).Youcan’tseeit,soyou’llhavetotakemyword,butatthesinglepixellevel,withinthefinaldoor,
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havetotakemyword,butatthesinglepixellevel,withinthefinaldoor,I’vesignedmyinitials.
Photocompositeofimagewithitselfinlargerandsmallerversions;originalphotoshotat95mm,10secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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Photographyisdesign
IphotographedtheseGazaniapetalsclose-uptocreateanabstractcompositionoflinesandshapes.
105mmmacro,36mmextensiontube,+4close-upfilter,1.3secondsatf/40andISO200,tripodmounted
Lines
Theworldaroundusisfilledwithlines:outlinesandwispsofclouds,silhouettesofmountains,telephonelinesstretchingfrompoletopole,andsoon.Linesconnectpointstocreateshapes.Shapeshaveedges,andedgesarethemselveslines.
Linesandedgesdefinethewaywesee,andtheyarefundamentaltophotographiccomposition.
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Thinkaboutlinesforamoment.Lineshaveadirection:theyarehorizontal,verticalordiagonal.Astraightlinelooksdifferentfromacurvedline.Lineshavewidth;theycanbewideorthin.Somelinesaredark;somearelight.Alinegoingfromdarktolightmaylooklikeitisfadingtonothing;alinegoingfromlighttodarkappearstobedeveloping.Somelinesaresimplymoreexpressivethanotherlines.
Despitetheimportanceoflines,wedon’ttypicallyphotographlinesbythemselves;rather,weseeacompositionwithshapesthatarereducedviaabstractionintohorizontal,verticalanddiagonallines…triangles,curves,circlesandsoon.Uselinestomakeyourcompositionsmorecompelling.
Lookforthelinesinasceneandusethemcreatively.Beginbypre-visualizingyourcompositionsstrippedtotheessentialelements.Whenyoudothis,thereshouldonlybeafewshapesleftassurrogatesfortheentirecomposition.Think:Ifyouactuallydrawthelinesthatformtheshapesinacomposition,wouldtheselinesmakeaninterestingdrawing?Howcanyoushiftyourlens,positionandlightingtomaketheintensity,direction,flowandinteractionofyourlinesmoreinteresting?
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Therearetwomajorlinesatworkinthiscomposition:ahorizontallinecreatedbythemountainsinthebackground,andtheverticallineoftheblackroad.Thedottedlinerunningdownthemiddleoftheroadrecedesintothedistance,drawingyoureyeintothescene.
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Shapes
Linesformshapes,andshapesarethebuildingblocksofacomposition.Shapescomeinmanyvarieties.Therearerectilinearshapes,curvilinearshapesandrepeatingshapes.
Youcancategorizeshapesindifferentways,butit’simportanttorealizethatyourphotosarealwaysmadeupofshapes.Photosworkonmanylevels.Oneoftheselevelsthatispresentineveryphotoistheinterrelationshipofshapeswithintheimage.
Evenwhenthesubjectmatterofaphotoiscompellingandclear—andthephotoisaboutthesubjectmatter—thearrangementofshapesshouldcreateacompositionthatsupportsthesubjectmatter.Thewaytheseshapesfittogetherissignificanttoourappreciationofaphotoandcompelsasecondlook.
Ifyoucomposeaphotoandknowthatyouarelookingataface—orabridgeorashadow—itismuchhardertoseetheunderlyingshapes.SowhenI’mwearingmycompositionalhat,Itrytoignoresubjectmatter.Ijustlookatthewaytheshapesfittogether,andwhetherthelinesattheedgesoftheshapesareinteresting.Shadowarea?Maybe—butforcompositionalpurposes,itisanirregular,darkshape.
Lookingatshapesasshapes,andseparatingthemfromtheirreal-worldsubjectmatter,helpsmeanalyzethem.Iliketomakeanassessmentaboutwhetherashapeispredominantlypositive—theshapeitselfissignificanttothecomposition—ornegative.Anegativeshape,orspace,isformedbyothershapes.
There’sasubsequentstageofcompositionalanalysis,whichstartswithanunderstandingofhowcompositionanditslines,shapes,andperspectiveimpacttheimage.IfIunderstandwhatmyphotoisabout,andwhichportionsofthecompositionareimportanttothismeaning,thenItrytoadjustthecompositiontosupportthemeaningbymovingmyposition,changingmyfocallength,oradjustingmyexposuresettings.
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It’sworthrememberingthatcompositionalassessmenttakesplacewhileyou’rephotographing,eitherinthefieldorinthestudio,throughtheviewfinderorLCDofyourcamera.Itcanbedifficulttoextrapolateontherelationshipsofshapeswhilelookingthroughasmallviewfinder,andwhenyouareundertimepressure.Butseeingthestructureoftheunderlyingcompositionisaveryimportantskillforphotographers;itisworthtakingthetimeandefforttodevelopit.
LookingdownatthedeYoungMuseuminSanFranciscofromthemuseum’sobservationtower,Inoticedthatthejuxtaposedshapesofthesegmentedroomprovidedpotentialforaninterestingcomposition;thesubjectofthephotoisn’timmediatelyclear.Andthedarktriangularshapesmakeanunusualcontrastwiththepredominantlygrayshapes.
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Thiscompositionisfullyabouttheshapesthatthephotoshows:thearchedbridgeintheHagiwaraTeaGarden,thecircularnegativespaceunderneaththebridge,andthereflectioninthepondofbothpositiveandnegativeshapes.Whenyouarethinkingaboutshapesinyourcomposition,keepyoureyeoutforcircles;thesearerelativelyunusualandalmostalwaysleadtointerestingcompositions.
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Inthisphotograph,whenIoverexposedinthestrong,lateafternoonlight,thesummitofMountTamalpaisandthepeaksoftheCaliforniaCoastalRangebecamesilhouettesandwerereducedtotheiressentiallinesandshapes.
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PhotographyandZen
ZenisaformofBuddhismthatcentersonthepracticeofmeditationandtheadherencetodharma,one’srighteouspath.Asanaestheticmovement,Buddhism—particularlyJapaneseBuddhism—isassociatedwithminimalismandnaturalism.
Lifeisneverstatic.Itisalwaysinprocess,becomingorending.TheZenaestheticismoreinterestedinlife’stransientstates,thebeautyofablossomopeningordecaying,thaninmomentsofperfection.Thatwhichfadesistruetolife.Beautyisstarkandsimple…andneverartificial.
WhileimagesintheZentraditionaresimple,theyalsohaveemotionalcontent.Forexample,theEnso,orcircle,isaJapanesecalligraphicsymbolassociatedwithZenthatrepresentsbeautyandstrength,andthetransitionfromnothingnesstolifeandbacktothevoid.
Forme,thepracticeofphotographyasZenbeginswithaclearingofmymind.ImeditateuponthecompositionIamabouttomakeandIcontinuetomeditateonthecompositionasImakeitandafteritismade.Suchasessionisnotsomuchaboutthephotographicresultasitisabouttheprocess.
MyworkisbestwhenIlosemyselfintheprocess.Iamnotthinkingaboutwheremyphotoswillbepublishedorhowmuchmoneytheymaymake.Iamnotcaughtinaninnerdialogwithmyself.InsteadIaminacreativetrance,wherenothingmattersbutthecreativeprocessitself.
PhotographiccompositionsthatshowZenaspectsaremeditative.Theshapesusedintheseimagesareoftencurvesandcirclesratherthanstraightlinesandrectangles.Compositionsbuiltuponcurvilinearshapesoftenworkbecausetheyaresimple;theyfeelnatural;andtheyavoidartificialcomplexity.
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Thissimpleimageofaflowergonetoseedusesacircularcompositiontoechothecontentofthephoto:lifeislikeawheel,andresurrectionisalwayspossible.
105mmmacro,1/15ofasecondatf/9andISO200,tripodmounted
Asubtlecompositionofcurvingshapesthatarealmostparallelmightinspireasimplemeditationaboutsunsetonthewater.
35mm,3secondsatf/29andISO100,tripodmounted
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Patterns
Lifeisfullofpatterns.Asaphotographer,Iamintentlydrawntothem.
Sowhatisapatternexactly?Ithinkofvisualpatternsasasimilarrepetitiveorsemi-repetitivesetofshapesthatcreateamotiforholisticseries.Patternsareimportantbecausetheyhelporganizetheworld.
Ashumanbeings,wearehard-wiredtoexpect,recognizeandenjoypatterns.Fromourearliestyearsinschool,wearetaughtvisualpatternsusingblocksandothervisualaids.Encounteringapatternvalidatesaphotographasadesign.Evenapparentlyrandomandmessycompositionsusuallyhidepatternsiftheimageswork.
Everywhereyoulookyou’llfindpatterns,buttheperceptionofapatterndependsuponscale.Fromanairplane,fieldsandroadsmakeapattern;however,atgroundlevelthispatternishardtodetect.Curtains,blanketsandothertextilesmayappeartobesmooth.Butifyoulookatthemcloselyenough,you’llseepatterns.Atverycloseinspection,butterflywingsandfeathersbecometexturedwithdetail;fromadistance,thecolorsinthebutterflyorfeatherformadifferentkindofpattern.
Patternsaremadeoflines,shapesandtexturesaswellascontrastsoflightanddarkness,andsunandshadow.Patternsbringordertothechaosaroundus—eveniftheyarepartofit.
Symmetry,partialsymmetryandreflectionsareimportantelementsofsomeofthemostpowerfulpatterns.
Nothinggoesonforever.Sometimesthemostinterestingthingaboutapatternisitsedges:wherethepatternstops.WhenIseeapattern,Ilookfortheboundaries.Includingsomeboundaryareasinphotoscanmakeyourcompositionmuchmoreinteresting.
Checkouttheeverydayworldaroundyou.Howmanypatternscanyoufindtophotograph?
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Iphotographedthis1939Buickataclassiccarshowandconcentratedonthepatternmadebythegrill,ignoringtheoverallcar.Theresultisapartialabstraction.Asathumbnail,thephotocouldbeaclose-upofafeather.Thepatternofthegrillismoreinterestingbecauseofthewaytheverticalpatternendsontherightandahorizontalpatternbegins.
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Lookingupatthisrestoredantiquedome,Ivisualizedanimagethatplayedwithpatternandscalebymakingthearchitecturaldomeappeartobeacameojewelifglancedatcasually.Thispatternradiatesoutwardfromacentralcore.
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Adandeliongonetoseedhasahighlystructuredpattern,almostlikeasmall-scaleversionofaworkofhumanengineering.Theoriginofthefloweristhecenteroftheflower.
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Thisphotographofwaves—shotfromthetopofaclifflookingstraightdown—showspatternsatanumberofdifferentlevelsthatcomplementeachother.There’sapatterninthewhitefrothofwavesinthewater,anoverallpatternmadebythethreelinesinthephoto,andapartiallysymmetricalpatternmadebythereflectionatthebottomofthephoto.
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Thepistilsofthisconeflowerformacomplexpatternthaninvolvesinterconnectionandintertwining.
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Thepatternsinthiswildturkeyfeatherarevisibleupcloseatthemicroscopiclevel.IusedamounttoattachmycameratotheeyepieceofavintageZeissmicroscopetomakethisimage.Youmightthinkthatthepatternwasmadeatamuchlargerscale.
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Iteration
Aniterationisapatternthatconsistsofshapesthat,tosomedegree,repeat.Patternsthatuseiterationtypicallyshowobjectsenmasse.Thesekindsofpatternsoftenfilltheentirephotoandbecometexturaltoanoverallquickglance.
Aphotowhosesubjectisagroupofsimilarobjectsstopsbeingabouttheindividualobjects.Compositionallyspeaking,thiskindofimageisaboutthepatternthattheobjectsmakeinrelationshiptooneanother.
Alargenumberofsimilarobjectscanbeveryeffectivevisually.Inmanycases,thesheernumberofthesubjectscanmakeaviewersay,“Wow!”Othercompositionsthattakeadvantageofiterationmakeviewersquestionhowmuchtheypreviouslyreallysawthesubject.Forexample,itwasarevelationformetoseethestrawberryseedsupcloseandpersonal.
Onlythephotographerknowsthetrueextentoftheobjectscapturedinan“enmasse”photo.It’snaturaltothinkthatthiskindofpatterngoesonforever,particularlyifnoboundaryareasareapparentinthephoto.Sotheimpactofaniterativephoto—intermsoftheviewer’sideaabouttheextentoftherepeatedsubjectmatter—canbegreaterthanonemightexpect.
Theseedsonthesurfaceofastrawberryformarepetitivepattern.
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Inthisthumbnailview,it’snotclearwhatthesubjectmatteris.Itcouldbea
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shellratherthanwavesonabeach.Repeatingpatternsoftenbecomeabstractwhenyouchangethescale.
Inthiscompositionofwavesonabeach,theiterationisarepetitionofthe
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scallop-likeshapeofthewetsand.Ifyouweren’tsureofthescaleorifyoulookedatasmallversionoftheimage,thiscouldbeaphotoofashellaseasilyasatelephotoshotofwavesontheshore.Thisambiguity,combinedwithanintriguingpattern,addsinteresttothephoto.
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Thesewaterdropsenmasseonaspiderwebshowaninterestingcontrastoflightsanddarks,evenwithnocentralpointofinterest.
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Raindropscaughtinaspiderwebareagreatsourceofiterativepatterns.Thesedropsglistenedinthemorningsunshinethatfollowedanighttimeshower,reflectingtheirenvironment(andthephotographer,ifyoulookcloselyenough).
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Rhythm
Inmusicorspeech,rhythmisthevariationofthelengthandaccentuationofaseriesofsoundsthatcreateapatternofsounds.Inphotography,rhythmgenerallyreferstoacompositionwithapatternthatgivestheviewerasenseofmotion.
Photographsofobjectsenmassedon’tprovidearhythm,andimagesoflines,shapesandpatternsofferasubduedsenseofrhythmatmost.
Musicalrhythmmotivatesdance.Similarly,you’llknowyouareseeinganimagewithrhythmifitmakesyouwanttomove:upanddownorsidetoside.(Sidetosideismorecommonthanverticalrhythminphotographs.)
TheshadowofVenetianblindsonacurtainhasadefinitehorizontal,dippyrhythm.
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Thereflectionsinthepolishedchromeofa1950scargeneratecomplexrhythmsthattracethecurvatureofthereflection.Theyareacounterpointtotheconcentricroundlinesintheheadlight.
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Translatinga360ºWorld
Standinginagivenposition,weseetheworldinanapproximately40-degreeslice.Buttheworldgoesonaroundusforafull360degrees.Howcanyoutranslatethisfullworldintoanimagethatcanbepresentedinasinglephotoframe?
Extremewide-anglelensescansometimesaddressthischallenge;however,theselensescreateagreatdealofdistortion.Specializedequipmentsuchaspanoramiccamera,tripodheads,andsoftwarecancreatepanoramas.Andwhilepanoramascanbeagreatdealoffun,thiskindofimageoftendoesnotappearnatural.Theyalsorequirespecializedequipment.
Anotherapproach,shownhere,istomakeseveralexposuresnormallyandcombinethemintoasinglepanoramainpost-processing.Thisprocessiscalledmerging,anditgenerallyinvolvesshootingmorematerialthanyouneedsothatthepanoramacanbeoverlappedandthencroppedseamlesslyandwithoutanylossofsubjectmatter.
AsyoulookattheentireskylineinthisimagethatincludestheGoldenGateBridgeandSanFrancisco,youhavetomoveyourheadfromleft-to-right(orviceversa)toseeitall.Iwantedtocapturethiswidevistashowingbothmoonriseandsunsetatthesametime.Theonlywaytodothiswastocreateapanoramamadeupofmanycaptures.Ihikedtothetopofahill
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overlookingthebayandsetupmycameraonatripod.Aftereachexposure,Icarefullyrotatedthecameraafewdegrees(withoutmovingthetripod),incrementallycapturingtheentireview.
EightcapturesmergedinPhotoshop,eachexposureat42mm,1/6ofasecondatf/4.5andISO100,tripodmounted
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SeeingtheFrame
Everyphotographisanimagewithinaframe—thatis,therectanglethatformstheboundaryofaphoto.Inthissense,photographyisapplieddesignthatmustworkwellwithinthephotographicframe.
Akeyaspectofalmosteveryphotographiccomposition,theframecannotbeignoredwithoutthrowingawayoneofthemostimportantformalaspectsofyourphoto’scomposition.
Someinterestingphotosplaywiththeconceptofthephotographicframe,invitingtheviewertoplayalong.Thesephotosinvolveakindofmetacompositionandmaybeinwholeorpartaboutvisualframing.
Itismorecommon,however,forphotographerstopresentascenewiththeworldframedinaninterestingway.Theframe’spurposeistocomplementthecomposition,butitisnotwhatthecompositionisabout.
Whenevaluatingaphotograph’stotalcomposition,thinkabouthowitchangesyourperspectivetoseetheworldasthoughitwereframedandboundedbyarectangle?Whatmakesaparticularframingtechniqueinterestingandcompelling?And—perhapsthemostimportantquestion—howdoesthedesignofaphotomeshwithitsframe?
ThetipsofthepetalsofthisGazaniablossomappeartotickletheframe.Iplacedtheflowersothatitwasalmostcentered,butnotquite—andsosomeofthetipsofthepetalsextendbeyondtheframe—toaddinteresttothecomposition.Itkeepstheviewerslightlyoffbalance.
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Thefocusofthiscompositionisthewaterdrop,whichrestsonabranchthatappearsto“hang”fromahorizontalandaverticaledgeofthephotoframeitself.
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Thisphotoshowsreflectionsandtherearlightofaclassiccaronadiagonalwiththephotograph’srectangularframe.Boththereflectionsandthelightrunofftheframe,sotheviewermustextrapolatewhatliesbeyondtheframe.
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IphotographedthiswaterdroponaCymbidiumorchidusingtwosmallmacroflashunits:onemountedattheendofthetelephotomacrolensandtheotherhandheld.Thehand-heldflashunitcausedtheburstoflightyoucanseeonthewaterdrop.
Asoriginallyshot(seeversionbelow),thecompositionshowsthewaterdrophangingonanorchidpetalinamuchbroaderviewthanmyfinalversion(totheright).Ifeltthattheframingonthecompositionbenefitedfromaclosercrop,whichemphasizesthedramaofthewaterdrop.Ialsoflippedtheimageverticallytoimprovetheimpactoftheblacknegativespaceintheframe.
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Ioriginallyframedthisphotoasavertical,usingaverymoderatetelephotolens(82mm),shownherebeforeprocessing.ButasIstudiedthescene,IrealizedthatIneededtopresentahorizontalframeandtocomeincloseronthesceneoffogonthehills.
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Inthefinalversion,Iswitchedtohorizontalframingandincreasedthefocallengthofthelenstoimprovethecompositionoftheimagebyemphasizingthesubtlegreensinthefoggyhillsandthestrongdiagonallinesinthehorizontalcomposition.
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Inthisfirstversion,shownherebeforeprocessing,Itriedtocapturethewholescene.Sincenothingextraordinaryisemphasizedinthiscomposition,IrealizedIneededtogetacloserview.
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Asthesunsetprogressed,colorsbecamemoresaturatedandthecontainershipmovedintotheframe.Inthisfinalversion,Icomposedthephototoshowacloserviewofthebridge,moonandskyline.
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WiththemooncomingupbehindaspectacularSanFranciscovista,Itriedtocaptureeverything:bridge,cityandsky.Buttoshowthedramaofthemoonriseinmycomposition,Ineededtoframeinclosersothattheelementsthatreallymattertothisscenearebigger.Iusedalongerfocallengthlenstoemphasizetheimportanceofthemoonwithinthecompositionalframe.
There’snothingterribleabouttheframingofthefirstversion.Afterall,itisaphotographtakenofadramaticsettingindramaticlight.ButIprefertheframingofmysubsequentcompositionbecauseitemphasizesthedramaofthefullmoonandclouds.Onemoral:Ifyouarephotographinginabeautifulsetting,besureto
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tryavarietyoffocallengthsandcamerapositionssothatyouendupwiththeframingandcompositionthatworksbestforyou.
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DividingtheFrame
Oneapproachtocontrollingtherelationshipofyourphototoitsframeistodividetheframe.Useoneormorestrongvertical,horizontal,curvedordiagonalshapesorlinestosplittheframelikeawindowthatissplitintopanes.OftenIfindthatadiagonallineshapemakesthebestframedivider.
NotethatwhenIrefertolines,Imeanshapesthatapproximatelines.Also,linedirectioninframedivisionisusuallynotexact.Somecurvaturemayworkbetterthanabsolutelystraightlines.Afterall,straightlinesdonotgenerallyoccurinnature.
Onepurposeforframedivisionistoseparateareasofthephotothatarevisuallydifferent.Framedivisioncanbeusedtobreakupclutteredcompositions,toseparatetheearthfromtheskyandtoemphasizethesubjectofyourcomposition.
Onecommonschemeforframedivisioniscalledtheruleofthirds.Accordingtothisrule,twohypotheticalverticallinesandtwohypotheticalhorizontallinesevenlydividethecompositionintothirds.Importantelementsofthecompositionarethenplacedwheretheselinesintersect.
Somepeoplethinkthatthistechniqueforframedivisionandplacementcreatesmoreinterestingcompositionsthanthosethatsimplycenterasubject.Thatsaid,Iamalittleskepticaloftryingtoapplytheruleofthirdstoorigidly.
Themostimportantthingistobeawareofcompositionalissuesinvolvingtheframeandframedivision.Idon’tbelieveinstickingtoanykindofruleallthetimewhenitcomestomakingphotos.But,ifyouwantyourphotostoachievemaximumvisualimpact,youdoneedtobeconsciousofformaldesignissueswhenyoucreatecompositions.
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Thes-shapedcurvemadebythelightsofcarsontheapproachtotheGoldenGateBridgedividestheframeofthisphotointwo,creatingdramawiththecomparisonofthedarkportionsandthelighttrails.
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ThiswintershotoftheYosemiteValleyfloorhasanumberofdifferentframedivisions.Thewhitesnowdividestheframehorizontally,andthedarktreesandtheirreflectionsworkasverticalframedividers.Thewateritselffurtherdividestheframeasdoesthehorizonline.
Theformaloppositionofspacescreatedbyframedividersofdifferingdirectionscomplementsthenaturalexposurecontrastbetweensnow,waterandtrees.
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Thestrong,predominantlyverticaldiagonallinescausedbythetransitionfromsuntoshadowdefinethiscompositionintermsoftherelationshipofthetransitionwiththeframeinthisminimalistblack-and-whitephoto.Delicateandsensitivehorizontallinesofwavesplayagainstthedominantverticalshadowsinthisdeceptivelysimplecomposition.
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TheGoldenRatio
SincetheancienttimesoftheEgyptiansandGreeks,theGoldenRatio,roughly1.6to1,hasbeenthoughttobetheproportionofthemostvisuallypleasingrectangles.Thelongsideoftherectangleinthisscenariois1.6timesthelengthoftheshorterside.
TheGoldenRatiooccursinthepyramidsofEgypt,thefloorplanoftheancientGreekParthenoninAthensandinmanyworksofartandarchitecturesincethen.
Forexample,LeonardodaVincicalledthegoldenratiothe“divineproportion”;ifyoudrawarectanglearoundtheheadoftheMonaLisa,therectanglewouldbeproportionedaccordingtotheGoldenRatio.
Sincerectilinearshapesingoldenratioproportionsareintuitivelyattractive,lookforopportunitiestousetheseshapesinyourcompositions.
Keepinmindthatnooneexpectsyoutobringatapemeasureandcalculatorintothefieldtoverifythatobjectsinyourcompositionareproportionedinthegoldenratio.Butit’snotdifficulttogetfamiliarwiththeappearanceofthisattractiveproportionandrecognizeitwhenyouseeit.
Iuserectilinearshapesingoldenratioproportionsasabuildingblockformycompositions.IfIamframingacompositionwithstrongrectangularshapesandtheserectanglesdivergesubstantiallyfromthegoldenratio,thenIlookcarefullytomakesurethatmycompositionalchoicesareappropriate.
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Croppingthisclose-upofastamensothatitsframeisinroughlygoldenratioproportionscreatesanintuitivelypleasingeffect.
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Ifyoudrawarectanglearoundtheextendedbunchofflowersandstemsshowninthisphoto,you’llseethattherectangle,whichispositionedonadiagonaltotheimageframe,isroughlyingoldenratioproportions.Thispartiallyaccountsfortheeleganceofthesimplecompositioninthisprize-winningimage.
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FrameswithinFrames
Creatingaframewithintheframeofyourphotoisaneffectiveandeasywayaddinteresttoyourcompositions.Theinnerframefocusesontheimportantaspectsofyourcomposition,whiletheouterframeusuallyaddsadecorativeelement.
Aframewithinaframecanpresentvisualsymmetry,orechoesofsymmetry—partialsymmetrythattheviewer’smindcompletes.Dependinguponthekindofinnerframeyouuse,multipleframescaninvitetheviewertojoinincollaborative“voyeuristic”peekingwiththephotographer.
Therearemanypossiblekindsofinnerframes.Thesecompositionaldevicesrangefromabrightlightordeepshadowasaframingmechanismtoliteralframes,suchaswindows,doorsandgates.
Thereisnoshortageofframingdevicesoutthere.Youcanfindframeseverywhere.Soconsiderenrichingyourcompositionsbyaddingaframewithinaframewhenitseemsappropriate.
Thewindowthroughwhichyouseethechildinthisphotofunctionsasaframewithintheframe.Itaddsmotionandfocusescompositionalinterestontheprimarysubject,thechild.
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Inthisphoto,theroundopeninginthegardengatefunctionsasaframewithinaframe.Withoutthiseffect,thegardenimagewouldbemuchlessinteresting.
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Thedeepshadowareasoftheleavessurroundingthesebacklitwaterdropsonaspiderwebserveasadark,curvilinearframe.It’sunusualtousenaturalshapesinthisway(asaninnerframingdevice),butIwasstruckbythepossibilitiesofthiscompositiontheminuteIlookedthroughmyviewfinder.
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Color
Althoughitisoftenoverlookedasastructuralelement,colorisaveryimportantpartofcompositioninanycolorphoto.Learntoseecolorsintermsoftheshapestheyconstruct,ratherthanonlyviewingthemasadesignelement.Todothis,takeamentalstepbackandlookatthephotonotforwhatitdepictsbutfortheshapesitcontains—andmorespecifically,forthecolorsthatareusedtoconstructthoseshapes.
Thinkabouthowcolordrawsyoureyeinaspecificdirectionandhowcolorhelpsyouorganizethewayyouperceiveanimage.Colorcandictatewhereyoulookfirstandtheorderinwhichyoulookatthings.
Forme,themostimportantaspectofcolorincompositionisitsemotionalimpact.Fromanearlyage,kidshavefavoritecolors.Animagethatpresentsdarktonesandshadowsislikelytoconveyfearoranger.Whereassofter,warmercolorscanconveycomfortandarestfulquality.Asyoucreatephotographiccompositions,thinkabouttheemotionalimpactofthecolorsyouseeeverydayandhowtousethemeffectively.
RepeatingcolorstripesintwotonescreatetheunderlyingcompositionofthiswetGazaniaflowerinthesunlight.
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Thecontrastbetweenthedark,almostblack,shadowsandthelightercolorsonthesmallstatuettefacehelpstocreateemotionalcontentinthiscomposition.
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Thisselective-focusimageusestwocolors—andessentiallyonlytwocolors—topackitspunch.Thesoft,orangebackgroundispleasing,butthebrightyellowinteriordrawsattention.
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OriginalLensbaby,+4close-upfilter,f/4aperturering,1/125ofasecondatISO200,handheld
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Light
Fromaformalperspective,lightinaphotographisrenderedasshapes,linesandtonalvalues.However,whenyouareformingyourcompositions,itissmartertothinkoflightasanindependentforceofnature—whichiswhatitis.
Inonesense,allphotographsareaboutlightandtheeffectsof“writing”withlight.Fromtheviewpointofcreativephotography,theuseoflightisacriticalelementinyourcomposition.
WhenIamcomposingphotos,lightismyfriendandally.Iamalwaysstudyinglight:itsintensity,directionandcolor.
Intermsofspecificcompositions,Ialwaysaskacoupleofquestions:
Howwilllightappearinthisphoto?HowcanIarrangethesubject,shiftmyposition,changemyexposureorlensfocallength,oradjustthelightitselftoimprovetheroleoflightinmyphoto?
Thisphotoofanopiumpoppyistakenfrombehind,anditseffectivenessdependsuponthelightshiningthroughtheflower.
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Thestar-likeeffectshowninthisphoto,calledasunburst,iscreatedwhenaverybrightlightsource,suchasthesun,iscapturedthroughalensthatisstoppeddowntoasmallopening.Inthiscase,awaterdropreflectedthesun,andthesunburstwascreatedbecausemylenswasstoppeddowntof/36.
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Theexteriorofthisoldchurchwaslitbymoonlight,buttheinteriorwaspitchblack.Duringthislengthyexposureofabout18minutes,Iwalkedaroundandaroundandaroundthechurch,lightingtheinteriorspacewithasmallflashlight.
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WorkingwithTones
Tonereferstogradationsofacolororcolors.Obviously,colorplaysanimportantroleincomposition.Andtheimpactofrelativelysubtletonalshiftsincolormaycomeasasurprise.
Fromacompositionalviewpoint,thereareseveralinterestingtonalstrategies.
Oneistousecolortonesthatarefairlyclosetoeachotherinarepeatedpattern.Anotheristocontrastoneoveralltonalvalueforanimagewithstrips,orswaths,ofanothertone.
It’salsosometimeseffectivetocreatecompositionsinwhichonecolortonepredominates,andacontrastingtoneisusedtohighlightaccentareas.
Alongwithbroaderissuesofcolorincomposition,Ipayattentiontohowtonesinteractwitheachother.Thesubtleissuesofhowcolortones“play”witheachothercanmakeorbreakacomposition.
Alternatinggreen,whiteandpinktonesofroughlythesameintensityhelpmakethisflowerclose-upinteresting.
200mmmacro,threecombinedexposuresatshutterspeedsrangingfrom1to3seconds,allexposuresatf/40andISO100,tripodmounted
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Thetonesofthesunset,seenonthedistantmountaintopsthroughthetrees,contrastspleasantlywiththeoveralldarkerforegroundtonesofthephoto.Thesunsettonesinthereflectionsinthewaterseem,ifanything,tobemoresaturatedthanthoseonthemountains,andthisenhancesthecomposition.
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SeeingtheComposition
Blackandwhitephotographyisapowerfulartform.Ithasavenerablehistoryandexistedlongbeforetherewascolor.Ienjoybothhistoricalandcontemporaryblackandwhitephotographyverymuch.
Fromacompositionalviewpoint,blackandwhiteshowsthestructureand“bones”ofacomposition.Colorcanmakeitdifficulttoseetheunderlyingdesignofacomposition.Butwhenanimageisreducedtoasinglecolor—blackandwhite,forexample—compositionisalmostallthat’sleft.
Backintheolddays,Iusedtodomyowncolorprinting.WhenImadeacolorprint,anenlargerprojectedthecolorphotosinblackandwhiteontheeaselinthedarkroom;soIcoulddecidehowtoarrangeandcropmyprint.InoticedthatitwasfareasiertoseetheimportantaspectsofmycompositionswhenIwasn’tdistractedbycolor.
However,it’sacolorworldoutthere.WhatIsometimesdo,tobetterseemyunderlyingcompositions,istoaskmyselftovisualizewhatmycompositionwouldlooklikeinblackandwhite.
Atrickyoucanuseistosetyourcameratocaptureinblackandwhite,andviewtheresultsonyourLCDtohelpyouseethecomposition.
Bytheway,ifyoureallywantablackandwhitephoto,don’tuseyourcamera’sblackandwhitemode.Forrichertonality,gobackandcapturetheimageincolorandconvertitinpost-processing.
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Iphotographedthiswoodlandpathincolor,shownhereinitsoriginalversionbeforeprocessing.Tome,thecolorversionseemedprettymuchajumble.Thecompositionlookedconfusedandtheframedivisionlineswereunclear.Thebluecolorcastinthephotomadetheimagelookdullwithoutprovidingaplacefortheeyetorest.
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Itwasn’tuntilIconvertedthephototoblackandwhitethatIsawthesubtleandmagicalcomposition.Thewoodlandpathleadstheeyebelowandintheoppositedirectionofthestrongverticallinesofthetrees.
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BlackandWhite
AsI’vementioned,Ienjoyblackandwhitephotographyimmensely.I’malwayslookingforstrongblackandwhiteimagestoaddtomycollection.ButI’vecometorealizethatnotallsubjectsareappropriateforblackandwhite.Also,forblackandwhiteimagerytoworkforme,thephotohastobeaboutitsowncompositioninafarmoreintensewaythanwithacolorimage.
Theabsenceofcolorinblackandwhitedoesn’tmeanthatcolorisn’timplied.Weallknowthattheworldaroundisperceivedincolor,sowhenweseeamonochromaticimage,weextrapolatecolorsbasedonourexperienceandimagination.Examplesofthiseffectincludethewhitetulipsreproducedonpage60andtheblackandwhitesunsetshownonpage191.
Whenphotographingtocreateblackandwhiteimages,besuretolookforformallystrongcompositions.
Lines,shapes,framesandthewaytheframeisdividedcanallcreatevisualexcitementandworktogetherwithoutthecrutchofcolor.Mostofthetimeyou’llalsowanttolookforhigh-contrastsubjectsfromatonalperspective.Inotherwords,blacksshouldbeveryblack,andwhitesverywhite.
Alsolookforcompositionsinwhichthedirectionandflowofthestructurehighlightsandsupportskeysubjectareas.
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MyattentionwasfocusedontheGoldenGateBridge,withfogandcloudsalternatelycoveringanduncoveringthestructure.ThenIturnedaroundandsawtheweathercomingdownovertheMarinHeadlandhillsbehindme.Thiswasahigh-contrastsituation,withsomeareasbrightlylitbythesettingsunandothersverydarkundertheclouds.Iknewthatthescenewouldmakeaninterestingblackandwhitecomposition.Thestrongdiagonalframedividersmadebythecloudscontrastwiththemoresubtlecurvilinearlineoftheroad.Bothmeetatthepartiallyfog-enshroudedtree.
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Anightphotographthatcapturesthemotionofmovingvehiclesisn’tyourtypicalblackandwhitesubject,soIwaspleasedwhenthisonecameout.Compositionally,theroadwayinthemiddleofthebridgedividesthephotohorizontally;thebridgetowersdividethecompositionvertically;andthestreetlightspresentareceding,iterativepattern.Thisworkswellbecausethereissomuchfortheeyetolookat,butitispresentedinanorderlyfashion.
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380mm,10secondsatf/11andISO100,tripodmounted
Thehorizontaldivisioncreatedbythebridgedefinesthiscomposition,andtheroundballofthesettingsunabovethebridgeisbalancedbythesailboatbelowthebridge.
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ThisblackandwhiteviewofSanFranciscoandtheGoldenGatepresentsaniterativeprogressionofcloudsreceding.
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ContrastingColorwithBlackandWhite
Contrastingcolorwithblackandwhiteoftenachievescreativeandinterestingresults.Thereareseveralwaystogoaboutcreatingthiscombination.
Withdigital,itisperfectlypossibletocreateanimageincolorandthenprocessitforblackandwhite.SometimeswhenIdothis,Ienjoydisplayingbothversionstogether;thecontrastofthecolorandblackandwhitecreatesgreatercompositionalinterestthaneitherversionseparately.
Anotherinterestingeffectistocombinecolorandblackandwhiteinasingleimage.Keepinmindthatthereshouldbesomecompositionalpointtothiseffectthatgoesbeyondthedemonstrationthatitcanbedone.
Whenyoude-saturateacolorimagesothatonlycertainareasretaintheircolorvalues,beveryselectiveaboutwhichareasstayincolor.Thiskindofimagetendsworkbestwithonlydabsofcolor.Thatsaid,selectivecolorinapredominantlyblackandwhiteimage(achievedeitherin-cameraorinpost-processing)canpresentstrikingcompositions.
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AsIcomposedthisphotoofapoppygonetoseed,Ithoughtitwouldbeinterestingtoplaywiththecolorsintheseeds.Theversionontheleftbelowshowsthenaturalcolorsoftheflower.Intheversionontheright,IaddedcolorinPhotoshop.
AlthoughIlikedthecoloreffect,Idecidedtotrytheimageasblackandwhite.Intheblackandwhiteversion(right),thecoreofthepoppyhasaverysolideffect,appearingalmostlikeacandy.Iprefertheblackandwhitecompositiontoeitherofthecolorversionsbecauseitemphasizestheessentialshapesandstructureoftheflowerwithoutdistraction.
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Inthisimage,thebackgroundappearstobeblackandwhite,instarkcontrasttoacolorfulflowerintheforeground.Iachievedtheeffectin-camerawithminimalpost-processingbyusingamonochromebackground,spotlightingtheflower,andunderexposingtheoverallimage.
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Spirals
Spiralsareanimportant,recurringshapeinnature.Inaphotograph,aspiralshapecancreateinterestandcompositionalflow.Thespiralprovidesanunderlyingstructurethatunifiesthecompositionandmakesthevisualdirectionandmovementinaphotoveryapparent.
Spiralsareusedinarchitectureforaestheticemphasisandalsoasacompactandelegantmechanismforcreatingastaircase.Youcanfindsomephotosofspiralsusedinarchitectureonpages128–131and150–151.
Inearlycultures,spiralswereoftenusedasmysticalsymbols.
Innature,spiralsarefrequentlyfoundinplantsandshells.
Often,the“spokes”inthesenaturalspirals,inproportiontoeachother,roughlycorrespondtotheFibonaccisequence.
TheFibonaccisequencehasinfluencedartistssincetheRenaissance.Init,eachnumberinthesequenceisthesumofthetwopreviousnumbers,startingwith1,1.SoherearethefirstfewFibonaccinumbers:1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21...
Spiralsareaparticularcompositionaldelightofmine.I’lltakeanyexcuseIcangettoincorporatespiralsintomyphotos!
Thispageandcover:Iphotographedthischamberednautilusonablack
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backgroundtobringoutthefullextentofthespiralsintheshell.ThespokesinachamberednautilusshellapproximatetheratiosinaFibonaccisequence.
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LookingdownthisnarrowspiralstaircaseinSanFranciscoCityHall,Iwaitedforaweddingpartytocomealong.
Iintentionallyusedamoderatelylongexposure,whichletmeuseasmallaperturetoachieveenoughdepth-of-fieldfortheentirestairtobeinfocus.Atthesametime,thelongexposurecreatedablureffectaroundtheweddingcoupleinmotion.
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Thisphotoofabisectedchamberednautilusshellhasbeenflippedandcombinedwithitselfinasinglecomposition.Theimageremindsmeofthenumber69.
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Thepetalsofthisflowerhavearrangedthemselvesinaninformalspiralcomposition.Ipositionedthecamerasothecoreoftheflowerwaspartiallyvisiblehead-on,andIframedthephotoinclosetoemphasizethisnaturalspiraleffect.
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Thestairsinthisspiralseemtogodownforever.Whenyoulicensephotography,youneverknowwhereyourimageswillendup.Iwassomewhatamusedtolicensethisimagetoaprominentdivorceattorney.Thislawyerseemedtofeelthatthecompositionwasagoodmetaphorfortheemotionaldownwardspiralthatawaitsmanydivorcingcouples.
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Perspective
Amongotherthings,perspectivecancreateanillusionofparallellinesconverging;yetwhenwelookatascene(oraphoto),weknowtheyactuallycontinueasseparatelines.Anapparentpointofconvergenceinperspectiverenderingiscalledthevanishingpoint.
Inperspectiverendering,thingsatadistancearesmallerthancloserthings.Butagain,weinstinctivelyknowthatintherealworld,distantthingsarenotnecessarilysmallerjustbecausetheyarerenderedthatway.
Mostperspectiverenderingcreatesdiagonallines,whichtendtopartiallydivideaframe.Ourinherentdesiretowanderdownapath—combinedwiththestrongdiagonalcompositionthat’susuallycreatedbyperspective—ispowerful.Donotignorethepowerofperspectiveinyourcompositions.
Asaphotographer,besuretoalwaysnoticetheimpliedperspectiveinyourphotos.Sometimesyou’llwanttheviewertobestronglyattractedtothisclassicvanishing-pointperspectiveandpulleddownthevirtualpath.Inotherimages,itmaybemoreinterestingtocreateahiddenvisualparadoxbyforegoingthenormalexpectationsofperspective.
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Theslightlyoff-kilterperspectiveinthissemi-abstractimage(takenfromZabriskiePointinDeathValley)ispartofitsappeal.Inmostcases,theeyewillfollowthewhitemarkingstowardtheupperrightoftheimage,whereavanishingpointisexpected.Butinstead,visualpathsleadoffinseveraldirections.
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Inthiscompositionofasinglepassingcaronadesertedcountryroadatdusk,theeyenaturallyfollowstheroadandcarlightstowardthevanishingpoint.
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OrderandDisorder
Acompositionthatisamixed-upjumbleisnotveryinterestingtomostviewers.Inajumble,there’snoplacefortheeyetorestandnosignificantareastoholdviewerinterest.
Theviewerofaconfused,disorderedcompositionwilltypicallylosefaithinthephotographer.Thus,theopportunityforthephotographertocreateacollaborativebondwithaviewerislost,becausetheviewerdoesn’tsenseanintelligentintentonthepartoftheimagecreator.
Ontheotherhand,acompositionthatistooorderlywillbeequallyineffective.Lifeitselfismessy—fullofdetailsthatareunresolvedandirregular.Soacompositionthatisextremelyneatandtidyappearsphony.Toomuchregularityseemsfussyandisunlikelytoaligntheviewerwiththephotographer.
Ideally,acompositionshouldincludeorderanddisorder.Whenaphotographerachievesthisbalance,theviewercangetexcitedbyjumbledandmessyareas,relaxintheorderedportions,andtrustthephotographertohavepresentedaviewwithauthenticityaswellasstructure.
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ThejumbledirregularitiesofCalifornia’sAlabamaHillsintheforegroundcontrastwiththeregularshapesoftheSierraNevadaMountainsandcloudsinthebackground.
IspentthelateafternoonexploringtheAlabamaHillswhenIknewconditionswerelikelytoberightforphotography.Asthesunstartedtosetbehindthemountains,itsenthorizontalshaftsoflightthroughtheclouds.Isawthatthepatternoflightsanddarkswouldpossiblycreatehorizontallinesacrosstheimage.Thiswouldhelpmakeorderoutofthegeneraldisorderofthescene.Iwaitedwithmycameraontripoduntilthejumbledrockswerelitbythesun.
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Fromacompositionalviewpoint,thejumbledfloweringdogwoodintheforegroundcontrastswiththemoreregularshapesofYosemite’scliffsandthesky.Withthiskindofimage,issuesofformalcompositioncanbecomelostifonelookstoohardatthesubjectmatter.Fromacompositionalperspective,it’sbesttoforgetaboutflowersandcliffs,andjustconsidertheshapesinvolved.
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Thedefinedshapesofthestarfishandthebridgecontrastwiththerelativelychaoticandjumbledshapesofthebeachandincomingwave.
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EmphasizingWhatMatters
Sayyouareatthesceneofthegreatestphotographicopportunityofyourlifetime.Withouttheabilitytocreateacompositionalstructure,youwilllosetheopportunityandwalkawaywithoutastrikingphoto.Similarly,eleganceincompositionalone—withoutsignificanceormeaning—isbanal.
Learnthebasicsofformalcompositionandhowtoapplythemtoscenesthatinspireyou.Asyoubecomemoreexperienced,experimentwithwaystomakethestructuralfoundationofyourphotosuniquelyyours.
Thegoalistointernalizeformaldesignconsiderations,sothatyourphotosachievedesignclaritywithoutrequiringexcessthought.Inotherwords,beknowledgeableaboutcomposition,butavoidobsessingaboutitattheexpenseofphotographingfluidly.
Emphasizewhatmatterstoyou.Ifyoudon’tcareaboutthesceneorsubjectyouarephotographing,thenyourcompositionswillshowitandyourviewerswon’tcareaboutthemeither.
Listentoyourinnervoice;itisyourcreativeunconsciousspeaking.Don’tstiflethisvoice.Allowittobecomeafrequentcontributortoyourphotographicwork.Alsopayattentiontochance,serendipityandhappycoincidences.Wearewiserthanweknow,andphotographyhasalwaysbeenaprocessthatisimprovedbytheunexpected.
Halfmeasuresdon’twork.Strongcompositionsaretheresultofconcentratedeffort.Don’thesitatetoputyourheartandsoulintoyourwork,anddon’tbesatisfiedwith“goodenough.”
Strivetoconveysimplicity.Effectivesimplicityinacompositionishardertoachievethancomplexity,butgreatcompositionsarealmostalwaysdeceptivelysimpleinappearance.
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AfavoriteplaceofminetophotographisYosemiteValley.Onawinterafternoon,Iwasstruckbythecontrastbetweenthecolorsofthesunhittingthecliffs,thewhitesnow,andtheverticallinesofthebaretrees.IwasluckytogetabreakintheweathersoIcouldmakethiswinterlandscapecomposition.
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Whatcompositioncouldbesimplerthanadelicatewhiteanemoneonawhitebackground?Whencreatingthisimage,Irealizedthatthecompositionwouldhavetostandupontherelationshipofvariousshadesofwhite.
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ThesimplicityofthiscompositionshowingaBougainvilleabractappealstomebecausethepetalsachieveelegancewithoutunnecessarylines,shapesandcolors.
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Iusedthecargrillshownonpages176–177asthebasisforthispsychedelicphotocompositethatI’vecalledGrillsGoneWild.
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FurtherReadingPartI:Camerasdon’ttakephotos,peopledo
HaroldDavis,CreativeClose-Ups:DigitalPhotographyTips&Techniques(Wiley,2010)HaroldDavis,CreativeNight:DigitalPhotographyTips&Techniques(Wiley,2010)HaroldDavis,PracticalArtistry:Light&ExposureforDigitalPhotographers(O’Reilly,2008)PartII:Unleashyourimagination
AnselAdams,Examples:TheMakingof40Photographs(Bulfinch,1989)
SusanSontag,OnPhotography(Picador,2001)
JohnSzarkowski,LookingatPhotographs:100PicturesfromtheCollectionofTheMuseumofModernArt(MuseumofModernArt,1976)YoucanreadaboutArnoldNewman’sphotographicsessionwiththeNaziindustrialistKruppinRobertFarber’sinterviewathttps://photoworkshop.com/static/workshop/arnold_newman/interview_newman.htmlPartIII:Photographyandparadox
HaroldDavis,ThePhotoshopDarkroom:CreativeDigitalPost-Processing(FocalPress,2010)KatrinEismann,PhotoshopMasking&Compositing(NewRiders,2005)PartIV:Photographyisdesign
JohnBowers,IntroductiontoTwo-DimensionalDesign:UnderstandingFormandFunction(Wiley,2ndedition,2008)MichaelFreeman,ThePhotographer’sEye:CompositionandDesignforBetterDigitalPhotos(FocalPress,2007)
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Imadetheimageonpage234inanattempttorecreateanetchingbyM.C.Escher.Onecanimaginetheflowerinthepupilasthemarkofanalienlifeform.Somesaythatifyoulookcloselyatthosearoundyouandtheireyesshowtheflower,thentheyarereallyaliens.
Photocomposite:Eye(background)100mmmacrowith18mmextensiontube,1/2ofasecondatf/8andISO500,tripodmounted;flowerimagecreatedusinganEpson1660flatbedscanner
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GlossaryAperture:Thesizeoftheopeninginalens.Thelargertheaperture,themorelightthathitsthesensor.
Bokeh:Out-of-focusblurring.
Composite:Combiningimagestocreateasinglecomposition.
Creativeexposure:Anexposurebasedonunusualaestheticconsiderations.
Depth-of-field:Thefieldinfrontofandbehindasubjectthatisinfocus.
De-saturate:Toremovecolor.
Dynamicrange:Thedifferencebetweenthelightesttonalvaluesandthedarkesttonalvaluesyoucanseeinaphoto.
Enso:JapanesecalligraphicsymbolassociatedwithZenthatevokesbeautyandstrength.
Exposure:Theamountoflighthittingthecamerasensor.Alsothecamerasettingsusedtocapturethisincominglight.
Exposurehistogram:Abargraphdisplayedonacameraorcomputerthatshowsthedistributionoflightsanddarksinaphoto.
f-number,f-stop:Thesizeoftheaperture,writtenf/n,wherenisthef-number.Thelargerthef-number,thesmallertheopeninginthelens.
Focallength:Thefocallengthofalensisthedistancefromtheendofthelenstothesensor.
Focusstacking:Extendingthefieldoffocusbycombiningmultiplephotosbeyondthatpossibleinanysinglephoto.
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Frame:Inacomposition,thephotographicframeistheouteredgeofaphoto.
HandHDR:TheprocessofcreatingaHDR(HighDynamicRange)imagefrommultiplephotosatdifferentexposureswithoutusingautomaticsoftwaretocombinethephotos.
Hyperfocaldistance:Theclosestdistanceatwhichalensatagivenaperturecanbefocusedwhilekeepingobjectsatinfinityinfocus.
Infinity:Thefarthestdistancealenscanfocus.
Iteration:Repetition,usuallyofapattern.
ISO:Thelinearscaleusedtosetsensitivity.
Multi-RAWprocessing:CombiningtwoormoredifferentversionsofthesameRAWfile.
Noise:Staticinadigitalimagethatappearsasunexpected,andusuallyunwanted,pixels.
Openup:Toopenupalensmeanstosettheaperturetoalargeopening,denotedwithasmallf-number.
Photocomposite:Seecomposite.
RAW:AdigitalRAWfileisacompleterecordofthedatacapturedbythesensor.ThedetailsofRAWfileformatsvaryamongcameramanufacturers.
Sensitivity:SetusinganISOnumber;determinesthesensitivityofthesensortolight.
Shutterspeed:Theintervaloftimethattheshutterisopen.
Stopdown:Tostopdownalensmeanstosettheaperturetoasmallopening;denotedwithalargef-number.
Surrealism:A20thcenturyartmovement;surrealphotographsintentionallycreateanalternativeoroutrageousreality.
Tone:Specificcolororcolorintensity;alsogradationsincolorsandtheir
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intensity.
Vanishingpoint:Thepointofconvergenceinperspectiverendering.
Iphotographedthiswaterdroponaflowertocreateasimplecompositionusingthepetalsasaframedividerthatcontrastswiththestaronthewaterdrop.
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IwaseagertophotographthistinyNigelladamascena(commonlycalledLove-in-a-mist)because,whenlookedatclose-up,theflowershowsanamazinglevelofcomplexityofcompositionalstructure.
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Frontpiece:Onmybellyinwetgrass,Ipointedatelephotomacrolensdirectlyattherisingsun,capturedthroughthebladesofgrassandwaterdrops.Iintentionallyusedshallowfocustoemphasizetherefractionscreatedbythesunlight.
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Togetthelightingright,Icombinedanexposureoftherisingfullmoonwithalongerexposure(toletmorelightin)oftheSanFranciscoskyline.
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CreativeLighting
DigitalPhotographyTips&Techniques
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HaroldDavis
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Thelightingwasperfectonthesewaterdropscaughtinaspider’swebinthesunshinefollowingabriefshower.
200mmmacrolens,24mmextensiontube,close-upfilter,1/2ofasecondatf/32andISO200,tripodmounted
CreativeLighting:DigitalPhotographyTips&TechniquesbyHaroldDavis
PublishedbyWileyPublishing,Inc.10475CrosspointBoulevardIndianapolis,IN46256www.wiley.com
Copyright©2011byWileyPublishing,Inc.,Indianapolis,Indiana
Allphotographs©HaroldDavis
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PublishedsimultaneouslyinCanada
ISBN:978-0-470-87823-1
ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
10987654321
Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,scanningorotherwise,exceptaspermittedunderSections107or108ofthe1976UnitedStatesCopyrightAct,withouteitherthepriorwrittenpermissionofthePublisher,orauthorizationthroughpaymentoftheappropriateper-copyfeetotheCopyrightClearanceCenter,222RosewoodDrive,Danvers,MA01923,(978)750-8400,fax(978)750-4744.RequeststothePublisherforpermissionshouldbeaddressedtotheLegalDepartment,WileyPublishing,Inc.,10475CrosspointBlvd.,Indianapolis,IN46256,(317)572-3447,fax(317)572-4355,oronlineathttp://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
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Acknowledgements
SpecialthankstoCourtneyAllen,GrahamBird,MarkBrokering,StevenChristenson,GaryCornell,BarryPruett,SandySmith,andMattWagner.
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Tobringoutthedramainherentinthismodel’seyesandhair,Iposedhersothatherfacewasinthelightingbutthebackgrounddisappearedinto
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darkshadows.
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IntroductionWithoutlightthereisnophotography.Byusingthegerund—“lighting”ratherthanlight—anactiveroleisimplied:tosomeextentthephotographerisinvolvedincreating,manipulatingorengineeringthelightusedtocreatethephoto.
Infact,activeinterventionbyaphotographerwhomanipulatesorcreateslightvariesonaspectrumfromnonetocomplete.Forexample,aphotographerwhocreatesalandscapemayleavethelightinguptoweatherandchancecircumstance.Inthispassivescenario,thephotographerchoosesmoment,position,lensandcamerasetting—buttherestislefttonature.
Attheotherextreme,inthecontextofstudiophotography,thephotographercompletelycreatesanenvironmentandset,aswellasthelightingthatwillbeusedtoilluminateit.
Inbetweentheseextremesisthephotographerwhotakesadvantageofambientlightingbutaddssomelightoftheirown—orwhoimprovisesacombinationofnaturalsunlightandartificiallighttocreateamasterfulstilllifeorportrait.
It’sastrangething,butnomatterhowactivethephotographerisincreatinglightusedinanimage,themostcrucialskillforthephotographeristheabilitytoaccuratelyandcreativelyobservelight.Withoutencouragingandtrainingthistalent,alltypesofphotographers—whethertheyshootinthenaturallandscapeusingambientlightorinthestudiowithartificialillumination—willnotbeabletomasterlighting.Ifyoucannotdeeplyfeelandseetheimpactoflighting,youcan’teffectivelyuseormodifylightinginyourwork—andyouwillnotbethebestphotographeryoucanbe.
Withthisinmind,CreativeLighting:DigitalPhotographyTips&Techniquesstartswithsomeideasabouthowtonurtureyourtalentforobservinglight.Notethatthisconcernispragmatic:Icareabouttheimpactoflightonaphoto,notlightasawaveorlightfromtheviewpointofaphysicist.
Lightinginaphotoinvolvesnotonlytheilluminationcastuponascenebutalsotheexposuresettingsusedtocapturethatscene.I’llexplainthevariablesinthisexposureequationsothatyou’llunderstandhowtouseyourcameratobestrespondtothelightyouobserve.
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respondtothelightyouobserve.
Next,I’llshowyouhowtobestuselightinginthenaturalworld.Howcanyoutakeadvantageof—andpossiblymodifyandimprove—ambientanddirectionallighting?And,howcanyoumodifyormanipulateexistinglightingtogetgreatcreativeimages?
Inthestudio,thelightsusedforstilllifecompositionsgenerallygiveoutcontinuouslight.I’llshowyouhowtomastercreativestilllifeeffectsthatinvolvetransparency,reflectivity,shadowplay,andmore.
Incontrasttothecontinuouslightsusedinstilllifework,thestrobesusedtocapturepeopleandmotionproduceshortburstsofextremelyintenselight.I’llexplainthebasicsofstudiostrobelighting—andshowyouhowtocreatesomegreatfigurestudyandportraitlightingeffects.
Youcancompletelychangethelightingofaphotoinpost-processingusingsoftwaresuchasAdobePhotoshop.Theextentofflexibilityregardinglightinginthedigitaldarkroomwouldhavebeenunimaginableonlyafewshortyearsago.ThefinalsectionofthebookshowsyouhowtousePhotoshoptoenhancethelightinginyourphotos.
MyhopeinCreativeLightingistobeyourcompanionandguidebyprovidinginspiration,ideas,andtechniquesasweworktogethertocreatephotosthataremasterfullylit—enjoy!
Bestwishesinphotography,
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Iusedapolarizingfiltertohelpemphasizetherefractionscreatedbylightingthroughaglassofwater,withanappleandapearpositionedbehindtheglass.
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SeeingtheLight
Tocreatethisstudioshotofmarbles,Iputthemarblesonasheetofwhitepaperandusedastrongtungstenlighttocreateintenseandcolorfulshadows.Thiscontinuouslightwaspositionedbehindthemarblesandbeamedthroughthemwiththeideaofmakingcolorfulshadowsusingbacklighting.
200mmmacro,8secondsatf/36andISO100,tripodmounted
QualityofLight
Withoutlightthereisnophotograph.Butlightbearsamoreimportantandsubtlerelationshiptophotographythanthisstatementofabsolutessuggests.Infact,thequalityoflightmakesorbreaksaphotoacrossawiderangeofpotentialsubjects.Nomatterwhatthesubjectmatter,whenthephotographercreativelyandperceptivelyseesandcaptureslight,thengreatphotosarepossible.Buthumdrumandordinaryuseoflightleadstoboringandordinaryimagery.
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humdrumandordinaryuseoflightleadstoboringandordinaryimagery.
Sinceyouarereadingthisbook,youprobablyagreethatthequalityoflightisveryimportanttogoodphotography.Actually,Ithinkitwouldbehardnottoagree.Butthisassessmentleadstomorequestions:Whatisthismysteriousconceptof“quality”associatedwithlight?Forthatmatter,whatisthismysterioussubstance“light?”
UnderstandingLight
Anythingyoucanseeisasourceoflight,unlessitiscompletelyblack.Otherwise,theworldarounduswouldbeinvisible.Thingsyoucanseeareeithertransmittinglightsources—forexample,thesun,alightbulb,orastrobe—orarereflectivelightsources.Areflectivelightsourceisessentiallyanythingthatdoesn’titselfgeneratethelight;ifyoushinealightonamodel,andusethislightingforaphoto,themodelisareflectivelightsource.
Infact,wedon’tactuallyseethings.Ifyoustoptothinkaboutitforamoment,you’llrealizethatforanobjecttobevisibleitmustbeilluminated.Whatyouareactuallyseeingislightcreatingapparentcontours,shapes,colors,andsoon.Lightcaressesobjectstomakethemvisible,sowethinkweseethem—butweareactuallyinterpretingtheactionoflightinourminds(orcameras)ratherthanlookingatobjectsthemselves,andnoneofthiswouldbepossiblewithoutlight.
Withoutusbeingconsciouslyawareofit,ourbrainsarecontinuouslydecodingtheelectromagneticradiationthatreachesourretinasandusingthisinformationtoprovideuswithour“pictures”oftheworld—oftenwithpowerfulemotionalimpactsolelybasedontheperceivedlighting.
Lightitselfisnotasubstanceinthenormalwaywethinkofthings.Instead,itconsistsofwavesofelectromagneticradiation.Asthesewaves“wash”overandaroundobjectsovertime,we(andourcameras)areabletocreateavisualimpressionoftheobjectsthatareilluminated.
Usually,thisimpressioniscreatedalmostinstantaneously—becauselightmovesveryquickly,andbecausethevisualprocessinghandledbyourbrainstakesplacemostlyataspeedfasterthanconsciousthought.Butwhencamerasareinvolved,thingsslowdowntothecamera’sshutterspeedrange,ortothepulseofastrobeifstudiolightingisused.
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ofastrobeifstudiolightingisused.
It’simportanttonotethatinthecontextofphotographytimeisalwaysinvolvedinlighting—whetheritisthebrieffractionofasecondneededtolightalandscapeorstudiosceneorthehoursneededtocaptureadarklandscapeatnight.Anobjectisilluminatedbywavesoflightenergyovertime—althoughtheamountoftimemaybeveryshortindeed.
Thestatementthat“anythingyoucanseeisasourceoflight”isanoversimplification—particularlyinthedigitalera—becausethereareenergywavescloseinfrequencytovisiblelightthatourcamerasensorscancapturebutwecannotsee.Innormalusage,lightmeanselectromagneticwavesonaspectrum—awavelength—thatisvisibletothehumaneye,buttoscientistslightcanalsomeanelectromagneticwavesonpartsofthisspectrumthatarenotvisibletous.
Ifyoucanseesomething,itiscertainlyasourceofreflectiveortransmittedvisiblelight—butthereareothersourcesof“nearlight”thatourcamerascanpickupanduseinphotographicimaging.Takingadvantageofilluminationfromenergysourcesbeyondthevisiblespectrumtendstoonlybeimportanttoafewspecializedareasofphotography,suchasinfraredandnightphotography(seepages150–157).Butit’simportanttorealizethattherearesomesourcesof“light”thatyoumaynotbeabletosee—butyourcameracan.
CharacteristicsofLight
Withtheunderstandingthatlightitselfisanelectromagneticwave,thatpeopleandobjectsonlyappearrealiftheyareilluminatedbylight,andthattimeisalwaysinvolvedinphotographiclighting,it’sappropriatetogivesomethoughttounderstandingwhatmakestheelusivequalityoflightthatissoessentialtophotography.
First,lightqualityisnoonething,nosingleeffectorsetting.Photographsinwhichthequalityoflightdiffergreatlyinmanyimportantcharacteristicscaneachbesaidtohaveexcellentqualityoflight.Forexample,animagewithstrongandharshlightmightbeaspectacularcharacterstudy,whileadelicateclose-upmightrequiresubdued,subtle,anddiffuselight.Sothere’snoone-size-fits-allanswertowhatmakeshigh-qualitylighting,anditalwaysdependsuponthecontext.Thisimpliesthatinthinkingaboutlightandlightingoneshouldtrytounderstandthepaletteofavailableoptions.
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Sincethelightinginaphotolargelycontrolsthemoodandemotionsthattheimagecommunicates,yourunderstandingofthequalityoflightneedstotakeplaceatleastpartiallyatagutoremotionallevel.Youcanspendyourlifeparsingoutthetechnicalfactorsthatgointolighting—andknowingtheseareagoodthing—butknowingthemcoldwon’tleadtosomethingmoreimportant.Theabilitytouselightingtomanipulatetheemotionsofpeoplelookingatyourimagesisaninvaluableskill.
Fromtheviewpointofphysics,alightwavehasanumberofproperties.Themostimportantoftheseareintensity,meaningthestrengthofthelight(seepages22–27),andthewavelength,whichcorrespondstothecolortemperature,orperceivedcolorofthelightsource(seepages34–39and102–107).
AsI’venoted,alightsourceiseithertransmittinglightorreflectinglight.It’sverydifferentphotographingintothesunascomparedwithphotographingsomethinglitbythesun.Thisisthedistinctionbetweenlighttransmissionandreflectivity.Reflectivityisexplainedfurtheronpages52–55and186–189.
WhenIevaluatelightandlighting,besidesintensityandreflectivity,Itrytounderstandanumberoffactors:
Thedirectionoflight(pages28–33)Thecolorofthelight(pages34–39)andwhetheritisdiffuseorharsh(pages40–43)Whethermyintentionsaretocreateadarkorlightimage(pages46–49)Whethertransparencyplaysaroleintheimage(pages56–59and178–181)TheimportanceofstrongshadowstothephotoIhaveinmind(pages60–63and182–185)
IfI’vepre-visualizedablackandwhitephoto,thenIneedtoconsidertheimpactoflightingonmymonochromaticrendition(seepages64–67).
It’sworthnotingthatpre-visualizationisanimportantpartofunderstandingthequalityoflighting.(Formoreonpre-visualizingtheimpactoflighting,seepages108–111).Ultimately,IrelyonmysenseofwhatshiftingachoiceinlightingwilldotoinformtheactualchangesImake—soitisimportanttodevelopyourskillsrelatingtopre-visualization.
JusticePotterStewartoftheUnitedStatesSupremeCourtfamouslynotedthathecouldn’teasilydefineobscenity,butheknewitwhenhesawit.Thesamethingistrueaboutgreatphotographiclighting.Youwon’tnecessarilybeableto
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thingistrueaboutgreatphotographiclighting.Youwon’tnecessarilybeabletoputyourfingeronwhythelightingisgreatforaparticularphoto,butifyouworktobetterunderstandlightingandhoneyourpre-visualizationskills,youwillcometoknowitwhenyouseeit—andbecomeabletodelivergreatqualityoflightinginyourimages.
Increatingthisphoto,IpurposelyunderexposedtheimagebecauseIrealizedthatthepointoftheimagewastoshowthelightonthemodel’sback—andthatanyotherelementswereextraneous.Iusedsubduedsidelighting,andworkedhardtopositionthemodelandlightstocreateasculpturaleffect.
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Thelightastwilightturnstonightoftenhasveryspecialcharacteristics,asyoucanseeinthisimageoftheBigSur,California.Colorsarerosy,andshapesaresoft,butthereisstillenoughlightsothattheshapesinthelandscapearedistinct.
Thefairlylongexposure(30seconds)involvesenoughtimesothatthelightsfromobjectsinmotion—suchasthecarheadlights—arerenderedinapathratherthaninthecrispsnapshotviewthatwearemoreusedto.
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Itrainedovernightandthenstopped.Therewerecloudsoverhead,butthedaywasgettingbright.IhurriedoutwithmycamerabecauseIknewthatdiffuselightingfromabrightbutovercastskycanleadtostunninglysoftandsensuousflowerimagery,asinthisearlymorningimageofaniris.
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TheGoldenHour
Itishardtodefinegreatlighting—andgoodqualityoflightdiffersfromphotographicsituationtosituation.However,there’sonekindoflightingthatalmostalwaysproducesgoodresults:photographstakenoutdoorsduringtheso-called“goldenhour.”
Dependinguponwhoyoutalkto,atmosphericconditions,timeofyear,andyourgeographiclocation,goldenhourlightingextendsbeforeandaftersunriseandsunset,perhapsaboutanhourineitherdirection.Thistimeofgreatlightinglastslongeratsunsetthanitdoesatsunrise.I’veheardaquipfromprofessionallocationphotographersthattheycouldphotographatsunrise,gotosleepforthebulkoftheday,andwaketophotographatsunset—there’snotmuchpointworkingoutdoorsatanyothertimes.
Whatmakesgoldenhourlightingsogreat?Toanswerthisquestionitmakessensetocarefullyobservewhathappenstothelightingatsunset.Colorsgetyellowerandredderasthecolortemperaturebecomeswarmer.Thingsseemmoreheavilysaturated.Asthesunhitsthehorizonline,thequalityofthelightbecomesmorediffuseduetohazeandatmosphericdistortion.Atthesametime,thelightstaysintenseandstronguntilthesunhasliterallyset.
Thesearequalitiestoemulateifyouarecreatinglightwhollyorpartiallybyartificialmeans—warm,diffuse,andstronglydirectionallightingseemstoinherentlyproduceasignificantlypositiveemotionalresponseinthosewhoseeit.
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ThePuenteBacunayaguaisthelongestandhighestbridgeontheislandofCuba,builtbeforetheSovietsabandonedthecountry.IwasluckyenoughtoreachtheobservationpointabovethebridgejustatthegoldenhourbecauseIcouldcaptureboththeskyandthebridgeintheglowing,colorfultonesofthe“goldenhour.”
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Thishigh-countrylakeintheSierraNevadamountainsofCaliforniaisjustofftheTiogaPasshighway.Inthelateafternoonandearlyeveningitstartstoglow,andcomesaliveasaninterestingsubjectforphotography.
Unfortunately,photographersaren’ttheonlycreaturesawareofthegoldenhour.Mosquitoesseemtoemergejustasthelightgetsgood.InthecoupleofhoursIspentphotographingthislake,Ifendedoffhordesofthelittlebuzzingwingedcarnivores.
Ilikeusingapolarizerfiltertoampthecolorsofgoldenhourlandscapesevenfurther.Thisisparticularlytruewhenwaterandreflectionsareinvolved.Usingapolarizercanhelpbringoutreflections,anditalsoservestomakegoldenhourlightingseemevenmoregrandandspectacularthanitalreadyis.
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IntensityofLight
Lightintensityreferstothestrengthofthelight—andthisissomethingthatcan,ofcourse,bemeasuredbyyourcameraoranexternallightmeter.Thiskindofmeasurementcanbeahelpfulstartingplace.ButasI’lldiscusslaterinthisbookintheExposuresection(pages68–111),thepointofanexposure—andofknowingthestrengthofyourlighting—isnottousethisdatainapresetformula;rather,itisusefulasabasisformakingcreativedecisions.
It’sworthnotingthateffectivelightintensitydependsuponthedistanceofyoursubjectfromthelightsource,aswellastheintensityofthelightitself.Forsomelightingsources,thisfactisirrelevant—forexample,youcan’tmovethesun.However,youcanpositionartificiallights—andit’shelpfultorealizethatintensityhasaninverseratiotothedistanceoflighttosubject.Actually,lightintensityfallsoffroughlyaccordingtoaninverse-squaredratio.Formoreonlightingplacement,seepages162–209.
Inaphotographicrendering,theabsoluteintensityoflightingisnotusuallythemostimportantthingabouttheintensity.Whatmattersisthecontrast,orperceivedrelativeintensityoflighting,comparedtothedarkerareasofaphoto.Aphotoinadimlylitroomwithasingleshaftofstrongsunlightcanseemtobemoreintenselylitthanaphototakenonabrightsunnydayoutdoors.Objectively,thereisfarstrongerlightingintheoutdoorscene—butthemixedlightingseemsmoreintense.
Agreatdealoftheemotionalpowerinaphotocomesfromthephotographer’sabilitytocontrolthedynamicrange—tonalrangefromlightstodarks—inaphoto.Usingdigitaldarkroomcontrolsandspecializedtechniquesdesignedtoincreasedynamicrange(seepages210–247),alongwiththeabilitytoextendandmodulatetherangeoftonesinaphotogivesmodernphotographersmorepowerovertheirimagecreationthaneverbefore.
Whenworkingwithlightintensityinyourphotos,youshouldfirstunderstandwhethertheemotionalappealoflightinginyourphotocomesfromoverallflatlightingwithouthighcontrast,orwhetherthedifferencebetweendarkandlightareasmakestheimage.
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Ineithercase,yournextgoalshouldbetoemphasizetheeffectyoudesire.Iftheimageworksbecausethelightingisoverallflat,diffuse,andatthesametimeglowing—makesureyourlighting,exposure,andpost-processingdeliverstheimpactyouhavepre-visualized.
Iftheemotionalappealoftheimagecomesfromthecontrastbetweenafewbright,overlitareasanddarkbackgroundshadows,makesurethatyourtechniquefollowsyourintentions.Inthiskindofimage,apparentintensitycombinedwithdeepshadowscanenhancecompositionsbycloakingunwantedareas—andaddinganoverallsenseoftensionandmystery.
Ilitthismodel’sfacewithintenselightusingasnoot,acirculartubeplacedoverastudiostrobe.Myideawastocreateaninterestinghigh-contrastportraitthatemphasizedtheunusualplanesofherface,allowingthefacetobelitwhiletherestofherbodyfadedintothebackground.
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Thisportraitworksbecauseoftheoverallevennessofthelow-contrastlighting.Themodelwasliterallyinthewaterinanoutdoorswimmingpool.Iachievedthelightingeffectbyfilteringtherelativelyharshsunlightbouncingoffthewaterthroughabeachumbrella(youcanseetheumbrellaasredinthebackground),andbyusingafillcardtobouncesunlightintotheshadowedareasofthemodel’sface.
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Intensebutdappledearlymorningsunlighthelpedcreateaninterestingandunusualimageofarose,photographedasthesunmadeitswayoverthehorizon.Normally,directsunlightistoointensetocreateeffectiveflowerimageswithoutdiffusion,butinthiscasethecontrastbetweenlightsanddarksworked—inpartbecausetheangleofthesunwasnotoverheadandhighintheskyyet.Inaddition,thehotspotreflectionsofsunlightinthewaterdropsthemselvesaddinterestingtextureandcontrasttotheimage.
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Tocreatethis“soft”stilllifecomposition,ItapedtracingpaperoverthecontinuouslightsIused.ThenIenhancedthediffuseeffectusingaLensbaby,whichthrowspartsoftheimageotherthanthe“sweetspot”outoffocus.Thecombinationofgentle,softlightandselectivefocuscreatesadream-likeeffect.
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Thedirectsunlightilluminatingthisphotoappearsquiteintensebecauseofthestrongshadowcastbytheglassvaseandthestrongcontrastbetweenthelightanddarkareasinthecomposition.Withoutthestrong,andalmostharsh,lightingthepatternsintheshadowofthevasewouldn’tbeclearenoughtobeinteresting.
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DirectionofLight
WhenIcomposeaphotoinmycamera’sviewfinder—whetherIamworkinginthefieldorinthestudio—thedirectionofthelightingisalwaysforemostonmymind.AsI’venoted,withoutlightingthereisnoperception,orphotographicrendition,ofanything.Flowers,people,landscapes,andthenightskydonotshowintheabsenceoflight,andoneofthemostcrucialpropertiesoflightisitsdirectioninrelationshiptothephotographicsubject.
It’simportanttohaveacommonvocabularywhendiscussinglightdirection,sodobearinmindthatwhenItalkaboutthedirectionoflightIamdescribinghowthelightstrikesthesubject,notthedirectionofthelightinrelationtothecamera.Ifyouknowthedirectionoflightrelativetothesubject,andyouunderstandreflectivity(explainedonpages52–55and186–189),thenyou’llbeabletohaveaprettygoodideaaboutthedirectionoflightrelatedtothecameraaswell.Ofcourse,thisisassumingthatyoursubjectisnotalightsourceandisreflectinglightthatisretransmittedtothecamera.
Lightthatstrikesanobjectonitsfrontiscalledfrontlighting(Figure1).Lightthatcomesinfromthesidesiscalledsidelighting(Figure2).
Logically,there’snoclearangleatwhichsidelightingbecomesfrontlighting,orfrontlightingbecomessidelighting—andmanysituationsinvolvecombinationsofsideandfrontlighting.Nevertheless,it’simportanttogetasensefortheprevailingdirectionoflightbecausethatcanhelpyoutweakboththelightingandthepositionofthesubjecttocreateamoreeffectivephoto.
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Insomesituations,lightingbecomesgeneralizedenoughthatthereisn’treallyaclearsenseofthedirectionofthelight.Inthiskindoflightingsituationtheoveralllightissaidtobeambient.Withambientlightingitisoftentruethatclarityaboutitsdirectionisn’tobvious;however,ifyoutakethetimetoreallylookyoucanprobablydeterminethevariousdirectionsandsourcesofillumination.
It’snotuncommontoaddspecificdirectionallightingtoanambientlightingsituation.
Tofullyroundoutthepictureofallpossiblelightdirections,considerbacklighting,(Figure3)whichisfurtherdiscussedonpages44–45.Theproblemwithbacklightingisthattherearofthesubjectisilluminatedandunlessthesubjectistranslucent,there’snoilluminationonthefrontofthesubject—youonlyseelightpeekingaroundtheedgesoftheobject.
Notethatweliveinathree-dimensionalworld,soinonesenseafour-points-of-the-compassdirectionalanalysisdoesn’ttellthewholestory.Lightcanalsocomefromaboveorbeneathasubject.Youshouldbeonthelookoutfortoplightingandbottomlighting,aswellasthelighting’sdirectionalcharacteristics.
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IplacedthisDahliafrommygardenonablackbackground,andlititfromthefrontusingasmallLEDflashlight.Usingalow-intensityfrontlightcombinedwithalongexposureallowedmetocreateanalmost“spot-like”effectonthecenteroftheflower.
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Thismodelhadbeenelaboratelypaintedinsilver,butIthoughthermoststrikingfeaturewashereyes.Ifyoulookcarefullyatthecatchlightsinhereyes,youcandeterminethepredominantdirectionofthelighting—sidelightingfromthemodel’sleft.
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Inwinter,whentreesarebare,thestarkshapesoftrunksandbranchesmakeforseeingthedirectionoflightclearly.
IwasinthemountainsaboveSantaFe,NewMexicowhenIcameacrossthisgroveofAspens.Thewinterlightwaslow,harshandintense,comingfromtheleft-handside.
Thestrongdirectionallightingcreatedasituationthatwasgraphicallyinteresting.Withmycameraonatripod,Iusedanaverageexposureintendedtocreateanimagethatwasessentiallyaboutthesidelighting—andabouthowthecontrastbetweenlightsanddarkscreatedapattern.
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ColorofLight
Intuitively,almostallhumanbeingshaveanemotionalresponsetothecoloroflight.Lightthatisperceivedaswarmershowsscenesthataremorelikelytobeviewedasattractive,friendly,andevenintimate—providedthelightdoesn’tgettoowarm.Forexample,scenicphotostakenduringthegoldenhour(seepages18–21)arealmostalwaysperceivedasattractive,duetothewarmthofthelighting.
Conversely,lightthatisperceivedascoolisnotconsideredattractive,andaddsanemotionaldistancetoaphoto.However,insomecircumstancesthisemotionalcoolnessmaybejustwhataparticularimageneeds.
Clearly,theissueoftheperceivedcoloroflight—wherethelightfallsonawarmtocoolscale—isveryimportanttoaphotographer’sabilitytoconceptualizetheimpactoflightingonaphoto,becausethisissueplayssuchanimportantpsychologicalandemotionalrole.
However,theterms“warm”and“cool”seemalittlevague.Whatisactuallymeant?
ThecolortemperatureoflightismeasuredasemittedfromatheoreticalblackbodyindegreesKelvin(abbreviatedK),anincrementoftemperaturerelatedtotheCelsiusscale.Thelowerthecolortemperatureoflight,thewarmerthelightwillseemandthehigherthecolortemperature,thebluerthelightwillappear.
Verywarmlightisperceivedasquitereddishatabout1500K,somewhatwarmlightisperceivedasyellowinthe3000Kto4000Krange,andanythingover7500Kwillseemblue.Daylightvariesconsiderably,butopensunshineinthemiddleofthedaywillprobablyregisteratthe5200Kto5500Krange.
TheKelvinscale,alongwithsomecommonlightsourcesandwheretheyarelikelytofallontheKelvinscale,isshowninFigure4.
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WhenIfirstlearnedaboutcolortemperaturesandtheKelvinscale,itdidn’treallymakesensetomethatthehigherthenumber—meaningwarmerfromtheviewpointofphysics—themorebluethecolor.Butifyouthinkaboutthisforamomentitactuallydoesmakesense.Ifyou’veevertoastedmarshmallowsonacampfire,you’llknowthehottestpartofthefirehasblueflames,andthatyellowflamesarehotterthanredones.ColortemperaturesmeasuredusingtheKelvinscaleareshowinghowmuchheatthelightsourceemits.Thishappenstobebackwardsfromourpsychologicalperceptionofcolor,butthenthere’snoreasonthatourpsychesshouldknowtheactualcolortemperatureoflight.
WhiteBalanceisthesettingyourcamerausestorecordthecolortemperatureofagivenscene.Yourcamera’sAutoWhiteBalancefeatureactuallydoesaprettygoodjobofreadingthecolortemperatureofmostscenes,butitisalsopossibletouseawhitebalancethatyou’vechosen.
Forinformationabouthowyoucanusecolortemperatureandwhitebalancetocreativelyenhanceyourphotographictechniqueseepage102foradiscussionofthein-cameraWhiteBalancesetting,andpages104–107forinformationaboutworkingwithcolortemperatureintheRAWconversionprocess.
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IwantedtocreateaphotothatshowedthesumptuousandwellmaintainedpublicarchitectureoftheCubanNationalCapitolinHavana,Cuba.Thewarmglowofwindowlightreflectedonthemarblewalls,floor,andceilinghelptoconveythevisualeffectIwastryingtoconvey.
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IshotthisimageaftersunsetnearChinaBeachinSanFranciscoBay.There’saverybluecasttothelightinginthisphotooftidalmudflatsduetolingeringlightcaughtinthelow-hangingclouds.
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Diffusion
Todiffusealightsourcemeanstocutdownandspreadtheglarefromatransmittinglightsource.Inthestudio,youcandiffusealightsourcebyshiningthelightthroughatranslucentdevicesuchasanumbrellaorsoftbox.It’seasytorecognizediffusioninthestudiowhenyousendlightthroughtranslucency.
Outdoorshootersusuallyneedtolookfordiffusionthatoccursnaturally.Cloudsoftendiffusesunlight,andfogmakesoneoftheworld’sbestdiffusers.
Lighttransmitteddirectlyfromasourcecanbeharshandundiffusedunlessithasbeenmodifiedbysendingitthroughsomethingtranslucent,asIjustdescribed.Ontheotherhand,themorethelightisreflectedbeforeitilluminatesyoursubject,themorediffuseitbecomes(seepages52–55formoreonreflectivityanddiffusion).
Diffusedlightisperceivedas“soft”incontrasttoharshundiffusedlight.Learningtosensewhereonthespectrumbetweensoft(diffused)andharsh(undiffused)lightfallsisanimportantpartoflearningtoseelight.Softlightbringsoutdetailsandmakesscenesappearromanticandserene.Harshlighthelpsdelineatecontoursandshapesstronglyandcanbeusedtomakeemotionalstatementsimplyinglikesanddislikes.
Todiffuseornottodiffuse?Thisisanimportantchoiceinlighting—soyoushouldmakeapointoflearningtoseethedifferenceasyouobservelight.
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IwaslookingdownfromthesecondstoryofthehistoricCoastGuardBoathouseinPointReyesNationalSeashore,Californiastraightouttoseaatthetracksthatwereusedtolaunchrescueboats.Thewindowpanewascoveredwithrainandsaltspray.Shootingthroughthedirtywindowproducedthishighlydiffusedandalmostabstractimage.
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LeadinganightphotographyworkshoptothelighthouseatthetipofPointReyesNationalSeashoreinCalifornia,Iwasdisappointedbythedensefog.Ihadforgottenthatfogworksasagreatnaturaldiffuser.ThesoftlightingofthisshotintheclingingfogturnedouttomakeaphotoasinterestingasanyoftheimagesIhavemadeofthePointReyesLighthouseinclearerweather.Mybiggestproblem:keepingcameraandlensesdryintheintensewetness.
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Thesunshiningthroughpocketsoffoginthiswoodlandvalleycreatedaperfectlydiffusedlightingsource.Iusedalongexposureandasmallapertureforhighdepth-of-fieldsoIcouldfullycapturetheeffectofgoingfromthedarkerdetailsofthepathonthevalleyfloortothediffusedsunlighthigherupincontrasttothetreetrunks.
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Backlighting
Backlightingislightthatcomesfrombehindthesubjectasexplainedonpage31(alsoseeFigure3).Ifthesubjectisopaque,thismaymeannolightatallonitsfront—theplanethatyouwillbephotographing.Asolidblackobjectonlylitfrombehindwillnotbeilluminatedontheunlitfrontside—unlesslightisreflectedintotheunlit,blackareas.
Sotheuseofbacklightingneedstoberegardedassomethingtobeusedinspecialsituations,forexample:
Thesubjectistranslucent,andyouarephotographingtogiveanimpressionoftransparency(seepages56–59and178–181formoreabouttransparency).There’sinterestinginteractionbetweentheedgesoftheobjectandthebacklighting.Yourintentionistocreateanimageprimarilyshowingasilhouette.
Becauseofthevisualpoweroftheseusesofbacklighting—andbecauseeffectiveuseofbacklightingisrareevenamongotherwiseaccomplishedphotographers—backlightinghasbecomeanimportanttoolofmine.However,youshouldbearinmindthatbacklightingisalmostneverpure.It’sanextremelyrarephotothateffectivelyusesbacklightingwithoutsomekindoffilllightingeffect—eitherinthephotographyorinthedigitaldarkroom.
Backlightingthiseggcreatesagentlegloweffectaroundtheedgesoftheegg.Iusedawhitefillcardtoreflectsomelightintothefrontoftheegg,sothatthefrontwasn’tindeepshadow.
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Iphotographedthispoppycutfrommygardenusingstrong,lateafternoonsunlightstrategicallybeamedthroughasheetoftranslucentpaperinfrontofawindowtobacklighttheflower.
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High-KeyandLow-KeyLighting
High-keyphotosarewhite,orbright,andtendtoinvolvesometranslucencyortransparency.Low-keyimagesaremostlyverydark,orevenblack.Ahigh-keyphotographisoftenintentionallyoverexposedforartisticreasonsandalow-keyphotoisoftenintentionallyunderexposed.
Theabsoluteamountoflightonthesubjectisnottheissue.Youcanhavesceneswithlowlevelsoflightingthatarecapturedashigh-keyphotos,andscenesthatarewelllitbutdramaticallyunderexposedtoresultinlow-keyimages.
Theimportantthingistorecognizethepatternofanoverallhigh-key(orlow-key)imageandtounderstandthatyouwon’tgettherewithouthuman,creativeintervention.Lefttoitsowndevices,yourcamerawillneverexposeinawaythatsuccessfullyuseslightinginawaythatmakesforinterestinghigh-keyorlow-keyphotography.Seepages206–209forinformationaboutexposingforhigh-keyandlow-keyimagery.
Tocreateasuccessfulhigh-keyimage,lookforsubjectsthatarebrightandwelllit.Often,whitepredominatesinthesephotos.Atthesametime,mostsuccessfulhigh-keyimagesdon’thavehighlightsthatareblown-out—sothetypicallysuccessfulhigh-keyimageisrange-boundonthebrightsideofthings.
Low-keyimagesthatworkarepredominantlydark,withsomeareasofrelativelightnessthatworkincontrasttothemysteryaroundthem.
Whentheyworkwell,high-keyandlow-keyimagesareveryspecial.Aspartofmydiscoveryofthelightaroundme,andmypre-visualizationoflightingeffectsthatmightworkwellwithspecificsubjectmatter,Ialwayslooktoseeifthereisahigh-keyorlow-keysolutionthatmightfitthebill.
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High-keylightinggivesthisoreganopetaltheflavorofanold-fashionedbotanicaldrawing.
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Iphotographedthisconefloweronawhitebackgroundandintentionallyoverexposedtocreateahigh-keyeffect.
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Low-keylightingmakesthismustardleaflooklikeamysteriousseacreature.Bycontrollingtheexposuretokeeptheimagelow-key,Iaddedanelementofsaturationtothecolor—andtookthisimageastepbeyonda“straight”shotofsaladmaterial.
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Photographingawhiteflowerisachallengeinacolorphotobecausethefinalimagecanseemtolackinterestingcolors.IunderexposedthisDahliatocreatealow-keyimagewithsubtlecolorvariationsonablackbackground.
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Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuroisatermderivedfromlightinginsomeclassicalpaintings—lightingthatshowsgreatcontrastbetweenlightsanddarks,withbothlightanddarkimportanttothecomposition.Onthewhole,manyphotographiccompositionsthatusechiaroscurolightingtendalsotobelow-key—sothereissomeconceptualoverlapbetweentheselightingcategories.
Cantherebelightwithoutdarkness?Probablynot.Inphotographicterms,chiaroscuroismoreaboutthecontrastbetweenthedarkandlightareasthanitisabouttheoveralltoneoftheimage—eventhough,asI’venoted,imagesthattakeadvantageofchiaroscurolightingtendtoalsobelow-key.
Chiaroscuroisalmostalwaysinterestinglighting.It’shardtoimagineboringchiaroscuro.SowhenIencountersituationsthatseemalittletooblandformytaste,IseeifIcan“jazzthemup”bythrowinganelementofchiaroscurointomylighting.
IfI’mworkinginanaturallightenvironment,ItrytoseeifthereisahighcontrastoflightingImighttakeadvantageof.Forexample,canIpositionmymodelinadarkexteriorinsuchawaythatasingleshaftoflightwillfallonher?Or,canIuseadappledlightsourcetoexaggeratethedarksandlightsinthesceneinfrontofme?
Indoors,inacontrolledenvironment,thequestionbecomesoneofaccentuatingthecontrastbetweenlightsanddarks.I’llimproviseanduseextremelylowlevelsofilluminationifthismeansthatIcangetthelighttofalloffinaninterestingway.
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Thecontrastbetweenthedarkbackgroundandthe25-wattlamplightonmydaughterKatieRose’sfacecreatesachiaroscuroeffect.
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Theshaftoflightstrikingthisbridepositionedinanotherwisedarkunderpasscreatesachiaroscuroeffect.Thecontrastbetweenthewhiteweddingdressinthelightandthealmosttotallydarkbackgroundaddswarmthandvisualinteresttoaphotothatwouldotherwisebeacliché.
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UnderstandingReflectivity
I’venotedthatwithoutlightnothingcanbeseen—orphotographed.Furthermore,unlessanobjectisalightsource,suchasthesunoralightbulb,itcanonlybeilluminatedbyreflectivity.Therefore,it’scrucialtounderstandreflectivityifyouwanttounderstandlighting.
Firstofall,theFundamentalLawofReflectionstatesthattheangleofincidenceequalstheangleofreflection(Figure5).Inotherwords,theangleoflightshiningonanobjectdeterminestheanglethatthelightwillleavetheobject.
However,thekindofreflectiondependsuponthecharacteristicsofthelightingandthesurfacedoingthereflecting.Diffusereflectionsdon’tchangeinbrightnesswhenyoushiftyourangleofview.Directreflectionsareamirrorimageofthelightsourcethatmadethemandvaryfrombrighttononexistentdependinguponyourangleofview.
Acompletelywhitecardproducesdiffusereflections,andthelightisreflectedequallyinalldirectionsfromthewhitecard(Figure6).
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Incontrast,amirrorproducesdirectreflections.AsyoucanseeinFigure7onpage54,acameralocatedattheangleofincidencewillseeaverybrightversionofthereflectedlightsource,whileacameralocatedanywhereelsewillnot.
Notethatmostofthesurfacesyouwillwanttophotographareneitherwhitecardsnormirrors,butrathersomewhereinbetweeninregardtoreflectivity.
Eachrayoflightwithinthefamilyofangles(Figure8)complieswiththeFundamentalLawofReflectionandheadsoutofthereflectingsurfaceattheangleofincidence.Thisisimportantbecauseifyourcameraispositionedwithintheincidentanglerangeformedbythefamilyofanglesyou’llcapturedirectreflections.Acamerathatislocatedoutsidethisrangecapturesdiffusereflections.
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Thekindofreflectionyouwantdependsuponyourintendedphoto.Forexample,ifyouarephotographingflatartworkyou’llneverwanttoseedirectreflectionsbecausethesewillappearasglareandspotswithhigh-contrastreflections.Thesolutionistoarrangeyourlightingandcamerasothecameraisoutsidethereflectionsfromthefamilyofangles.
Ontheotherhand,ifyouaretryingtocreateaninterestingimageofcolorinahighlyreflectiveobject,suchasamirroredormetallicsurface,you’llwanttocarefullypositionyourcamerawithintheincidentfamilyofanglestoachievetheeffectyouwant.
You’llfindinformationaboutcreativelightingeffectsusingreflectivityonpages186–189.
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Metalobjects,likethisslinky,areamongthehardestthingstophotograph.Aminortechnicalissueisthatreflectivesurfaceswillfoilmostautofocusmechanisms—soyoushouldplantofocusyourcameramanually.
Theoverallpictureisthataveryreflectivesurfaceislikeablankslate.Howitlooksdependsonthecolorthatyoureflectintoit.Also,ifyouarenotcareful,thereflectionswillshowthesetupyouusedtophotographthemetalobject—andeventhephotographer.
Tomakeshinymetallookitsbest,reflectwarmcolorintoit.Inthiscase,Iplacedacoloredboardjustoutofthecameraview,butwherethereflectionsappearascolorsintheslinky.
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InthisphotoofmysonMathewattheSanFranciscoZoo,thelightingiscomingfromaboveandtotheleftofthephoto’sedge—thisissidelighting.YoucanseethatthisissobylookingatthedirectionoftheshadowsonMathew’sface.WhatmaytakeacloserlooktonoticeisthatthelightisreflectedoffMathew’slight-coloredhairbackatthewhitewallbehindhim.Andthen,thelightisreflectedbacktowardsthecamera,creatingakindofhaloeffect.Iusuallytrytonoticethiskindofsecondaryreflectionbecauseitoftenaddsinteresttothelightinginaphoto.
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TransparencyversusOpacity
Objectsyouphotographhaveanimpact,ontheirownlighting—andnotjustintermsofsurfacereflectivity.Oneveryimportantissueiswhetheranobjectistransparentoropaque.
Ifsomethingisfullyopaque,thenlightcannotpassthroughit.Theobjectappearssolidandthree-dimensional,andhasasculpturalpresence.Itisusuallylitfromthefrontorsides,althoughoccasionallyopaqueobjectscanbebacklitassilhouettesforaspecialeffect.
Ontheotherhand,partiallytransparentobjectscanbebacklit(seepages44–45)andcreateatranslucenteffectratherlikethatofstainedglass.Infact,stainedglassisaclassicsubjectforbacklightingandtransparency—itonlycomesintoitsownwhenithasbeenappropriatelybacklit.Youcanthinkoftranslucencyinflowersorothernaturalobjectsasthenaturalanalogtoastainedglasswindow.
Photographsthatintendtopresentacoherentnarrativearerarelybacklit.Ifyouwanttoshowsomethingstraightforward,thenitisbesttousestraightforwardlighting.Afterall,forthemostpartweareusedtoseeingobjectsthatarelitfromthefrontorsides.Incontrast,backlightingisarelativelyunusuallightingstyle(andtechnique).
Whenatransparentsubjectisbacklit,itglowslikedstainedglass.Viewersofimagesbasedonthiskindoflightingtakeawaytheimpressionthatthey’vepenetratedinnersecretsoftheobjectsthemselves.
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Thisimageofapoppyshowspartialtransparency.Wherethepetaloftheflowerhasbeenbacklitbythesun,theimageappearstranslucent.Elsewhere—forexamplethestems—theflowerseemsfullyopaque.
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Mythoughtincreatingthisphotowastotellastoryinasingleframe.Thenarrationshowsthebirthandfullbloomofapoppy(Papaverrhoeas).Ifyoulookatthediscardedskinfromtheflowerbud,you’lllearnwhythisfloweriscalleda“poppy”inthefirstplace.Toachievethisnarrative,thepoppyislitfromthefrontandsides,andappearsfullyopaque.
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Tocreateimagesshowingtransparency,Ilittheseflowersfrombehindbyplacingthemonalightbox.Thisisoneofmyfavoritetechniqueswithcutflowers.Whenthephotographyisaccomplishedwithprecision,thiskindoflightingcancreatewonderfulandmagicalimagerythatishardtoachieveinanyotherway.
Anemone:200mmmacro,8secondsatf/40andISO100,tripodmounted
Poppies:50mmmacro,sixcapturesatshutterspeedsrangingfrom10seconds(lightest)to3/10ofasecond(darkest),eachcaptureatf/32andISO100,tripodmounted,capturescombinedinPhotoshop
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LureofShadows
Animportantpropertyoflightingisitsabilitytocreateandmanipulateshadows.It’swellknownthatshadowshavemagicalassociations.Insomecultures,ifyouloseyourshadowyou’velostyoursoul—exactlysimilartothesupposedresultofbeingphotographed.Inourownculture,we’vegrownupwithPeterPan’sanguishatlosinghisshadow,andhisfrenziedsearchtofinditagain.
Photographycanuselightingtotakeadvantageoftheemotionalassociationsweallhavewithshadows.
Insomephotos,youreallydon’twanttoseeshadows.Ifyoudon’twantshadows,you’llhavetoworkwiththelightingandcameraandsubjectpositiontoeliminatethiselement.Forexample,portraitphotographerscanhavetoworkhardtomakesurethatlightingdoesn’tcastanawkwardshadowofanoseonsomeone’sface.
Theshoeisontheotherfootwhenashadowplaysanimportantroleinacomposition,orwhenaphotoispartiallyabouttheshadowthatisbeingcast.You’llfindsometechniquesforeffectivelygeneratinginterestingshadowsonpages182–185.
Withintentionalshadows,lightingplaysamoreactiverolethanyoumaybeusedto.True,lightisusedtoreflectthecontoursofanobject.However,thelightingalsocreatesentirelynewsubjectmatter—theshadow.Theinterplaybetweenthiscreativeelementandthemoretraditionalprimesubjectiswhatcreatestheinterestincompositionsthatrelyheavilyuponshadows.
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Iwasfascinatedbythewaystrongmorninglightfilteredthroughthebushesneartheeasternwallofourhouse,andspentsometimeconsideringhowIcouldbesttakeadvantageoftheshadowsthislightingcreated.
Tosetthisshotup,Imovedapottedplantwitharecentlyopenedflowerintoposition,sprayeditwithwater,andlititfromthefrontwithasmallLEDlighttofillintheshadowsonthefrontoftheflower.
ThisphotoofanIcelandicpoppy(Papavernudicaule)isinterestingbecauseitshowsastrongshadow(fromsidelighting)incombinationwithdirectfrontlightingthatshowsthedetailsofwaterdropsontheflowers.
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Iplacedaveryattractiveautumngourdonabackgroundofwhiteseamlesspaper.MyassistantheldasinglelightasIgaveprecisedirectionsabouthowtobestpositionthelightsothattheshadowofthegourdlookedlikeadinosaur(white“eye”addedinPhotoshop).
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Myideawastophotographaneverydayobject—asawblade—lightingtheobjecttocreateashadowthatseemedalive.Accomplishingthisvision
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requiredpreciseplacementofboththeobjectanditslighting.IwasabletoholdthesawbladeinplacesimplybystickingthesharppointsofthebladefirmlyintoaStyrofoamblock(youcanseethebladeholesifyoulookclosely).
Thelighthadtobecarefullypositionedtotheleftandbelowthephotoframesothatasmuchaspossibletheresemblancetoasmilingfacewasclearontheshadow.Toachievethislightinggoal,thelightneededtocomethroughtheholesinthebladewithadirectionalcomponentthatemphasizedthedesiredfeatures.
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LightandtheMonochromaticVision
Blackandwhite—monochromatic—photographyshowslightingstrippedtoitsbones.Colorisnolongerpartofthelightingequation—thereisnowarmlightorcoollight,andyoucanforgetabouttheKelvinscale.What’sleftislightinginitspurestform:aZenmarkerofgreaterorlesserintensitythatisusedwithpuritytodenotepatternsoflightsanddarksinmonochromaticimagery.
Ittakesacertainamountofdisciplinetoevaluatelightingwithoutregardtothecolorofthelight,butthisdisciplineiswhatIaspiretowhenIapproachcreatingmonochromaticphotos.Inblackandwhite,itdoesn’tmatterwhatcolorafloweris,orhowthecolorchangeswhenalightwithspecificcharacteristicsshinesuponit.Whatmattersisthepatternsyoucanmakeusingtheintensityofthelightthatilluminatesthesubject.
Fromavisualperspective,monochromaticphotographyisaboutthecontrastbetweenlightsanddarks.So,inaway,lightingismoreimportanttothemonochromaticimagethantothecolorimage.There’snowayyoucancamouflagethecompositionalimpactofthelighting—andcompositionisessentiallyallthereis.
Apartfromtheveryspecificvisualdelightsofthemonochromaticphoto—andthesearenotinconsiderable,eveninthedigitalerainwhichmonochromemeansintentionalsimulationofanolderaesthetic—there’sgoodreasonforcreatingmonochromaticimagestoimproveyourskillswithseeinglighting.
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IunderexposedthisdetailedviewofaPassifloravinetocreatealow-key,mysteriouseffectwhenconvertedtomonochrome.
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Fordramaticimpact,Ilitthefluteofthiscallalilybutnotthebackground,andexposedfortheilluminatedareasoftheflower,allowingtherestoftheimagetogoblack.Myideaherewastopresentavisuallyambiguousimage:foramomentyoudon’treallyunderstandthescaleofwhatyouarelookingat.Itcouldbeashaftoflightonacliff,oritcouldbe(asitis)aspeciallylitflower.
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ThefogrushedinoverthehillsofSanFranciscoBay.StandingonthetopofaridgeintheMarinHeadlands,Inoticedhowtheextremewhiteoflitbanksoffogcontrastedwiththedarkfeaturesofthelandscape.
Icomposedthisphototoemphasizethecontrastbetweenthelinesoffog,illuminatedbythesun,andthedarkcoastalhillsinthebackground.
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ExposureandLighting
AlongtheruggednorthernCaliforniacoastnearPointArena,Istoppedtophotographabedofseapalms—akindofkelp—astheplantswerestruckbysurfintheintertidalzone.Togetasenseofthescale,oneoftheseapalmsintheforegroundoftheimagewasaboutonefoothigh.
MysonNickyandIwerealoneonarockyclifffacingthepoundingocean.Eventhoughwewerenotindanger,hewasworriedthatwewouldbesweptawayandkeptrunninguptohigherground.
Mygoalinmakingtheimagewastoshoweachindividualseapalminmotioncausedbythepoundingsurf.Buttheproblemwasthattheindividualplantsdidn’tmovesynchronously.IknewthatifIheldmyshutteropenlongenoughtocapturealltheplantsinmotion,myimagewouldbewayoverexposed(andmaybeevenwhite).SoItook45individualexposures,spacedoutoveraboutanhour,atsettingsthatwouldcorrectlyrendertheindividualplants.WhenIpost-processedtheplants,I
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combinedthemusingatechniquecalledstacking(seepages150–157)—essentiallycreatingastillversionoftimelapsephotography.
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UnderstandingExposure
Tomakeaphoto,lightentersthroughacamera’slensandproceedstohitthesensor.Fromtheviewpointofthecamera—andthephotographer—theexposuresettingsusedbythecameratranslatethisincomingrushoflightviahardwareandsoftwareintoafilethatcanbeviewedorprinted.
Iftheexposuresettingsarewrong,theresultingphotomaynotbeusable.Extremeoverexposure—wherethecamera’scontrolsaresettoallowintoomuchlight—willproduceanall-whitephotowithoutanydetails.Attheotherextreme,veryunderexposedphotoshaven’tletenoughlightintothesensor—andthere’snodetailtobeseenbecausetheimageisallblack.
Whenthereisdetailtobeseeninaphoto,theexposuresettingscontrolhowtheincominglightisrendered.Inotherwords,unlessyouareusingacameraobscura—apinholedevicewithoutopticsorexposurecontrols—howanimageisrenderedisatwo-stepdance.Thisdanceinvolvesboththelighttransmittedorreflectedbythescenethecameraiscapturing,aswellaswhatthecameradoeswiththatlight.
Thisrelationship,orbalancingact,betweenincominglightandthecamera’sexposurecontrolshasoftenbeenreferredtoasanequation(sometimescalledtheexposureequation).Inotherwords,whenincominglightisexactlybalancedbythecamerasettings,thenyougetatheoretically“correct”(or“proper”)exposure.
Don’tstartworryingthatyouaregoingtohavetouseequationsandalgebratobeagoodphotographer!Foronething,theoreticalcorrectnessinexposureistrulyunimportanttohowaphotocomesout.Foranother,thereareonlyafewvariablesyoucanusetosetacamera,andtheirrelationshipisprettysimple.It’samazing—buttrue—thatmuchofthetechnicalcraftoftakingphotoscanbeunderstoodandmasteredaslongasyouunderstandwhatgoesintoanexposure.
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Thethreeexposurecontrolsyoucanuseonyourcameratoadjustforincominglightareaperture,shutterspeed,andISO.
Apertureiseasilyunderstoodasthesizeoftheopeninginsideyourlensthatletslightthrough.Thelargertheopening,themorelightreachesthesensor—andthesmallertheopeningthelesslightgetsin.Apertureisexplainedinmoredetailonpages82–85.
Shutterspeedisnotreallyaspeedatall;rather,itisadurationoftime—howlongtheshutterisleftopentoallowlighttopassinthroughthelenstothesensor.Formoreaboutshutterspeed,seepages86–91.
ISO,alsocalledsensitivity,isusedtosethowlightsensitivethesensoris.Inthedaysoffilm,ISOwasmostlysetdependingonthefilmyouused(althoughsomefilmscouldbeprocessedtoraiseorlowereffectiveISO).Inthedigitalera,onecandial-inISOonaper-exposurebasis—withtrade-offsexplainedindetailonpages92–97.
Aperture,shutterspeed,ISO—thisisthetriangleusedtocontrolthewayincominglightisrenderedbycreatinganexposure.Thepointisthatifthesethreearesettomatchtheincominglight,theyareinakindofbalance.Ifyoudecideyouneedtochangeoneofthem,you’llhavetocompensatebychanginganothertokeepthebalance!
You’llfindthatifyoustartthinkingintermsofthethreeexposurevariablesasyoumakephotosthatprettysoonyou’llunconsciouslyknowhowtosetyourcamera—andyourimageswillgreatlybenefit.
GetyourcameraoffAutomatic
ThereareseveralgoodreasonsfortakingyourcameraoffAutomaticexposurecontrol,andneverturningAutomaticbackon.IliketothinkIamsmarterthanmycamera,andusuallyIam!
Yourcameraisonlyabunchofelectroniccircuitsconnectedtoalens.Yourcameracanreadlight—butnotthinkcreatively.SobecomethebossofyourcamerabynotlettingtheAutomaticexposuresettingtakeover.
Ifyoudon’tsetyourownexposures—usingManualexposure—youwon’t
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learnaboutthesubtle,andnot-so-subtle,impactthatchangingyourexposuresettingscanhave.
Sure,there’saplaceforShutter-preferredorAperture-preferredexposuremodes.And,sometimesIevenusefullyAutomaticexposure—forexample,whenthesubjectismovingfasterthanIcanthinkorreact.
ButinmostsituationsyouwilldoyourselfabigfavorbyusingManualexposure.It’salsotheonlyrealwaytogetasenseofyourexposurecontrolsthatwillbecomeintuitive,unconscious,andsecondnature.
ThisisabedroominasimplecountryinnthatrestsontheslopesofMountTamalpaisaboveSanFrancisco,California.Itcanonlybereachedbyhikingalongatrailonthesidesofthemountain.WhenIreachedtheinninthelateafternoon,lightwasstreaminginthroughthewindowofthisbackbedroom.Isetmyexposuretocapturesomedetailintheroom,while
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showingthatpartsoftheroomwereindeepshadowincontrasttothebrilliantsunshinecominginthroughthewindow.
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IknewthatiflefttoitsowndevicemycamerawouldcreateanaverageexposureofthesceneofSanFrancisco,Californiashroudedinafternoonfog.Inmakingthisaverageexposure,thecamerawouldbefooledbytheprevailingbrightlightcomingoffthefog,andeverythingwouldseemwaytoolightandbright.SoImadesuretoconsiderably“underexpose,”lettingthecloudsgograyandthehillsandtreesbecomeverydark—whichledtoamorepleasingoverallimage.
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OverexposureandUnderexposure
ImagineGoldilocks,theaspiringphotographer,enteringthecabinofthethreebears.EachbearhasleftadigitalcameraforGoldilocks.Shetriesthefirstcamera(bytheway,itbelongstoPapaBearandisabig,honkingDSLR).It’sapparentwhenshelooksattheLCDthathershotwasway,wayoverexposed.
Next,Goldilockstriesthemedium-sizeFourThirdscameraleftoutbyMamaBear,but—asyoumaybeexpectingbynow—thiscameraissettounderexpose,andtheimageintheLCDscreenisalldark.
Finally,Goldilockstriesthetinypoint-and-shootleftbehindbyBabyBear.Becausemyfableisaboutexposureandnothardware,theshottakenbythislittlecameraisjustrightintermsofexposure.
AsGoldilocksthoughtfullytaste-teststheporridge,andpreparestotakeanap,shemuses,“Sojustwhatissogoshdarnimportantaboutbeingjustrightwithexposure?Andwhatdoesitmean,anyway,tousetherightexposure?”
Thesearebothgoodquestions.Generally,whenpeoplesayanexposureis“right,”“correct,”or“proper”theymeanthattheexposuresettingsarebalancedfortheincominglight,accordingtoanaveragereadingofthelight.Therearemanytechnologicalnuancestohowcamerasattempttoaccomplishdetermininganaverageexposure.However,themethodusedtodetermineaverageexposureisnotreallyasimportantascameramanufacturerswouldhaveyoubelieve,andacomplicationthatIwon’tgetinto.
WhatIwilltellyouisthattheso-calledrightexposureisalmostalwayswrong!
Usually,thesubjectofaphotohasaspectrumofexposurerangeswithinit.Therearelightareas,darkareas,andmidtones.Therightexposurewillbewrongformostoftheseareas,andthephotowillworkwiththeso-called“rightexposure”onlyifwhatyouaremostinterestedinhappenstobeinthemiddleoftheexposurerange.
Inotherwords,thepartofthesubjectthatismostimportantisusuallywhatshouldbeexposedproperly.Forexample,ifyouarephotographingaportraitonadarkbackgroundyouprobablywanttoexposeforthesubject’sface,notthe
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adarkbackgroundyouprobablywanttoexposeforthesubject’sface,nottheaveragebetweenadarkbackgroundandtheface(whichwouldendupoverexposingthefacetogetthedarkbackgroundright).
Furthermore,sometimesaphotoneedstobeunderexposed.Forexample,anightscenereallydoesn’tlooklikenightifitisaslightasday.Otherphotosneedtobeoverexposed.Forexample,ifyouwanttoconveytransparencyonawhitebackgrounditiseffectivetosomewhatoverexposeyourimage.
Sotherereallyisnosuchthingasa“right,”“correct,”or“proper”exposure—or,atleast,thinkingabouttheseconceptsdoesn’tleadtogoodphotography.Instead,realizethattheexposureyouwanttousedependsonanumberofcreativefactors—suchaswhichelementinyourphotoismostimportant,andwhetheryouwantthephototolookdarkorlightoverall.
Youneedtodecidehowyouwanttoexposeaphotobasedonyourreadofhowthesubjectislit,andyourindividualtaste.Thisbringsupaninterestingquestion:sinceexposurecanbesubstantiallycorrectedinprocessingdigitalRAWfiles,doesitgenerallymakesensetobiasyourexposurestotheunder-or-overdirection—thatis,comparedtotheexposureyou’vederivedasaestheticallycorrect,notsomenotional“right”exposure?
Thisturnsouttobeasurprisinglycomplexandcontroversialissue.Thefactthatyoucanadjustexposuresinpost-processingmeansthatthereareanumberofvariables.
TheorthodoxpositionisthatRAWexposuresthatareslightlybiasedtotheoverexposuresidehaveagreaterrangeoftonality—andmakebetterprints.However,whileyoucanrecoverfrommanyexposureproblemsintheRAWconversionprocess,highlightblowoutcanoftennotbefixed—andthisarguesagainstoverexposure.Inaddition,Ifindthatexposurestendtoappearmorecolorfulandsaturatedwhentheyareslightlybiasedtowardstheunderexposureside.
Personally,Itendtoshootbiasedslightlytowardsunderexposure—unlessIamtryingintentionallyforanoverexposed,high-keylook.Ifthisissueconcernsyou,you’llhavetorunsometestsandseewhatworksbestforyou.
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Inthislightandairyimageofablossomingcherrybranchonawhitebackground,Iintentionallyoverexposedbyseveralf-stopsforcreativeimpact.
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Hemingwayhungoutinacaféinthissmallfishingvillage,Cojimar,inCubanearHavana.InmakingthisimageonabackstreetinCojimarasduskturnedtonight,IwantedtomakesureIunderexposedtoleavetheimagedarkandsaturatedwiththecolorsofthenight.
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Clearly,withthisimageofawaterdropunderneathanaloeblossom,thekeyareaforexposureisthewaterdrop.Iwasokaywiththebackground
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goingdark,andthestarburstofsunshinetotheleftofthebudblowingoutwithoverexposure.
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UsingaHistogram
Knowingthedifferencebetweenoverandunderexposureisimportanttophotographers.ForafableconcerningGoldilocksandthethreephotographingbearsthatpartlyexplainswhythismatters,seepages74–77.
Ifyouareconcernedthatitwillbedifficulttotellunderexposurefromoverexposure,neverfear—avisualaidishere!
Ahistogramissimplyabargraphofvalues.Anexposurehistogramisagraphoftonalvaluesinaphoto,usuallyfromdarktolight(seeexamplesonpages78–81).
Thetonalvaluesfromblacktowhiteareshownalongthebottomofthehistogram.Anytimeatonalvalueappearsinaphoto,alineisshowngoingup.Thehighertheline,themoreofthetonalvalue.
Inaggregate,thelinesrepresentingtonalvaluesformakindofcurve.Asyougettoknowhistograms,youcantellagreatdealaboutyourexposurebylookingatthecurveshownbythehistogram.
Acurvethatisprimarilytotheleft(thiskindofexposurehistogramissometimescalled“left-biased”)usuallyrepresentsunderexposure,whileacurvethatisprimarilyleaningtotherightmeansoverexposure(thiskindofcurveiscalled“right-biased”).
Inthisrealworld,lifeisneverassimpleasonewouldlike,andtheissueofreadingahistogramiscomplicatedbythefactthatitgraphsrealworldvaluesoflightanddark.Forexample,thephotoyouarecreatingmaycontainagreatdealofdarksubjectmatter.Ifyouwanttokeepthesedarkthingslookingdark,thentheappropriatehistogramwouldbebiasedtotheleft.
Conversely,ifyouwanttokeepbrightsubjectmatterlight,thenyouwanttohavearight-biasedhistogram.
Inotherwords,thevalidityandutilityofanexposurehistogramdependuponyoursubjectmatter,lighting,andthegoalsofyourimage.Thereisneveran
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absolutelycorrecthistogramindependentofthesefactors.
PoppyhistograminPhotoshopfollowingRAWconversion
Youcantakeadvantageoftheinformationinherentfromanexposurehistograminallpartsofthedigitalphotographyworkflow:beforeyoumakeanexposure,aftertheexposureinthecamera,whileprocessingaRAWphotointhedigitaldarkroom,andwhenyoumakeadjustmentsusingpost-processingsoftwaresuchasPhotoshop.
Thisleadstoanextremelyimportantpoint.It’samistaketotrytoreadahistograminavacuum.Thevaluesyouseeinanexposurehistogramdependuponthevaluesinthephoto.Yourabilitytosizeasceneupforlighting,combinedwiththewayitlooksinyourLCDfollowingexposure(orusingLiveView),combinedwiththeexposurehistogramcreateafarbetter“picture”ofanexposurethananyofthesethreetoolsbyitself.
Forbestresults,checkoutthesituationbyeye.Reviewitvisuallyonyourcamera’sLCD.NotethattheLCDcanbewildlyinaccurate—particularlyinsituationswheretheexposurechoicesaren’tverygoodandhavestretchedthecapabilitiesofthedigitalfile,butthecamerahascompensatedfortheLCDdisplay.SoitisimportanttocomparethevisualinputyougetfromtheLCDwiththedataintheexposurehistogram.Extremespikingontheleftorrightofthehistogrammayrevealproblemsthatdon’tshowupwhenreviewingimagesontheLCD;ifyouareinthefield,andfindthiskindofproblem,hopefullyyoucanfixitbychangingyourexposuresettingswhilethereisstilltime.
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Withitswhitebackgroundandoverexposuretocreateatransparentlook,thisimageofpoppiesshowsasubstantialpresencealongtherightsideofthehistogram(below),andrelativelyfewtonalvalueselsewhere.Despitetheunusualgraphofvalues,theimageisexposedthewayIwanted.
50mmmacro,4/5ofasecondatf/11andISO100,tripodmounted
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Withitsblackbackgroundandpredominantlysaturatedcolors,thehistogramforthisfinishedimage(right)showsasubstantialpresencealongtheleftside,withminimaltonalvalueselsewhere.ThisdistributionofvaluesiswhatIwouldnormallyexpect—anddesire—whenI’mshootingasubjectonablackbackground.
LensbabyComposerwithfisheyeattachment,lensatmaximumaperture(aboutf/2),sixexposuresatshutterspeedsfrom1/5ofasecondto1/50ofasecond(exposurescombinedinPhotoshop),eachexposureatISO100,tripodmounted
PassiflorahistograminPhotoshop
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Thishistogramshowsanexposurethatisbunchedtotheleft,meaningthatitislikelytobeunderexposed.However,sinceahistogramgraphsthelight–to–darkvaluesinacapture,ifwhatyouarephotographingispredominantlyblack(forexample,avasecontainingflowersonablackvelvetbackground),thenthisgraphmay,infact,representtheexposureyouwant.
Thishistogramshowsaroughlynormaldistributionofexposures,providedthatthesubjectbeingcapturedincludesafullrangeoflightsanddarks.Ofcourse,theactualhistogramwilldependuponthelightsanddarksinthesubject,aswellasyourexposuresettings.Youcanseeinthisfairlymiddle-of-the-roadhistogramthattherearesomeblackvaluesandsomewhitevalues,withthebulkoftheexposurevaluesinthemidtone(thecenterofthegraph).
Thishistogramshowsanexposurethatislikelytobeoverexposed—youcantellbecausetheexposurevaluesarebunchedtotheright.However,ifyoursubjectincludesagreatdealofverybrightorwhitetonality(forexample,atransparentfloweronawhitelightbox),thismaybethehistogramyouget—anditmaybeperfectforthecaptureyouwanttomake.
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Aperture
Apertureisoneofthethreefactorsyoucanusewhensettinganexposure(asIexplainedonpages70–73,shutterspeedandISOaretheothertwo).Theapertureis,er,well,anapertureorholeontheinsideofthelens.Youcanmakethisholebigger,toletmorelightintothesensor,orsmallertoletlesslightintothesensor.
Ifthissoundsprettysimple,itis.However,asI’llexplaininamoment,youraperturesettinghasamajorcreativeimpactonaspectsofyourphotobesidesjusttheexposure.
Notethatifyouwanttochangeyouraperturewithoutchangingyouroverallexposure—becausetheexposureisbalancedwhereyouwantit—youneedtomakeanappropriatecountervailingadjustmenttoeithershutterspeed,orISO,orboth.
Themechanismusedforsettingyouraperturedependsuponyourcamera,andperhapsuponthelensyouareusing.Ifyoudon’tknowhowtosetyourapertureinmanualmode,you’llneedtocheckyourmanual—butit’smostcommonwithdigitalSLRstosetapertureusingacommanddial.Apertureissetonsomeolder,ormanuallenses,usingadialonthelensitself.
Believeitornot,there’satleastonecontemporarylens—theLensbaby—inwhichapertureiscontrolledbydroppingaphysicaldiskwithaholeintothebarrelofthelens.
Beyondhowyousetit,youmayfindaperturesomewhatconfusingbecauseofthenotationusedtodescribeit.Apertureisreferredtousingf-stopnotation,forexample,f/5.6.Inthisexample,5.6iscalledthef-numberandf/5.6isthef-stop.
Nowfortheconfusingpart:thelargerthef-number,thesmallertheopening.f/36meansamuch,muchsmalleropeningthanf/2.8.
Whenalensapertureissetassmallaspossible,thelensissaidtobestopped
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down.Alenssettothemaximumapertureiswideopen.
Here’satechnicalexplanationofhowf-numberswork.Don’tworry,ifthismakesyoureyesglazeover,youcanskipthenextparagraph,aslongasyourememberthatbiggerf-numbersmeanlettinglesslightin.
Thefocallengthofalensis(roughlyspeaking)thedistancelighttravelsfromtheendofthelenstothesensor.Anf-numberistheratiooffocallengthtotheaperturediameter.Anf-stopisoneoverthef-number,notatedf/nwherenisthef-number.Eachfullf-stopletsinhalfthelightoftheprecedingfullf-stop(seethediagrambelowandthetableonpage84);alogarithmicrelationshipisinvolvedbecausef-stopsaredefinedusingthediameterofacircle.
Aperture,Depth-of-Field,andFocus
Foragivensensorsizeandlens,thecreativecontrolthatapertureprovidesisrelatedtohowmuchofanimageappearstobeinfocus.Insomecases,it’snicetohaveanimagethatisonlypartlyinfocus—forexample,anout-of-focusbackgroundcanhelpemphasizesomethingimportantintheforegroundofaphoto.
Inotherphotos,thedesiredcreativeeffectistohavetheentireimagebetacksharp.
Therangeoffocusprovidedinaphotobyanaperturesettingiscalleddepth-of-field.Thegreaterdepth-of-fieldyouhavebecausethelensisstoppeddown,thegreatertherangethatisinfocus;whenalensiswideopenyouhavetheleastdepth-of-field(seethetableforahypotheticalexampleshowingtherelationshipbetweenaperture,thelightitletsin,anddepth-of-field).
Togetthemostpossiblesubjectmatterinfocus,youshouldfocussomewhereinthemiddleofthedepth-of-fieldrange.Ifthisisanabsolutelycriticalcreativeissue,tryanumberoffocuspointstoseewhichworksbest.
Infinity(markedwith∞onthefocusingringofmostlensbarrels)is—despiteitsname—afinitedistance:beyondtheinfinitypointforalenseverythingisin
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focuswhenthelensissettofocustoinfinity,evenatthemaximumlensaperture.Inotherwords,infinityisthefarthestdistancealenscanfocus,andonceyoursubjectmatterisatinfinityorbeyondyouraperturedoesn’tmatterfromtheviewpointoffocus.
Thehyperfocaldistancetakesthedepth-of-fieldgeneratedbytheapertureintoaccount—andisthepointatagivenaperturepastwhicheverythingisinfocus.Thesedays,therearemobileapplicationsforiPadsandotherdevicesthatcanhelpyoucalculatethehyperfocaldistanceforspecificlensesandapertures.
Depth-of-fieldcontrolswhichelementsofyourphotoappeartobeinfocus,nottheoverallsharpnessoftheimage.
Thereareanumberofothercausesofunsharpnessbesidesfocus—forexample,whenthecameraorsubjectmoves.Also,youcanhaveplentyofdepth-of-field,andstillbeoutoffocus.Furthermore,youshouldalsobeawarethatmostlensesareopticallysharpestatmoderateaperturesinthef/5.6tof/11range—neitherfullywideopennorfullystoppeddown.
Likemostaspectsofthetechnicalcraftofphotography,apertureandfocuscaninvolvetrade-offs.
Intermsoffocusitself,don’tneglecttheimportanceoftakingcarewithcamera-subjectpositioning.Particularlyinlowdepth-of-fieldimages,itisimportanttokeepthecameraasparallelaspossiblewiththesubject.Insomesituationsthiscanbemeasuredbutinothersdeterminingparallelismisaseat-of-the-pantskindofthing.
FullF-Stops Lightallowedin,comparedtothemaximumaperture Depth-of-field
f/1.4(maxaperture) N/A Lowestf/2 1/2 Shallowf/2.8 1/4 Shallowf/4 1/8 Shallowf/5.6 1/16 Mediumf/8 1/32 Mediumf/11 1/64 Mediumf/16 1/128 High
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f/16 1/128 Highf/22 1/256 Highf/32(minaperture) 1/512 Highest
IknewIwantedthisrosetobeentirelyinfocus,soIusedassmallanapertureaspossible(f/32)tohaveincreaseddepth-of-fieldtoworkwith.
50mmmacro,twoexposuresat2secondsand4seconds(exposurescombinedinPhotoshop),eachexposureatf/32andISO100,tripodmounted
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IknewthisshotwouldbemostinterestingifIcouldgettheforegroundandbackgroundoutoffocus,withonlythesingleorangeflowersharp.SoIusedawide-open,largeaperture(f/5.6)tocreatetheeffectthatIhadpre-visualized.
130mm,1/125ofasecondatf/5.6andISO200,tripodmounted
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WorkingwithShutterSpeed
Whenyousettheshutterspeedonyourcamera,asI’vementioned,youareactuallysettingadurationoftime.Aslowshutterspeedletsmorelightintothesensor,andafastshutterspeedletsinlesslight.Forexample,ashutterspeedof1/2000ofasecondallowsverylittlelightintoberecorded,whileashutterspeedoftenminutesallowsagreatdealoflightin.
It’simportanttounderstandthatshutterspeedisbadlymisnamed.Thissettingdoesn’tcontrolaspeedatall;rather,itcontrolsanintervaloftime.Onceyourealizethatthetruenatureofthesettingisdurationratherthanspeed,youwon’thaveanytroubleunderstandinghowtosetyourshutter.
Thegoodsnewsisthatitiseasytoworkwithshutterspeedswhenyoucalculateexposuresbecausethesettinghasanentirelylineareffect.Ashutterspeedof1/2000ofasecondletsinhalfthelightasashutterspeedof1/1000ofsecond,and2secondsletsintwiceasmuchlightasashutterspeedof1second.Thesimplicityofthisarithmeticmakesexposurechangesinvolvingshutterspeedveryeasytocalculate.
Justlikewithaperture,ifyouwanttochangetheshutterspeedsettingforcreativeortechnicalreasonswhilekeepingtheexposureinbalance,youneedtoeffectanequal-but-oppositechangeusingoneorbothofthetwootherexposurecontrols,apertureandISO.
Themainvisualimpactinaphotoofchangingshutterspeedishowmotionisrendered.Bymotion,I’mreferringtotwodifferentkindsofmotion:cameramotionandsubjectmotion.
Cameramotionisasimplephenomenontounderstand.Dependingonanumberofvariablesincludinglensfocallengthandwhetherimagestabilizationtechnologyisinuse,shutterspeedsthataretooslowproducephotosthatareblurryandnottacksharp.
Ofcourse,sometimesmovingthecameracanproduce—eitheronpurpose,ortakingadvantageofserendipity—interestingeffects(forexample,seetheimage
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ofsurfonpage90).
Whenitisthesubjectthatisinmotion,thechoiceofshutterspeeddetermineshowobjectsthattransmitorreflectlight,andareinmotion,arerendered.Fastshutterspeedsstopmovementcrisply,whileslowshutterspeedscancreateanappealingmotionblur.
Ifyou’veeverphotographedmovingwater,you’veprobablynoticedthiseffect.Shutterspeedsofabout1/250ofasecondorfastercreatecrisptrailsofwater,apparentlystoppinginitstracks.Shutterspeedsofabout1/10ofasecondorslowerturnflowingwaterintolong,delicatewhitetendrils.
There’soneexceptiontotheprinciplethattheshutterspeedcontrolstherenditionofmotion.That’swhentheeffectivedurationoftheexposureisactuallycontrolledbyalightsource,andnotbytheshutterspeedsetting.Mostcommonly,thisoccurswhenaphotoislitusingflash,forexampleinthestudio.Inthiscase,theeffectivedurationoftheexposureisthelengthofthepulseofthestrobelighting.Studiolightingisdiscussedstartingonpage162.
Inalesscommonsituation,ifyouarephotographinglightning,yourshutterspeedisessentiallyirrelevantsolongastheshutterisopenwhenthelightningstrikes.
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Imadethecreativedecisiontouseaslonganexposureaspossibletorendertheflowingwateraspoeticallyaspossible.Consideringthelightingconditions,withmylensstoppedallthewaydown(tof/25),thismeantanexposureof2.5seconds.Withashutterspeeddurationof2.5seconds,youcanseethatthefastestmovingwaterbecomescompletelyblurred.Ontheotherhand,waterthatismovingmoreslowly—forexample,slowdripsbeneaththerocks—isrenderedmorecrisply,almostthewaywe“see”itwithoutacamera.
200mm,2.5secondsatf/25andISO100,tripodmounted
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Inthisstudioshotofmodels,theeffectivedurationoftheexposurewasdeterminedbythestrobes,notthecamera’sshutterspeed,whichwassettothemaximumshutterspeedforsynchingwithflash(1/160ofasecondformycameramodel).
200mm,1/160ofasecondatf/16andISO100,handheld
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Iwasstandingataspotwhereasmall,seasonalcreekcomesdowntothebeach.Mycamerawasonthetripod,andIwasmakinganexposure.Inthemiddleoftheexposure,awavecameinandIhadtograbmytripodandcameratomoveitoutofharm’sway.
Inthephotoyoucanseetheviewstraightdownonthesurf(myoriginalphoto),aswellasthecurveofthebluffssurroundingthebeach(thesecondportionoftheexposureafterIplacedthetripoddownonsaferground).
WhileIdidn’tintentionallymovemycameratocreatethiseffect—Ionlymovedittosaveitfromthesurf—Ifindtheresultsabiteerie,mysterious,andsurreal.I’vetriedtoduplicatetheideabyintentionallymovingthecameraduringanexposureofthesurf,butsofarnoneofmyintentionaleffortswithcameramotionhavecomeoutaswellasthisaccident.
28mm,1/4ofasecondatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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Thiscomplexexposureinvolvedputtingtogetheranumberofdifferentcapturessothateachareainthephotoappearedtobewelllit.Ichosetheseparatecapturesthatwerepiecedtogethertomakethefinalimagebasedonhowtheyrenderedthewaterinmotion.TheresultisasIpre-visualized,withthewaterintheforegroundmoreblurredthanthewaterfurtheraway.
18mm,circularpolarizer,sixexposuresfrom1/2ofasecondto8seconds(exposurescombinedinPhotoshop),eachexposureatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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ISO
Ifyourphotoisgoingtolookdarkandunderexposed—andyoudon’twantitto—theeasiestapproachtofixingtheproblemistoboosttheISO,orsensitivity.Thisisparticularlytrueiftheothertwoexposurecontrolsareupagainsttheirlimits:youcan’tuseaslowershutterspeedwithoutriskinglossofsharpnessfromcameramotionorchangingthewaysubjectmotionisrendered;andyoucan’tchangetheaperturetoonethatismorewideopenwithoutalteringthedepth-of-fieldsothatyourareathatisinfocusislost.
ISOisanumberonascalethattheInternationalOrganizationforStandardizationcameupwith.Withfilm,theISOwasdeterminedbythechemicalsensitivitytolightofthemedium.
Indigitalphotography,youcandialupordowntheISO—meaninglightsensitivity—ofadigitalframeinjustthewayyoucouldhavedecidedtousea“faster”(morelightsensitive)or“slower”(lesslightsensitive)film.ThegreatnewsherefordigitalphotographersisthatyoucansettheISOonaper-framebasis:youdon’thavetowaittochangeyourrolloffilmtochangeyoursensitivity.Youcandecidetodialitupforoneshot,thendialitrightbackdownforthenext!
Nogreattechnicalfacilitycomeswithoutaprice,andindeed—asI’vementioned—mostofthecraftofphotographyconcernsthecost-benefittrade-offsofmakingvariousdecisionsbearinginmindwhatispossible.BoostingtheISOforphotographyinlow-lightconditionsisnotanexceptiontothisprinciple,withthedownsidetrade-offbeingincreasednoise—ordigitalstatic—asyoupushtheISOhigher.
Note,however,thateachgenerationofdigitalcamerasgetsbetteratshootingathigherandhigherISOs—thecapabilitiesoftoday’scamerasmakepossibleshootinginsomesituationsthatwouldnothavebeenfeasibleinthepast.
Infact,increasednoiseisnotalwaysbad.There’sa“toothiness”innoisethatcanmakeimagesappearsharper,andinthesecasesifyouremovethenoiseaspartofpost-processingyourphotocanseemunsharpandloseasenseofdefinition.
Inaddition,noisecanhaveanappealingaestheticofitsown.Justas
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Inaddition,noisecanhaveanappealingaestheticofitsown.Justasphotographerscametoprizehighgrainfilmimagesforthelookofthegrain,therearesomephotographersthatgoafternoiseforthesakeofthewaythenoiselooks.These“noisepioneers”actuallytrytoincreasenoiseratherthanreduceit.
IwantedthisimageofthefullmoonrisingoverSanFranciscoBaytobeimpressionistic—andalmostgrainy—soIusedanextremelyhighISO(3200)andwasabletohandholdtheshot.Themoonwasfarbrighterthanthesurroundingsky,soIunderexposedwiththeideaofrenderingthemoon,clouds,andreflectiononthewater,andlettingtherestofthephotogoblack.Thisunderexposurewasanadditionalsourceofthenoise,whichIregardaspartofthevisualeffectIwantedinthisshot.
65mm,1/30ofasecondatf/5andISO3200,handheld
CausesofNoise*
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CausesofNoise*
Noiseisgood;noiseisbad.Forthemoment,I’massumingnoiseisbad,andyouwanttoremoveitwhenpossible.(Ifyouactuallywanttheperniciousstuff,thendotheoppositeofwhatIsuggest.)Thetablebelowshowsthemostcommoncausesofnoise,andwhat(ifanything)youcandoaboutthem.
Notethatnoiseas“staticontheline”isafactofphysicsanddigitallife,andwillalwaysbewithus—althoughofteninsuchminimalquantitiesthatyouhavetomagnifytothepixelleveltoevenbegintoseeit.Notonlyaredigitalcamerasgettingbetteratprocessingnoise,soissoftwarethatprocessesshots,suchasthemostrecentversionofAdobeCameraRAW(ACR).Thismeansthatyoucanshootwithoutflashinlow-lightconditionsthatwouldhavebeenimpossibleinthepast.
IfyoushootintheRAWformat,youactuallygettwocracksatremovingnoise—firstwhenyouconvertyourRAWimagetobringitintoaprogramsuchasAperture,Lightroom,orPhotoshop;andthensecondaspartofyourpost-processingworkflowusingapluginsuchasNoiseNinja.
CauseofNoise Comments
HighISO
ThehighertheISO,themorenoise;thelowertheISOthelessnoise—thisisanincontrovertiblefactofbasicphysics.However,ISOsthatarenomorethantwicethenativeISOofaDSLR(typically,nativeISOsare100to200,sofromISO200to400)willprobablynotbeasignificantcauseofnoise.
IfyourcamerahasahighISOnoisereductionsetting,makingsurethisisonwillhelpwiththenoise.
Itissmarttogettoknowthenoisecharacteristicsofyourparticularcamera,astherearemanydifferencesbetweencameramodels.Makingtestshotscanhelpyoulearnaboutyourcamera’snoisecharacteristics,allowingyoutofigureouthowfaritis“safe”toboosttheISO.
LongExposures
Exposureslongerthanabout8secondstendtoaddsignificantnoise;ifyourcamerahasalongexposurenoisereductionsetting,turningthisonwillhelp.However,thisnoisereductionsettingisinconvenientbecauseitaddsadelayafterthe
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Exposures settingisinconvenientbecauseitaddsadelayaftertheexposureduringwhichthecameracannotbeused,anditcannotbeusedinastackedcomposite.
Underexposure Underexposurecanaddsignificantnoise,subjecttothetrade-offsdiscussedonpages74–77.Noise“signature”ofcamerasensorandprocessingsoftware
Notmuchyoucandoaboutthisoneexceptgettinganewermodelcameraiftheageofyourcurrentoneisanissue.
Sensorsize Foragivensizedigitalfile,thesmallerthesensor,themorenoisetherewillbe.
Temperature
Unlessyoushootreallylongexposures,sensortemperatureisunlikelytobeaproblemforyou.However,whenasensorstartstooverheat,noisetendstoincrease.Ifyouareshootinginwarmtemperatures,youmightconsidercoolingyoursensorwithacoldpacktocompensate.Ambienttemperaturesareanoverlookedcauseofnoise—youarefarlesslikelytogetanoisyimagewhenshootinginacoldclimate.Also,asyoursensorheatsupbecausethecameraisinuse,youstarttogetmorenoise—youcanhelpwiththisbygivingyourcameraarest,ifpossible.
*andwhatyoucandoaboutthem!
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IwantedtophotographmydaughterKatieRoseintheNewbornIntensiveCareUnit(NICU)shortlyaftershewasbornveryprematurely.However,theconditionsposedaconsiderablechallengebecauseofhowlittlelighttherewas.Makingmattersworse,tripodsandflashwerenotallowedinthehospitalward.SoIboostedmyISOextremelyhigh(to3200)andmadeaseriesofphotosthatwouldnothavebeenpossiblewitholdertechnology.Althoughyoucanseeabitofnoiseinthefinalimage,foraphotothattellsastory,thislevelofnoiseisperfectlyacceptable.
80mm,1/50ofasecondatf/5andISO3200,handheld
Top:HighintheWhiteMountainsofEasternCalifornia,Ishotthisviewof
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starsoverBishop,California.Thecompositeof15exposures(foratotalexposuretimeofaboutanhour)rendersthestars,butlefttheforegroundblack.
10.5mmdigitalfisheye,15stackedexposures,eachexposure4minutesatf/2.8andISO320,tripodmounted
Bottom:Theforegroundwaspitchblack,andIcouldn’tseetheproverbialnoseinfrontofmyface.Tocreateforegrounddetailfortheimageofstarswiththeblackforeground,withthetripodandcameraexactlyinplace,IshotahighISO(2,500)versionoftheforeground,exposedtoshowdetails.
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Icombinedthestarcircles(topleft)andthehigh-ISOforeground(bottomleft)inPhotoshopusingalayermaskandagradient.Thefinal,combinedimageshowsthestartrailsaswellastheforegrounddetail.Withoutthedetailintheforeground,thisimagewouldhavebeentoodarktobeinterestingdespitethespectacularstartrails.
SinceIwasonlyabletogetintopositionafterdark,boostingtheISOwasthebestwaytoachieveanexposurethatrendereddetailintheforeground.Withmoderndigitalequipment,itwaspossibletoboosttheISOhighenoughtoshootinalmostpitchblacknessandmaintainanacceptablelevelofnoise.
Althoughtheambientlightlevelswereextremelylow,interestinglythecitylightsofBishop,Californiawerebrightenoughtoproducehighlightblowout—eventhoughBishopwasquitedistantfromwhereIwasstanding.
Background:10.5mmdigitalfisheye,15stackedexposures,eachexposure4minutesatf/2.8andISO320,tripodmounted.Foreground:10.5mmdigitalfisheye,30secondsatf/2.8andISO2500,tripodmounted
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UsingExposureControlswithLighting
Therubbermeetstheroadwhenyoucombineknowledgeofthecontrolsusedinyourcameratosettheexposurewithknowledgeableobservationsaboutlighting(whichisthesubjectofthefirstpartofthisbook,pages10–67).AsIexplainedearlier(pages70–77),thelightmeterinyourcamerawillindicatethatanexposureiscorrectwhenthecamerasettingsbalancethelightreflectedortransmittedbyyoursubject,mostoftenonanaveragebasis.
AsI’veexplained,thistheoreticallycorrectexposureisonlythestartingplace.Takingadvantageofyourcarefulexaminationofthewayyoursubjectislit,youneedtounderstandtheimplicationsofthelightingfortheimageyouhavepre-visualized(formoreonpre-visualization,seepages108–111).
What’simportantaboutthelighting?Isittheshadowareas,brightareas—orboth?Or,doesthecontrastbetweenlightsanddarksmakeyourimageinteresting?Howdoesthequalityoflightworkfor—oragainst—thekindofimageyouaretryingtocreate?
Trytopinpointtheinterplaybetweenlightingandexposure,soyoucanuseyourexposurecontrolstotheirbestadvantage.It’sinterestingthatfairlyminoradjustmentsinexposurecanmakeahugedifferencetoyourfinalimage—andinmanycasesarethemarginbetweenabanalanduninterestingphoto,andonethatsingswithmajestyandclarity.
Also,don’tforgettothinkaboutthedirectionoflighting(seepages28–33).Frontlightingproducesthemostuniformlywell-litsubjects—without,however,asmuchopportunityforcreativeexposureeffects.Sidelightingcancreatestrongshadowswiththeopportunityforcreativeunderexposure—toemphasizetheshadows—oroverexposure,tobringoutdarkareas.Backlightingoftentendstocallforoverexposure,eithertocreatetheillusionoftransparencyortobringoutareasinthefrontofthesubjectthatarenotwelllit.
There’snoone-size-fits-allformulathatyoucanusetoestablishanexposure—orthecorrectiontoanexposurebasedonthespecificsofyoursubject.Armedwithunderstandingabouthowtoobservelight,andknowledgeofwhattheexposurecontrolsinyourcamerado,youcanbegintomakeexposuresthat
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exposurecontrolsinyourcamerado,youcanbegintomakeexposuresthatutilizeyourcreativity.
Experiment!Often,anexposurethatdivergesradicallyfromthecamera’sideaofthecorrectexposureproducesinterestingresults.Afterall,there’sreallynocosttotryingvariousideas:asweliketosay,“Filmissoexpensive!”—anironicalcomment,becauseexpenseofthecapturemediaisnolongerafactorinthedigitalera.
Bytryingmanydifferentresponsestovariousdifferentkindsoflightingyou’lllearnwhatworks—andwhatdoesn’twork—inrelationshiptoyourownsenseofthekindsofimagesyou’dliketomake.
Thisphotoofaroseisseenasacontrastbetweenbright,luminousareasandverydarkshadowareasbecauseIlittheroseatalowanglefromthe
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sides(tomakethestrongshadows)andthenunderexposedtheimagetocreatethecompellingeffectthatyouseehere.
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InthislandscapetakenfromtheedgeofthevolcanictablelandsinOwensValley,California,theprevailinglightdirectionwasfromthewest,wherethelateafternoonsunwasstartingtoset—inotherwords,fromtheupperrightoftheimage,essentiallybacklightingmysubject.
Long,darkshadowswerecast,particularlyonthelowerright.Asingle,largelydarkimagethatshowedthiscontrastmighthavebeeninteresting,butinsteadIchosetoshowseveralversionsthatIcouldlatercombine—becauseIwantedtomakesurethatviewerscouldclearlyseetheroadontherightvanishingintothedistance.Theideabehindthiscombinationwastouseasubstantiallyoverexposedversionoftheimageto“paintin”thedarkforegroundareas—andcreateanimagethatessentiallyhasnodirectionalitytothelighting.Forinformationaboutcombiningcapturestoenhancelighting,seepages210–247.
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InadarkalleyincentralHavana,Cuba,Ihappenedtolookup.Lyingflatonmyback,andcomposingwithawide-anglelens,Iusedthepatternoflightintheskyagainstthedecayingbuildingstocreateaninterestingcomposition.Ihadtoshiftthepositionofthecameratomakesurethatthedirectsunwasnotincluded—thecontrastbetweensuperbrightsunandrelativelydarkbuildingswouldhavebeenimpossibletorendereffectivelyinmyfinalimage.
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WhiteBalanceandColor
Inotedearlierthatthecoloroflightisanimportantpartofourperceptionoflightquality.ThecoloroflightismeasuredontheKelvinscaleastemperature.Perceptuallywarmercolors(thosetowardtheredendofthespectrum)havealowercolortemperaturethanperceptuallycoolercolors(thosecolorsthatarebluer)whichhaveahighercolortemperature.Formoreonthecoloroflight,seepages34–39.
It’simportantforphotographerstobeabletodifferentiatebetweendifferentcolorsonthespectrum,becausetherenditionofcolorhasahugeimpactonthefinalappearanceofaphoto.Thecolorinyourphotowillprimarilyberenderedaccordingtothecolortemperatureofthelightingandthewhitebalancesettingsappliedtothatlighting.
Mostdigitalcamerashaveabuilt-incolorspectrometer,whichiswhatsetsthecolortemperaturewhenyouleaveWhiteBalanceonAuto.Ifyouthinkyouknowbetterthanyourcamera(whichcanoftenbethecase)youcansettheWhiteBalance,eithertoaPresetsuchasDaylightortoaspecificKelvintemperature.
Ofcourse,itispossibletoaccuratelycalibratecolortemperature,particularlyinsituationswherethelightingiscontrolled.However,accuratecolorcalibrationisnotoftenreallypossibleinthefield.Thelightmaybecomingfromvarioussourceswithdifferentcolors,andgoingbythe“seatofyourpants”isgoodenough.Putanotherway,forcreativeimpactIcareaboutthecolorrenditioninthefinalimageandtheemotionalresponseitelicits,notthedegreesKelvinatthetimeItookthephoto.
ShootinginRAWmeansneverhavingtosayyouaresorry.YourWhiteBalancesettingsarenotactuallyappliedtoaRAWfileuntilyouprocessit.(Actually,theyareneverapplieddirectlytotheoriginalRAWfile,whichyoushouldarchiveforsafety.)
Thismeansthattheconsequencesofyourin-cameraWhiteBalancesettingswithaRAWexposurearelimitedtohowthecapturelooksinyourLCD,andthedefaultsettingswhenyouopenthefiletoprocessitinaprogramsuchasAdobe
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defaultsettingswhenyouopenthefiletoprocessitinaprogramsuchasAdobeCameraRAW(ACR)orLightroom.
SincetheWhiteBalancesettingcanmakeahugevisualdifference,theappearanceintheLCDisimportant.Iremembershootingaforestinradiantdiffuselighting,andseeingdullimagesonmyLCD.Itwasn’tuntilIadjustedtheWhiteBalancethatIsawthesceneontheLCDthewayitlookedtomyeyes.Asinthisscenario,tuningWhiteBalancecanbesignificanttothefeedbackyouaregettingaboutyourshooting—eventhoughitisnotirrevocablyappliedtotheimage.
ProcessingaRAWfileinaprogramsuchasACRorLightroomisthefirst—andbest—placetoadjustanyissueswithcolortemperature.YoucanusethecolorsettingswhenyouinterprettheRAWfiletoimprovetheimage,ortobringitmoreinlinewiththewaythesubjectseemedtoyouwhenyoushottheimage.Essentially,thisisaplaceforyoutoexerciseyourvisualtaste.
Forexample,IarrivedattheshoresofMonoLake,Californiainthemiddleofthenightinthefreezingrain.Wakingatdawn,Ifoundablueworldaroundme,andIshotanimageoftheMonoLaketufaswiththesnowoftheSierraNevadaMountainsinthebackground(photoonpage103).
WhenIopenedtheimageinACR,bydefaultitdisplayedtheAsShotWhiteBalancesettings(Figure1).
MyimpressionofthesceneatthetimeItookthephotowasthateverythingwasmuchmoreblue.Toadjusttheoverallcolorvaluesintheimagetowardstheblueside,IpulledtheTemperatureslidertotheleft(towardslowernumbers)asshowninFigure2.
Theblueadjustmenthelped,butthephotowasstillnotquitewhereIwantedittogo—furtheradjustmentswouldneedtowaitforPhotoshop!
IfIhadwantedtoremovebluefromtheimage—averyvalidaestheticchoice,bytheway—Iwouldhavemovedthesliderintheoppositedirection,totheright,asshowninFigure3.
Bytheway,thecontrolsintheWhiteBalanceblockoftheACRwindowallowyoutoshiftcoloralongtwoaxes:TheTemperaturesliderchangescolorbymakingthecolormoreyelloworblue,whereastheTintsliderchangescoloralongascalefromgreentomagenta.
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Thisimage,takenatdawnofthetufasofMonoLake,California,withsnowymountainsinthebackground,hasbeencroppedandadjustedforcolorasitwasprocessed(seepages104–105).
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Figure1:MonoLakeTufaswithAsShotWhiteBalancesettings.
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Figure2:MonoLakeTufaswithcoloradjustedtowardstheblueside.
Figure3:Bluehasbeenremoved,andyellowaddedtotheimage.
Figure4:Peaches,usingtheAsShotWhiteBalancesettings.
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Figure5:Peaches,withblueaddedbymovingtheTemperatureslidertotheleft.
Figure6:Peaches,adjustedtoaddyellowtothecolortemperature.
Inanotherexample,Ishotaplateofpeachesusingdaylighttobringoutthelusciouscoloroftheselocallygrownpeaches.Thelightingsetupwasverysimple,withonlyawhitefillcardtocutdownonshadows.
OpeningtheimageinACR(Figure4)IfoundtheAsShotWhiteBalancesettingshadlostsomeoftheappealofthepeaches.
MovingtheTemperatureslidertotheleftaddedsomeblueandmadethingsworse(Figure5).
However,slidingTemperaturetotherightboostedtheintensityofyellows(Figure6),andgavethepeachestheappearanceIwanted.NotethatIdidn’twantthebackgroundquiteasyellowasthepeaches,soIappliedtwoseparateadjustments:onefortheplateofpeaches,andoneforthebackground.
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Iphotographedthesepeachesusingnaturaldaylight,shownherecroppedandwiththeWhiteBalanceadjusted(seepage106).Withsimpleimagesthatdon’thaveagreatmanyvisualelements,colorrenditionsetviaWhiteBalancecanmakeorbreakthevisualappealofyourfinalphoto.
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Pre-VisualizingtheImpactofLighting
AnselAdamspopularizedtheconceptofpre-visualization,whichhedefinedasthe“processof‘seeing’thefinalprintwhileviewingthesubject.”Adamsexplainedthat“withpracticethephotographercananticipatethevariousinfluencesofeachstageofphotographicprocedure,andincorporatetheseintuitivelyinvisualizingafinalimage.”
Withtheadventofdigital,pre-visualizationskillsareevenmoreimportantthantheywereinAdams’sera.EveryRAWfilecanbeprocessedandadjustedinmyriadways—andthefinalimagedependsasmuchupontheseproceduresasitdoesupontheoriginalcapture.
Whilegreatervariationsareeasilypossiblebeforeoneevengetstotheprint-makingstage,theskillsneededforpre-visualizationareessentiallythesameastheywerebeforedigital.Somefundamentalruleswillalwaysapply.Themostimportantideaistounderstandtheemotionalresponseyouwanttoengenderinsomeonelookingatyourimage,andcarefullyconsiderhowthelightinginyourphotowillworktoachievethatresponse.
Whatismostimportantinyourimage?Whereistheemotional“punch”inanimagegoingtocomefrom?Areyougoingtoshowyourviewerssomethingtheywouldn’thaveseenbeforebecauseitappearsshroudedindarkness?Inthiscase,exposurecanbeusedinresponsetothelightingto“openup”darkareasofthephoto,makingtheviewersofyourimagefeelthattheyareprivytodeepanddarksecrets.
Iftheemotionalpointofyourphotoistoshowanintricateandinterestingobjectagainstadarkbackground,thenyouneedtolighttheobjectsothatitappearsradiant,andexposefortheobject,lettingthebackgroundpossiblygodark.
Imagesintendedtoconveyabrightandalmostetherealeffectneedtobeexposedsothattheyareverylight—butatthesametimenoimportantdetailsarelost.
Ifthepointofyourcompositionistoshowaninterestingandunexpectedpattern,thenyoumustbesureyourlightingandexposurerendersrepeating
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pattern,thenyoumustbesureyourlightingandexposurerendersrepeatingelementssothatviewerswillregardthemasapattern.
Whatevertheimageyou’vepre-visualized,usinglightingtoyouradvantageisthefirst—andprobablymostimportant—stepinaprocessthatinvolvesallfacetsofdigitalimageprocessing.It’simportanttoconsideryourlightinginthecontextofdigitalprocedures—andmakeyourexposuresarmedwithexperienceaboutwhatispossibleinthecontextofhowyouplantoprocessyourimage.
TheviewfromtheslopesofMissionPeak—aboveFremont,California—wasalmostcompletelydarkintheforeground,withthelightsoftheSanFranciscoBayregiontwinklinginthedistance.Whileshroudedindarkness,Iknewtherewasarustic,woodencattlefencealongtheslopes.Ipre-visualizedaphotoshowingthecontrastbetweenthedilapidatedfenceandthemoderncitybeyond,andpickedanexposurelongenoughforthefenceandforegroundtobecomeclearlyrendered.
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Myideawastoexposethisimagesothatonlythelightreflectedbytheredpepperwouldshowandtherestoftheimage—consistingofout-of-focusdarkgreenpeppers—wouldgoverydark.Inotherwords,thepepperwouldbeviewedasifitwasfloatinginspace.
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Shootingthisimageofwaterdropsonaleaf’sedgeintheearlymorningsun,Ipre-visualized—andexposedfor—animagethatshowedthepatternintheleaf,andthebacklitwaterdrops,whileallowingthebackgroundtogoverydark.Besidesthebacklitwaterdrops,themostimportantelementinthiscompositionistheedgeoftheleaf.
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WorkingwithAmbientLight
DrivingabackroadinthemountainsbehindBigSur,Icameacrossthegroveofoldredwoodtrees.Thebrightbutovercastoveralllightingcreatedascenethatisverytypicaloftheforest,andIdecidedtocreateanimagethatwasprimarilyaboutthewaythisdiffuseoveralllightcamethroughthetalltrees.
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UnderstandingAmbientLight
Imagineyouareadriftinanunchartedseaonasmallliferaft.Youareinluck—itisnottoohotbecausethere’sanoverallhaze.Butit’shardtotellonedirectionfromanotherbecausethere’snocleardirectionoflightingandyoudon’tknowwherethesunis.
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Inyourimagination,you’vejustpicturedclassicalambientlighting.Whensomeonesays“ambientlight”theyareessentiallyusingafancytermforthelightthatisthereanyway—often(butnotalways)withtheimplicationthattheambientlighthasnocleardirectionality.
Arelatedtermisavailablelight—whichsimplymeansthelightthatispresentfromanysourcenotsuppliedbythephotographer.Ifyoudidn’tbringaflashorcontinuouslight,thenyouareusingavailablelight.However,availablelightcanbehighlydirectional—forexample,thesunatthehorizonjustbeforeitsets.Soambientandavailablelightarebasicallythesamething—withtheexpectationthatambientlighttendstobemoreoverallandlessdirectional.
Whenyouhearaphotographertalkingaboutambientlight,itisusuallykindofdismissive.Forexample,“Oh,Ijustusedambientlight.”Thisisn’tbecausethephotographerisactuallycontemptuousofambientlight.Rather,itisbecauseexceptinthestudio—wherealmostalllightisintentionallycreated—weexpectambientlighttobewithus,inthebackground,surroundingus.Becauseitissomethingwetakeforgranted,itisnotsomethingwepaytoomuchattentionto.Bigmistake!
Thetrickistopaycloseattentiontoambientlightconditions.Evensubtlevariationsinambientlightcanmakeabigdifferenceinyourphotosifyoulearntomanipulateambientlightconditionsviathedesignandconceptionofyourphoto,exposure(pages68–111),cameraposition—and,often,byaddingtotheexistingambientlight.Ifyoupayattentiontothesubtletiesofambientlight,youreffortwillcertainlyberewarded.
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Atsunset,thecontrastbetweenthebrightwesternskyandthePointBonitaLighthouse(shownacrossthebridge)wassointensethattheforegrounddetailbecameblackwhenIexposedfortheskysoIwaited.Asthesundippedbelowthehorizon,thestronglydirectionallightingilluminatingthesubjectbecamemoregeneralandambient,allowingmetosnapthisphoto.Noticethebeamsintheforeground(atthetopofthephoto)donotfacethesunsetandremainverydark.
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AtHell’sGateinDeathValley,California,Iwaitedforsunrise.JustbeforethesuncameupIsnappedthisshot,litgenerallybyambientlightwithsomedirectionallightingfromtherisingsunbeyondtherangeofmountainsshown.Inthenextmoment,thesuncameoverthehorizonandthelightingchangedentirely.
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ItookthisdistantshotofthePointBonita,CalifornialighthouseabouttenminutesafterIshottheimageshownonpage115.Aftertheshortamountoftimehadelapsedbetweenthetwoshots,theambientlighthadgrownmorediffuse—andlessintense—sotherewasnogreatcontrastbetweenthelightanddarkareasinthephoto.Generally,lookforgreatambientlightconditionsshortlyaftersunset.
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AsthestormclearedinYosemiteValley,thevalleywaslitbyambientlightthatradiatedoffthesidesofcliffsandtheclouds.AsingleshaftofsunlighthitBridalveilFallsandcreatedsomecontrastinwhatwouldotherwisebeanoverallbright,butovercast,scene.
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SunshineonaCloudyDay
Ifyoudon’tventureforthwhentheweatherisbad,thenyouwillneverbepresentwhenthestormstartstobreakandthesunpeaksthrough.Manyofthegreatestandbestknownphotosofthenaturalworldaretakeninexactlytheseconditions.Think,forexample,oftheAnselAdamsimage“ClearingWinterStorm,”takeninthewinterof1942inYosemiteValley,California.Waitingforthestormtohaveactuallyclearedbeforeventuringforthmeansonewouldmissthefewmomentswhenthestormisbreaking.
Imakeapointofheadingoutinnastyweather—butIdon’tdosonaivelyorwithoutpreparation.Itrytogetthetimingright—ifthereisgoingtobeasolidandsteadyrainalldaywithnogapsintheweather,thenIwon’tbeabletophotograph,andImayendangermyequipmentbytakingitout.SoIwaituntilIthinkthere’sagoodchanceofabreakintheweather.
Itdoesn’talwaysworkout.Sometimesarainydaystaysrainy—andIwouldhavebeenbetteroffstayinghomeandeditingphotos!Butwhenthingsworktogetherandyouhavesunshineonacloudyday,thereisnothingbetter.Theoverallcloudinessprovidesgreat,diffuseambientlightandthebreaksintheweatherprovideshaftsofdirectionallight.Thedramaoftheweatherisplayedoutinphotosofvastscenery,butthepleasuresofthesunshine-on-a-cloudy-daylightingcanalsobeseeninmacrosandclose-ups.
I’dfarrathershootonadaywithintermittentcloudsandrainthanonastraightandboringblueskyday!
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Iventuredoutastherainseemedtoslowdown.Theskieswerethreateningcontinuedrain,butapatchofsunshineilluminatedthesewaterdropsonaspiderwebwithwonderful,almostiridescent,colors.
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WestartedoutwearingsnowshoesatthebeginningoftheJohnMuirTrailinYosemiteValley,California,onourwaytoVernalandNevadaFalls.Thenthesnowstopped,andthesuncameout.Itookoffmysnowshoesandenjoyedafewminutesofgloriousphotographybeforethewintersundisappearedandthesnowbeganagain.
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Landscapes
Theclassicformoftheexistinglightphotois,ofcourse,thelandscape.Bydefinition,alandscapeisshotusingambient,availablelight.Furthermore,thescaleoflandscapephotographydoesnotlenditselftosupplementallighting.Thus,aparadox:thegrandandmasterfullandscapeisoneofthemostsoughtafterphotographicsubjects,andoneinwhichthelightingistheleastunderthecontrolofthephotographer.
ToperfectlandscapephotographyIbelievethatyoumustobservecarefully,becomeextremelypatient,waitfortherightmoment,andcapturethescenewhenthegettingisgood.
Observationmeansparticularlypayingattentiontolighting.Supposeyou’vefoundyourvantagepoint,andunderstandthecameraangleandlensyouaregoingtouse.Whatremainsistowaitfortheperfectlighting.Thiswaitcantakehours,orevendays!
I’vepreviouslynotedthevirtuesof“GoldenHour”lightingwhenitcomestolandscapes(seepages18–21).Forthemostpart,itishardtobeattheGoldenHour—thetimesurroundingsunriseandsunset—whenitcomestolandscapephotography,buttherearesomeexceptions.Stormsforming,orbreakingup,canbewildlydramaticandleadtoveryinterestingphotos(seepages120–121).Personally,Iamparticularlypartialtolandscapephotographyatnightbecauseofthegreatcolorsyoucangetatnight(seepages150–157)—andalsoyoudon’thavetorushtobethereforsunset!
Landscapephotographyisadisciplinethatseemssimple—buttoachievegoodlandscapephotographsrequiressubtleunderstandingoflightingworthyofaZenmaster.
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Formillennia,thesepetroglyphshavebeenopentothesky,positionedinanareaofvolcanictableland.Thepetroglyphswereindeepshadowfromoverhangingrocksinthemorning.IwaiteduntillateafternoonsoIcouldcombinethepetroglyphsintheforegroundwithadramaticviewofmountainsandsunsetinthebackground.
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Photographyinthemiddleofthedaywasnotpossible—reflectedsunlightledtomanyunattractivebrightareas—soIwaiteduntillateafternoontotakethisphotoofTheWaveintheArizonaGrandCanyonuplandsneartheUtahborder.
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OnasnowydayinYosemiteValley,California,therewasabreakintheweatherandIwasabletoshootthisimageofVernalFalls.Ambientlightreflectedofftheclouds,illuminatingwhatwouldotherwisebeafairlydarkviewofthechasmcreatedbytheMercedRiver.
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CityLight
Fromadistance,andinthedaytime,photographingcitiescanbeviewedinmuchthesamewayasphotographinglandscapes:relativelydistantstructuralmassesarelitbyavailablelight.Aswithlandscapes,thekeyvariableisthequalityoftheambientlight,andthedirectionalityofthedaylight—andsuccessfulphotographyofcitiesaslandscapeisprimarilyanissueofpatience,observationoflighting,andtiming.
Asdayturnstotwilight,twilightturnstodusk,andduskturnstonight,lightingissueschangebecauseofthemanydifferentkindsoflightthatcancontributetotheambientlight—carlights,streetlights,andinteriorlights.Besideslightfromthesunandmoon,thesekindsoflightcanbecomeindividualizedlightsourcesinandofthemselves.
You’vegotlightfromtungstenincandescent,fluorescent,andmercuryvaporfixtures—allofwhichhavedifferentcolortemperatures.Besidestheissuesofwildlyvaryinglightsourceswithinasingleexposure,youhaveagreatdynamicrangeasthingsgetdark—fromthebrightlightsofthecitytothedarknessofahiddenalley.Formoreaboutnightphotography,seepages150–157.
Takingadvantageofcitylightingcanmeanmorethanphotographingurbanvistasasakindoflandscape.Sometimesthedetailsaremorethanthesumoftheparts.WhenIphotographinanurbanenvironment,Iamcarefultokeepmyeyesopenforinterestingimagesthatarenotvistas—andthattakeadvantageofthecolorandenergyoflifeinacity.
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CaledoniaStreet,indowntownSanFrancisco,Californiaisfamousforitsgraffiti.Ifyouvisitinthedaytime,youarelikelytofindtouristsandotherphotographersbecausesomeoftheartistswhohave“tagged”CaledoniaStreethavegoneontobequitewellknown.ButwhenIvisitedintheearlyevening,Ihadittomyself.Thisrelativelylongexposure(15seconds)usesambientlightaswellasatleastsevendifferentlightsourcesfromdifferentkindsoflights,eachwithitsowncolortemperature.
29mm,15secondsatf/11andISO100,tripodmounted
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Sometimestheangleofviewcanbeenoughtopartiallycounteractdifficultambientlightconditionswhenyoucomposeacityscapephoto.Somewhatharsh,middaylightdirectlyoverdowntownHavana,Cubaappearslessdistractinginthispanoramathanitwouldhaveinamoreconventionalphoto.
Tomakethisimage,Iplacedmycameraverticallyonthetripod,androtatedfromleft-to-rightusingthesameexposureforeachofthe18captures.IstitchedthecapturestogetherinPhotoshopandappliedsomeminimalretouchingtotheresults.
18exposuresstitchedtogetherusingPhotomergeinPhotoshop,eachcapturetakenat18mm,1/250ofasecondandf/8atISO100,tripodmounted
FromhighonahillintheMarinHeadlands,IphotographedtheGoldenGateBridgeandSanFranciscoatsunset.Thesunsetwasbehindmycameraposition,frontlightingtheSanFranciscocityscape.IwaitedforacontainershipsteamingthroughtheGoldenGatetocomepreciselyintopositiontohelpformaninterestingcomposition.
Ifyoustoptothinkaboutit,theGoldenGateBridgeinSanFranciscoisoneofthemostphotographedsubjectsintheworld.However,ifyoupay
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ofthemostphotographedsubjectsintheworld.However,ifyoupayattentiontothedirectionofthelightingandhavethepatiencetowaitintherightplacefortherighttime,thenitisquitepossibletomakeimagesthatstandoutfromthecrowd.
32mm,1/80ofasecondatf/4.2andISO100,tripodmounted
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Close-UpsandMacros
Close-upphotographyinthestudiowithcontrolledlighting,stylists,andwonderfulminiaturesetsleadstotheperfectimagesofwatchesandliquorbottlesthatwe’vecometoexpectinouradvertising.Close-upandmacroworkinthefieldusingprimarilyexistinglightisacompletelydifferentkettleoffish—withdifferentpleasures,rewards,andpitfalls.
It’simportanttorememberwithexistinglightclose-upphotographythat,unlikestudiowork,youcannotexpectperfection.Sure,goaheadandrearrangeyourtinysubjectmattertoimprovethecomposition—ifyoucan.Alltoooften,I’vehadtheexperienceofthinkingI’lljustmovealittletwigalittlebit,onlytohavemyentirescenecollapse.Thetruthisthatreallifehasimperfections,andnaturallightstilllifephotographyispartlyaboutcapturingtheseirregularities.
Inmyopinion,itisfinetoadjustyournaturalmacrosubjecttotakeadvantageofthelighting—butyouriskmakingthesceneworse,notbetter.
Lightingmakesorbreaksaclose-upormacro.Becausetheseimagesseemcontainedandliketheirownlittleworld,howtheyarelitaddsthetouchofdramathataminiatureworldneeds.Thesunreflectingasastarburstinawaterdropshowsasmuchlightingpower,relativelyspeaking,astherealsundoestoafull-scalelandscape.
Thedirectionality—orlackofdirection—ofthelightingalsohasabigimpactonthemacrolevel.Glowing,backlitelementsadddramatoanotherwiseordinarycapturenomatterwhatthescale.Overalldiffuseambientlightpowerscolordetailsonasmallscale,andgivesyoutheopportunitytocreateinterestingcompositions.
Ifindambientlightclose-upphotographyagreatdealoffun.Thechallengeistoseeonasmallscaletocreateaplausibleminiatureworldoruniverse—andthiscanonlybedonebyclearlyobservingthelightingyouhavetouse,andframingacompositionthatusesthatlightingtogoodeffect.
Youcanhoneyourskillsonnaturalmacrosandgoontotakethesamefacilitywiththeobservationoflightwhenyoupointyourlensatobjectsonalargerscale.
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Onewaterdropcapturesthesunreflectedasastarburst,anotherthegardenreversedandupsidedown.Theminiaturedropsofwatercreateamagicaluniversewherelightingiseverythingandittakesamomenttogetone’sbearings—butisworthtakingthetimetovisuallyexplore.
200mmmacro,1/3ofasecondatf/40andISO200,tripodmounted
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Byconcentratingonthecenterofthepeony,whichwouldordinarilybequitedark,Iemphasizedtheglowingeffectoftheunusualnaturalbacklightingonthisflower,causedbytheearlymorningsun.
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UsingFillLighting
Inanysituationwherethepredominantlightingisnotfrontal—inotherwords,whenthelightingmostlycomesfromthebackortheside,orevenisoverallandambient—thecamera-facingportionofyoursubjectislikelytobetoodark.Detailsmaynotshow,shadowsmaybeunattractive,andthefrontaldarknesswilllikelyworknowondersforyourcomposition.
Thislightingconundrumistruewithoutrespecttohowgorgeousthequalityofthelightis.Inotherwords,theneedforfilllighting—supplementallightingthatworksinacountervailingdirectiontotheprimarylighting—isprimarilyanissueoflightingdirection,andnotlightingquality.
Infact,photographersoftenfindthemselvesinthesituationofneedingtosalvagealightingsituationwherethelightingisattractivebutthemostimportantpartofthesubjectiseitherwaytoodarkorshowsnastyshadowscomingfromonedirectionoranotherthatarenotaplannedpartofthecomposition.
Studiolightingsetupsusuallyplantobalancethelighting,withfilllightsifnecessary,butthesamelightingproblemsoccurfrequentlyonlocation,inthefield,andwhenoneisshootingusingnaturallight.
Thereareanumberofpossiblesolutionstothislightingdilemma,including:
ReflectinglightintothesubjecttoamelioratethedarknessandshadowsUsingalightsourcetoaddfilllightingtothedarkfaceofthesubject;thiscanbeeitheracontinuouslightorflash(seepages162–209)Correctingthelightingprobleminpost-productionsoftwaresuchasPhotoshop
FixingalightingproblemwhenthefrontofyoursubjectistoodarkiscertainlyapossibilityinPhotoshop(seepages215–219),butwhenfeasibleitisalwaysbettertofixtheproblemasearlyaspossible—whentakingthephoto,ratherthaninpost-productionafterthephotohasbeentaken.
Creatingfilllightingusingareflectivesurfaceisofteneasytoachieveatthetimeyoutakeaphoto(seethediagrambelow)—evenifyouareinaremote
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location.Iprefertouseareflectivesurface—oftencalledafillcard—forthispurposeratherthanalight(suchasanordinaryflashlight).Byreflectinglightintothesubjectasopposedtoshininglightonit,Iammostlikelygoingtoavoidproblemswithunnaturallookinglight.
Obviously,ifyouplantousefilllightingyoushouldmakesuretobringsomethingyoucanuseforthispurposewhereyouwillbephotographing.Thesimplestandmostneutralfilldeviceissimplyapieceofwhitecardboard,whichyouwillneedtohold,orplace,whereitisoutofthecamera’sfieldofview.Bytheway,youcanuseapieceofblackcardboardintheoppositeway—to“beam”darknessintoareflectivesurfacethatistoobright.
Commercialfillgizmosrangefromextremelyportable—thesefoldupandcanbeshovedinacamerabagorpocketandcarriedanywhere—tolargeaffairswithframesthatresemblenothingsomuchashanggliders.It’sworthwhileexperimentingwithmetallicreflectorsaswellaswhiteones.Agoldmetallicfilldevicereflectsglowing,warmlightintothedarkareasofthesubject,andcanbeparticularlyeffectiveinoutdoorportraiture.
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Idrove27milesdownafour-wheeldriveroadintheremotenorthwesterncornerofDeathValleyNationalParktoreachtheRacetrack,thedriedlakebedshowninthisphoto.TheRacetrackplayahasbecomewellknownfortherocksthatarethoughttomovearoundonthesurfaceinthewinter,leavingstrangetracksinthemud.
Isetupmytripodshortlyaftersunsetinthediffuse,glowingambientlight.Myideawastocaptureboththisrockandthesurfaceofthelakebed.Whiletherewasnorealdirectionalitytothelight,thefrontoftherockfacingthecamerawasdeepinshadow,particularlywhenIpositionedthecamerawithanextremewide-anglelens(10.5mm)aslowasIneededtomakethiscompositionwork.
Tobrightentherock,IusedacollapsibleportablemetallicfilldiscIhadwithmetoreflectlightintotheshadowsintherock.
10.5mmdigitalfisheye,1/13ofasecondatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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Thisphotoillustratestwodifferentkindsoffilllightinginthecourseofasingle,extremelylongexposure.
ManypeopleknowaboutthespectacularTunnelViewoverlookaboveYosemiteValley,California—butfewerknowthattheoriginalvistapoint,InspirationPoint,isseveralmilesaboveTunnelView,andonlyaccessiblebytrail.
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FromtheoldInspirationPoint,moonlightlitYosemiteValleyfromtheeast(therightsideofthephoto)—thefirstfilllightingsource.Tolightenthedarksideofthetreetrunkfacingthecamera,I“painted”itwithasmallflashlightforashortburst,creatingthesecondkindoffilllighting.
12mm,about30minutesatf/8andISO100,tripodmounted
Photographingthisrosefromaboveandstraightdownbythelightofawindow,Inoticedthattheleftsideoftherosewasextremelydark—thelightwaspredominantlycomingfromtherightandabovetheflower.SoIpositionedapieceofwhitecardboardtoreflectlightintothelowerleftofthecomposition,andheldthewhitecardboardinpositionusingducttape.
50mmmacrolens,1secondatf/32andISO100,tripodmounted
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Inthiscasual,outdoorportraitofLaurenyoucanseethepredominant—andverystrong—lightingisearlyafternoonsunlightcomingfrombehindandtoLauren’sright.TheimpactofthislightingwastoleaveLauren’sfaceindarkshadow.Ihadanassistantholdalarge,metallicgoldreflectortolightentheshadows,andtocreateapleasingqualityoflight.
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UsingFlashasSupplementalLighting
Oneapproachtocorrectingdark,shadowareasinabackorsidelitsubjectistoaddsomesupplementalflashlightingfromthefront.It’seasytouseaflashasasupplementallightifyoutakecarethattheflashdoesn’toverwhelmthenaturallight.Asalwayswhenusingflash,itisalsobesttogetitoffyourcamera,soyoursupplementallightisnotcomingfromexactlythedirectionofthecamera.
Onautomaticsettings,yourcameraandflasharelikelytoassumetheyaretheonlylightsource,andcompletelyoverpowertheexistinglight.Mybiasinthesesituationsisthatthereissomethingattractiveabouttheavailablelight,sooverpoweringitsimplywillnotdo.Thegoalistoworkwiththeexistinglighttosupplementitasneeded,nottoreplaceit.
Touseaflashassupplementallightingwithoutoverwhelmingthenaturallightyoucantakeanumberofapproaches:
Manuallycontrolthelightoutputoftheflashunit(seethedocumentationfortheflashunitforinstructionsabouthowtodothis)WithyourcamerasetusingManualexposurecontrols,intentionallychooseashutterspeedthatisslowerthanthecamera’sflash-synchspeed,sothattheexposureendsupusingambientlightaswellaslightfromtheflashOnverylongexposures,youcanpoptheflashmanuallyforanextremelyshortburstoflighting;there’snoneedinthiskindofsituationtosynchtheflashwiththecameraatall
Alloftheseapproachescanbehighlyeffectivewaystocreatefillillumination—lightthat“fillsin”theshadowsanddarkareaswithoutoverwhelmingnaturallighting,whichcanbeattractive,interesting,andrealistic.Afterall,whenIwanttoentirelycreatemyownlightingIworkinthestudio—andthisisnotthepointoflocationphotography.However,bepreparedtoexperimentwithyourexposuresandflashoutputsbeforeyougetitright.TakesometestshotsandreviewthemcarefullyinyourLCDbeforeyouassumethatyourflash-as-supplemental-lightingsetupworksthewayyouwantitto.
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IsetmycameraupnearCyclopsArchintheAlabamaHillsformationaboveLonePine,Californiatomakeaseriesofcapturesthatcouldbecombinedtoshowstartrails.Theproblemwiththelightingwasthattheinsideofthearch(facingmycamera)wasinblackness,soononeframeIwalkednearertothearchandpaintedinlightusingalowpowersettingfrommysmallstrobeunit.
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Iusedtwowirelessmacroflashunitsmountedonaringattheendofmytelephotomacrolenstostopthemotionofthebeeonthisdahlia.Theexposurewascalculatedtoallowambientlightontheflowertoberenderedaspartofthephoto.
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Thepredominantlightonthestairscamefromalarge,frostedwindowatthetopofthestairs,leavingTanya’sfrontindeepshadow.Iusedasmall,supplementaloff-cameraflashunittolightenTanya’sfaceandbodyinthisappealingportrait.
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UsingWindowLight
Windowlight—whetheryouarephotographingthroughthewindow,orusingthelightcomingthroughawindowtoilluminateyoursubject—oftenhasveryspecialproperties.Dependinguponthelocationanddirectionofthewindow,thekindoflightsourcebehindthewindow,howcleanordirtythewindowis,andthewindowtreatment,windowlightcanbeoneofthemostqualitativelyromanticlightsourcesintheworld.Windowsareagreatsourceofdiffuselight(seepages40–43).
Ifyouareshootingaphotosuchasaromanticportraitusingwindowlightasthelightingsource,lookforchiaroscurolighting—situationsinwhichtherearepatternsoflightanddark,withstrongcontrasts.Sincethiskindoflightingsituationcanbefairlydim,considerboostingyourISOsothatyoucanuseafastershutterspeed—particularlyifyoursubjectispotentiallymoving,forexample,whenyouaremakingaportrait.
Whenphotographingthroughawindow,lookforsituationswherethewindowhasalteredthelightthrownoffbythesubjectoutsidethewindow.Ineffect,shootingthroughthewindowcreatesanewkindoflighting—oneinwhichstandardviewscanbecomeabstractionsthataremoreinterestingthanamore“straight”photo.
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ConstructiondirtonthiswindowinFortPointobscuredtheviewoftheGoldenGateBridge,andaconstructionworkerhaddrawnasmileyfaceontheoutsideofthewindow.Isawanopportunitytocreateaninterestingcompositionbyusingasmallaperture(f/29)tocreatesubstantialdepth-of-field.Iusedthelightingcomingthroughthewindowtomakethewindowlookalmostlikeasolidpieceofreflectedart.Theviewofthebridgethroughthewindowlooksflatlikeaposterorprint,ratherthanaviewthroughatransparentwindow.
36mm,1/5ofasecondatf/29andISO100,tripodmounted
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IpositionedthisbouquetofFourthofJulyrosessotheywereattractivelylitbysoftlightcominginthroughawindow.ThenIcomposedthephotosotheflowerswerecapturedthroughthedividedwindowpanesinaglassdoor.
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Coiledrope,deepintheshadowsoftheboathouse,waslitbyashaftoflateafternoonsunlightcomingthroughawindow.Thefactthatthewindowwasdirtyonlyenhancedthequalityofthelight.
IpositionedmyNautilusshellinthecenteroftheshaftoflightfromthewindow,andquicklycomposedmyphotobeforethelightdisappeared.
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The“sweet”qualityofmorninglightcominginthroughthewindowsmatchestheradiantexpressiononmydaughterKatieRose’sface.
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NightPhotography
InalettertohisbrotherTheo,theartistVincentvanGoghwrote,“Itoftenseemstomethatthenightismuchmorealiveandrichlycoloredthantheday.”ThereisagreatdealoftruthtovanGogh’sobservation,andnightphotographyofferssomeincredibleopportunities.However,nightphotographyalsoposessomespecialproblemsrelatedtoexposureandlighting.
Typicalcityscenesatnightarequitebright—atleastcomparedtodeepnightlandscapesawayfromlights.Exposuretimestypicallyrangefrom10to30secondsforcityscenes,anditisagooddealeasiertoseewhatyouaregoingtogetundertheseconditionsthanwhenitisreallydark.
Innightcityphotography,thelightingcomesfromavarietyofsourcesincludingcars,buildinglights,streetlights,andambientlightfromcelestialsources.Thismixtureoflightingsourcescancreateajumbledsenseofmanylightswithdifferentcolors—butitcanalsoaddtotheenergyandexcitementofurbannightphotography.
Nightphotographyinthedeepnightofthecountrysideorwildernessisanactoffaith.Youdon’tknowwhatyouaregoingtogetuntilafteryouhavespenthoursmakingthephoto—andtheLCDonyourcameraisitselfunreliable.IfindthatIdonotknowwhatmydeepnightimagescontainuntilIhaveteasedthedataoutoftheRAWfilesusingapowerfulcomputerinmystudio.
Thekeyissuewithnighttimeexposuresisthatthereisnotmuchlight.Extremelylowlightconditionscompellongshutterspeedtimes,whichresultinconcernsandproblemsrelatedtonoise.
Onetechniquethatworkswelltocombatnoisefromlongexposuretimesistosegmenttheexposuresintomanyshorterexposures.Thesemultiple“shorter”exposures—eachoftheexposuresisoftenthreeorfourminutesonitsown—arecombinedusingatechniquecalledstacking.Stackingusesapre-definedalgorithmtoblendthepixelsofthemultipleimages—forexample,“pickthebrightestone.”Astackedimageorganicallycontainsfarlessnoisethanasingleexposurethatwasaslongasthesumoftheindividualexposuresthatmakeup
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thestack.
Photoshopprovidesseveraldifferenttechniquesforstacking,andthereareanumberoflowcostorfreesoftwareprogramsavailablethatalsodothejobwell.
Besidesexposurelength,extremedarknessalsoleadstotheproblemswithlightingatnight,whichareprimarilyperceptual.Althoughdigitalcamerascanrecordmanyofthecolorsofthenight,forthemostpartwecannotseethem.Thismeansthatyouwillfindithardtounderstandtheambientlightingconditionsforanightphotountilyouhavemadeyourimage—andmakingasingleimagecantakemostofthenight.
Ifyouhaven’ttriednightphotography,giveitawhirl.Learningtophotographinthedarknessteachesyouaboutexposureinaverysignificantway—andalsohowtoreadthecluesthatlightingleaveswhenitcanbarelybeperceived.Experiencednightphotographersknowthatthereisagreatthrillinrenderingdarknessvisibleandcreatingimagesagainstallexpectations.Manyofthemarehookedonthiskindoflighting,andlivefortheirsessionsinthedark!
Formoreinformationaboutnightphotographytechniques,andaboutprocessingnightphotos,seethesuggestionsintheresourcessectiononpage250.
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IscoutedinadvancearooftoplocationwithaclearviewoftheBayBridge,YerbaBuenaIsland,anddowntownSanFrancisco.Onaclear,autumnafternoonIclimbedaladdertotheroof,andwaiteduntilaftersunsettotakethisphotowithamoderatetelephotolens.
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Ifyoulookatthetentinthisphoto,you’llseeashadowinside.Thatshadowisme,andthetentislitwithmyheadlampwhileIwasreading.
ThisisashotofmycampsiteinDeathValley.Isetmycamerauponitstripod,andusedaprogrammableintervaltimer.ThenIwenttobed,leavingmycameratocapturethestarlitscene.
Isetthecameratotakemultiple4minuteexposureswithagapof4minutesbetweeneachexposure—whichiswhythesestartrailsappeardashed.
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TheAlabamaHillsareajumbledareaofrocksandtexturesaboveLonePine,California,andbelowMountWhitney,thehighestmountaininthecontinentalUnitedStates.Theareahaslongbeenknownforitsscenicgrandeur,andinfactmanywell-knownmovieshavebeenfilmedhere.
Tomakethisimage,Igotinpositionontopofarockypromontorybeforedarknessfell.Withmycameraandtripodfirmlyinplace,IshotaversionwhiletherewasstillsomelightsoIcouldaddsomedetailintotheforegroundwhenIpost-processedtheimagelater.ThenIusedaprogrammabletimertoshootmultipleexposuresoverthecourseofalmosttwohourstocapturethescenebystarlight.
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InDeathValleyNationalPark,theDevil’sGolfCourseisaformationofseeminglyendlesscrystallizedsaltspiresarranged,well,likeadiabolicalgolfcourse.TheDevil’sGolfCourseislocatednearBadwater—thelowestpointinNorthAmerica,andseveralhundredfeetbelowsealevel.
Ipulleduptothisformationafterdark,openedthesidedoorofmyvanthatfacednorth,andpositionedthecameratophotographtheformationsandstartrailsinthesky.Whilemycameramadetheexposuresoverthecourseofthenight,Isnoozedinthevan.Beforedawn,asliverofthenewmoonrisingfrontlitthecrystallineformationsintheforeground—otherwisetheforegroundwouldbecompletelydark.
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LightPainting
Paintingwithlightcanbeaccomplishedinadark,oralmostcompletelydark,room—or,morecommonly,outdoorsatnight.Inthiskindofphotography,thelightingisthesubjectofthephoto—eitheritself,orwhenthelightilluminatessubjectsthatwouldotherwisebeshroudedintheambientdarkness.
Almostanykindoflightsourcecanbeusedforlightpainting.Ifyouonlyhaveaflashlightwithyou,thatcanworkjustfine.Youcanalsocomepreparedforlightpaintingwithfancycoloredlights.Ifyouarewillingtoimprovise,youmightbeamazedatwhatwillworkasalightingsource—it’slikelythatevenyourfavoritemobiledevicecanbeprogrammedtogenerateinterestinglightcolorsandpatterns(seephotoonpage161).
Toeffectivelypaintwithlight,it’sagoodideatoweardark,orblackclothes,sothatyouwon’tshowinthefinalimage—unlesstheideaistoappearintheimage.Somelightpaintersgosofarastoapplydarkpaintontheirfacesbeforemakingtheirimages.
Youshouldsetyourcamerauponatripod,andplantohaveyourshutteropenforthedurationofthelightpainting“performance.”Itmaytakeabitoftrialanderrortofindouttherightlengthoftimetoholdtheshutteropen,andalsotheapertureandISOtousetogetagoodexposure,consideringtheshutterspeedyouareusing.
Trytokeepmovingasyoupaintwithlight.Ifyoustoptoolonginonespot,youarelikelytoappearintheimage—andyourlightsourcemaybecometoobrightcomparedtothesurroundinglight.
It’susuallynotagoodideatopointthelightyouarepaintingwithdirectlyatthecamera.Thestrongestlightpaintinglinesareusuallycreatedbymovingthelightperpendicularlytothecamera.
Lightpaintingisakintoperformanceart—itisneverthesametwiceanditoftenismorefunwhenmanypeopledothelightpainting.Whilesomepeopledocarefullyplantheirlightpaintingimages,improvisationisoftenthenameofthegame…inwhichcase,youneverknowwhatyouaregoingtogetuntilyoutry.
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DuringanightphotoworkshopIwasgivingatMareIsland,alarge,abandonednavalshipyardinVallejo,California,westartedplayingwithcoloredlights,creatingtheexotic-lookingsceneyouseehere.
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Allkindsofthingscanworkaslightingsourcesatnight.ThisshotshowsapersonwalkingdownaflightofstairswithaniPhonesettoblink.
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Bywearingdarkclothingatnightpeopledisappearandallyouseeistheirlights.Tocreatethisshot,Isetmycameraonatripodand“danced”withsomeoneholdingthebluelight(Iwastheredone)—tocreateaghostly“pasdedeux.”
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LightingintheStudio
Atfirstglance,theskintonesofthemodelsinthestudioshotlookratherdark.Actually,thesearefair-skinnedmodelsthathavebeenpaintedwithmetallicbodypaint.It’satrickofthelighting—combinedwithrelativeunderexposure—thattheskintonesinthisphotolookdarkish,ratherthanpaintedasitactuallywas.Amoralhere:controlledlightingcanchangealmosteverything,includingtheapparentskintoneofsubjects.
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Lowel’sOmniisaflexibleandversatilecontinuouslightsourcethatusesatungsten-halogenbulb,shownherewithbarndoorsandagridlightingmodifier(imagecourtesyofLowel-LightMfg,Inc).
ContinuousLighting
Continuouslightingisanotherwayofreferringtocommon,everydaylightsthatyoucanseebecausetheyremainon.It’scalled“continuous”because—unlikestudiostrobelighting—whenyouturniton,itstaysonwithaconstantillumination.Sometimesthetermhotlightingisusedtodescribethiskindoflightingbecausecontinuouslightsusedforphotographycangetverywarmdependinguponthekindofbulbyouuse.
Ifyoubuycontinuouslightingintendedforphotography,yougenerallyhavethreechoicesofbulbtype:
Tungsten-halogenLEDFluorescent
Ofthese,mypreferencetendstobetungsten-halogen,forthequalityoflightthesebulbsputout—buttherearesomeapplications(forexample,whenexcessiveheatisaseriousissue)inwhichthesebulbsarenotthebestchoice.LEDlightingisrapidlybecomingabletooutputsufficientlightformanyphotographicapplications,andcanbeanexcellentchoice.
Youcanconsideralmostanycommonhouseholdlightacontinuouslightsourceforphotographicpurposesbecausetheabilitytocolor-correctforwhitebalanceinpost-processingmeansthatthecolortemperatureofthelightsourceisless
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importantthanitusedtobe.Unlikeinthepast,improvisinglightingwithgoodresultsispossible—atleastwhenyoursubjectsaresmallinscale,andthereisnocriticalissueofcolormatching.
Largersizesubjects—suchaslivingpeople—requireagreatdealmoreoverallillumination.Tolightalargetableaucontainingmodelsandasetwithcontinuouslightingwouldtakeanumberofhighwattagelights,consumeagoodbitofpower,andputouttremendousheat.WhilethiskindofarrangementwasusedinHollywoodbeforetheSecondWorldWarforglamourportraiture(aswellasthemovies),itmakesmoresensethesedaystousestudiostrobes.Moregenerally,theadvantagesanddisadvantagesofcontinuouslightingcomparedtostudiostrobelightingareshowninTable1below.
AsyoucanseefromTable1,forstilllifesandsmalltableaus—assumingnothingisinmotion,andheatisn’tanimportantconcern—continuouslightingisusuallythebestchoice,becauseitisinexpensiveanditiseasytoseetheimpactofchangesyoumaketoyourlighting.
Withcontinuouslighting,whetheryouuseimprovisedlighting,orfixturesspecificallyintendedforphotography,youdoneedamechanismforcontrollingthequalityandintensityofthelight.Withcontinuouslightingyoucanusuallyreducetheintensityoflightsimplybymovingthelightfixturefurtherfromyoursubject,orincreasetheintensitybymovingthelightcloser.
Thekeypointsarethatyouneedtobeabletoilluminatewithhard,directlightordiffusesoftlight—dependinguponyouraestheticgoals.Ifthelightingishard,youwanttobeabletocontrolwhetheritisusedasapin-pointilluminationsource,orwhetheritlightsyoursubjectmoreglobally.Youcanestablishtheseoptionsusingcontinuouslightingequipmentmeantforphotographywithmodifierssuchassoftboxes(todiffusethelight)orbarndoors(tonarrowthescopeofwhatisilluminated).
AsI’venoted,itisrelativelyeasytoimprovisethiskindoflightingmodifier—tape,foil,cardboard,andanoldwhitesheetyoucancutupworkwonders—ifyoudon’twanttobuythem.Inaddition,someprofessionalcontinuouslightingsetupsallowyouto“focus”thelight,essentiallygivingyoumorecontroloverthequalityoflightandhowhardorsoftitseems.
Withtwoorthreelights—whetherimprovisedorpurchasedaspartofa
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professionalcontinuouslightingkit—thatcanbecontrolledforthehardnessorsoftnessoflight,andtheangleofthesubjectthatislit,youprettymuchhavewhatyouneedtounleashyourimagination—atleastuponthestageofthesmall,stilllifephoto!
Table1:Acomparisonofcontinuousandstudiostrobelighting
Continuous StudioStrobe
Lightoutput Moderatelightatacontinuouslevelofillumination
Extremelyshortbursts;eachburstcanhaveagreatdealoflightingpower
Cost Inexpensivestartupcosts Rangesfrommoderatetoveryexpensive
Seewhatyouaredoing
WYSIWYG—whatyouseeiswhatyouget
Hardertovisualizeinadvanceofthestrobesfiring;modelinglightshelpwiththis
Complexitytosetup
None—youplugtheminandturnthemon
Strobestakeabitofalearningcurve,bothinusingtheequipmentandmanagingthelight
Canstopmotion? Inaword,no Yes
Temperature Canrunveryhot Usuallynotaproblem
BestuseSmallstilllifesetups;flatart;anythingthatdoesnotmoveandisnotlargeinsize
People;anythingthatmoves;largesetups
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Iusedtwolightsourcestocreatethismacroofmarbles.Onelightwaspositionedtotherightofthemarbles;Iusedmostlyclosedbarndoorstocontrolthelightbeamandmakeanarrow,intense,andfocusedbeamoflight.Thesecondlightwasamoregeneralanddiffuselightingsource,placedbehindandtotheleftofthemarbles.Iusedthislighttocreateanillusionoftransparencybygentlybacklightingthemarbles.
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Thesecolorful—andveryhot—smallpepperscomefromlocalCaliforniafarms.Tophotographthehotpeppers,Iarrangedthemonamirror.Myideawastocreateanarrangementthatresembledabouquetofflowerswhenlookedatfromabove.Iusedablackvelvetclothasthebackground,andlitthepeppersusingsunlightfromawindowandacontinuoustungstenlight.Youcanseethewindowlightinthereflectionsintheredpepperinthefrontandcenteroftheimagebecauseitappearstobemorebluethantheoveralllight.Iaimedthecontinuouslightupatthewarm-tintedwallsoftheroomIwasin,soithelpstogivethepeppersanice,warmtone(comparedtotherelativelybluedaylight).
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Iplacedthisgazaniainasmallvase,andsilhouetteditagainstablackbackground,illuminatingtheflowerwithasingle,continuouslight.
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SettingtheStage
It’sallverywelltoorganizecontinuouslightingtophotographyourstilllifetableaus—butyoualsoneedabackgroundandsomethingtophotographyoursubjectson.Itisthecasethatyourchoiceofbackgroundcaninfluencelightingdecisions(andviceversa).
It’salsotruethatasinglebackgroundforastilllifecompositionandtherelatedlightingcanworkformorethanoneimage—essentially,withtherightchoiceofneutralbackground,youcanjustrotateyoursubjectsontothestageoneaftertheother.Thisisparticularlytrueofcut-and-dryproductphotography.IfyouareshootingsmallobjectsforacatalogorforaneBaylisting,dependinguponthecontextoftheproducts,youmayjustwanttoputthemonablackorawhitebackground.
Regardingawhitebackground,notethatanormalwhitepieceofpaper—suchasawhiteseamlessbackground—willlookdullandgrayinaphotoifitisexposednormally.Toobtaintheillusionofanextremelybright,whitebackgroundyouneedtoplacetheobjectonalightbox—madeoftranslucentwhitematerialandilluminatedfrombehind—aswellasoverexposethebackground.
Acommonstagesetupthatcanbeusedoverandoveragainisalighttent.Thiscanbepurchasedasakit,ormadefromtranslucentmaterialsuchasawhitesheet.Ineithercase,gentle,diffuselightiscreatedbyshiningcontinuouslightthroughthelighttent.Theresultingshotsdon’tshowshadowsandcanbeusedforrun-of-the-millproductphotography.However,thesamesetupcanalsobeusedtoeasilycreatemoreinterestingandartisticeffects.
Whenyouthinkaboutthestageforastilllifecomposition,asI’vementioned,there’sthephysicalissueofwhatyouarephotographingon.Iliketousesimpletrestletablesthatcanbemovedintopositionanywhere,andeasilytakendowntosavespacewhenIdon’tneedthem.
It’sprettyeasytoriglightstandsandclips(availableinanyhardwarestore)toholdbackgroundsuponasmalltable.Iliketokeepmybackgroundssimple:usuallywhiteorblack,withanoccasionalburlaporcottonduckclothtoaddtexture.It’salsosometimesfuntoexperimentwithunusualbackgroundslikeagnarledpieceofwood—thisismostlikelytobefeasiblewhenyouare
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photographingsomethingsmall.Anotherinterestingpossibilityistouseamirroraspartorallofyourphotographicbackground—althoughthiscanmakeframingyourcompositionmoredifficultasthemirrorislikelytoshowthingsyoudon’twantaswellasthingsyoudo.
Thethreeelementsofthestilllifecompositionarethesubject,thelighting,andthesetting.Allthreeareinterrelated:forexample,usuallybychangingthestage,youalsochangetheimpactofthelighting.Soasyoulightyourcompositionspayattentiontothebackgrounds,stage,andsetting—andwatchcarefullyhowchangesinthestageimpactandalteryourlightingatthesametime.
Thislighttent—alsocalledalightbox—wasputtogetherfromakit.Itconsistsofalightweightframewithtranslucentwhitefabricthattiesontotheframe,withaslitatthebackforinsertingbackgrounds.Thelighttentisshownhereonamake-shifttrestle-toptable,withcontinuousquartztungsten-halogenlightspointedatthelightbox(theselightsarenotinthepicture).
Alighttentsuchasthiscanbeusedeffectivelyasthestageformanyphotographswithshadowlesslighting—withthedownsidethatthelightingeffectsyoucancreatearelimitedandtendtobeabitmonotonous.Somecompositionscryoutfortheexcitementofstrongshadows(seepages60–63and182–185).
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Tophotographthecoreofthisrose,Iplaceditonawhitebackgroundinthelighttentshownabove.Totakeadvantageofthisshadowlesslighting,Ineededtobeabletoplacetherosecoreinanuprightposition.Iusedasmalldabofmuseumgeltokeepitinplace.
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Iplacedthesepears(andsolonectarine)onamirror,andusedapieceofcanvasasabackground.Theclothwastackedtoacrossbaronthetop,andtuckedbelowthemirror.Imadesuretopositionthefruitinthecenterofthemirror,andusedamoderateaperture(f/11)tomakesuretherewassufficientdepth-of-fieldtokeepthefruitinfocuswhilethrowingthebackgroundslightlyoutoffocus.
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Tocreatethissimpletableauofstuffedanimals(whatmysonNickycallshis“stuffies”),Iplacedtheanimalsonwhiteseamlesspaperclampedtoarodatthetop.Thecurveinthisbackgroundcreateswhatissometimescalledacyclorama—althoughthetermisgenerallyappliedtolargersets—meaningtherearenovisiblehorizonlines.Iusedalightwithapieceofbluecolorcellophanetapedtoittocreatethecoloryoucanseeatthetopofthephoto.
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UsingNaturalLight
Iaminwhatmaybearelativeminorityofprofessionalphotographerswhenitcomestonaturallightandstilllifesubjects:Ireallylovethequalityofsunlight,andIliketouseitinmystudiostilllifeworkwheneverIcan.Althoughitmaysoundlikeaneasyoption—becausewhenIamworkingthiswayIdon’thavetobotherwithsettinguplighting—infactstilllifephotographywithnaturallighttakescarefulobservationandgoodtiming.Goodnaturallightdoesn’tlastforeverbecauseitisveryephemeralandtransient.
Justaslocationphotographerschaseperfectlightingconditions,whenIamshootingastilllifebynaturallightIfindmyselfrushingaroundwithasubjectandastage.Isthelightbetterupstairs?Let’smovethereandsee.Oh—thesunhasgonebehindacloud!Whatgreatbrightbutdiffuselight.Andsoon.
Totakeadvantageofnaturalsunlightwithstilllifecompositions,Inormallystartwithasmallsubject.Thistechniquewon’tworksowellwithlargersubjects.Next,Ineedtoimproviseandconstructabackgroundstagethatisportable.Usually,thismeansplacingmycompositiononaboardorasmalltable,andusingasimpleblackorwhitebackground.Finally,there’stheissueofwaitingfortherightlight.
Aswithcontinuouslightingfixtures,youcanexpect—tosomedegree—tocontrolwhetherthelightishard(directsunlight)ordiffuse(thesunisbehindacloud),althoughyourmechanismforcontrolissimplywaitingtheweatherout.Youcanalsocontroltheangleoflightthatilluminatesyoursubjectbypositioningthestagecontainingthesubject.Forexample,Isometimesmovethestagenearawindowanduseblindsorshadestomodifythelighting.Ifnecessary,Ialsouseblackcardboardbarrierstorestrictthelightfromsomeareasofthesubject.
Bytheway,itmakesperfectsensetousewhitepiecesofcardboardtoprovidefilllightingasneeded.Youcanalsouseaboardcoveredwithfoiltoreflectin“accent”lights,andblackcardboardwhenyouwantto“takeaway”lightfrompartofthesubject.
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Ifyouareinterestedinusingnaturallightinyourstilllifecompositions,I’dsuggesttakingaverycarefullookatallthelocationsthatmaybeavailabletoyou.Trytounderstandhowwelltheymightworkaslightinglocationsforyourstagedcompositionsatdifferenttimesofdayandindifferentweatherconditions.
Stilllifephotographyusingnaturallightcantakeasurprisingamountofpatience—andgoodobservation.ButIthinkyou’llagreewithmethatthequalityoflightingintheresultingimagescanmakeitworthit.
IntegratingNaturalLightwithyourStillLife
MuchasIlikeusingnaturalsunlightinmystilllifesetups,evenIhavetoadmitthatsometimesitisjustnotenough!Whensunlightisn’tenough,whatcanyoudo?Theobviousansweristoaddsomelight.
Generally,whenIaddlighttoastilllifesubjectthatisprimarilyilluminatedusingsunlight,Idon’tworrytoomuchaboutthecolortemperatureofthelightIamadding.Thetruthofthematteristhatsunlightitselfvariesgreatly,dependinguponthetimeofday,timeofyear,andatmosphericconditions.Manycompositionsarelargelylitbyreflectivelightratherthandirectilluminationfromthesunlight—thelightcomesinthroughawindow,bouncesoffwallsandceilingsandthenreflectsontoyoursubject.Thecolortemperatureofsunlightishugelyvariable,andmostlyIdon’ttrytomeasureit.
Iliketostartwiththesunlightilluminatingmysubject.Sometimesthislightingissufficient,butifnotI’lladdartificiallightwithoutworryingtoomuchaboutwhethermylightsourcesareverydifferentfromeachother.
AsI’venoted,naturaldaylightasalightingsourceisfleeting.Perhapsthesinglemostimportanttechniquewhenworkingwiththiskindoflightisto“seizetheday.”Therefore,Iregardaddingartificiallightintothemixasmoreartthanscience.Itisanactofimprovisationthatdependsuponwhatisavailable,andwhereeverysecondcancount.Theimplicationofmyapproachisthatitsometimesdoesn’twork—butwhenitdoes,theresultscanjustifytheimprovisationalprocess.
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Iusedanumberofcardboardfills—whitecardboardthatreflectslightontothesubject—toreflectdaylightontothesedaylilyanthers.Whiletheilluminationsourceforthisphotoissunlight,gettingittoproperlylightthistinysubjectprobablytookmoreworkthanifIhadbeenusingcontinuous,artificiallighting.
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Thisshellisverysmall,about1/4"across.Iplaceditonablackvelvetcloth,andusedwindowlighttoprovideillumination.Ihadtowaituntilthelightwasjustright—cominginthroughthewindowstrongly,butnotfallingontheshellinawaythatwouldcreatedistractingreflections.
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Ambientdaylightlittheceramicbowlinthebackground;Iusedacontinuousphotolightwithatungsten-halogenbulbtolightthecamelliasinthecenterofthebowl,whicharelitwithslightlywarmerlightthanthebowlitself.
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CreatingTransparentEffects
Forthemostpart,transparencyinphotographyisimpossible.Ifyoursubjectweretrulytransparent,thenitwouldbeinvisible—andyouwouldneitherbeabletoseenortophotographit.Outsideoftherealmsofinvisibilitycloaks,itisbettertounderstandthatbytransparentwereallymeantranslucent—andthatthebesttransparencyeffectsarereallyprovidinganillusionoftranslucency.
Bywhatevername,I’vegottremendousmileageinmystudioworkbycreatingatransparenteffect—andyoucantoo!
Apparenttransparencyinastilllifecompositiondependsuponthesefactors:
Thenaturaltranslucencyofthesubject.Forexample,stainedglassisquitetranslucent,asarethewingsofabutterfly.Abrickisnot,andprobablycannotbemadetolooktranslucentortransparent.Thelightthatisbeingtransmittedthroughthetranslucentsurface.Strongbacklightingworksbest.Contrastintheimage.Highcontrastbetweendarkareasthatseemtohavefullopacityandareasthataremuchlighterproducestheillusionoftransparency.Thisisaneffectthatcanoftenbecreatedusingselectiveoverexposure.Superwhitenessofthebackground.AsI’vepreviouslynoted,awhitebackgroundilluminatedwithreflectivelightislikelytoappeargrayinaphoto—andwillnothelpgiveyoursubjecttheillusionoftransparency.Usingarearilluminationsystemsuchasalightboxwillprovideabackgroundthattrulyappearsbrightandwhite—whichhelpssupportthesenseoftransparencyofasubjectplacedonthelightbox.
Creatingcompositionsofstillsubjectsthatappeartransparentisprimarilyatrickoflightingandexposure—althoughasI’veobservedithelpstostartwithasubjectthatisnaturallytranslucent.Andremembertherearesomeobjectsthatwillneverseemtransparentnomatterwhatyoudo.
I’venotedthatselectiveoverexposureisoneofthekeystosimulatingtransparency.Tostartwith,tocreateatransparentseemingimage,Ilookforanexposurehistogramthatisbiasedtotheright(seepages78–81formoreaboutexposurehistograms).
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Theselectiveoverexposuretechniqueisaccomplishedbymakinganumberofexposures,eachonemoreoverexposedthanthelast.Iusuallybrackettotheoverexposedsidebyaboutasinglef-stop(orfactoroftwo),althoughitissmartertobracketusingshutterspeedsthanaperture.Itisimportantnottomovethesubjectorcameraandtripodbetweentheexposures.
Inthedigitaldarkroom,itisusuallynothardto“paint”theoverexposedversionsovertheinitialversion,usinglayermasks.
Inmyexperience,oneoftheneatthingsaboutthistrickoftransparencyisthatitcanbeviewedasastartingplace.Animagethatseemstodepicttransparencyisshowingsomethingunusualthatmaynotoftenbeseen.Thiscanbecomethestartingplaceforfurtheradventuresindigitalimagemakingthattakeadvantageofthetransparenteffectwithoutitbeingapparentintheendresultthattransparencywasinvolvedintheimage’screation(seetheimageoftheDragonflyshownbelowandtotheright).
TocreatethistranslucentimageofasinglespectacularPapaverrhoeaspoppy,Ibacklittheflowerusingthestrongdaylightofthelateafternoonsuncomingthroughawindowinmystudio.
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ofasecondto3/5ofasecond,eachexposureatf/36andISO100,tripodmounted
Thisprize-winningshotofatrioofdawnchoruspoppieswascreatedusingbacklightingfromalightboxprojectedthroughtheflowers.
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ThiscolorfuldragonflyisacombinationphotographanddigitalPhotoshopillustrationthathasbeenpublishedmanytimes.
Tomakethiscreation,Istartedwiththeverytransparentlookingphotoshowntotheleft.Thisoriginalphotowasmadebyshootingstraightdown
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showntotheleft.Thisoriginalphotowasmadebyshootingstraightdownonalightbox.Thelightboxwasusedtocreatethebacklightingandenhancethetransparencyofthedragonfly’swings.
Beforepreparingthefinalversion,Iinvertedtheimagesothedragonflyappearstobeonablackbackground.
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WorkingwithShadows
Shadowsareextremelyimportanttothesuccessorfailureofstilllifephotosbecausetheyinformusaboutthespatialrelationshipofanobjecttoitsbackground,andtootherobjectsinacomposition.Inaddition,ashadowtellsastorythatwerespondtosubconsciously.Atsomelevelofvisualperception,theshadowofanobjectmaytellatruerstoryabouttheobjectthantheobjectitself.
Shadowsarefairlyeasytomanipulatewithlighting,soitissurprisingthatmorephotographersdon’tpaycloseattentiontotheshadowscastbyobjectstheyarephotographing—orevenmaketheshadowitselfanimportantcompositionalelement,asIoftenliketodo.
Shadowsonlybecomeasignificantpartofacompositionwhenthedarknessoftheshadowcontrastswithalighterbackground.Atthesametime,inordertocontrolshadows,youneedasetupandstagethatdoesnotrelyuponoveralldiffuselighting.Inotherwords,strongshadowsarebydefinitiontheresultofdirectionallighting.Theharderandmorefocusedthelighting,themorehardedgedtheshadowwillbe.
Bewareofcross-shadowing.Thistakesplacewhenyousetuplightsourcesfromseveraldirections;ifthetwosourcesoflightareroughlybalanced,theresultwillnotproducestrongshadowsinanydirection.
Frontlightingcreatesashadowthatstretchesbehindtheobject,withtheprecisedirectiondependingupontheangleofthelighting(seeexampleonpage184)whilebacklightingasubjectproducesshadowsfacingtowardsthecamera(seeexampleonpage185).
Youshouldalsobearinmindthatalightthatispositionedlowerinrelationshiptoyoursubjectwillproducealongershadow,andthefurtherawayfromtheobjectyourlightis,thesharpertheedgesoftheshadowwillbe.
Providedyouareworkinginafairlydarkroom,it’seasytoseetheseeffectsbyplacinganobjectsuchasasmallstatuetteonawhiteseamlessbackground.Youcanthenmoveyourlightfrombacktofront,sidetoside,andupanddownwhileobservingtheimpactontheshadowsonthebackoftheseamless“stage.”
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observingtheimpactontheshadowsonthebackoftheseamless“stage.”
Whileitiseasiesttocontrolshadowsinastudioenvironment,bearinmindthatsurprisinglystrongshadowscanappear—eveninlowlightconditions—createdbyambientlightsources(seepages182–183foranexample).Noticing,andtakingadvantageof,theseimpromptushadowscanmakethedifferencebetweenmundaneandspecialphotos.
ThisRodinsculptureinanoutdoorgardencastsinterestingshadowsatnight,withthelightsourcebasedontheambientandinstallationlighting.Ifyoustudyandunderstandshadowsinvariousdifferentlightingconditions,youaremorelikelytobeabletocreateplausibleandinterestingshadowsinyourstudiocompositions.
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Whitepaperasthebackgroundandasinglelightsourcemadeforidealconditionsforexperimentingwiththeshadowscastbythisglassvase.
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TheshadowofthisLegocreationmadebyoneofmysonsseemedtobealotmoresinisterthanthetoyitself.
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Reflections
Addingreflectivitytoanimageisoftenanexcellentwaytomakeyoursubjectmattermoreinteresting,particularlywhenyouareworkingonasmallscale.Firstofall,forgettingaboutissuesofcolorandlighting,addingareflectionoftheobjectislikelytomakeyourcompositionmoreformallyinteresting—becauseofthemirroredsymmetryofthereflection.
Iliketoshootstilllifecompositionsusingamirroraspartofthebackground,generallyplacingobjectsonthemirror.Besidesaddingsomecompositionalpizzazz,thisarrangementhelpstoaddsomeglowinglightunderneaththesubjectofthephoto—anareathatisoftendarkandunattractive.Thedownsidetousingamirrorinthiswayisthatyouhavetobeverycarefulabouthowyoupositionyourcamera.Smallshiftsincamerapositioncanhaveabigimpactforgoodorevil—ifthescaffoldingandducttapethatyou’veusedtoholdyourstilllifetogethershows,thenthecamerapositionislikelyamistake.
Notethataddingareflectiontoanimagemayalsoaddsomeconcernsaboutwhereyoufocus—andhowmuchoftheimageshouldbeinfocus.Thisisparticularlytrueinthecontextofmacrosandsmall-scalesubjectsbecauseevenatsmallapertures(suchasf/36)theremaynotbeenoughdepth-of-fieldtokeepbothanobjectanditsreflectionsharp.
Dependinguponthesituation,youmayintentionallydecidetochooseapointoffocusandanaperturethatkeepsonlypartoftheimageinfocus.Thiscanworkwellwithimagesthatincludereflectionswhentheprimarysubjectappearssharp,butitsreflectiondoesnot.Gettingfocusandaperturerightmaytakeagreatdealoftrialanderrorinthiskindofphotography.
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Ipickedupthisexampleofdesertrose—acrystalrosetteformationcontainingthemineralsgypsumandbarite,alongwithsand—atagiftshopinDeathValley.Myideaincreatingthiscompositionwastochoosemyaperturecarefullytocontrolthedepth-of-field.Iwantedthedesertroseitselftobetightlyinfocus,whilethereflectionwassomewhatoutoffocus—todistinguishtherockfromthereflection.Ittooksomeexperimenting,butfinallyf/16workedsothattherockitselfwassharpandthereflectionisdefinitelynot.
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Withamirrorplacedinsidealighttent(seepage170),Iwasabletopositionthisflowersothatitappearstobeadmiringitsownreflection—thefloweralsopresentsastrongcontrasttotheneutral“whiterthanwhite”background.
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Atanantiquecarshow,thereflectionsinthepolishedchromepresentaworldthatissimilartoour“real”world,butsubtlydifferent.Thissubtledifference—causedbyreflectioncombinedwithmildrefraction—providesadream-likeeffectthatcanbeusedasthebasisforinterestingphotos.Lookingforreflectionsinthe“realworld”willhelpeducateyoureyewhenitcomestoworkingwithreflectionsinthestudio.
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Theconcavereflectivesurfaceofametalspoonwillreflect—andappeartotakeonthecolorationof—whateverobjectsandcolorsyouplacenearit;forexamplethesmallumbrellashowninthisspoonwasplacedabovethespoonwhilethespoonitselfwasphotographedinalighttent.
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Refractions
Refractioniscurvatureanddistortioncausedbyachangeinalightwaveinrelationtoitsspeed.Refractionsareoftenseeninconjunctionwithreflections—forexample,whenthereflectivesurfaceisslightlycurvedratherthanflat.Distortioncausedbyrefractionalsooccurswhenlightpassesthroughglassorwater—or,inoneofmyfavoritesetups,throughaglassthatalsocontainswater.
Ofcourse,youneedmorethanaglasspartlyfilledwithwatertomakeinterestingrefractions.First,ithelpsifyourglassiscurved,orfaceted.Areasnearthecurvesorfacetswillproducemorepronouncedrefractions.
Naturally,youshouldalsoexpecttoaddsomethinginterestingtothecomposition.Mostoften,thisisaccomplishedbyaddingsomethingcolorfultotheinsideoftheglass,suchastheflowersshownintheclose-upimagetotheright.
Anothercreativepossibilityistoplaceanobjectbehindtheglass,whichwillthenappearinitsrefractedstatewhenyoushootthroughtheglass,asdoestheeggthatIplacedtotherearofthefacetedglassintheshotontheleft.Inthiscase,theviewerisn’tquitesureatfirstwhethertheeggintheforegroundisbeingreflectedintheglass—butinspectionshows,ofcourse,thattherearetwoeggs.
Ifyouareaimingtocaptureinterestingrefractions,it’simportanttouselightingthatbringsouttherefractionswithoutcreatingdirectreflections.Thisisoftenanissueofcarefullypositioningthelightsandcheckingouttheresults.Aplacetostartistoassumethatyouwantthebulkofthelightingtobeoutsideofthefamilyofanglesofreflections(seepages52–54)sothatyouaregettingdiffusereflections,ratherthandirectreflections.
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Ipositionedoneegginfrontoftheglassandoneeggbehindtheglass.Theobjectofthissleight-of-handwastocreatearelativelycomplexcomposition.Thiscompositionusestherefractionoftheeggthatisbehindtheglass.Inaddition,theglassandforegroundeggarefrontandsidelittocreateanexoticshadowpattern.
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Theseflowersinwaterasshotthroughafacetedglasscreateanimpressionistic,watercoloreffectbasedontherefractionsfromboththewaterandtheglass.Youcanseethesetupinthelighttentonpage170.
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Metal
Metal,particularlypolishedmetal,isachameleon-likesubstancetophotographers,sinceitscolorandoverallappearancewilldependalmostcompletelyonwhatyoureflectintoit.Inclassicproductphotography,theideaisgenerallytokeepthemetalbrightandneutralbyreflectingwhiteintothemetal(ifitissilver)andbykeepingthecameraandphotographeroutofthephoto.
Butthisbookisaboutcreativelighting,notboringoldproductphotography.SoIsay,usemetalasyourblankcanvas,thewilderthebetter!Takeadvantageofthereflectiveandrefractivepropertiesofmetaltoreflectintoyourobjectsanythingyou’dlike.Forexample,it’seasytoputacolorfulumbrellaintoaspoon(page189)—oryourownhandifyouprefer(seepage195).
There’salsonothingwrongwithlettingyourownreflection,orthereflectionofyourcamera,appearinthephoto.Thisshouldbeamatterofaestheticchoice—ifitaddstothephoto,doit.Toremoveyourcamerafromanimage,tryusingalongerlensfromfartherbackandshiftingyourpositionuntilyoucannolongerseeyourcamerainthereflection.
Insteadofexpectingmetaltobeneutralincolor,experimentwithreflectingbrightcolorsintothemetalobjectsinyourcomposition.Peoplewillstillrecognizeyourshotsformetal,andtheywon’tnecessarilyrealizethecolorswithinthemetalcomefromreflectedlighting.
SomeofthemostfunIhaveinthestudiocomeswhenIworkwiththereflectivityofmetalsurfaces—butItrytoneverlightthemetalobjectthewayyouseeconventionalproductslit.Whoneedsanothertoasteroven,oraperfectforkorspoon?Inmybagoftricks,ItapecellophaneoverthelightsIusewhenIphotographmetal,andIusecoloredpiecesofcardboardtosendspecificcolorsintopartsofametalobject.Ifallthisfails,whynotuseacolorfulumbrellaorpatternedclothing,thatisoutoffocussoitisunrecognizable.
Whenitcomestolightingareflectivesurfacesuchasametalobject,itisimportanttobeclearthatthedirectilluminationfromyourlightingsourceisonlypartofthegame.Managingreflectivelight—comingfromyourlighting
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onlypartofthegame.Managingreflectivelight—comingfromyourlightingsourceandbouncingoffobjectssuchascoloredcardboardandumbrellas—isequallyimportant.Ifyoutakethisperspective,andexperimentwithbeamingcolors,shapes,andlightsintometalyouareworkingwith,youarealmostcertaintocomeupwithsomeverycreativeandenticingresults!
Withhighlyreflectiveandcurvedmetalsurfacessuchasthechromeofthisantiquecar,itishardtocontrolwhatthereflectionsinthemetalwillshow(theshotshowsmyreflection,alongwithmytripod).Outsideofthestudio,thebestapproachistorealizethattheunexpectedwilllikelybepartofyourcomposition—andtomakethebestofitusingcarefulobservationandplacement.
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Thisshotshowskitchenpotsandpansreflectedinthestainlesssteelsurfaceofalargecasserole.Ifyoulookclosely,youcanseemytripodcarefullycamouflagedinthefoldsatthecenteroftheimage.Notethatasopposedtoconventionalproductphotographyof“perfect”highpolishedkitchenutensils,Iintentionallyshotapotthatshowsthescratchesanddefectsonitssurfacefromlongtermusage.Myideawastocreateaneffectofarichsurfacepatina,suchasyoumightseeonanantiquestatue.
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Iworkedhardtopositionmylefthandcorrectlytocreatethereflectioninthisspoon—notaseasyanendeavorasitmightseem.Thespoonwasplacedinalighttent,withoverallilluminationfromwarm-ishtungstenlights.Iusedaremotereleasetofirethecamerawithmyrighthandwhenmyleftarmwasreflectedinthespoon.Theproblemwasthatthereflectionofmyhandwasonlypositionedcorrectlywithverypreciseplacement—andIcouldn’tlookthroughthecameratoseeitifwasright.Gettingtheshottookquiteafewtries.
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StrobeLightingEquipmentStrobelightinginthestudiodiffersfromcontinuouslightingintwokeyrespects:
Insteadofputtingoutsteady,continuouslight,astrobegeneratesanextremelyshort—butpowerful—pulseoflightThere’snorealwaytoseetheactualimpactoffiringastrobebeforeyoumakeyourexposure(becauseoftheshortdurationoftheflash)
Okay,sotherearealsosomeotherdifferencesbetweenstrobesandcontinuouslighting;chiefly,strobescostmore,andtheydon’tgethugelyhot.Butfromalightingperspective,thekeyissueistheshortdurationofthelightputout.
Inpractice,theshortdurationofthepulseoflightgeneratedbyoneormorestudiostrobes(usually1/1000ofasecond,andsometimesagreatdealshorter)meansthatintermsofthelightinghittingyoursensorthestrobeiscontrollingthelengthoftheexposure—notyourcamera’sshutterspeedsetting.Mostofthetime—unlessyouwanttocombineambientlightwiththestrobeexposure—yousetyourcameratothemaximumflashsynchronizationspeed(often1/160to1/250ofasecond).Inotherwords,thissettingispre-determinedandfixedformoststudiophotographywithstrobes.
Withshutterspeedoutofthepictureasavariableinthestudio-strobeshutterequation,onlyyourapertureandISOareleft—alongwiththepossibilityofmanipulatingthelightsupordownbycontrollingtheintensityofthestrobeunits,movingthem,oraddingadditionallightingunits.
Onthetopicofexposure,sinceyoucan’tseethelightthestrobeunitswillgenerate,howdoyoufindtherightexposure?Forthatmatter,howdoyoujudgethevisualandaestheticimpactoflightingthatyoucan’tactuallysee?
Youcanuseaflashlightmetertohelpyoufindthef-stop(aperture)youshoulduseatagivenISO,ortoadjusttheISO.Trialanderroralsoworks,alongwiththefeedbackthatdigitalphotographyprovidesontheLCD.Ofcourse,experiencealsohelpsgiveyouasenseofhowaparticularlightingsetupwillwork—asdothemodelinglightsprovidedonmanystrobeunits.Theseare
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continuouslightsthatyoucanusetoatleastgetasenseofthedirectionofthelightthatwillbegenerated—eveniftheydon’thelpthatmuchinjudgingqualityorintensity.
Besidesexposuresettings,youmayalsowonderaboutwhitebalancewhenworkinginthestudio.Nominally,moststudiostrobesarebalancedtodaylight,althoughthereissomevariation.Insituationswherecoloriscritical,youcancreateacustomwhitebalanceforaspecificsetup(refertoyourcameramanualforinstructionsabouthowtodothis).Otherwise,setyourcameratoeitherAuto,Strobe,orDaylightwhitebalance—theyshouldworkfine.
StudiostrobeequipmentistriggeredopticallyorbyremoteradiocontrolunitssuchasthePocketWizard.(Youcanalsofirestrobesusingsynchcords,butthisisprettymuchanuisance.)Opticalfiringmeansthatthestrobegoesoffwhenitsensesaburstoflight,soitistypicalinamulti-lightsetuptofireoneviaradiocontrol,andhavetheother“slave”unitssettogooffopticallywhenthefirstonefires.
Generally,studiostrobesareusedwithmodifiersthatintensify,diffuse,orotherwisedirectthelighting.Forexample,umbrellasareusedtoreflectlight(ortodiffuseitwhenlightisshonethroughawhiteumbrella).Softboxesareusedtodiffuselight,andbarndoorscanbeusedtoconcentratelightwithinacertainpath.
Thestudiostrobeshownonthestandisreflectinglightoffanumbrella.Apowerpackisshownidlystandingby,notdoinganything.(Imagecourtesy:Profoto.)
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Inthisshotusingfairlystandardstudiolightingforportraits,Gabriellaislitbyasingle,largesoftboxaboveherandtoherleft(youcanseethereflectionofthislightsourceinthe“catchlights”inhereyes).Iusedawhiteboardmountedonherrightsidetoreflectlightandfillinsomeofthedeepshadowsthatwouldotherwisehavebeendistracting.Toseeadiagramofthislightingsetup,turntopage198.
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Thisisadiagramofthelightingsetupthatwasusedforthemodelheadshotonpage197.
ThisisastudiolightingkitfromProfoto.Thetwostrobesaremountedonstandsandthelightsreflectofftheumbrellas.
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Iusedasinglestrobewithareflectortocreatethishighcontrastimageshowingamodel’slegs.
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LightingPeopleintheStudio
Youcangenerallyachieveprettygoodportraitlightinginthestudiousingasingle,well-positionedkeylight(forexample,seethephotoonpage197).Generally,overallresultsareenhancedusingsomefilllighting,whichcreatesmoreinterestinglightthatcomesfrommorethanonedirection.
Butevenifyourlightingsetupwillultimatelybecomemorecomplexthanasinglelightsetup,itisagoodideatostartwithawellpositionedprimarylight.Instudiolightingjargon,thisprimarylightiscalledthe“key”light.
Onceyouhavethekeylightinplace,addinganadditionallight(ortwo)canampuptheimpactofyourlightingbyaddingpizzazz,contours,intensity,anddirectionality.Butyoudon’tneedmultiplelightstogetgreatstudiolighting.
Therearetwotake-awaysregardingyourkeylighthere.First,it’sworthtakingthetimetopracticeandfindoutwhatyoucandowithasinglelight.Second,evenwhenyouhavetheresourcesofafullyequippedstudiotodrawfrom,themostefficientapproachistostartwithasinglelight.Getthatright—andifyou’vefollowedmyadviceandpracticedwithonelightyoushouldhavenoproblem—andyou’rethebulkofthewaytowardsacreativelightingsetupthatworks.
InthephotoofmysonNickywithhisstuffedpenguintotheleft,Iusedtwolights,onefromeitherside—withthekeylightcomingfromtheleftprovidinganoveralldiffuseandbrighteffect,andthemoreintenselightontherightaddingdetailintheeyesandhair,aswellasanoverallbrightnesstoNicky’sleftside.Theportraitwouldn’thavebeenbadwiththesinglesoftboxasillumination,butIwantedtoopenupthelightingonNicky’sfaceabitmore,andtomakesurehewasreallytonallyseparatedfromtheblackbackground.AdiagramofthislightingsetupisshowninFigure2onpage201.
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Thisisfairlytypicalportraitlightingwithtwolights(seeFigure2onpage201).Theappealofaportraitofthissortcomesfromcharactermorethanlighting—inthisshotNickyistryingtomimictheexpressionofhisstuffedpenguin.
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Bytheway,oneofthebestwaystoanalyzeandlearnaboutlightinginastudioportraitshotistolookcloselyatthesubject’seyes(seethesidebaronpage201).Thecatchlightsreflectedintheeyeswillusuallytellyoueverythingyouneedtoknowabouthowtheportraitwaslit.
Forexample,lookingatNicky’seyesatthetopofpage201,itiseasytoseethereflectionofthelightwiththesoftboxdiffusercomingfromtheleft—itistherectangularshape.Thepinpointroundreflectioncomingfromtherightwasmadeusingasmallmetalreflectoronastrobepositionedquitelowandroughlyatthesubject’seyelevel.
Withtwolightsinplace,ifyouwanttogetmoreelaborate,thenextstepisusuallytoaddathirdlight—eithertoprovidedefinitionforthesubject’shairortocreateaninterestingeffectforthebackground,asinthephotoonpage203—
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ormaybebothatthesametime.Figure3onpage202showsthelightingusedtocreatethephotoonpage203.
Finally,intermsofcreativelighting,whybenormal?Remember,youdon’thavetoilluminateanentiresubject.Sometimeslessismore.Ifyouonlyrevealpartofaface,aprofile,orportionsofabody,thepartthatismysteriousandnotrevealedmayseemmoreinterestingthanwhatyouhaverevealed.Considerintentionallyonlylightingportionsofyoursubjects,orplayingwithhigh-keyandlow-keylighting.Thephotoonpage205showshowadarkenedroomandabigsoftboxcancreateadramaticportrait.
Bylookingatthecatchlightsintheeyesofasubjectinastudioshot,youcanusuallytellagreatdealaboutthelightingthatwasused.
ThisisacloseupofNicky’seyesfromthephotoonpage200.Lookingcloserathislefteye(aboveright),youcanseereflectionsoftheshapesofthelightingsourcesthatwereused.
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ThisisthelightingsetupthatwasusedintheportraitofNickyonpage200.TheshapesofthelightsourcesappearascatchlightsinNicky’seyes.
ReadingtheCatchLights
Forme,oneofthebestwaystolearnaboutphotographyistolookatphotos.WhenIseeaphotoIlike,Itrytounderstandhowthephotowasmade.
Inthesameway,Iliketolearnaboutstudiolightingbydeconstructinghowimageswerelit.
Ifyouweren’ttherewhenthelightswerearranged,thebestwaytofigureoutalightingsetupistolookcloselyatthecatchlights—thereflectionsofthelightingsourcesthatyoucanusuallyfindintheeyesofaphoto’ssubject.
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Ifyoulookclosely,you’llseecrossshadowsinthisshotofamodel,indicatingthatatleasttwolightswereusedcomingfromopposingdirections.Inaddition,Iusedathirdlighttocreatethebackgroundeffect.
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Thisisthelightingsetupthatwasusedforthemodelphotographshownonpage203.
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Iaskedthismodeltomovetheplaneofherfaceawayfromthelargesoftboxpositionedtothemodel’sleft.Withoutfill,therightsideofthemodel’sfacedisappearsintheshadows—whichhelpscreateadramaticcontrasttoherbeautifuleyesandhair,becauseviewersautomaticallyseethisstrikingfaceincontrasttothedarknessthatsurroundsit.
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ThisisthelightingsetupIusedtocreatethephotototheright.Noticehowsimpleitis—onlyonegiantsoftboxandadarkenedroom.Youdon’thavetohavealotoffancyequipmenttomakeadramaticphoto.
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StudioHigh-KeyandLow-KeyLighting
High-keyimages—meaningthosethatarebright,white,andsupposedlyoverexposed—andlow-keyimages—photosthataredark,black,andsupposedlyunderexposed—haveaplaceincreativestudiophotographywhetheryouareusingcontinuouslightsorstrobes.
Ahigh-keysubjectisolatesfeaturesagainstabackgroundofwhite.Topulloffahigh-keyportraitorstilllife,youneedasubjectthatiscompositionallyinteresting,placedonabrightbackground.Thenextstepisusuallytooverexposewiththehigh-keyeffectinmind.
Inthisway,anapparentdisadvantage(overexposureandexcessivebrightness)canbeturnedintoanadvantagethatemphasizestheformofthesubject.Forexample,high-keyportraitureflatterselegantcheekbonesinaface,andalsohelpsmakevariousskinblemisheslessofanobstacle.
Somehigh-keyimagesareessentiallymono-tonal,meaningbesidesabrightbackgroundthesubjectdoesn’tvarymuchintonalrange.Butinstudioportraiture,themostcreativehigh-keyeffectsinvolveislandsofcolor:eyesandlipsstandoutagainstastarkwhitebackground.
Insomerespects,low-keyphotographyistheoppositeofhigh-key:subjectsshouldbephotographedonablack(orverydark)background,typicallywithselectiveilluminationofthesubject,andusuallyunderexposed.Thepointhereistocreateasenseofmystery—andtohighlighttheportionsofthesubjectthatarelitincontrasttothedarkoverallcastoftheimage.
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Icarefullyplacedthisfragilesnakeskinonatranslucentsurfaceandlititfromunderneathwithastrobe.Thesnakeskinismuchmoredramaticthanitwouldbeonavariegatedbackgroundbecauseitispresentedasahigh-keyimageonsuper-white.
50mmmacro,1/160ofasecondatf/5.6andISO200,tripodmounted
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Thisisessentiallyasinglelightportrait,positionedtothemodel’sleft.Overexposingthephoto,toemphasizethehigh-keyaspectsoftheratherharshlightingcreatedaninterestingandcreativeportraitthatisalmostmask-likeratherthanhuman.
200mm,1/160ofasecondatf/9andISO200,handheld
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Inthisstudioshotofabouquetofroses,Iplacedtheflowersonablackbackgroundandintentionallyunderexposed,creatingalow-keyeffectwheretherosesstandoutbutthebackground—andeventhevaseandgreenery—fadesotheyarenotnoticeable.Alltheviewerreallyseesaretheroseblossoms.
50mmmacro,1/160ofasecondatf/16andISO400,tripodmounted
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Ipositionedthismodelonablackseamlessbackgroundsurroundedbydarkness,onlyrelievedbyasinglelightpositionedaboveherheadtoherleft.Aswiththeroses,alltheviewerreallylooksatisthemodel,apparentlystandingunderaspotlight.
44mm,1/160ofasecondatf/13andISO100,handheld
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LightingintheDigitalDarkroom
Iusedsomeofthetechniquesshowninthissectiontoenhancethecolorsandcontrastinthisdoublerainbowimage.
42mm1/160ofasecondatf/6.3andISO200,handheld
Multi-RAWProcessing
Haveyoueverhadtheexperienceofsnappingaphotoandthinkingitwasanepiphanyofperfectcompositionandlighting,butuponreturninghomeandopeningtheimageonyourcomputeritdidn’tmeasureuptoyourexpectations?Thishasoftenbeenmyexperience!Thegoodnewsisthatwhatyouseeonyourcomputer—oronyourcameraLCD—isthewayacomputerrendersyourimage,notthewayitis.ThisrenditionisonlyoneofthemyriadpotentialimagesthatcanbemadefromyourRAWfile,butonlyifyoushootRAW.
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Youaresmarterthanyourcomputer—oreventhanyourcamera!Ifyourcameraisrenderinganimageoneway,butyouseeitinyourmind’seyeadifferent(read:better)way,there’saprettygoodchanceyourimagecanbefixed.
Multi-RAWprocessingisthefirstlineofattackinthiskindofsituation.Letmeexplain.
Youmightthinkyouaredonewithlightingwhenyouclicktheshutteronyourcameraandmakeyourexposure.Butwithdigitalphotography,you’dbeverymuchmistaken!Almosteveryaspectoflighting—includingintensity,quality,colortemperature,andeventhedirectionofthelight—canbeadjustedinthedigitaldarkroom.
Inmanycases,youcanalsoaddspecialeffects—forexample,makeanimageseemtobehigh-keyorlow-key—evenwhenanimagewasn’tshotthatway.
It’sbetter,ofcourse,tolightaphotoaswellasyoucanintherealworld,andcarefullychoosethebestexposuresettings.Butthisisn’talwayspossible.Andevenwhenitmightbepossible,sometimesitislessworktofixalightingprobleminpost-processing.
Myadviceistogetitrightinthecamerawheneverpossible.Buttheoreticalperfectionistheenemyofthegood.Photographyasacraftisaboutwhatispossible,andthetrade-offsyouneedtomakeinordertomake“thepossible”happen.Sometimesasapracticalmatteritissimplylessworktoadjustthingsonyourcomputerafterthephotohasalreadybeentakenthantogeteverydetailexactlyrightduringtheshoot—andsomethingsarepossibleinthedigitaldarkroomthatcouldnotbeachievedduringtheshootitself.
AnselAdamsfamouslycomparedhisworktoamusicalcomposition,withhisnegativeasthescoreandaprintmadefromthatnegativetheperformance.Thismetaphorcarriesovertodigitalphotography,withtheRAWcapturethecomposition,andwhatyoudowithittheperformance.Bytheway,fineprintmakingfromdigitalfilesisitselfachallenge,craft,andanart—soIsupposeindigitalphotographyaprintisaperformanceofaperformanceofascore!
Thephrase“RAWcapture”isimportant.RAWfileformatsdifferdependinguponthecameramanufacturer,buttheyallpreservetheentirerangeofdataintheoriginalcapture.Mostbetterdigitalcameras—includingalmostallDSLRs—allowyoutomakeRAWcaptures.CheckyourcameramanualforinformationabouthowtosetyourcamerasoitsavesexposurefilesintheRAWformat.
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abouthowtosetyourcamerasoitsavesexposurefilesintheRAWformat.
YourcamerawillprobablybeabletocaptureinJPEG—acompressedfileformat—orinRAW.Bytheway,it’slikelythatyoucansetyourcameratomakebothJPEGsandRAWfiles,withtheadvantagesofboth—immediacyontheonehand,andtheabilitytoaccessalltheexposuredataontheother—atasmallcostinextraspacebeingrequiredonyourmemorycards.
IalmostalwayssavemycapturesasRAWfilesbecausetogetthemostoutofyourdigitalexposure,youneedtomakesureyou’vecapturedtheimagedatainRAWformat.
It’sprettywellknownthatwithinasingleRAWcaptureyouhaveagreatdealofexposurelatitude.UsingtoolsthatincludeAdobeCameraRAW(ACR),AdobeLightroom,andsoftwareprovidedbycameramanufacturers,youcanopenimageswithlighteranddarkerexposurevalues.Thischangeinexposureoftentranslatesvisuallyintoanapparentchangeinlighting.
BypullingdifferentversionsprocessedfromasingleRAWfileintoPhotoshopandcombiningthemyoucancontroldistinctareasofaphoto—forexample,lighteningpartofaphotowithoutlighteningtheoverallimage.Forsomeexamples,andamoredetailedexplanationoftheprocess,seepages216–223.
It’slesswellknownthatbesidesexposure,youcanalsochangemanycreativeaspectsofthelightingincludingitsappearance,quality,andcolor.AnythingthatcanbemodifiedorenhancedinaRAWfile—andthatspeakstoalmosteveryaspectofaphoto—canbeusedselectivelyinthefinalimage,thankstothepoweroflayersandmaskinginPhotoshop!
I’llshowyousomeexamplesofusingthepowerinherentinRAWtochangetheemotionalimpactofthelightingonpages222–223.
Bytheway:Imagemodificationsviamulti-RAWprocessingdon’thavetobehuge.SometimesI’llusethistechniquejusttomakeminormodificationsinanimage.Forinstance,Imightwanttopresentthesubjectagainstadarkerbackground(seepage221foranexample).
ControllingExposurewithMulti-RAW
UsingtheExposuresliderontheBasictabofACR,youcanmovetheexposure
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settingsappliedtoanimageupordownineitherdirectionbyfourf-stops.Bytheway,theunderlyingACRRAWconversionengineworksinexactlythesamewayastheAdobeLightroomRAWconversionprocess—it’sjusttheuserinterfacewrappersthataredifferent.
Fourf-stopsineitherdirectiontranslatestoaneightf-stoprange.Sinceeachf-stopletsinhalfthelightoftheonethatprecedesit(seepages82–83formoreaboutf-stops),thisanenormousrange,somethinglikeatheoretical64timesfromdarkesttolightest.Ofcourse,intherealworldthisextendedrangeisnevercompletelyusable—butyoudohaveagreatdealofcontroloverhowyourenderaphotofromitsRAWfile.
WhenyoufirstopenmanyimagesinACR(orLightroom)youmaynotlikethewaytheylookthatmuch.Forexample,theproblemmaybethattheimageistoodarkintheforeground—buttheskyisbasicallyokay.Adjustingtheimageoveralltomakeitlighterwouldmakeallpartstoolight.Thisiswheremultipleprocessingcomesin.
ACRversusLightroom—andPhotoshop
WhileLightroomandACR(AdobeCameraRAW)lookprettydifferentintermsofuserinterface,theunderlyingRAWprocessingenginethatconvertsRAWfilesintosomethingusableinthesetwopopularprogramsisthesameengine.Furthermore,inbothprogramstocombinemultiply-processedRAWfilesintoasingleimageyouneedadditionalsoftware—usuallyPhotoshop.
Duetospacelimitations,CreativeLightingcannotbeabookaboutbasicPhotoshopprocessing.Idon’twanttobeoneofthoseauthorswhosays,“Tolearntherealdealyouneedmyotherbook!”ButthefactisthatIcannotteachyouPhotoshopinthecontextofthisbook.
Ifyouneedmorehelpwithlayers,masking,andhowtointegratePhotoshopinyourworkflowwitheitherACRorLightroom,pleasetakealookatmysuggestionsonpage250.
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IntheclearlightofaNovemberday,IstrodeupthecanyoncreatedbytheVirginRiverinZionNationalPark,Utah.Followingthecourseoftheriverwaswetwork,andIstruggledupthelabyrinthoftheVirginNarrowsmakingsuretokeepmycameraequipmentdry—whichwasmorethancouldbesaidforme.
Acoupleofmilesuptheriver,aroundabend,thesunfromtheshortenedautumndayfiltereddownandbacklitthistreeonacliffwall.Ipausedto
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grabashot,thenthelightwasgoneandtheNarrowsplungedintoshadows.
56mm1/60ofasecondatf/5.6andISO320,handheld
AtdefaultsettingsinCameraRAWtheimagelooksprettydark,particularlyintheforeground.Ifyouprocessedthephotousingthedefaultsettings,itwouldbetoodarkandnothingtoreallywritehomeabout.
Step1:InAdobeCameraRAW(ACR),slidetheExposureslidertotherighttoopenuptheforegroundrocks.Forthisversionoftheimage,concentrateonhowtherocksintheforegroundlook.Thetreemaybecometoolight,butdon’tworryaboutit.
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Step2:HolddowntheAltkeytochangetheOpenObjectbuttontoOpenCopy.ClicktheOpenCopybutton.TheimagewillopeninPhotoshopinanimagewindow.
Step3:InPhotoshop,chooseLayer►New►LayerFromBackgroundandnamethelayer“ForegroundRocks.”IfyoulookintheLayerspalette,you’llseethelayer.
Step4:OpentheRAWimageinACRagain.UsetheExposureslidertogetthetreejustthewayyouwantit.Theforegroundrocksmaybecometoodark,butthat’sokay.
Step5:HolddowntheAltkeytochangetheOpenObjectbuttontoOpenCopy.ClicktheOpenCopybutton.TheimagewillopeninPhotoshopinanimagewindow.
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Step6:Withthetreeimagewindowthatyoucreatedinstep5stillselected,chooseLayer►New►LayerFromBackgroundandnamethelayer“Tree.”
Younowhavetwoversionsofthecapture—oneprocessedfortheforegroundrocksandoneprocessedforthetree—openintwodifferentimagewindowsinPhotoshop.
Step7:Makesurethetreeimagewindowisselected.HolddowntheShiftkeyanddragthe“Tree”layerfromitsimagewindowontothe“ForegroundRocks”layerinitsimagewindow.
Therearenowtwolayers,“Tree”and“ForegroundRocks,”intheLayerspalette.
Youwillonlybeabletoseethe“Tree”layerintheimagewindow.The
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Youwillonlybeabletoseethe“Tree”layerintheimagewindow.The“ForegroundRocks”layerwillbehidden.
Step8:Withthe“Tree”layerselectedintheLayerspalette,chooseLayer►LayerMask►HideAlltoaddalayermasktothatlayer.
TheHideAlllayermaskhidesthelayeritisassociatedwith(inthiscasethe“Tree”layer)andappearsasablackthumbnailintheLayerspaletteonthe“Tree”layer.
Step9:SelecttheGradientToolfromtheToolbox.
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Step10:IntheLayerspalettemakesurethelayermaskisselectedonthe“Tree”layer.
ClicktheDefaultColorsbuttonintheToolboxorpressDonthekeyboardtosetwhiteastheForegroundcolorandblackastheBackgroundcolor.
Step11:UsetheGradientTooltodragablack-to-whitegradientstartingatthebottomoftheimagewindow,andextendinguptojustunderthetree.Thiswillleavetheforegroundrockslighterandblendinthe“Tree”layerinanatural-lookingway.
IfyoulookatthelayermaskthumbnailintheLayerspalette,you’llseethegradientyoujustcreated.
Thefinalmulti-RAWimageisshownonpage213.
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CreativeEffectsusingMulti-RAW
Ioftenusemulti-RAWprocessingtocreativelychangethelightinginanimage.Forexample,withtheraindropsonaflowershownhereonthesetwopages,Iwantedtopresentthecompositionagainstarich,blackbackground.Thiswaseasytodowithsimplemulti-RAWprocessing.
First,IprocessedadarkerversionusingAdobeCameraRAW(left).ThenIprocessedaseparate,lighterversionwithACR(bottomleft).IcombinedthetwoversionsaslayersinPhotoshop,andthenaddedaHideAlllayermasktothelighterversion.Finally,Ipaintedintheflowerinthelighterversionatpartialopacity,usingthelayermask.
Theideahere—andinagreatdealofmultipleRAWprocessing—istoharnesstheexposurerangewithineachandeveryRAWfile.There’snoreasonthatyouhavetoprocesstheentireimagebasedononlyasingleoneofthesepotentialities.Youcanpickandchoosewhichpartsofyourimageshouldbeprocessedatwhichexposure—uptotherangeoftheexposuresthatareinherentwithintheRAWfile.
Furthermore,itisnotonlytheexposuresettingsthatcanbechangedduringtheRAWconversionprocess.ControlssuchasFilllighting,Brightness,Black,andContrastgiveyouagreatdealofpowertoimpacttheapparentqualityofthelightinanimage—orinselectiveportionsofthephoto.Additionally,controlsrelatedtoColorTemperature,Tint,andSaturationallowyoutoplaywithoverall(orselective)lightcolorandquality.
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Thelightingwasovercastbutbrightfollowingarainstorm.WhenIsawthesewaterdropsonajadeplant,myideawastoisolatetheplantonablackbackground,almostasifitwereastudioshot.Toaccomplishmyvision,firstIunderexposedtheimageandthenIprocessedtheRAWfiletwice:oncefortheflower,andoncetomakethedarkbackgroundgoblack.Thefinalstepwastoretouchoutacoupleofdistractingelementsatthetopandbottomleftoftheimagethatdidn’tbelongtothemainportionoftheflower.
200mmmacro,36mmextensiontube,1secondatf/40andISO100,tripodmounted
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WiththissunsetimageofthePointReyesLighthouseatthePointReyesNationalSeashore,thedefaultsettingsweren’tbadandproducedaperfectlyacceptablebackground.ButIwantedtocreativelyenhancethetonalityoftheimagetocutthehaze,makethesunsetcolorsseemmorevivid,andmaketheskyamoredramaticblueabovetheareawherethesunwassetting.
ToaccomplishtheeffectIwaslookingfor,IprocessedtwoversionsinACR:alighterandbluerversion(left)andadarkermoresaturatedversion(bottom).IcombinedthetwoversionsinPhotoshopandusedalayermasktoblendthemtogether(seepages216–219formoreaboutthistechnique).Thedarkerversionwasusedtoaccentuatethesunsetcolors,andthelighterversionwasusedtoadddramaticbluetotheskyandocean.
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OnawarmspringafternoonIvisitedthelighthouseatPointReyes,California.Thisextremelyexposedwesternpromontoryisoftencoveredwithfogandsubjecttoextremelyhighwinds.Soitwasapleasuretophotographthelighthouseinbalmyweatheratsunset.
Iusedmulti-RAWprocessingtocreativelyenhancethedramaofthephotobyamplifyingthelightingeffectalreadycreatedbythesunset.
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HDRandLighting
Youmayhavenoticedthatsomeoftheimagesinthisbookarecreatedfrommorethanoneexposure.Thissectionexplainswhyandhow.
Ifsomethingisgood,thanmorethanoneofthethingmustbebetter,right?That’sthelogicbehindtakingtheexpansionoftonalrangepossibleinasingleRAWfile—andextendingthetonalrangefurtherbythrowinginmorethanoneRAWfile,witheachversionshotusingdifferentexposuresettings.
Thelogicisbasicallyflawless:ifyouhavethreecapturesofthesamesubjectmatter,and—withalltheothersettingsunvaried—youmakeexposuresat1second,2seconds,and3secondsthenyouhaveclearlyincreasedtherangeofpossibleexposurevaluesoverasingleexposurewhenyouselectivelycombinethethreeexposures.Theadditionaldynamicrangegarneredfromtheadditionalexposuresmayeasilybeperceivedascreativelightingenhancements.YouhaveaddedtothealreadyvastexposurerangeinherentinanyRAWcapture.
Sowhat’sthecatch?Photographyisanartofwhatispossible,andthecraftofmakingimagesalwaysinvolvestrade-offs.Youcanmakeinformeddecisionsabouttechniquesonlyifyouknowtheplusesandminusesofthepossibilities.
WithHDR,thereareacoupleofimportant“gotchas”:
Therequirementthatthecapturesbe“ofthesamesubjectmatter”implies(usually)thatyoursubjectisn’tmoving.Thecamerashouldn’tmoveeither.ThismeansthatHDRworksbestwithstaticphotographyofmotionlesssubjectssuchaslandscapes—althoughIhaveseeneffectiveHDRimagescapturedusingaflashfiredinquicksuccession.Anotherproblemisthatcombiningtheexposureswhenthesubjectmatteriscomplexcanbeadauntingtask.AutomatedHDRsoftwaresuchasHDRsoftfromPhotomatixorMergetoHDRProinAdobePhotoshopattemptstohelpwiththis,butthesoftwaredoesn’treally“know”howyouwanttochangethelighting.TheoveralleffectfromHDRsoftwarecanbequiteinteresting,dependingupontheimage—andIamsometimesveryhappyusingthissoftware.Butessentially,youarenotgoingtobeableto
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specifywhichareasyouwanttoadjustthewayyoucanwhenyouputmultipleexposurestogetherviahandlayering.
Hand-HDR—theprocessofcombiningdifferentexposuresusinglayersandlayermasks—istheonlywaytoeffectivelyusethelightingindifferentexposuresfordifferentareasofthefinalimage,preciselyasyou’dlike.Thistechniqueworkswell,butitdoestaketimeandindividualattentiontoeachimage.
Youalsoshouldusuallyplantobracket—whichissimplyfancyphotographerjargonfor“varying”—theshutterspeedratherthantheaperture.Ifyoubrackettheaperture,youriskchangingthedepth-of-fieldintheimagesthatwillcompriseyourfinishedphoto—notanissuewhentheshutterspeedisvaried.Iftheentireimageisinfocusatinfinity,thenthisisn’tanissueandyoucanfeelfreetobracketusingapertureorshutterspeed,orboth.
Bytheway,IusuallybracketmyHDRimageryusingmanualexposuremode,insteadofusingthebracketingprogramsbuiltintomycamera.IfindthatwhenIvarytheshutterspeedIambetterabletodecidehowmuchlighterandhowmuchdarkerIneedtogotogetthelightsanddarksthatIneedtocompositetogethermyfinalimage.
Forexample,asthesunclearedthePanamintRangetotheeast,itlittherocksandtexturesoftheAlabamaHillsandthesnowyelevationoftheHighSierracrestallthewayuptoWhitney.Cameraontripod,Ishotthreeexposuresat1/10ofasecond,1/30ofasecond,and1/80ofasecond.Eachcapturewastakenat48mm,f/8andISO100.
The1/30ofasecondexposurebecamethebackgroundlayerinPhotoshopbecauseitwasthebestoverallexposure,althoughtheskywastoolightandtheforegroundrocksweretoodark.Itwaseasytousethe1/80ofasecondexposuretodarkenthesky,andthe1/10ofasecondexposuretolightentheforeground.
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Abriskautumnmorningfoundme,mycamera,andmytripodpoisedbeforedawntocapturethelightingasthesunrosetostrikethetopofMt.Whitney,thetallestmountaininthecontinentalUnitedStates.Whilethescenethatunfoldedinfrontofmewasverybeautiful,IknewthatnosingleexposurecouldcapturetheentiretonalrangethatIsaw—sowithmycamerafirmlyinplaceonmytripod,Ibracketedtheshutterspeedtocreateexposurevariations.Usingthesevariations,myplanwastopickandchoosebasedonthelighting,andusethebestportionsofeachcaptureinacombinedimage.
48mm,3exposurescombinedinPhotoshopwithshutterspeedsof1/10ofasecond,1/30ofasecond,and1/80ofasecond;eachexposureatf/8andISO100,tripodmounted
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Myfirstshotbecamethebackgroundfortheimageshownonpage225.Ilikedthemoderatetones—itwasagoodsolidbasefortheimage.
Mysecondshotbecamethesky,becauseitwasdarkerandpreservedtherichtonesoftheskyandMountWhitney.
Iusedthethird,lightershottobringouttheforegrounddetailsthatwereobscuredinboththebackgroundanddarkerversions.
“Lighter”layer
“Darker”layer
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“Background”layer
Allthreeexposures(right)wereputtogetherinPhotoshopusinglayersandlayermasks.IfyoulookatthelayermaskthumbnailsintheLayerspalette(below),youcanseethatthemaskswereprimarilycreatedusingtheGradientTool,justlikethemulti-RAWprocessingexampleshownonpages216–219.Thedifferencebetweenmulti-RAWandhand-HDRisthatwithhand-HDRyoucombineseveraldifferentcapturestogetawiderdynamicrange.Withmulti-RAWyouprocessthesamecaptureseveraltimestogettheexposurerangeyouneed.
“Highlights”layer
Standinginastairwell,andlookingup,Iknewthecontrastsbetweenlightanddarkweretoogreatforasingleshot.Withmyfisheyelenspointedstraightup,ImadethethreeexposuresshowntotheleftandcombinedtheminPhotoshopusinglayermasksandtheBrushTool.
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“Midtones”layer
Ifyoulookatthelayermasksaboveandbelow,you’llseesoftstrokescreatedusingtheBrushToolwiththeForegroundcolorsettowhite,andtheBrushTool’sHardnesssetto0%.IvariedtheMasterDiameteroftheBrushToolasneeded.
“Background”layer
TheLayerspalettetellsthestory:Istartedwithacapturethathadaniceoverallexposure,thenIaddedasecondcapturethatenhancedmidtones,andfinallyaddedathird,lightercaptureforhighlights.
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Scotty’sCastleisatouristattractioninaremotecornerofDeathValleyNationalParkinCalifornianeartheNevadaborder.Thisfantasticmansionwasbuiltinthedesertinthe1930s.
10.5mmdigitalfisheye,4exposurescombinedinPhotoshopwithshutterspeedsof1.6seconds,4/5ofasecond,2/5ofasecondand1/5ofasecond;eachexposureatf/22andISO200,tripodmounted
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ThesixexposuresofthedahliaIusedtocreatetheHand-HDRversionareshowninAdobeCameraRAW.
ThelayersthatcomprisethedahliaareshownintheLayerspalettegoingfromlighter(the“Background”layeratthebottomofthestack)todarker(“Layer5”atthetopofthelayerstack).ThethumbnailsofthelayermasksshowhowIusedtheBrushTooltocreatemasksthataddeddetailtotheflower.
Ifoundanearlyperfectdahliagrowinginoneoftheprotectedside-yardraised
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Ifoundanearlyperfectdahliagrowinginoneoftheprotectedside-yardraisedbedsthatIuseforgrowingflowers.Tomakethisimage,Ipositionedtheflowerinavaseinfrontofawest-facingwindow.
Myplanwastousethestronglateafternoonsunasmysolelightsource.Ihungapieceoftranslucentwhitetracingpapertoactasadiffuserbetweenthewindowandtheflower.
Sincethisdahliaisrelativelyopaque,thefrontoftheflowerwasindeepshadowbecausethebacklightingfromthesundidn’treachit.Iusedasmallpieceofwhitecardboardasareflectortoaddatouchoffilllighttothefrontoftheflower.
Tomakethebackgroundappeartrulywhite(asshowninthefinalimageonpage231),Ishotaseriesofimagesatbracketedexposures,allbiasedtothehigh-key(oroverexposed).
InPhotoshop,Istartedwiththelightestexposure(3seconds,bottomlayerintheLayerspalette).Inthisversion,thebackgroundwascompletelywhiteandtheflowerwashardlyvisible.Usingdarkerversions,layers,masks,andtheBrushTool,Isuccessivelylayeredinthedetailsintheflower.
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Myideawiththisdahliaisthatitwouldlookperfectbacklitonawhitebackground,butittookalittleworkinPhotoshoptogetthere.
200mmtelephotomacro,6exposurescombinedinPhotoshopwithshutterspeedsof3seconds,2seconds,1second,1/2ofasecond,1/4ofasecond,and1/6ofasecond;eachexposureatf/32andISO100,tripodmounted
Onpages230–231IshowedyouhowIusehandHDRprocessingtopresentaflower(oranyothersubject)onanapparentlycompletelywhitebackground.Thesametechniqueinreversecanbeusedtopresentyoursubjectonablackbackground.
First,ofcourse,youneedtophotographyoursubjectonadark—preferably
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First,ofcourse,youneedtophotographyoursubjectonadark—preferablyalmostblack—background.Intheexampleshownhere,Isnippedaranunculusflowerfromaplantinmygarden.Next,Iplacedthebudinasmallvase.Icoveredthevasewithasmallblackvelvetcloth.
Blackvelvetturnsouttobeparticularlyeffectiveforthispurposebecauseitabsorbslightwithlessofthehighlightsthatyou’llfindwhenshootingafabricbackgroundwithamoretypical“sheen.”You’dbesurprisedathowmuchreflectivitythereisfromfabricsthatatfirstglanceappeartobeblack!
HerearethethreeexposuresoftheflowerthatIusedtocreatetheHand-HDRversionshowntotheright.
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TheLayerspaletteshowshowthelayerswerestackedfromdarkest(the“Background”layer)tolightest(“Layer2”atthetopofthestack).
Thelayermaskstellthestory.Thelayermaskassociatedwith“Layer1”letstheentireflowershowthroughasagoodbasefortheimage.Themaskassociatedwith“Layer2”addshighlightedareas.
Icreatedthisimageofthisintricateandstrikingfloweronablackbackground(aRanunculusasiaticus)usingthreeexposures,eachexposureusingadifferentshutterspeed.IthenlayeredthethreeversionstogetherinPhotoshopandusedlayermasksto“paint”inaluminousfloweronafullyblackbackground.
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85mmmacro,3combinedexposures(1/10ofasecond,1/5ofasecond,and2/5ofasecond),eachexposureatf/21andISO100,tripodmounted
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EnhancingLightingwithAdjustmentLayers
Whenitcomestoenhancinglightinginpost-processinginthedigitaldarkroomonceaphotohasbeenconvertedfromtheRAWfile,Ihavegoodnewsandbadnews.Boththegoodandthebadcomedowntothis:therearemanywaystogoaboutalmostanything.IfyouareanexperienceduserofPhotoshoporothersoftware,youundoubtedlyhaveenhancementtechniquesyoualreadyliketouse.Otherwise,youmaybebaffledbythemyriadpossiblechoices,andwaystochangetheappearanceofthelightinginaphoto.
IntheremainingpagesofCreativeLighting,I’llshowyousomeofthetechniquesIusetoenhancelightingonceaphotohasbeenconvertedfromRAWandbroughtintoPhotoshop.Photoshopisn’ttheonlysoftwareyoucanusetocreatemanyoftheseeffects,andthewayIshowyoutogoaboutthingsisnottheonlyway—butthesetechniqueswillshowyousomeviableapproachesandprovideyouwithaplacetostartthinkingaboutlightinginpost-processing.
Adjustmentlayersareagreattoolforenhancingimagesbecausetheyaregenerallyeasytoapply,youcanseetheimpactofwhatyouaredoingasyoudoit,andtheyarenotionallynon-destructive.ThetoolsavailablethroughadjustmentlayerscanbeaccessedinalternativewaysinPhotoshop—butadjustmentlayersprovideakindofone-stop,easyshopping.Adjustmentlayersalsodon’taddmuchtoimagefilesize—whichmaybeimportanttoyou.
IfyouopentheAdjustmentspalette(Window►Adjustments),asyoucanseeinthefigurebelowleft,youhaveaccessto15adjustments(eachadjustmentisrepresentedbyaniconatthetopofthepalette).
IfindthattheadjustmentsIusemostfrequentlywithmyphotosare:
Brightness/ContrastCurvesExposureColorBalanceChannelMixer
TheseAdjustmentlayersareprettypowerful,nottomentionagreatdealoffun.Irecommendplayingwiththem.Forexample,Ioftenneedtoadjustthebrightnessandcontrastinmyphotos.
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brightnessandcontrastinmyphotos.
Brightness/ContrastAdjustment
Checkoutthephotooftwoacrobatsonawhitebackgroundonpage235.Thewomanappearstobefloatinginmidair.Ofcourse,there’snorealmagic—onlyagiftedperformerwithamazingbodystrength.
TheimageitselfwhenoriginallyconvertedfromtheRAWcaptureseemeddullandthebackgrounddidn’tappearwhite(belowleft).
Onewaytoresolvetheseissues,andtomakethelightingintheoverallimageseemmoreattractive,wastoapplyasimpleBrightness/Contrastadjustment.BytakingdowntheContrastandincreasingtheBrightness,theoverallappearanceoftheimagewasgreatlyenhanced.
TheAdjustmentspalettegivesquick,one-stopshoppingforenhancingimages.Ifyouhoveroverthebuttonsonthepalette,atooltipwillappeartellingyouwhateachonedoes.
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Iphotographedtheseprofessionalacrobatsastheymodeledonawhitebackgroundusingtwosoftboxesforlighting.UsingaBrightness/ContrastadjustmentlayerinPhotoshopgreatlyimprovedtheoveralllookofthelightingintheimage.
28mm,1/160ofasecondatf/7.1andISO100,handheld
WhenoriginallyconvertedfromtheRAWcapture,thephotooftheacrobatsappearsdullandthebackgroundisn’twhite.
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Step1:Toenhancethephoto,opentheAdjustmentspalette(Window►Adjustments),andclicktheBrightness/Contrastbutton.
ABrightness/ContrastadjustmentlayerisaddedtotheLayerspaletteandtheAdjustmentspalettechangestoshowsettingsandsliders.
NoticethatawhiteRevealAlllayermaskisalsoaddedontheadjustmentlayerintheLayerspalette.Ifyouwantedtolimittheadjustmenttoaspecificareaoftheimage,youcouldpaintonthelayermaskwiththeBrushToolandsettheForegroundcolortoblacktohidetheadjustmentfromthatarea.Thiswillworkforalltypesofadjustmentlayers.
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Step2:MovetheBrightnessandContrastsliderstoenhancetheimageasyouwish.Forthisimage,IsettheBrightnessto48andtheContrastto–19.
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ItookthisphotofromarockformationinthehillsoverlookingSanFranciscoBayusingafisheyelens.Tomakethisimagemoredramatic,theskyandcloudscouldusesomelightingenhancement—blendingmodestotherescue!
LightQualityandBlendingModes
AsthecloudsrolledinfromtheGoldenGate,theycrossedSanFranciscoBayanddissolvedintotranslucentwatervaporwhentheyhitthehillsoftheCaliforniaCoastalRange.Totheleftismyfisheyelensshotfromapromontoryshowingthiscloudactionatsunset.
Foratrulydramaticimage,therecouldbesomeenhancementofthelightingeffects,particularlyontheclouds.Infact,thisisthecasewithmanyphotoswhenyoulookattheminPhotoshop—achallengethatcanbehandledusingblendingmodes.
Youdon’tneedtogetreallyfancy(althoughyoucanifyouwantto)whenusingblendingmodes.Ablendingmodespecifieshowthepixelsinalayerarecombinedwiththepixelsinthelayerbeneathit.WithNormalblendingmodespecifiedat100%Opacity,onlythatlayershows,butwhenyouchooseanotherblendingmodebesidesNormal,pixelsarecombinedindifferent—andsometimesinterestingandexciting—ways.Formoreinformationaboutthewaydifferentblendingmodesworkvisually,checkouttheresourcesonpage250.
ThelightinginmostbackgroundlayerscanbeselectivelyenhancedifyouduplicatethelayerandchooseablendingmodeotherthanNormaltocombinetheduplicatewithitself.Youcanseethedrop-downlistofblendingmodesthatareavailablefromtheLayerspaletteshowntotheleft.
Notethatyoudon’tneedtoapplytheblendedlayeratfullopacity—ifyoudo,it
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Notethatyoudon’tneedtoapplytheblendedlayeratfullopacity—ifyoudo,itwilloftenleadtoeffectsthatareheavy-handedandlacksubtlety.
YoucanaccessblendingmodesusingtheLayerspalette.Thereare27blendingmodes,dividedintodifferenttypesonthedrop-downlist.
Tryapplyingblendingmodestoyourimagestoseehowtheycanenhancelighting.Here’show:
Step1:OpenanimageinPhotoshopthathasonelayer.IntheSanFranciscoBayimageusedhere,thereisa“Background”layer.
Step2:SelectLayer►Duplicateandnametheduplicatelayer“Test.”The“Test”layerwillappearselectedabovethe“Background”layerintheLayerspalette.
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Step3:Withthe“Test”layerselectedintheLayerspalette,clickthebluearrowstotherightoftheBlendingModedrop-downlisttoselectablendingmodeandapplyittothe“Test”layer.
ThisishowtheimagelookswhentheLinearLightblendingmodeisappliedtothe“Test”LayeratanOpacityof60%.
Here’stheimagewiththeColorBurnblendingmodeappliedtothe“Test”LayerwithanOpacitysettingof40%.
“VividLightBlendingMode”layer
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“SoftLightBlendingMode”layer
“MultiplyBlendingMode”layer
“ScreenBlendingMode”layer
“Background”layer
FouroftheblendingmodesIusemostoftentoadjustlightinginphotosareScreen,Multiply,SoftLight,andVividLight.Theimpactofusingthesefourblendingmodesisshowntotheright.
Icopiedthe“Background”layer(bottomright)fourtimesandappliedoneblendingmodetoeachlayer.
WhenIcombinethelayers,Irarelydosoas“onesizefitsall”—Iuselayermaskseitherwithagradientorselectivelypaintedontoconstrainthe
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maskseitherwithagradientorselectivelypaintedontoconstrainthelightingeffectcreatedbytheblendingmodetospecificareas.YoucanseethisinthelayermaskthumbnailsintheLayerspalettebelow.
Also,noticeintheLayerspalettethattheOpacityoftheselected“VividLightBlendingMode”layerissetat15%.Besidesselectivelypaintingintheeffectsthatyouwantusingthelayermask,youcanreducetheeffectusingtheOpacityofthelayer.
Inthefinalversionoftheimage,shownonpage241,thereisagreatdealofvariegationandcontrastinthelighting—muchofthiseffectisduetoselectiveandcreativeuseofblendingmodes.
ThisfisheyeviewoftheopenskyoftheSanFranciscoBayareafromnearwhereIliveintriguedmewiththewaytheentireskylookslikeagiantroundmarble.Inthisphoto,blendingmodescametotherescue,andenhancedthealreadydramaticlightingeffects.
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10.5mmdigitalfisheye,1/200ofasecondatf/10andISO200,handheld
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UsingtheLightingEffectsFilter
Sofar,I’veshownyouwaystochangethequalityandintensityoflightandlightinginyourphotosinthedigitaldarkroom.Itturnsoutthatyoucanalsochangethedirectionalityoflighting.Dependingupontheimage,thisisnotthatdifficulttoachieve,andcanbeverydesirable—althoughyoudoneedtobearinmindthecontextofyourphotoandnottrytocreatelightingcomingfromacompletelyimplausibledirection.
Considerthisphotographofawasptotheleft(theinsect,notthestiff-upper-lippedperson).Clearlythelightingisprettygeneralandambient,althoughaslightshadowshowssomedirectionalitytothelighting(thelightiscomingfromleftandbelowtheinsect).
It’sprettyeasytochangethedirectionoftheprevailinglightinginthephoto,andtomakethedirectionwhatyou’dlikeusingtheLightingEffectsFilter.
IfyouapplytheLightingEffecttoaduplicatelayer,there’snothingtostopyoufromloweringtheOpacitysettingofthelayertocreateamoresubtleeffect.Youcanalsoexperimentwiththeimpactofusingdifferentblendingmodes,andusemorethanonelightingeffectontopofthebackground,asIdidtoaddalittlelightingdramatothephotoofthewasp.
WhiletheLightingEffectsfilterisreallyquitecomprehensive,flexible,andpowerful,youmaynoticethatitdoesn’tredrawshadows.Intheimageofthewaspthisdoesn’treallymattermuch,astheshadowswerenotthatpronouncedtobeginwith.Butinmanycases,yourfinalimagemaylookabitoffifyoudon’talsoworktocorrectshadows—andthismayrequiresomemanualretouching.
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Isawawasprestingmotionlessonmylivingroomceiling.Carefullyclimbingontopofaboxonacoffeetable,Iphotographedtheinsectusingatelephotomacrolens.
105mmmacro,1/2ofasecondatf/32andISO200,tripodmounted
Step1:WithanimageopeninPhotoshop,duplicatethelayeryouwanttoaddlightingeffectstobyselectingthelayerintheLayerspalette,andthenchoosingLayer►DuplicateLayer.Forthisexample,I’venamedtheduplicatelayer“Test.”
Step2:Withtheduplicatelayerselected,opentheLightingEffectsfilterbychoosingFilter►Render►LightingEffects.
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Thisfilteronlyworkswith8-bitRGBimages.Soifyouareworkingatahigherbit-depth,youwillneedtoconverttheimageto8-bitsbychoosingImage►Mode►8Bits/Channel.
TheLightingEffectsdialogboxopenswiththeDefaultstyleselectedintheStyledrop-downlist.
Step3:IntheLightingEffectsdialogbox,thePreviewwindowshowsyouwhattheeffectwilllooklikeonceyouclickOK.
Youcandragthecenterpointtochangethelight’sfocalpoint,anddragthesquarehandlesaroundtheedgesoftheovaltoadjustthedirectionandshapeofthelightedarea.UsethesliderstoadjusttheIntensity,Focus,andotherlightproperties.Ifyoucreateacustomlightingsetupthatyoulike,youcansaveitbyclickingtheSavebuttonatthetopofthedialogbox.
YoucanquicklyaddalightingeffectusingtheStyledrop-downlist.Inthiscase,Iselected2O’clockSpotlightandleftthelightingsettingsattheirdefaultvalues.ThenIclickedOKtoapplythelightingeffect.
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HeretheLightingEffectsdialogshowsthedefaultFlashlightStylesettings.Noticethatthefocusofthelightisonthewasp’sback.Toshiftthefocalpointtothewasp’shead,dragthecenterpointinthePreviewwindow.
WhenyouclickOK,thisiswhattheFlashlighteffectlookslikeat100%Opacity.Itisratherdramatic,butdependinguponyourusage,youmaywantamoresubtleeffect.
LoweringtheOpacitysettingofthe“Test”layerto40%createsamoresubduedlightingeffect.Thinkcreativelyaboutthiseffect.Itworksprettywellwithhumanheadshotsaswellaswithwasps!
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ThisdialogshowsthedefaultTripleSpotlightStylesettingsappliedtothewaspinthePreviewwindow.
WhileeachpresetStyleisagreatplacetostart,experimentandcreateyourownlightingeffects.Forinstance,thethreelightsinthisStyleuselightyellowasthecolorforthelights.YoucouldchangethatcolorbyclickingthelightyellowcolorsquaretotherightoftheIntensitysliderandselectinganewcolorfromtheColorPicker.Thewindowbelowshowstheeffectofthreedifferentcolorlights.
Anotherwaytodramaticallychangeanimageistouseastrongcoloredlight.Inthiscase,IselectedtheBlueOmniStyle.IthenincreasedtheIntensityandExposuresettings,anddecreasedtheAmbiencesetting.Playaroundwiththeslidersandseewhatyoucomeupwith.There’sno“right”or“wrong”here,justdowhatyoulikeanduseyour,ahem,artisticjudgement.
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Third-PartyPluginsthatEnhanceLighting
Whilethereareanumberofthird-partypluginsthatcanbeusedwithPhotoshoptoenhancelightinginthedigitaldarkroom,Photoshopitselfhassomanyfeatures—andisexpensive.SoIdon’twantanyonetothinktheyhavetobuythird-partyPhotoshopenhancements—youcanspendalifetimeandstillnotexploreallPhotoshophastooffer.
Thatsaid,manyprofessionalphotographersandimagecreatorsdousethird-partytoolsaspartoftheirpost-processingworkflowtoenhancethetonalityandoverallappearanceoftheirimages.Forexample,IregularlyusesomeofthefiltersthatareincludedintheNikColorEfexPro,TopazAdjust,andTopazSimplifyplugins.
Whileyoucansometimesusethesefilterstoenhancetheperceptionoflightingwithinanimage,MysticalLighting,fromAutoFXSoftware,isaspecialcasebecauseitisspecificallydesignedtocreatelightingeffectsthatinvolvethedirectionandqualityoflight—andtoenhancelighting.
LikethePhotoshopLightingEffectsfilter,MysticalLightingonlyworksin8-bitmode;ifyouareworkingatahigherbit-depthyouwillneedtoconvertto8-bit(Image►Mode►8Bits/Channel).Also,MysticalLightingincludeseffectsthatcaneasilybeoverdone.It’swisetobejudiciousabouthowyouusethisplugin—andalsotoapplyitseffectstoaduplicatelayersoyoucantakedowntheopacityifyoufindtheimpactisoverdone.
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FrombehindawaterfallinZionNationalPark,Idecidedtouseafastshutterspeed(1/1250ofasecond)tostopthemotionofthewater.Thelightonthefallingwaterisdramatic,andpresentsanopportunitytoletMysticalLightingstrutitsstuffbecausethepresenceofstronglightingissoapparentintheunderlyingimage.
28mm,1/1250ofasecondatf/4andISO100,tripodmounted
LightintheDarkcastsabeamoflightinadirectionandwidthyouspecify.
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ThemainMysticalLightingmenugivesyouachoiceofquiteafewspeciallightingeffectsthatyoucanapplytoyourphotos.
RadialLightCastercreatesbeamsoflightsthatradiatefromacentralareayoupick.
Rainbowallowsyoutodrawarainbowinposition.
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Ibacklitthesealstroemerias(alsocalledPeruvianlilies)toenhancethenaturaltransparencyoftheflowers.Iarrangedthemonawhitebackgroundsothattheseparateblossomsalmostseemedtobeconnected,andthewhitespacebetweentheflowerswaspleasingtotheeye.TofindoutmoreaboutthetechniquesIusedtocreatethisimage,seepages56–59and230–231.
200mmmacro,1/3ofasecondatf/32andISO100,tripodmounted
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NotesandResourcesFurtherReading
Ifyou’veenjoyedCreativeLighting:DigitalPhotographyTips&Techniques,Ithinkyoumightalsolikesomeofmyotherbooksthatcoverotheraspectsofphotography:
CreativeLandscapes:DigitalTips&Techniques(Wiley,2011)
CreativePortraits:DigitalTips&Techniques(Wiley,2010)
CreativeBlack&White:DigitalTips&Techniques(Wiley,2010)
CreativeNight:DigitalTips&Techniques(Wiley,2010)
CreativeClose-Ups:DigitalTips&Techniques(Wiley,2010)
CreativeComposition:DigitalTips&Techniques(Wiley,2010)
PracticalArtistry:Light&ExposureforDigitalPhotographers(O’Reilly,2008)
Pleasecomevisitmyblogatwww.digitalfieldguide.com/blog.You’llfindthousandsofphotosandstoriesaboutphotography—manyofthemconcerninglighting.
LearningPhotoshop
CreativeLighting:DigitalTips&TechniquesisnotabookaboutPhotoshop—it’sabookaboutlearninghowtoseelight,andhowtouselightinginyourphotos.Thatsaid,thefinalpartofthebookisconcernedwithoptimizingthelightingofyourimagesinthedigitaldarkroomusingPhotoshop.TheemphasisisusingRAWconversionsandPhotoshopadjustmentstoenhancelightingeffectsthatarealreadypresentinphotos,takingintoaccountthewayviewersarelikelytoperceiveyourphotosandtheirlighting.
I’vetriedtoincludeenoughPhotoshopinformationsothatyoucanusethetechniqueswithyourownphotos.
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Atthesametime,Ihaven’tincludedinformationonmanybasicPhotoshoptechniques—becausetheresimplywasn’troominthisbook,andanyhowitisabookaboutlighting,notPhotoshop.
IfyouneedtobrushuponPhotoshopconceptsandtechniques,IthinkyoumightfindoneofmybooksthatisspecificallyaboutPhotoshophelpful.PleasecheckoutThePhotoshopDarkroom:CreativeDigitalPost-Processing(FocalPress,2010)andThePhotoshopDarkroom2:CreativeDigitalTransformations(FocalPress,2011).
SensorSizeandFocalLength
Notallsensorsarethesamesize.Thesmallerthesensor,thecloseragivenfocallengthlensbringsyoutoyoursubject.Forexample,ifasensorhashalftheareaofanothersensor,thenaspecificfocallengthlenswillbringyoutwiceascloseonacamerawiththesmallersensor.
Sincedifferentcamerashavedifferentsizedsensors,itisnotpossibletohaveauniformvocabularyoflensfocallengths.Sopeoplecomparefocallengthstotheir35mmfilmequivalentbyadjustingforthesensorsize.
Tomakethecomparisonwith35mmfilmfocallengths,youneedtoknowtheratioofyoursensortoaframeof35mmfilm,whichiscalledthefocal-lengthequivalency.ThephotosinthisbookwerecreatedusingNikonDSLRswitha1.5times35mmfocal-lengthequivalency.TofindouthowthefocallengthsIusedcomparewith35mmfocallengths,multiplymyfocallengthsby1.5.
Tocomputethecomparablefocallengthsonyourowncameraifyoursensorhasadifferentsizethanmine,youneedtoknowthefocal-lengthequivalencyfactorofyoursensor.Checkyourcameramanualforthisinformation.
Forexample,Itookthephotoofthealstroemeriasonpages248–249usinga200mmfocallengthlenswithmy1.5XsensorsizeNikonDSLR.The35mmequivalenceistherefore200x1.5=300mm.
Software
Inthe“LightingintheDigitalDarkroom”sectionofthisbook,IdiscussanumberofsoftwareprogramsthatIuseinthedigitaldarkroomforpost-processingphotos.Here’sthesoftwarethatImention,alongwitheachpublisher’swebsiteformoreinformation,ortodownloadtrialversions:
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publisher’swebsiteformoreinformation,ortodownloadtrialversions:
AdobeCameraRAW(ACR),AdobeLightroom,andAdobePhotoshop:www.adobe.com
AutoFXSoftware,MysticalLighting2:www.autofx.com
NikSoftware,ColorEfexPro3.0:www.niksoftware.com
PictureCode,NoiseNinja:www.picturecode.com
TopazLabs,Adjust4,Simplify3:www.topazlabs.com
Highcontrastinlightingisextremelyimportanttomonochromaticimagery—sowhenIsawsunlightcomingthroughthisoldoaktreeinSonomaCounty,California,Iimmediatelythoughtofblackandwhite.
10.5mm,threecombinedexposures(at1/250,1/125,and1/60ofasecond),eachexposureatf/5.6andISO200,tripodmounted
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GlossaryAmbientlight:Theavailable,orexisting,lightthatnaturallysurroundsascene.
Aperture:Thesizeoftheopeningintheirisofalens.Aperturesaredesignatedbyf-numbers.Thesmallerthef-number,thelargertheapertureandthemorelightthathitsthesensor.
BarnDoors:Blackmetalfoldingdoorsthatattachtoalightandareusedtocontrolthewidthofthebeamoflight.
BeautyDish:Circularlightmodifierwithanopaquecenterthatsoftenslight,particularlyusefulincreatingattractiveportraits.
Bracket:Toshootmorethanoneexposureatdifferentexposuresettings.
Chiaroscuro:Moodylightingthatshowscontrastsbetweenshadowsandbrightness.
CMYK:Cyan,Magenta,Yellow,andBlack;thefour-colorcolormodelusedformostoffsetprinting.
Colorspace:Acolorspace—sometimescalledacolormodel—isthemechanismusedtodisplaythecolorsweseeintheworldinprintoronamonitor.CMYK,LAB,andRGBareexamplesofcolorspaces.
Composite:Multipleimagesthatarecombinedtocreateanewcomposition.
Cucoloris:Awood,plastic,orcardboardsheetwithcut-outsthatcanbeplacedoveralightsourcetocreateapatternedeffect.
Depth-of-field:Thefieldinfrontofandbehindasubjectthatisinfocus.
Diffraction:Bendingoflightrays;unwanteddiffractioncancauselossofopticalsharpnessatsmallapertures.
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DSLR:DigitalSingleLensReflex,acamerainwhichphotosarecomposedthroughthelensthatwillbeusedtotaketheactualimage.
Dynamicrange:Thedifferencebetweenthelightesttonalvaluesandthedarkesttonalvaluesinaphoto.
EllipsoidalSpot:Aspotlightthatcanvaryboththesizeandfocusofthespot,withthefocuscontrollingwhetherthespotoflighthassharporsoftedges.
Exposure:Theamountoflighthittingthecamerasensor.Alsothecamerasettingsusedtocapturethisincominglight.
Exposurehistogram:Abargraphdisplayedonacameraorcomputerthatshowsthedistributionoflightsanddarksinaphoto.
Extensiontube:AhollowringthatfitsbetweenalensandtheDSLR,usedtoachievecloserfocusing.
f-number,f-stop:Thesizeoftheaperture,writtenf/n,wherenisthef-number.Thesmallerthef-number,thelargertheopeninginthelens;thelargerthef-number,thesmallertheopeninginthelens.
Fillcard:awhiteorfoil-coveredcardorboardusedtoreflectlightbackintotheshadowareasofasubject.
Focallength:Roughly,thedistancefromtheendofthelenstothesensor.(Therelationshipoffocallengthtosensorsizeisexplainedonpages250–251.)Framing:Inaphotographiccomposition,positioningtheimageinrelationshiptoitsedges.
Grayscale:Usedtorenderimagesinasinglecolorfromwhitetoblack;inPhotoshopagrayscaleimagehasonlyonechannel.
Grid:Averyusefullightmodifierthatusesapatterntocreateaconcentratedspotoflightcomparable—butmorediffuse—tothelightcreatedusingasnoot.
HandHDR:TheprocessofcreatingaHDR(HighDynamicRange)imagefrommultiplephotosatdifferentexposureswithoutusingautomaticsoftwaretocombinethephotos.
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HighDynamicRange(HDR)image:Extendinganimage’sdynamicrangebycombiningmorethanonecapture,eitherusingautomatedsoftwareorbyhand.
Highkey:Brightlylitphotosthatarepredominantlywhite,oftenwithanintentionally“overexposed”effect.
Hyperfocaldistance:Theclosestdistanceatwhichalensatagivenaperturecanbefocusedwhilekeepingobjectsatinfinityinfocus.
Imagestabilization:Alsocalledvibrationreduction,thisisahigh-techsysteminalensorcamerathatattemptstocompensatefor,andreduce,cameramotion.
Infinity:Thedistancefromthecamerathatisfarenoughawaysothatanyobjectatthatdistanceorbeyondwillbeinfocuswhenthelensissettoinfinity.
Infrared(IR)photography:Capturesmadeusinginfraredratherthannormal,visiblelight.
ISO:Thelinearscaleusedtosetsensitivityofadigitalsensor.
JPEG:AcompressedfileformatforphotosthathavebeenprocessedfromanoriginalRAWimage.
Keylight:Primarylightusedwithaportraitsubject.
LAB:Colormodelthatseparatesluminancefromcolorinformation.
Lensbaby:Aspecialpurposelenswithaflexiblebarrelthatallowsyoutoadjustthe“sweetspot”(areainfocus).
Lowkey:Dimlylitphotosthatarepredominantlyblack,oftenwithanintentionally“underexposed”effect.
Macrolens:Alensthatisspeciallydesignedforclosefocusing;oftenamacrolensfocusescloseenoughtoenablea1:1magnificationratio.
Monochrome,monochromatic:Amonochromaticimageispresentedasnominallyconsistingoftonesfromwhitetoblack;however,“blackandwhite”imagescanbetintedortoned,andsomayvaryfromstraightgrayscale.
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Multi-RAWprocessing:CombiningtwoormoredifferentversionsofthesameRAWfiletoextendthedynamicrangeandcreateamorepleasingfinalimage.
Noise:Staticinadigitalimagethatappearsasunexpected,andusuallyunwanted,pixels.
Openup,openwide:Toopenupalens,ortosetthelenswideopen,meanstosettheaperturetoalargeopening,denotedwithasmallf-number.
Photocomposite:SeeComposite.
Pre-visualization:Beforemakinganexposure,envisioninghowanimagewillcomeoutaftercaptureandprocessing.
RAW:AdigitalRAWfileisacompleterecordofthedatacapturedbythesensor.ThedetailsofRAWfileformatsvaryamongcameramakers.
RGB:Red,Green,andBlue;thethree-colorcolormodelusedfordisplayingphotosonthewebandoncomputermonitors.
Sensitivity:SetusinganISOnumber;determinesthesensitivityofthesensortolight.
Shutterspeed:Theintervaloftimethattheshutterisopen.
Snoot:Atubeusedasalightmodifiertodirectabeamoflight.
Softbox:Alightmodifierthatdiffuseslight;instudiolighting,generallyafairlylargerectangularunit.
Stopdown:Tostopdownalensmeanstosettheaperturetoasmallopening;denotedwithalargef-number.
Sweetspot:TheareathatisinfocuswhenusingaLensbaby.
Toning:Inthechemicaldarkroom,tonersuchassepiaorseleniumwasaddedforvisualeffect;inthedigitaldarkroom,toningsimulatestheimpactofchemicaltoning.
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Umbrella:Alightmodifierthatcanbeusedtoreflectlightontothesubject,orlightcanbedirectedthroughanumbrellatocreateadiffuselightingsource.
Iwasintriguedbythesegodetiaseeds.Iusedharsh,directlightingbehindtheseedstomaketheshadowstheycastdarkerandmorepronounced.
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Inblusteryweather,graycloudsgatheredovertheAlabamaHillsofEasternCaliforniaasthesunbattledtoemerge.Inmybonesitfeltlike“rainbowweather”—soIwasreadywithapolarizingfilteronmylenswhenastrongrainbowdidemerge.
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HighintheWhiteMountainsalongtheCalifornia-Nevadabordertheeyecantravellongdistances.Inthiscomposition,Itriedtoemphasizethissenseofendlesshorizonbypositioningtheroadontherighttoleadtheviewerupandtotheleftinthecomposition.
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CreativeLandscapes
DigitalPhotographyTips&Techniques
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HaroldDavis
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Asthesuncameup,itlitthecrestoftheSierraNevadaMountains,wheretheremainsofanovernightstormlingered,soontobechasedawaybythewarmthofthenewday.
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CreativeLandscapes:DigitalPhotographyTips&TechniquesbyHaroldDavis
PublishedbyWileyPublishing,Inc.10475CrosspointBoulevardIndianapolis,IN46256www.wiley.com
Copyright©2011byWileyPublishing,Inc.,Indianapolis,IndianaAllphotographs©HaroldDavisPublishedsimultaneouslyinCanadaISBN:978-1-118—02732-5
ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica10987654321
Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,scanningorotherwise,exceptaspermittedunderSections107or108ofthe1976UnitedStatesCopyrightAct,withouteitherthepriorwrittenpermissionofthePublisher,orauthorizationthroughpaymentoftheappropriateper-copyfeetotheCopyrightClearanceCenter,222RosewoodDrive,Danvers,MA01923,(978)750-8400,fax(978)750-4744.RequeststothePublisherforpermissionshouldbeaddressedtotheLegalDepartment,WileyPublishing,Inc.,10475CrosspointBlvd.,Indianapolis,IN46256,(317)572-3447,fax(317)572-4355,oronlineathttp://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
LimitofLiability/DisclaimerofWarranty:Thepublisherandtheauthormakeno
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representationsorwarrantieswithrespecttotheaccuracyorcompletenessofthecontentsofthisworkandspecificallydisclaimallwarranties,includingwithoutlimitationwarrantiesoffitnessforaparticularpurpose.Nowarrantymaybecreatedorextendedbysalesorpromotionalmaterials.Theadviceandstrategiescontainedhereinmaynotbesuitableforeverysituation.Thisworkissoldwiththeunderstandingthatthepublisherisnotengagedinrenderinglegal,accounting,orotherprofessionalservices.Ifprofessionalassistanceisrequired,theservicesofacompetentprofessionalpersonshouldbesought.Neitherthepublishernortheauthorshallbeliablefordamagesarisingherefrom.ThefactthatanorganizationorWebsiteisreferredtointhisworkasacitationand/orapotentialsourceoffurtherinformationdoesnotmeanthattheauthororthepublisherendorsestheinformationtheorganizationorWebsitemayprovideorrecommendationsitmaymake.Further,readersshouldbeawarethatInternetWebsiteslistedinthisworkmayhavechangedordisappearedbetweenwhenthisworkwaswrittenandwhenitisread.
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Acknowledgements
SpecialthankstoCourtneyAllen,MarkBrokering,StevenChristenson,GaryCornell,AnaïsGarcia,BarryPruett,SandySmith,MattWagner,MikeWatson—andJulian,Nicky,Mathew,andKatieRose,too!
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Credits
AcquisitionsEditor:CourtneyAllen
ProjectEditor:MatthewBuchanan
TechnicalEditor:ChrisBucher
CopyEditor:MatthewBuchanan
EditorialManager:RobynSiesky
BusinessManager:AmyKnies
SeniorMarketingManager:SandySmithVicePresidentandExecutiveGroupPublisher:RichardSwadleyVicePresidentandPublisher:BarryPruett
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BookDesigner:PhyllisDavis
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Often,ElCapitanseemstoguardtheapproachestoYosemiteValleylikeastonegiant—soIwaspleasedtostumbleonavantagepointthatprovidesa
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somewhatunusualviewofa“kinder,gentler”ElCapitaninacompositionwiththeMercedRiverintheforeground.
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IntroductionIfyou’veeverstoodontherimofacanyonandwatchedtheafternooncolorsturntosunset,listenedtothesplash,gurgle,androarofariverflowingswiftlypast,orlookedupataspectacularskytoseethecloudssailingby,you’llunderstandtheurgetousephotographytocapturethescenerythatsurroundsus.ButasAnselAdams,thegreatmasteroflandscapephotography,observed,“Landscapephotographyisthesupremetestofthephotographer,andoftenthesupremedisappointment.”
Thereseemstobesomesortofparadoxorconundruminoperationhere.Itisrelativelyeasytofindinteresting—or,indeed,spectacular—landscapes.Unlikesomeotherkindsofphotography,nospecializedgearisneededtocapturetheselandscapes.Inreallife,mostpeoplearemovedbysublimelandscapes,andit’snotuncommontofindromanticandreligioussentimentsbroughtoutthroughalandscapeview.It’seasyformostpeopletointuitivelyunderstandtheemotionalappealofnature’slandscape.
Inaddition,landscapephotographyisnotthemostspecializedortechnicallydifficultkindofphotography.Often,thekeyissueissimplybeingthere.AsAnselAdamsputit,“SometimesIdogettoplacesjustwhenGod’sreadytohavesomeoneclicktheshutter.”
Butdespitetheapparenttechnicallystraightforwardaspectoflandscapephotography,anditseasyappealtoawideaudience,creatinglandscapephotosthatarenottrite,thathelpviewersunderstandunderlyingtruthsaboutthings,andthatconveythesenseofawemostofusfeelwhenconfrontingtheactuallandscapeisdevilishlydifficult.
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ConsideringtheimpactthatAnselAdams’sphotographyhashadonmylife,it’shardtophotographhisbelovedYosemiteValleywithoutconsideringsomeoftheimageshe’smadefamous—suchasthephotooftheclearingstormtakennotfarfromwherethisphotowasshot.
Inframingthisphoto,ItriedtokeeptheclassicYosemiteimageryinmindwhilechangingthecomposition—bymovingsoIcouldincludethetreesontheright—toaddmyownstamptothephoto.
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AccordingtoIgnatiusofLoyola,“Givemethechild,andIwillmoldtheman.”Myloveforlandscapephotographystartedearlyandhelpedtoformmylife.ThefirstphotoIrememberlosingmyselftofeelingsofaweandwonderatthesublimewasalandscape:alargeprintoftheAnselAdams“MoonriseHernandez,NewMexico”whichwashangingattheMuseumofModernArtinNewYorkCity.Duringthesamevisit,Ilostmyselfinaverydifferentkindoflandscapebecausetheoversized,impressionisticWaterLiliesbythepainterClaudeMonetwasalsoonexhibitattheModern.Iwasonlytenyearsold,butmypathwaschangedirrevocably.
Intheyearsthathavefollowedasaphotographer,landscapephotographyhasbeenoneofmygreatestpassions,joys,and—sometimes—frustrations.I’vepursuedmyloveofthelandscapebycrossingtheBrooksRange—thenorthernmostmountainsinAlaska—solo,onfoot,andforpartofthejourneywithoutfood.I’vedangledfromsmallplanesandhelicopterstophotographurbanandwildlandscapesfromabove.AndI’vesoughtthespacesofthenight,tophotographlandscapesandshowtheminwaystheyhaven’toftenbeenseenbefore.
InCreativeLandscapes:DigitalPhotographyTips&Techniques,IwillsharewhatIhavelearnedinmyjourneystophotographlandscapesoverthecourseofmanyyears:theadventure,theawe,andthemystery,aswellasthetechnicalsideoflandscapephotography.Myhopeisthatthisbookwillconveymyloveforlandscapephotography,andhelpyoubecomeabetterphotographerofthelandscapesthatinterestandexciteyou.
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TheTaoofLandscape
It’shardtobelievethatthislushlandscapeshowingthefoothillsoftheCaliforniaCoastalRangewithMountDiablobehindwastakenjustashortwayfromdowntownOakland,California.Inpart,themagicofthesceneiscreatedbythemorningmistsandclouds—whichweregoneafewminutesafterIsnappedthisphoto.AlsocontributingtotheeffectistheephemeralgreenlushnessoftheCaliforniahillsinspringtime.Bothfactorsgotoshowhowimportanttimingisinlandscapephotography—afewminutesearlierorlater,oratadifferenttimeofyear,andthisimagewouldnothavebeenpossible.
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WhyLandscapePhotography
Tao(道,sometimestransliterated“Dao”),isaphilosophywithancientrootsthat
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referstotheprimordialessenceofthings,thenaturalorderofexistence,andthefundamentalaspectsoftheuniverse.Traditionally,itisdifficulttodefineTaoortoexpressitinwords,butitispossibletoknowTao,andtofeelit—and,whentheforceiswithone,toexpressTaoinart.
OnekindofartthathastraditionallyconcerneditselfwithTaoisChineselandscapepainting,whichwasoftenpracticedasaspiritualexercise.Mountainsandwildscenerywereveryimportantintheselandscapepaintings,andsymbolizedclosenesstorawnature,aswellasembodyingasourceofspiritualenergyandlife.
Thismysticalsenseofbeingin-synchwithnatureisavitalpartofwhatlandscapephotographymeanstome,andwhythiskindofphotographyissoimportanttome.
Inasimilarandrelatedway,mytripstothewildernesshavethesamebenefit.WhenIbeginmyjourneyintothewilderness,oftentrekkingintoanunfamiliarenvironmentandencounteringdangersthatareverydifferentfromthosefoundinacity,Iamwearyofthehypocrisyandexcessesofso-calledcivilization.BythetimeIamleavingthewilderness,Iamrefreshedandrenewed,withasenseofpurposeandonenesswithnature,andtheperspectivetoundertakethechallengesthatfacemeinlife.
Ofcourse,notalllandscapephotographytakesthewildernessasitssubjectmatter.Forthatmatter,notalllandscapephotographsareintendedtobe“beautiful”orlargeinscale.Photographsonamicroscopicscale,imagesofthepollutedenvironment,andtheNewTopographicsRobertAdams-styleshotsofbanalsubdivisionsandhousingprojectscapturedneutrallyarejustasmuchlandscapephotosasarethegrandAnselAdamssetpiecesofpristinemonochromaticnature.
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Withoutdarknessthereisnolight,andwhenthingsaredarkest,distantlightseemsbrighter.Metaphorandsolace,perhaps,fortroubledtimes—oratleastmymeditationonthis“grabshot”fromthebluffsaboveDrakesBayinPointReyesCalifornia.
Onedoesn’toftenthinkoflandscapephotographyasrequiringgoodreflexesandsplit-secondtiming,butsometimesitdoes,andthisimageisacaseinpoint.Sunlight,filteredthroughagapintheclouds,illuminatedthecleftonlyverybriefly.Blinkanditwasgone.
Iunderexposedbyabouttwof-stopscomparedtoanaveragelightreadingtoincreasethecontrastbetweenthedarkcliffsandthesunlight,andshotwitha200mmlens—thelongestlensIhadwithme.
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Personally,IknowwhichofthesemodesI’dpreferasmygoal,althoughslavishimitationofsomethingthathasalreadybeendoneisnottobedesired.
Techniqueandcraftarethestrategiesusedtoarriveatagoal.Beforeexploringthecraftoflandscapephotographyinthedigitalera,itisnecessarytounderstandtheTaooflandscapephotographyanditsunderlyinggoal—aswellasunderstandingone’spersonalpredilectionsintermsofgenreandstyle.
ThisisanimageshotaboutanhouraftersunsetofthefamousWaverockformationintheCoyoteButtesareaofthePariaCanyon/VermilionCliffsWildernessalongtheArizona-NewMexicoborder.Accessisbypermitonly,isseverelylimited,andinvolvesahikeoverroughterrain.
Sunsetcomesearlyinthelateautumn(whenIshotthisimage),andthejumbledcountryaroundtheWavewasverydarkatnight.Still,IfiguredI’dhavenoproblemgettingoutthewayIhadcomebythelightofmyheadlamp.ButinthedarknessIlostmyway.Iendedupspendingthenight
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pacingincirclestokeepwarm,teethchattering.
Asthepalelightofdawnbegantoilluminatethings,IwasgladIhadstopped.Betweenimpassablecrags,agorgeandnetworkofcrevassesopenedatmyfeet.Iturnedaround,andbegantomakemywaybackdown,comingshortlytothecairn-markedtrail,whichIhadcrossedwithoutrecognizingitinthenight.
Tophotographatsunsetoraftersunsetinaremotelocationmeansgettingbackafterdark—orspendingthenight.ThisisoneplaceI’dgladlytaketheriskofacoldnightifIgettophotographitagain.
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Thatsaid,Idobelievethatthegoalofalllandscapephotographyisessentiallythesame—toreconnectwiththeTaoandmagicoftheworldaroundus.
Atitsbest,landscapephotographyshouldbeconductedasaspiritualexerciserelatedtofindingourselvesandourplaceintheuniverse.Animportantpartofthisexerciseisexperiential—andgreatlandscapephotosresultfromtheauthenticfeelingofbeingfullypresent,alongwithamasteryofthetoolsandcraftofphotography.
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Longbeforethesunwasup,IheadedwestonanemptyNevadahighwaytowardsDeathValleyNationalPark.Theairwascoolbeforedawn,andIdrovewithmywindowsdownenjoyingthebreeze.Iknewthingswouldgethotsoonenough.
AttheHellsGateentrancetoDeathValleyNationalPark,ItookacutoffpasttheWonderMine.AlittleabovetheWonderMine,IpulledoffbythesideoftheroadtophotographbecauseIcouldseethefirstlightofmorningbeginningtocreateapurple,layeredeffectinthefoothillsoftheFuneralMountains.
Iwaited,andasthesuncameup,Isnappedthisphoto.Thenthesunrosealittlehigher,andthefullheatofdaytimeinDeathValleywasuponme.
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Ifyoudon’tspendmuchtimeoutinnature,youmightthinkthatthesunfollowsasimpleroutine,risingintheeastandsettinginthewest.Tosomeextentthisis,ofcourse,true—butifyounotewhereonthewesternhorizonthesunsets,you’llobservethatthepointswherethesunsetstrackagreatjourneyfromnorth(inthesummertime)tosouth(inthewinter),andbackagain.(Thisstatementistrueinthenorthernhemisphere,andreversedinthesouthernhemisphere.)Thefurthernorthyouare,thegreaterthenorth-southjourneyonthehorizonthatthesunundertakes.
Don’tworryifthissoundscomplicated—ifyouobservethesettingsunoverafewmonths,you’llgettheidea.Modernplanningtoolscanalsohelppinpointyourunderstandingofwhereyouhavetobeinrelationshiptoastronomicalbodiestomakespecificimages(seepage144).
Mythoughtincapturingthisimagewas—asyoucanseeintheresult—topositionthesettingsunbetweenthetwotrunksinthissplittreenearwhereIliveintheSanFranciscoBayarea.Thetrick,ofcourse,wasamatteroftiming:thesunwillsetbetweenthetrunksonlytwiceayearandthere’sonlyasplitsecondinanygivensunsetinwhichthesunwillbeintherightpositionforastraight-onshot—andalso,ofcourse,thesunsetshouldbe
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positionforastraight-onshot—andalso,ofcourse,thesunsetshouldbespectacularasinthisshot.
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Pages22–23:SlightlytothenorthofBadwater—thelowestpointinNorthAmericaat282feetbelowsealevel—liestheso-calledDevil’sGolfCourse.Thisisaformationofseeminglyendlesscrystallizedsaltspiresarranged,well,likeadiabolicalgolfcourse.
AsIconsideredhowtomakeaninterestingcompositionfromthebarrenlandscapethatstretchedseeminglywithoutend,Irealizedthatafisheyelensmadethehorizonseemtobecurved—inessenceturningtheflatplaneoftheDevil’sGolfCourseintowhatmightbeanalienworld.
Toaddfurthertotheapparentstrangeness,Iaddedthestarbursteffecttothesunbystoppingmyfisheyelensdowntoitsminimumaperture,f/22.
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LandscapeintheModernWorld
Inaworldthatisburgeoningwithpeople,whereglobalwarmingandglobal“weirding”haveledtounpredictableclimatecycles,wherefindingnatureoftenimpliesalongandtargetedjourneyratherthanmerelysteppingoutofone’sfrontdoor,whatdoesitmeantobealandscapephotographer?
ThereasonIphotographthelandscapeinthefirstplaceisthatthisactivityhastodowithconnectingtotheTao,theessentialspirit,oftheworldaroundone(seepages14–23).However,amoredown-to-earthviewoftheroleofthelandscapephotographer(sotospeak)iscertainlypossible.
Atitscore,landscapephotographyisagenrethatisusedtoshowspaceswithintheworld,rangingfromthetinytothevast.There’scertainlyasenseamongsomephotographersthatlandscapesshouldbeaboutcapturingnatureandshowingvistasthatarefreeofreferencestohumanity.Inaddition,thebestlandscapephotographsareoftenelegiacandappreciativeofthescenerythatisshown.
Thisromanticpointofviewessentiallyequateslandscapephotographyandnaturephotography.Howmuchsensedoesitmaketobedoctrinaireaboutthisviewpoint?Inthemodernworld,severaloftheassumptionsaboutlandscapephotographythatthisviewpointembodiesarenotuniversallyvalid.Forstarters,it’squiteclearthatitmakessenseforsomelandscapestoincludebothstructuresandpeople(formoreonlandscapeswithpeopleseepages176–181).
Infact,amodernviewoflandscapephotographyprettymuchhastoincludesomesenseofpeopleandtheirartifacts—evenwhentheevidenceofhumanityisscantbecausevisitorshavetrulyfollowedthepreceptof“leavingnothingbutfootprintsandtakingnothingbutphotos.”
InafamouspoembyPercyByssheShelley,thegreatemperorOzymandiushasleftahugemonumenthethoughtwouldlastforever,yetithasvanishedunderthevastandtracklesssands.Inthesameway,muchofwhatourgenerationofhumanitybuildsupontheearthwilleventuallypass—inonewayoranother.Butforthetimebeing,thestructures,marks,defilements,andattemptsatbeautificationareveryevident—andapropersubjectforlandscapephotographers.
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Initstime,MareIslandwasthelargestnavalshipyardonthewestcoastoftheUnitedStateswithliterallythousandsofworkersduringtheSecondWorldWar.ThenMareIslandwasabandoned,andtheartifactsofactivitybecameakindofurbanlandscapeindecay.
Tomakethisshotofagantryusedtoworkonnavalvessels,Ipickedadramaticviewpointsothatthevanishingpointseemstogoonforever,withthemechanismechoedinthereflectionsintherainpuddles—muchasone
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mightseektodramatizeaviewinthemountainswithreflectionsandperspective.
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Thebestattitudeonecanhavetowardstheseextantstructuresistoembracetheirtransience.ThismeansmovingfromTao,wherethelandscapephotographerspirituallybegins,toWabi-sabi(侘寂),aJapaneseaestheticandworldviewthatacceptsthateverythingpasses,andistransientandincomplete.ArtbasedonWabi-sabi(asforexample,thegenreofurbanexplorationphotography)acceptsthisdecayanddeclineasbeauty—andutilizesitastheprimevehicleforconveyingemotioninimagery.Allthingspass,andintheirpassageliesbeauty.
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Adigitalinfraredcapturebroughtoutthetextureandcolorsinthisabandoneddrydock.Asyoucansee,thedrydockisseveralstoriesdeep,andrecentrainshaveemphasizedthedecayedlookofthestonewalls—almostlikeanaturallandscape.
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Inthisshot,apuddleframesthedistantlandscape-likeviewofthegantryshowninthephotoonpage25.Thereflectionisitselfframedbyatrapdoorthatpresumablyleadstoanundergroundpassage,orworld.
Thepointofthisshotistheframingofthereflection—therebyfittinginwithoneofthetraditionsoflandscapephotographyinwhichaframeinternaltothephotoisusedtoaddcompositionalinteresttodistantelements.
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ComingintoLasVegas,Nevadaafteraweekorsoofphotographyanddustycamping,mytwosonsandIdecidedtooptforaluxuryhigh-risehotel.Fromourthirtieth-floorroom,thecloudsreflectedinthemirroredwindowsofafacingbuildingandmadeanifty,almostabstractlandscape—withthecloudsandskyseemingtomoveacrossthefaceofthebuildingagainstthestronghorizontallinesofthearchitecturelikemusicalnotesonastaff.Iusedapolarizingfilterandawideopenaperture(f/5)withlowdepth-of-fieldtohelpcutdownthereflectionsinthewindowIwasshootingthrough(itwouldn’topen).Thepolarizeralsohelpedtoboostthesaturationinthereflectionsthatarethesubjectofthephoto.
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Pages30–31:ThelandscapeofSanFranciscoBayisagreatandwonderfulpanoramalaidoutforthoseofusluckyenoughtoliveorvisitthere—yetsomanypeoplelivetheirday-to-dayliveswithouttakingamomenttolookattheelegantandwondrousvistasaroundthem.Unlikemanyhumanstructures,theGoldenGateBridgeaddstothevisualbeautyofthelandscape.
Thisimageshowsthesunsetatatimeofyearwhenthesunwassettingatthemidpointofthebridge.Itimedtheexposureforalmostthelastpossiblemomentwhentheballofthesunwasstillvisible—withtheideaofcreatinganimagethatshowstheGoldenGateBridgealmostcompressing,orpressingdownon,thesun.
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GrandLandscapes
WhendiscussinghisphotographyinYosemiteValleyandtheSierraNevadaMountains,AnselAdamsnotedthathehad“greatopportunitytofollowthelightandthestorms,hopingalwaystoencounterexcitingsituations.”AdamswrotethathelikedtokeepmovingashemadeclearwhenquotinganEdwardWestonquip:“IfIwaitforsomethinghere,Imaylosesomethingbetteroverthere.”
Thegrand,graphic,andlyricallandscape—evenintheabsenceofpeopleandtheirartifacts—isnot,infact,reallyaboutland.Weatherandlightingaretwocrucialaspectsofthelandscape.Evenmundaneterrainbecomesexcitingiftheweatherorlight—orboth—areinterestingenough.Themostexcitinglandscapeintheworldisboringwhentheweatherisplacidandthelightflat.Essentiallyandexistentially,theweatherandthelightingaremoreimportantthanterrain.
Fromtheviewpointofthephotographer,thethreesecretsoflandscapephotographyarelocation,location,location—whereyouplantyourtripodandcamera.Oncetheyfoundtherightspotfortheimagethattheyhadpre-visualized,neitherAnselAdamsnorEdwardWestonhurriedfromlocationtolocation,eventhoughtheideathatthephotographmaybegreeneroverthenexthillisalwaysaconstantanxietyinthefield.Thetwoothercrucialelements—weatherandlight—comeintoplayovertime,orthroughrepeattripstoaspecificlocation.
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TheAlabamaHills,belowMt.WhitneyandthehighcrestoftheSierraNevadaMountainsinCalifornia,areawonderfullyjumbledareaofrockformationsandarches—averitablemazeofpassagewaysandvistasthatisoftenseenasavisualshorthandforthewildernessofthewesternUnitedStates.ThisistheareathatwasusedasthebackgroundinsomanyofHollywood’searlywesternsandfilmssuchasGungaDin—aroundeverycornerthereisaniconicformationofrocksthatyoumightrecognizefromthoselatenightreruns.
IfthisisthefabledwildernessofearlyHollywood,JohnWayne,andJohnFord,thenwhyallthetrafficontherightsideoftheimage?Actually,thelightsaremadebyonlyafewcars—butthisisdefinitelyadifferentviewofthefamouslandscapelocation,andonethattooksomeplanningtomake.Tocreatethisimage,Iwasinpositiononahigh,rockycragwellbeforesunset.Anestablishingshotcapturedtheimmensevistawiththedetailsoftherocks,andthenalongseriesofcapturesthroughthenightrecordedthemovementsofstars—andthefewcarsontheroads.
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Theprimordialexperienceofthelandscapephotographeriswaiting—waitingfortheweather,waitingforthelighttoberight,andmaybewaitingforthesun,moon,andstarstobeorientedinaspecificlocationordirection.Allgoodlandscapephotographersaregoodatwaiting.
Onethingthatmakeslandscapephotographysointerestingisthedichotomybetweenitsapparentsimplicity,andhowdifficultitactuallyistodowell.You’dthinkthereisnothingsimplerthanfindingaspectacularview,pointingsomecamera,anycameraatit,usingnominalordefaultautomaticsettings,andwalkingawaywithagrandlandscape.Sometimes,althoughveryrarely,thisisindeedthecase.
Foryears,IhadbeenkeepinganeyeonthisoldtreeinameadowinYosemiteValley,California.EachtripImadetoYosemiteI’dmakeapointofcheckingoutthetreetoseethatitwasstillthere,andtoseewhetherthe
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lightingwasright.Finally,onthisbrightbutsnowydayinFebruary,Imadethisimage,contrastingthegauntandnearlydeadtreewiththecloudybutluminousandsumptuouslightsurroundingYosemiteFalls.Iprocessedthephotokeepingthegauzytransparencyofthedayinmind—sothefinaleffectintentionallylooksalmostasmuchlikeawatercolorpaintingasitdoeslikeaphoto.
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Butthefactisthatthereisnowealthofgreatlandscapephotos.Thisisadisciplinethatrequiresplanningandlucktobeattherightplaceattherighttime.
Often,considerableeffortisrequiredtogetthephotographerandequipmenttothelocation.AsenseofTaoisrequiredtobespirituallyconnectedtothelandscape,andunderstandingWabi-sabiisneededtolovethelandscapedespiteof—orbecauseof—itsimperfections.
AddtothisthesenseofZenpatienceyou’llneedtoletthelightandweatherunfoldovertimeintheperfectway—andthechallengeofthistoughandfrustratinggenreismadeabundantlyclear.
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Atthewestern-mostendofthePointReyespeninsulainCalifornia,thecliffsendabruptlyintheendlessswellsofthePacificOcean.Fromanaerieabovethisruggedlandscape,Iphotographedthelighthouse,ocean,andstars—usingacombinationofexposureslongenoughtosoftenthedramaticsurfthatalwayspoundsthiscoast,andtocreatetrailsfromthestarsthatwerevisibleonthisunusuallyclearnight.
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TheredwoodtreesofCaliforniamaybethetallestlivingthingsonearth,buttheancientbristleconepineshavethedistinctionofbeingtheoldest.ThesegnarledspecimensliveathighaltitudeintheremoterangesofeasternCaliforniaandNevada,wherelifesustainingresources—waterandnutrients—areinshortsupply.Oneofthesecretstothelongevityofthespeciesisthelackofcompetitionintheirhighanddryeco-niche.
IphotographedthisbristleconepineinthePatriarchGroveoftheWhiteMountainsineasternCalifornia.Iusedanextremewideanglelens(10.5mmdigitalfisheye)tocapturethecomplexformofthetreeaswellasthedramaticcloudsinthebackground.
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IclimbedhighontheEastMesaTrailinZionNationalPark.Ifyoulookcarefully,youcanseethetrailIcameupaswellasdistantlandmarkssuchasAngel’sLanding,betterknownfrombelowonthecanyonfloor.Asthesunset,Itookthisphoto,hopingtocapturethelandscapeinitsimmensityandgrandeur—andatthesametimecommunicatethecomplexityofthesystemofrocksandsidecanyonswhichIhadtraversedonmytrektothislocation.
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IntimateLandscapes
Attheoppositeendofthescalefromthegrandlandscapeistheintimatelandscape.Intimatelandscapescanbetiny,butit’simportanttounderstandthattheydon’thavetobe.Likewithgrandlandscapes,there’sanalmostinfinitevarietyofsubjectmatterpossible.
Considerforaminutethephrase“Intimatelandscapeof,”andasanexercisethinkofhowmanywaysyoucouldcompletethesentence.Ithinkyou’llseethatthereareagreatmanypossibilities—andnotallofthemobviousuntilyouspendalittletime.
Sointimatelandscapeshaveasmuchvarietyofsubjectmatteraslargerlandscapes.Lightingandpositioningarestillcrucial—positionofthecamerainclose-upshotsisvery,verysensitive—andwaitingperhapsalittlelessso,dependinguponthecircumstances.Butonekeyissueisestablishingthevisualintenttocreatealandscape.
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Thisimageshowsa“forest”ofseapalms—akindofkelpthatgrowsintheintertidalzones.Eachplantisabitlessthanafoothigh,sothescaleoftheentirecompositionisquitesmall—eventhoughtheviewerhasnowayofrealizingthisscaleatfirstglance.Myinterestintheimagewastocreateavistathatisessentiallysmallinsize,butthatsuckstheviewerinasthoughitwasagrandly-scaledlandscape.Thisdichotomybetweentheinitialimpressionandamorethoroughanalysiscreatesan“Aha!”moment—andprovidesmuchoftheinterestintheimage.
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Aportraitofaflowerisnotalandscapeunlesstherearesomeunusualcircumstances,likeapetalthatseemstogoontothehorizonline,oraburstoflightwithintheflowerthatseemstoechoasunrise.
Bearinmindthatscaleandsizearealwaysrelative.Toanant,asmallbowlisthesizeofoneofourhouses—andiftheantwerehuman,thathumancould
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probablynotconceiveofastructureaslargeasoneofourhouses.
Thebestphotographsofintimatelandscapesplayonthisambiguityinherentinourappreciationofthesizeofthings:theviewerlooksatanimageandthinksitisvast,ordoesn’tfullyunderstandthescale.Furtherinspectionrevealsaclose-up.Halfthebattleiswonbecauseyou’veintrigued,excited,andinterestedyouraudiencebypresentingsomethingthatmaybeeverydayinanunusualway.
Thisthistleisshowncoveredwithfrost—ararephenomenoninthehillsofcoastalCalifornia.Iunderexposedthephotosothatthehoaryfrost-coveredplantemergesstarkincontrasttoanalmostblackbackground.
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AloneathighaltitudeintheWhiteMountainsofeasternCaliforniaasthesunset,Ifocusedonthisintimateviewofancientbristleconepinesratherthanthegrandervistasthatsurroundedthescene(forexamples,seepages2–3and38–39).
Thegoldenlightwasbeautiful,andIwasinterestedinthewaythecompositionframedonegauntandapparentlylifelessspecimenofbristleconewithinanother.Sincethelightwascomingfrombehindmyposition,mybiggestchallengewastomakethephotowithoutincludingmyshadow,andthatofmycameraandtripod.
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ImaginaryLandscapes
Doesalandscapehavetoactuallyexisttobethebasisofaninterestingimage?Myanswerisaresounding,“No.”Someofmyfavoritelandscapesinartareimaginary—whollyorinpart.
Ofcourse,theethicsofphotographydependonthesituationandcontext,andhowaphotoisusedanddescribed.Ajournalistshowingalandscapephotoinastorythatisaboutaforcedmigration,forexample,hasnorighttosubstantiallyalterthelandscapetomakethingslookbetter(orworse).
ButwhenIpresentadigitalimageasart,Iambydefinitionmakingnoclaimsabouttheauthenticityoftheimage—inthesensethatitmayormaynotcorrespondtoanyactualreality.Inpointoffact,thereisreallynowayanyoneelsecouldcaptureeventhe“straight”landscapesthatIcreateunlesstheywerethereatexactlythesametimeasme.TheseviewshaveceasedtoexistthemomentafterIhaveshotthem,aslightandweatherchanges.
Interestingly,evenwhentherearearowofphotographersshootingalandscapetogether—assometimeshappens—eachphotographerusuallycomesbackwithsomewhatdifferentresults.
Inanycase,ItakeitasperfectlyethicalandreasonabletoimprovethelandscapesI’veshotinthedigitaldarkroom.Dependinguponhowyoulookatthings,thisisaslidingscaleoraslipperyslope!
Noonewillobjectwhenalandscapephotographerincreasescontrastandtonalityafterthefact.Thiskindofminoradjustmentisuniversallyperformedbyseriousphotographers.
Fromthere,itisafairlyshortleaptoimprovecompositionbyembeddingportionsofthelandscapethatwasshottomakevistasseemtogoonforever.Onceyouarecompositinganimageintoitself,whynottakeitastepfurtherandcompositeotherimagesintocreateacomposition,orevenadddetailsbypaintingthemin?
Theskyisthelimitonceyouacceptthepropositionthatlandscapesdon’thavetobereal—and,infact,thatitmaynotbepossibletocreatesuchathingasa“real”landscape.Whenitcomestodigitalphotographsoflandscapesinthe
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“real”landscape.Whenitcomestodigitalphotographsoflandscapesinthedigitaldarkroom,theonlyreallimitisyourimagination.
IlovetheviewfromYosemiteValley,Californiawhentheweathergetsfoggy.MysenseofaweandmysteryincreasesbecauseofwhatisnotrevealedasmuchaswhatIcansee.
Withthisimage,Ipost-processedthephototoincreaseasenseofpartialrevelation—andalsotomaketheimagelookmorelikeaChineseinklandscapepainting.Mostofwhatyouseeinthisimageis“real”—my
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landscapepainting.Mostofwhatyouseeinthisimageis“real”—mydigitalpaintingsimplyincreasedthefoginplacesandrenderedtherockformationsmorefirmlyinothers.
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Thiscompositeofthreeimagesshowsadistantlandscapeopeningthroughanornamentalbridge.Thebridgeis“actually”intheHagiwaraTeaGardeninSanFrancisco’sGoldenGatePark,andthelandscapeseenthroughthebridgewascapturedinthewesternSierrafoothills.Thelarge,decorativekoiswimmingintherightforegroundoftheimageisathirdphoto.
PuttingthesethreephotostogetherinPhotoshopletmemakeafantasticcompositionthatIthinkofasa“portal”—theimageinvitestheviewerto
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enteradifferentandmagicalland.
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Thisfantasticlandscapeisbasedonanoriginalmacroshotofapinecone,takenonaneveningwalkonacoastaltrailneartheGoldenGateBridge.Lookingthroughmymacrolens,italmostseemedtomelikeIwaslookingdownonamesa—mysenseofscalegotutterlylost,andIcouldseecanyonsandrivers.IexaggeratedthiseffectbycopyingandpastinginseveralphotosfrommylibraryandusingdigitalpaintingtoachievethelookIwanted.
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Theroadbeneaththesewindsweptlinesoftreesseemedtogoonforever.Iexaggeratedtheeffectbycompositingsuccessivelysmallerversionsoftheimageintoitselfsotheimageseemstogoonlongerthanit“actually”does.
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AbstractionsandPatterns
SomeofthemostinterestinglandscapephotosthatI’vemadeworkbecausetheyshowpatterns.Byapattern,Imeananoverallcompositionwithoneormorerecurringelements,althoughtheelementsthatrepeatcanvarysomewhat.
Inlandscapephotography,themostinterestingpatterncompositionsquicklytakeonanabstractlook—observingthephoto,theviewerisatfirstnotquitesurewhethertheyareseeingagrandlandscapeorsomethingcompletelydifferent,suchasatextile,repeatingtiles,oraninkpainting.
Animportantaspectofpatternedabstractionsinnatureisthattheyoftenconveyatactilesenseofthesubjectmatter.It’shardtolookataclose-upofsnowandicecrystalswithoutthinkingabouthowitwouldfeeltohandlethefrozenstructure.
Generally,anabstractlandscapeshouldbeginbymakingtheviewerguessaboutthescaleofwhattheyareseeing.Next,thefactthatthereisarepeatingpatternshouldbeconveyedinsomeway.Finally,averyrealsenseoftextureshouldbeconveyed.
Aninterestinglandscapethatlendsitselftoabstractioncanbephotographedtorevealmanydifferentpossiblepermutationsofthepatternsthatitconveys.It’softenamazinghowvarieddifferentviewsofthesamepatternedlandscapecanbe.Sometimesitisworthwhiletopresentseveralrelatedabstractionsofthesamelandscapetogether—toshowthedifferentviewsofthesamesubjectmatterplayingoffeachother(seeexampleonpages54–55).
Theviewershouldwanttoreachintothecompositionandhandlewhat’sthere—andhavestrongfeelingsaboutthesensationsthathandlingthesubjectmatterwouldcausebecauseofitstexturalnature,whetherthephotoshowsanicyriverbankoradistant,barrenlandscapethatcouldneveractuallybe“touched”in“reallife.”
Everythingcomestoanend,asdoallpatterns.Thebestabstractandtexturalphotosoflandscapesconveyasenseofpattern—buttheyalsoshowthelimitsofthatpattern.Inotherwords,yourphotoofapatterninlandscapeshouldconveythenatureofthepattern,includingrepetition(ifit’spresentinthecomposition).Butthephotowillbemostinterestingiftheviewercandiscoverthelimitstothe
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Butthephotowillbemostinterestingiftheviewercandiscoverthelimitstothepattern.Theworldwithoutendisinteresting,butthehumaneyeisevenmorefascinatedbyboundaryconditions.
IwasexploringagroveofbristleconepineshighintheWhiteMountainsofEasternCalifornia.Mythoughtsweredirectedtowardsphotosthatshowedentiretrees,oreventowardsgrandlandscapesthatincludedtrees.ButIhadtostopandrecalibratemyvisionwhenIsawthepatternsinthistree.
Thepatternsinthebarkremindedmeofthebrushstrokesofinksumi-elandscapepainting—soIshotthepatternsonamacroscaleratherthanthetreeasawhole.
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FromZabriskiePoint,inDeathValley,California,thevistasspreadoutinmagnificentvariety.Ifindmyselfdrawntothisspot,andhaveenjoyedphotographingtheviewsfromZabriskiePointovertheyears.Iammostinterestedinviewslikethisonethattakethesun-bakedhillsandabstractthem,sotheyarealmosttextural—andlookliketheycouldbeaquilt.
56mm,1/15ofasecondatf/29andISO200,tripodmounted
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ThisviewfromZabriskiePointcapturestheridgelinesofthesurroundingformationsinprofile—sotheylooklikethefoldsinfabricifyoudidn’tknowitwasalandscape.
70mm,1/25ofasecondatf/29andISO200,tripodmounted
AbroaderviewfromZabriskiePointstillgivesatextural,abstractsense—asthoughoneislookingatfabric,oragiantfootprintratherthanalandscape.
48mm,1/80ofasecondatf/11andISO100,tripodmounted
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Onafoggymorning,Ihikedashortdistancetothebeach.BythetimeIgottotheocean,thecloudswereliftingandthesunwasbreakingthrough.
Thiswasadayoffairlybigsurf,withinterestingwavesthatmovedirregularlyandcrashedwithvigor.Idecidedtoconcentrateonthemovementofthewaves.
SothatIdidn’thavetothinkaboutmycamerasettings,andsothatIknewIcould“stop”themotionofthewaves,IboostedtheISOto400,puttheshutterspeedto1/2000ofasecond,andusedtheexposurecompensationcontroltounderexposebyonef-stop(checkyourcameramanualtoseeitifhasthiscontrol,andhowtouseit).Puttingthefocusmodetomanual,andfocusingatinfinity,meantIdidn’tneedtoworryaboutfocuslag.
Whentherightwavecamealong,Iwasreadytocatchit,backlitbythesunasitcrashedonthesteepshoalsofthebeach.
Theresultisanabstraction,poetryinmotion:theviewerdoesn’tknowexactlywhattheyarelookingatuntiltheyexaminetheimagecarefully—andmaywonderwherethisphotographerwasstandingtomakethecapture.
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200mm,1/2000ofasecondatf/8andISO400,handheld
AlongthebanksoftheMercedRiverinYosemiteValley,Californiaonanearlyspringmorning,Inoticedtheseinterestinglookingpatternsintheskimice,andstoppedtomakeaphotousingmymacrolens.Dependingonclimateconditions,thiskindofshotisusuallybestmadeearlyinthedaybeforeinterestingiceformationsmeltaway.
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Thisisanearlymorningviewofaremoteplaya—ordriedlakebed—inDeathValley,California.Ishotthephotointentionallysothatataglanceitisambiguousaboutscale.
Thisisnotamacroview;ratheritstartsangledclosebutcontinuesthepatterncreatedbythedriedmudouttothehorizonline.Theharsh,directionallightingcreatedbytherisingsunaddstothesenseofpattern—theviewercantellthedirectionthelightiscomingfrombylookingattheshadowsontheleftsideofthephoto.
Closeexaminationoftheseshadowsalsoshowsdefinitivelythatthisisnotamacroshotperse,andthattheapparentlyrepetitivepatterns,almostlikenaturaltiles,extendagreatdistance,butprobablyendontheleft,whereyoucanseetheshadows,likelyfromastandofvegetation.
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TheLandscapeinBlack&White
Manyofthephotographsofthepastthatweregardasgreatlandscapes—forexample,theworkofmyheroAnselAdams,orthephotosofthegreatEdwardWeston—aremonochromatic.It’sthereforenaturaltowonderwhetherweshouldbemakinglandscapeimageryinblackandwhite—andalsotoconsiderwhatkindsoflandscapeimagesworkbestwhentheyarerenderedmonochromatically.
MyrecommendationistoshootdigitalRAWfilesthatcanlaterbeconvertedinthedigitaldarkroomtoblackandwhite.TheadvantagesofRAW,andthemechanicsofthemanywaystogoaboutconvertingaRAWfiletomonochrome,areextensivelyexplainedinmybookCreativeBlack&White:DigitalPhotographyTips&Techniques(Wiley)—andifyouareseriouslyinterestedinblackandwhite,youshouldprobablyfindacopy.
SinceIamshootingRAW—whichpreservesalltheinformationassociatedwithanimagefile—IcandecidelaterwhetherIwanttopresentmyphotosasmonochromaticorcolorimages.Icanevenpreparetwoversionsoftheimage,oneincolorandoneblackandwhite—andseewhichIlikebest.
However,tocreategreatmonochromaticlandscapesithelpstothinkmonochromaticallyinthefirstplace.Somelandscapesubjectswillworkinblackandwhite—andothersneedcolor.Ifyouknowyouareplanningtocreateamonochromaticimage,youcanchooseyoursubjectaccordingly,frameitsoitworksbestinmonochrome,andexposeformonochromaticprocessing.
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OntheeastsideoftheSierras,theAlabamaHillsextendformiles,amazeofjumbledrock,arches,andpinnaclesframedinfrontofthecrestofthehighSierraNevadaMountains.
Thisisanearlymorningcapturethatusesmonochrometoconveytheharshlightingcontrastsshowninthelandscapeasthesunwasrising(fromtheleftofthephoto).
52mm,1/400ofasecondatf/8andISO100,tripodmounted
Tocreateeffectivemonochromaticlandscapephotos,youshouldlookfor:
Compositionswithextensivetonalrange,whereimportantportionsoftheimagecanviablyberenderedaseitherblackorwhite.Dramaticdifferencesintherelationshipsbetweenlightsanddarksintheimage.Landscapeswherethecolorintheimagecamouflagestheunderlyingcomposition,andisnotessentialtotheimage.
Withoutcolor,compositionalissuesbecomefarmoreimportant.Inparticular,youshouldpayattentiontothewayextremelydarkareasrelatetoverybright
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youshouldpayattentiontothewayextremelydarkareasrelatetoverybrightareastoformtheoverallimage.Itoftenmakessensetounderexposeoroverexposeamonochromaticimagetoemphasizethiscompositionaleffect.
Beforetheadventofcolorphotography,allphotosweremonochromatic.Astimegoesby,thateraisrecedingintothedimpastthatmemorycanhardlyrecall.Weseeincolor—solearningtoseemonochromaticallyrequiresaffirmative(butworthwhile)effort.Inthedigitalera,monochromaticimageryisnotananachronismbutratheranintentionallymanneredmodeofreducingourlandscapestotheirstarkandbarecompositionalessentials.
Atelephotoview(witha150mmfocallength)contraststheforegroundrockformationswiththemountainsshowninthebackground.Thiscontrasthelpsmakethemountainslookotherworldly,andnotquitereal.
150mm,1/400ofasecondatf/10andISO200,handheld
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TocapturethesuncomingthroughabreakinthecloudsduringthiswildandstormydayintheAlabamaHills,Iunderexposedbyseveralf-stops.Thisallowedmetorenderthecloudsasvery,verydarkwhilestillshowingdetailandclarityintheforegroundlandscape.
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Onacoldwinter’sday,IwanderedYosemiteValleyonsnowshoes.WhenIreachedtheedgeoftheforestshown,andnoticedthemajesticclifffacetoweringabovethetrees,Iwasabsolutelycompelledtopullmytripodoffmypackandshootaseriesofimages,ofwhichthiswasthemostinteresting.Photographycomplete,Iheadedtothelodgeforsomehotchocolatebythefireplace.
27mm,1/350ofasecondatf/10andISO100,tripodmounted
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Inthisphoto,thejaggededgesofthedarkshadowsontherightcontrastwiththelinesofthearidhillsonthelefttocreateaninterestinglandscapecomposition.
200mm,circularpolarizer,1/160ofasecondatf/11andISO100,tripod
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mounted
HeadingupthenarrowsoftheVirginRiverinZionNationalPark,Utah,Iwasstruckbythecontrastofthenarrowbandoflightcomingthroughtheslottedopeningcomparedwiththerelativedarknessoftherockwallsaroundit.Renderingthiscontrastinmonochromeseemedthepurestwaytoconveymyinterestinthisharmoniouscontrastbetweenlightsanddarks.
75mm,2secondsatf/25andISO100,tripodmounted
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OnafoggynightinthePresidioinSanFrancisco,California,thestreetlightscomingthroughthetreeshelpedmakeadelicateandmagicallandscapeoutofwhatotherwisemighthavebeenafairlymundaneandnormalviewoftreesinthecity.
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TheLonelyRoad
Inhispoem“Ithaka,”C.P.CavafywritesofthejourneyofOdysseusandthattherealpointofhisvoyageisexperiential,andnotaboutthedestination;therefore,oneshould“praythattheroadislong,fullofadventure,fullofknowledge.”
Photographyisoftenaboutthejourney,notthedestination—andeveryjourneystartswitharoad.J.R.R.TolkeinwouldhaveitthatthereisreallyonlyoneRoad(withacapitalR):likeagreatriver,itreacheseverydoorstep,andallpathsaretributaries.InthewordsofhischaracterBilboBaggins,“YoustepintotheRoad,andifyoudon’tkeepyourfeetthere’snoknowingwhereyoumightbesweptoffto.”
WhenIheadoutonaphotographytrip—whetherit’sanassignmentoraself-assignment,whetherthere’sonlyaloosegoalinmindortheprojectistightlydefined—there’salwaysaroad.Evenifmydestinationrequirestravelbyfootorplane,itisprettyhardtogettoadecentlandscapewithoutusingaroad.Thenagain,onceyouareontheroad,asTolkeinreminds,youneverknowwhereitwilltakeyou.AndasCavafy’sOdysseuslearns,youarewisetotakeadvantageoftheunplannedstops.SomeofmybestphotoshavehappenedwhenIhaveletgoofmyideaaboutmydestination,loosenedup,andtakenthetimetolookaroundme.Itistruethatserendipityhappens,ifyouletit!
Soroadsfigurelargelyinmylandscapework—ifnotasthedestination,thenanimportantstopalongtheway.
Iliketocaptureroadsinalltheirendless,evocativevariety—usuallywhentheyarealmostemptyatthebeginningortheendoftheday.Ifyoulookatmyimagesandtheymakeyouthinkyoucanalmosthearthewindwhistlingintheemptyspacesofthelandscapeasasinglecarrushesby,thenthephotoshaveachievedtheimpactIamseeking.
Sinceroadswillfigureinanyjourneyyoumaketoalandscapedestination,whynotregardtheroadasanimportantpartofyourlandscapephotography?
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Ihadspentthenightphotographingstartrailsusinganintervaltimertocreatecompositeexposuresofmanyhoursduration.Afterfinishingphotographingthestars,IfoundaremotespotshortlybeforedawnwhereIcouldrestforafewhours.Earlylightwokemetoosoon,beforesunrise.Idrovedowntheroad,stoppingwhenIsawsunriseglintingonafewcragsinadistantmountainrange.
Iparkedthevanbesidetheemptyroadandassembledmycameraonmytripod.Placingthetripodinthecenterofthehighway,Ishotthisphotoofthefirstcarofthedayheadingtowardsmeinthecoolofthemorningbeforethesuncameupharshandstrong.
Ifyouwanttotryashotlikethis,becarefulaboutplantingyourtripodinthemiddleoftheroad(asIdidhere).Youwanttobesurethatyouhaveadequatevisibilityinbothdirections,andthatnocarsarecoming.
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adequatevisibilityinbothdirections,andthatnocarsarecoming.
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ThisphotoshowsStateRoute178withthetownofInyokern,Californiainthebackgroundshortlyafterdawn.Inyokern,whichliesabout50milestothenortheastofMojave,California,isaprettyhot,dry,dusty,andrun-downplace,notableforthepresenceoftheMojavegreenrattlesnake,acreaturethatcombinesthenormalrattlerpitvenomwithanadvancedneurotoxinthatparalyzesitsvictims.Butintheobliquelightofanautumnmorningfromaboveandbesidetheroad,Inyokernlookspositivelyglamorous.
48mm,2secondsatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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WhenIdrivethroughNevada,Iamalwaysstruckbythewideopenspacesandvastnessofthiscountryofbasinsandranges.However,withouteye-catchingfeaturesthelandscapecanseemrepetitive—anditcanbehardtoarrangeastrikingcomposition.Addinganemptyroadwithitsbold,stripedyellowlinestocontrastwiththebarrenhillsgivesinteresttothelandscapeasawhole.
70mm,1/160ofasecondatf/8andISO200,handheld
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ThisisashotshowingtheroadnearTiogaPass,thehighestcarcrossingoftheHighSierrainCalifornia.Tomakethisphoto,Istoppedatoneofthefirstoverlooks.Themoonwasbrightlylightingthefarsideofthecanyon,butwhereIstoodthedefilewasindeepshadow.Iwaitedforacartostarttoclimbthegradeuptothepass,thenexposedtheimagefortwominutes—longenoughforthecarheadlightstolighttheentirestretchoftheroad.
14mm,2minutesatf/5.6andISO100,tripodmounted
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ToolsandTechniques
IwokebeforedawntotheblacknessandchillofawintermorninginYosemiteValley,California.Hopingthatthesunmightbreakthroughthecloudcover,Ipulledonmywarmclothingandheadedoutintothedarkness.
BythetimesunrisecameIwascold,buthappybecauseinadditiontothesunglintingonthemountaintops,Icouldseebreaksintheswirlingclouds.Withmycameraonmytripodsetinthesnow,Istoppedthelensallthewaydown(tof/22)soIcoulduseaslonganexposureaspossible(1/30ofasecond)toexaggeratethesofteffectcreatedbythegentlyswirlingcloudcover.
18mm,1/30ofasecondatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
ChoosingaCamera
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“Iliketocarryacamera,”quipsphotographerJayMaisel,“becauseit’shardtotakeaphotographwithoutone.”Inaworldinwhichmostmobilephonescomewithacamera-on-a-chip,thissentimentisn’tquiteastrueasitusedtobe.There’snothingwrongwithiPhonephotos—I’veseensomeverycooliPhonecreations—butinthisbookI’mgoingtoassumethatyou,likeme,areseriousenoughaboutyourlandscapephotographytouseadedicatedcameraratherthentheonebuiltintoyourphone.
Thatsaid,whenitcomestolandscapephotography,mylistofminimumrequirementsisprettybasic.Here’swhatIlookforinalandscapephotographycamera:
ManualexposurecontrolsTheabilitytosaveRAWcapturesAwaytoconnectthecameratoatripodAprovisionforusingareleaseforremoteexposures
MostcompactdigitalcamerasthathavethefeaturesthatImentionedalsoprovideazoomlenswithadecentrangeoffocallengthsfrommoderatewide-angletomoderatetelephoto.Thesefocallengthsaretheonesmostcommonlyusedinlandscapephotography.
Tohavethemaximumflexibilityinlenschoicehowever,nothingbeatsaDigitalSingleLensReflex(DSLR).Formoreonlensesandlandscapephotography,seepages82–93.
Besidestheabilitytochangelenses,thelargersensorsizeandprofessional-levelcontrolsofaDSLRmakethisthecameratypeofchoiceformostseriouslandscapephotographers.ThedownsideisthatcarryingaDSLRplusextralensesandatripodaroundcangetheavy.WhenI’mfeelingsorryformyselfbecauseI’mcarryingaheavybackpackoverroughterrain,IremindmyselfthatdigitalequipmentisnotnearlyasheavyasthelargeformatfilmcamerasschleppedaroundbyphotographerssuchasAnselAdams—orthatIsometimesusedtouse.
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Thisshotshowsasomewhatout-of-focusreflectionofHalfDomeinMirrorLakeinYosemiteValley,California.Earlyspringisinthebackground,withintricategreenvegetationpartiallyinthewaterintheforeground.Tomakethephoto,Ididn’tworrytoomuchaboutphotographiccraft.Isimplyhandheldthecameraandframedthecompositioninawaythatpleasedme,lettingprogrammedautoexposuredotherest.
1/50ofasecondatf/4.5andISO200,handheld
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Essentially,thechoiceofcameraisuptoyou.Iwon’tthinklessofyouifyoushootyourlandscapesonacamerainyourmobilephone.Ontheotherhand,don’texpecttobeabletoblowtheseshotsupforcriticaluses,ortomakeluscious,large-sizeprintsfromthem—onethingmostpeoplewouldliketodowiththeirlandscapephotos.
Gettingtherightequipmentforthejobisalwaysagoodidea.Inthecaseoflandscapephotography,you’llneedtodoalittlesoulsearchingaboutthejobyouwanttodo.Takingasnapshottorememberaplacesimplyrequiresdifferentequipmentfrommakinganimagethatcanbeusedforfineartprinting.
AwhilebackIhadanassignmentthatinvolvedtracingthestepsofSenecaRayStoddard,anineteenth-centuryphotographeroftheAdirondacksinupstateNewYork,andreplicatingsomeofhiswork.Iusedavarietyofequipmenttofulfilltheassignment,includingtheheavylargeformatfieldviewcamerathatIshotthisimagewith.
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ThewoodboatshownistypicalofastyleusedintheAdirondacksforhundredsofyears,andtheswoopofthelakeinthebackgroundgivesasenseofthevastnessofthisimmensewildernesslandscape.
Shotwithafieldviewcamera,135mmSchneiderlens,and4x5sheetfilm,scannedfromaprint
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Lenses
Personally,Iprefertodomostofmylandscapeworkaloneorwithagoodfriendwhoisalsointerestedinphotography.Thatway,Icanconcentratebestonthelandscaperatherthantheotherpeople.ButsometimesIdophotographlandscapeswithagroup;forexample,whenIamteachingaworkshop.Whatreallyamazesmeisthatnomatterhowclosetogetherthegroupiswhentheytaketheirphotos,everyone’sphotoscomeoutverydifferently.
Oneofthemainreasonsforthisisthepracticallyinfinitewaysthatphotographerscanusetheirlenses.Alenscontrolsthewayaphotographercanrendertheworld.Itistheprimaryinterfacewiththesceneryaroundone,andthebasictoolofthecraftoftakingphotos,inmuchthesamewaythatapainter’sbrushiskeytofineartpainting.Alensisabasictoolforthephotographerjustasabrushisessentialtothepainter.
Dependingonthelensandfocallengthoneuses,youcanmagnifyadistantscenebyusingatelephotolens,portrayalandscapewithroughlytheangleofviewthatapersonwouldseeit(usingaso-called“normal”lens),oruseawide-anglelensandfocallengthtopresentthelandscapeasabroadvista,withtheforegroundespeciallyprominent(seechartonpage84).
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DuringalateafternoonhikeinPointReyes,California,InoticedthelightofthelateafternoonsunreflectedintheestuarialwatersofDrakesBay.Iusedaslightlywideanglefocallength(35mm)toemphasizetheexpansivenessofthescene,atthesametimeusingapolarizingfiltertobringouttheclarityandcolorsinthereflectionsoftheclouds.
35mm,circularpolarizer,1/160ofasecondatf/6.3andISO100,handheld
Most—butnotall—landscapephotosaretakenwithinthisrangefrommoderatewide-angletomoderatetelephoto.The35mmequivalentfocallengths(seepage235foranexplanationof35mmfocal-lengthequivalency)androughangleofviewresultingfromthisrangeareshowninthetablebelow.
Azoomlensisalensthatprovidesavariable—andcontinuous—rangeoffocallengths.Withmodernphotoequipmentmostofuschoosetousezoomlensesratherthanfixedfocallengthoptics,sowegettodecidepreciselywhatfocallengthwewanttouse.Thefactthatyoucanchooseanywherefromafocallengthrangeisagreataidincreativecomposition,andaddstothevarietyofpossibilitieswhenyouuseaphototoframeapieceofthelandscapethatistheworldaroundus.
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worldaroundus.
Itisafactthatmodernopticaldesignhasproducedzoomlensesthatareessentiallyassharpasfixedfocal-lengthlenses,sotheargumentagainstusingtheselenseshasbeengreatlydiminished,particularlyconsideringhowconvenienttheycanbe.
Speakingofsharpness,itisimportanttounderstandthateachlensencapsulatespiecesofpolishedandshapedglasscrystal.Withthebestqualitycontrolsintheworld,therecanbedifferencesevenbetweenlensesofthesamemakeandmodel—andofcoursedifferentmodelsoflensescanbequitedifferentfromoneanothereveniftheyincludethesamefocallength.
Sinceyourlensesprovideanimportantpartofhowyourphotoswillberendered,itisimportantthatyougettoknowyourspecificlenses.Everylenswillperformdifferentlydependingupontheaperture—particularlyinregardstosharpness—andthesedifferencescanbeparticularlyimportantinlandscapephotography.
Whenportionsofaphotoareoutoffocus,lensperformanceisalsoimportant.Out-of-focusareasarecalledbokeh(ボケ),andpleasingbokehcanbeveryattractiveindeed.Thecharacteristicsofbokehdependupontheopticalglass,lensdesign,diaphragmconstruction,lightingconditions,andyourchoiceofaperture.Gettingtoknowwhatkindofbokehrenderingyoucanexpectcanmakeabigdifferenceinselectivefocuslandscapes.
FocalLength(35mmequivalent)
Approximateangleofview Considerusingto… Distortions
18mm100º,widerthannormalview
Provideasenseofavastlandscapeandenhancedepth-of-field
Curvatureattheedges
50mm 47º,roughlynormalview
Conveyroughlythesensethatapersonwouldhavelookingatalandscape
Typically,nodistortion
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200mm
12º,moderateclose-uptelephotoview
Emphasizeadetailpickedoutofalargerlandscape
Compactslinesofperspective,oftenapleasingeffect
Mythoughtwiththisphotowastocreateanimageofabig,redballofthesunsettingbehindsomegrass.Thisisanunusualeffectinthesensethatthescenewouldn’tlookthiswaytothenakedeye.Byusingalongtelephotolens(400mm)andfocusingonthegrasswithawideopenaperture(f/7.1)forlowdepth-of-field,Iwasabletomakethecomparativesizeofthesettingout-of-focussunseemmuchlargerthanitwouldtoahumanobserverofthescene.
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400mm,1/320ofasecondatf/7.1andISO320,tripodmounted
ThisisthetopofMountTamalpaisseenfromthesummitofMountDiablointheSanFranciscoregionofCalifornia.Iusedalongfocallengthlens(200mm)toisolatethemountainsummitwithitsdecorativecloud,andtocreateaneffectalmostlikethatseeninsomeChinesebrushpaintings.
Atmospherichaze,likeseeninthisphoto,cansometimesbeadetrimenttolandscapeimagesbecauseitobscuresdetails.However,youcanalsotakeadvantageofhazetocreatemysterious,painterlyeffects,asinthisimage.
200mm,1/1500ofasecondatf/11andISO100,handheld
Togeneralize,mostlensesareopticallysharpestinamid-rangeofapertureswhentheyareneitherfullywideopennorfullystoppeddown,typicallyatf/8orf/11.
Opticalsharpnessisnotthesamethingasdepth-of-field,whichistherangeofdistancesinfrontofandbehindthesubjectthatisinfocus.Depth-of-fieldplaysacrucialroleinlandscapephotography,andisdiscussedinitsrolewithaperture
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acrucialroleinlandscapephotography,andisdiscussedinitsrolewithapertureonpages106–113.
Fornow,youshouldbearinmindthatdepth-of-fieldisoftenvisuallyconfusedwithsharpness,andthatthewidertheangleofthelens,thegreatertheinherentdepth-of-field.Conversely,themoreyourlensisatelephotowithalongerfocallength,thelessinherentdepth-of-field.Notethatifyouarefocusedatinfinity,everythingbeyondinfinityisautomaticallyinfocusnomatterwhatyourchoiceofaperture.
It’ssometimesreallyfuntohavespecialtylensesinyourkit.Forexample,Ienjoytheobviousdistortions—alongwiththehighdepth-of-field—ofextremelywideanglefisheyelenses.Bothmy10.5mmdigitalfisheyelensandthefisheyeopticfortheLensbabyprovideanangleofviewofabout160degrees.
Extremetelephotolensescanalsoproduceinterestinglandscapedistortions—magnifyingsomeelementsinacompositionwhilebringingothersinmuchcloser,atthesametimeapparentlycompactingthespacebetweentheelementsinthephoto.
It’simportanttogettoknowyourlensessoyoucanbetterunderstandyourchoiceswhenyouareinthefieldanddecidinghowbesttocapturethewonderfullandscapearoundyou!
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ThisisashotfromnearthetopofAngel’sLandinginZionNationalPark,Utah.Ichoseawideanglelens(12mm)soIcouldcaptureboththemanzanitashrubintheleftforegroundandtheriveronthefloorofthecanyon.Myideainthisshotwastohavethetwistingshapesoftheriverandtheshrubechooneanother.
12mm,3blendedexposuresfrom0.5ofasecondto1.3ofasecond,eachexposureatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
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WhenIdescendedthetrailtoKirbyCoveintheMarinHeadlandsneartheGoldenGateBridge,Ifoundastarfishmaroonedintheintertidalzone.Icarefullyplantedmytripodinthewetsand,movingitwhenawavethreatened.Finally,Iwasabletomakeanexposurewithouthavingtointerruptitbecauseofawave.
IusedafisheyelenstocaptureboththestarfishandtheGoldenGateBridge—whichgivesthebridgeasomewhatcurvedeffectatthehorizon.
Nostarfishwereharmedinthemakingofthisphoto.Aftermyshot,Icarefullyplacedthestarfishbackindeeperwatersoitwouldn’tdryout.
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ThisisashotofSanFranciscoCityHallwitharowofpollardedtreesinfront.Pollardingisaformofpruningthatcutstreeswaybacktohelppreservetheirlong-termhealth.Iwasparticularlystruckbytheinterestingshapesmadebytheseverelyprunedtrees.
Itookthisphotoattwilight,asyoucantellbythelightsjuststartingtocomeon.
IusedaLensbabyfisheyelensattachment,whichcreatesanintentionalvignettingeffect(thedarkandroundedcorners).Theplacementofthisvignettingiscompletelyunderthecontrolofthephotographer.
Thereshouldbenodoubtintheviewer’smindthattheyarelookingatthisphotothroughanunusuallenscombination.
LensbabyComposer,fisheyeattachment,1.6secondsandISO100,tripodmounted
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UsingaTripod
Moreoftenthannot,IuseatripodwhenImakemylandscapephotos.Infact,seriousphotographersdotendtousetripodsprettyconsistentlyfortheirlandscapework—foranumberofreasons.
Technicalconcernsleadthislistofreasonstouseatripod.Ifyouarephotographingpeople,itisoftennotpracticaltouseatripodbecauseyoursubjectsmaybeshiftingtheirpositionssoquickly.Thiskindofmotionislesscommoninalandscape—althoughtreescanmoveinthewind,andwatermayflowswiftly(seepages118–123formoreaboutcapturingmotioninlandscapes).
Withoutaquicklymovingsubject,puttingyourcameraonatripodbecomesastraightforwardwaytominimizecameramovement—aleadingcauseofblurandapparentunsharpnessinphotos.Furthermore,there’softenaneedinlandscapecompositionstocaptureabroadrangeoftheviewinfocus.AsIexplainonpages106–113,thisimpliesusingasmalleraperture—whichleadstoslowershutterspeedsandanincreasedneedforatripod.
Certainly,concernaboutblurringanimageduetoslightmotionsofthecameraisamplifiedwhenitcomestomacroandclose-upwork—whichiswhyalmostallgoodmacrophotographyisaccomplishedusingatripod.
Inaddition,thelongerthefocallengthofthelens,theharderitbecomestoshootwithoutatripodatagivenshutterspeedwithoutintroducingoffensiveblurringfromcameramotion.
Somespecialeffectscanonlybeachievedusingacameraonatripod—forexample,showingthecourseofmovingwaterasawhitemotionblurwhiletherestofthelandscapeisstillandcrisp—becausetheseeffectsrequirelongshutterspeeds.
It’sagoodideatoshootbracketedexposuresforHDRlandscapes(seepages208–217)whilethecameraisonthetripodsotheframesthataregoingtobecombinedwillcontainthesamecontent.
Personally,Iliketouseatripodforcompositionalreasonsaswellasthesetechnicalconsiderations.Usingatripodforcesyoutostopandthinkaboutyourlandscapephoto,andmeansyouneedtoslowdownandtakeyourtime.Youare
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landscapephoto,andmeansyouneedtoslowdownandtakeyourtime.Youaremorelikelytocomposeyourphotoasyou’vepre-visualizedit,andtakethetimetocorrectcompositionalflawssuchasacrookedhorizonline.
Ithadbeenrainingforseveraldaysintorrentialgusts,ashappensfromtimetotimeinthespringincoastalCalifornia.IhikedthroughthedrippingforestontheslopesofMountTamalpais,toCataractFalls.Thecreekwasrushingpastinamuddytorrent.Isetupmytripodandwasabletoexposelongenough(3/5ofasecond)tomaketheflowofthecascadingwaterattractiveandsoft.
19mm,3/5ofasecondatf/22andISO100,tripodmounted
It’sworthwhilebuyingagoodtripod—youwillprobablyhaveitlongerthanyourcamera.Thekeythingstolookforinatripodarethatitshouldbesturdy,
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yourcamera.Thekeythingstolookforinatripodarethatitshouldbesturdy,lightweight,andmaneuverablesothatyoucanpositionyourcameratomakeyourimagework.Youmayhavetocompromiseonsomeoftheseissues.Forexample,atripodthatislightenoughtocarryintothewildernesswitheasemaynotopentothefullheightyou’dlikeinsomesituations.
Thebestarrangementistobuytripodlegsseparatefromthetripodhead.Carbonfiberisagoodmaterialfortripodlegsbecauseitisextremelystrong,lightweight,anddoesnotconductcoldtemperatures(surprisinglyimportantinwinterlandscapephotography).However,carbonfibertripodlegscanbequiteexpensive.
Thetripodheadscrewsontothetripodlegs.Formostlandscapework,IsuggestaballheadsuchastheonesavailablefromKirkEnterprises,www.kirkphoto.com,orReallyRightStuff,www.reallyrightstuff.com.Thesevendorsalsomakebracketstoattachyourcameratotheballhead.
Yourcameraattachestothisballheadusingaquick-releaseplate,orbracket,whichtheballheadholdsfirmlyinplace.IrecommendanL-shapedbracketdesignedforyourspecificcameramodelbecauseyoucantheneasilyswitchbackandforthbetweenverticalandhorizontalorientations.
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Closetothiswaterdroponaspringplant,Icouldseetheflowersandfenceofthegardenreflectedandrefracted.Thecloseronegets,themoremotionfromcamerashakeisexaggerated—soIneededtouseatripodtocapturethisminiaturelandscapewithclarity.
200mmmacro,2/5ofasecondatf/36andISO200,tripodmounted
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ExposureandLandscapes
Imaginelookingatavastlandscape.Onecornerofthesceneislitbythelateafternoonsoon,buttherestofthelandscapeisindeepshadow.Alternatively,itisjustaftersunset,youarefacingthecomparativelybrightskyleftbehindbythesettingsun,andtheearthandskyareglowingwiththesubtlecolorsofthismagicaltimeofday.
Thesearetwoofthescenariosthatcanleadtogreatlandscapephotos.Butinneithercasewillusingautomaticexposuregetyoutheresultsyou’dlike.Tocuttothechase,formostlandscapephotographytogetthebestresultsyouneedtousemanualexposuremodes.Doingthiseffectivelyrequiresanunderstandingofexposuregenerally.
Thisistheexposurehistogramfortheimagetotheright.Thesmallspikeattherightofthehistogramrepresentsthebrightsunlightintheupperrightoftheimage,whilethespikeontheleftiscreatedbythefewalmostblackspotsintheupperportionsofthephoto.Thevastmajorityofthelandscapeisinsomewhatdark,left-biasedshadeasrepresentedbythelarge“mountain”shapeinthehistogram.
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AsthedayturnedtolateafternoonattheWave,intheCoyoteButtesWildernessontheUtah-Arizonaborder,Inoticedaninterestingcomplementarypatterntothestriationsintherock.Thelinebetweenthesunlightandshadowontherockcreatedafascinatingandvariableline.
Toshowthispatternalongwiththepatternoftherockitself,Iexposedforthesunlight.Thismeantunderexposingtherockintheshade,whichIwasabletocorrectinpost-processing.
170mm,1/15ofasecondatf/36andISO100,tripodmounted
Asyouprobablyalreadyknow,yourexposuresettingsdeterminehowmuchofthelightthathitsthelensisletinthroughtheopeninginthelens.Theshutterspeedsettingcontrolsthedurationoftimeduringwhichlightisletin.Obviously,thelongertheduration,themorelightthatgetsin.Formoreaboutshutterspeed,seepages118–123.
Theaperturesettingcontrolsthediameteroftheopeninginthelensthatlightpassesthrough.Thesmallerthehole,thelesslightthatpassesthrough.Apertureisexplainedindetailonpages106–113.
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isexplainedindetailonpages106–113.
Athirdcontrol,ISO,determineshowsensitivetolightyoursensoris.YoucantakephotosindarkerplaceswithahigherISO,buttherearesomepotentialdownsidestoraisingtheISO(seepage114–117formoreaboutISO).
Aperture,shutterspeed,ISO—thesevariablescontrolthewayincominglightisrenderedbycreatinganexposure.It’sproblematictoletthecamerachoosethevaluesforthesesettingsforyoubecausethecameradoesn’treallyknowwhatyouwanttocaptureinyourexposure.Forexample,whenthere’sasliceoflightinalandscapeotherwisefilledwithshadow,thecameraislikelytochooseanaverageexposure,whichwillrenderneitherareasatisfactorily.
Thisistheexposurehistogramfortheimagetotheright.Thehistogramshowsafairlynormaldistributionofvalueswiththedarkerareasofcloudandoceanrepresentedbythe“mountain”attheleftsideofthehistogram.
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Thisisashotusingatelephotolens(200mm)ofoneoftheFarallonIslandsoffthecoastofSanFrancisco,California.Thesefog-boundislandsarehometobirdsandgreatwhitesharks.Untilmoderntimes,theislandshavebeenextremelyhazardousforpassingships,anditisraretoseethemsoclearly.
Thetrickherewastoexposefortheinterestingandsaturatingclouds,allowingtheislandandoceanintheforegroundtosilhouetteagainstthesky.
200mm,1/1250ofasecondatf/3.2andISO200,tripodmounted
AsI’vealreadyexplained(seepages14–19),theterm“landscape”isabitofamisnomer.Mostlandscapephotographscontainmorethanjust“land”;forexample,water,ocean,sky,clouds,plants,buildings,androads.Withtheexceptionoflandscapeaspatternortexture(seepages52–59),itistheboundaryofthelandwithelementsbesideslandthatmakethelandscapeinteresting.Furthermore,mostofthebestlandscapesaretakenataboundarytimeofday:whennightturnstoday,towardssunset,orwhenthereisanunusualweathercondition.
Takentogether,thesecircumstancesmeanthatboundariesintimeandspaceplayabigroleinlandscapephotography—andintheartofexposinglandscapescreatively.Youhavetodecidewhatportionsofthelandscapeyouarecapturingyouwanttoexposefor,andalsodeterminewhetherthereisastrategythatwillletyoumakeaneffectiveexposureforalltheareasinthelandscapethatareimportanttoyou.
IrelyonmyexposurehistogramtohelpmeunderstandtheexposurevaluesinwhatIamseeing.Ahistogramisagraphshowingadistributionofvalues,andanexposurehistogramshowsthedistributionoflightsanddarksinaphotoyouaremaking.Iftheexposurehistogramisbiasedtowardstheleft,thentheimagetendstowardsdarknessandunderexposure,whileifthehistogramisright-leaningthentheimageisbrightandtendstowardoverexposure(seediagramsonpage104).
Asyoucanseeintheactualhistogramsthataccompanytheexamplesinthissection,yourexposurehistogramshoulddependupontherangeanddistributionofexposurevaluesinyourphoto.Forexample,ifthepointofmyphotoisthecontrastbetweenasmalllightareaandthedarkerlandscape,thenthehistogram
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contrastbetweenasmalllightareaandthedarkerlandscape,thenthehistogramwillshowmostlydarkvalues—andthisisinlinewiththephotoIwanttomake.Soitisimportanttounderstandthatexposurehistogramsshouldbereadinthecontextoftheimageyou’vepre-visualized.
Whenitcomestophotographinglandscapes,Ioftenlookforaslightlyleft-biasedhistogram.Mythinkingisthatthishelpsmakecolorsricher,andIcanprocessmyRAWfilestorecoverareasthataretoodarkmoreeasily(seepages200–207)thanIcanrecoverbrightareas.Onceabrightarea“blowsout,”itbecomesessentiallyimpossibletorecoverinthedigitaldarkroom.
Thisistheexposurehistogramforthephotototheright.Thehistogramshowsaprettygoodoveralldistributionofvalueswithaslightleftbias,butnoreallyunderexposedareas—whichcorrespondsnicelytotheactualimage.
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Sinkingbelowthehorizon,thesettingsunlittheedgeofthecloudyoucanseeinthisphotowithamagnificentcrimsonglow.Iwascarefultoexposesothecolorsremainedhighlysaturated,whichmeantunderexposingtheskyslightly.Fortunately,Iwasabletobringouttheforegroundinpost-processing(seepages200–207).
44mm,1/100ofasecondatf/5andISO200,handheld
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Underexposed
Thishistogramshowsanexposurethatisbunchedtotheleft,meaningthattheimageitrepresentsisprobablyunderexposed.However,sinceahistogramgraphsthelight–to–darkvaluesinacapture,ifwhatyouarephotographingispredominantlyblack(forexample,averydarklandscape),thenitispossiblethatthisgraphmay,infact,representtheexposureyouwant.
Midtoneexposure
Thishistogramshowsaroughlynormaldistributionofexposures,providedthatthesubjectbeingcapturedincludesafullrangeoflightsanddarks.Ofcourse,theactualhistogramwilldependuponthelightsanddarksinthesubject,aswellasyourexposuresettings.Youcanseeinthisfairlymiddle-of-the-roadhistogramthattherearesomeblackvaluesandsomewhitevalues,withthebulkoftheexposurevaluesinthemidtone(thecenterofthegraph).
Overexposed
Thishistogramshowsanexposurethatislikelytobeoverexposed—youcantellbecausetheexposurevaluesarebunchedtotheright.However,ifyoursubjectincludesagreatdealofverybrightorwhitetonality(forexample,cloudsinthesun),thismaybethehistogramyouget—anditmaybeperfectforthecaptureyouwanttomake.
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Thisistheexposurehistogramforthephotototheright.Thehistogramshowstheprevailingdarknessofthecanyonwalls(ontheleft)aswellasthespikeontherightthatrepresentsbrightnessintheclouds.
FromanoldcastironbridgespanningtheRioGrandeGorgenearTaos,NewMexico,Ishotdownonthewatertomakeanimagethatshowedtheskyreflectedintheriverandthedarkwallsofthecanyon.
26mm,1/60ofasecondatf/6.3andISO200,handheld
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ApertureandDepth-of-Field
Settingyourapertureisoneofthemostimportantcreativecontrolsinlandscapephotography.Withagivenlensandfocallength,whereyousettheaperturedeterminestheresultingdepth-of-field.Inconjunctionwithwhereyou’vedecidedtofocus,thissettingultimatelymakesahugedifferenceinthefinalresultsyou’llget.
Ofcourse,ifyouchangeyourapertureyou’llalsoneedtomakeacorrespondingchangeineitheryourshutterspeedoryourISOifyouwanttokeepthesameoverallexposurevalues.Oneofthetrickyaspectsofthecraftofphotographyisthateachchoiceyoumakeimpactstheotherchoicesavailabletoyou.
Apertureisreferredtousingf-stopnotation,forexample,f/8.Inthisexample,8iscalledthef-number.Thelargerthef-number,thesmallertheopeninginthelens—youcanseethisinthediagramofaperturesshownonpage108.f/36meansamuch,muchsmalleropeningthanf/2.8.
Whenalensapertureissetassmallaspossible,thelensisstoppeddown.Alenssettothemaximumapertureiswideopen.
F-stopsandtherelativeamountofdepth-of-field
FullF-StopsLightallowedin,compared
tothemaximumapertureDepth-of-field
f/1.4(maxaperture) N/A Lowest
f/2 1/2 Shallow
f/2.8 1/4 Shallow
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f/4 1/8 Shallow
f/5.6 1/16 Medium
f/8 1/32 Medium
f/11 1/64 Medium
f/16 1/128 High
f/22 1/256 High
f/32(minaperture) 1/512 Highest
AsI’vementioned,therangeoffocusprovidedinaphotobyanaperturesettingiscalleddepth-of-field.Whenyoustopyourlensdownyouhavemoredepth-of-field,andwhenyouopenthelensupyougetlessdepth-of-field.Thegeneralrelationshipbetweenf-stopsandtheamountofdepth-of-fieldisshowninthechartonpage106.
Whereyoufocusisalsoimportanttodepth-of-field.Youshouldtrytokeepyourcameraparalleltoyoursubject,andifdepth-of-fieldisimportanttoanimagetryavarietyofpossibleplacestofocus.Youcanvisuallychecktheimpactoftheapertureandfocuspointsyou’veselectedeitherusingyourDSLR’sdepth-of-fieldpreviewbutton,usingtheLiveViewfeatureifitisavailable,orintheLCDafteryou’vemadeyourphoto.
Everythingfurtherawayfromthecamerathantheinfinitypoint(markedonthelensusingthe∞symbol)isinfocuswhenthelensisfocusedatinfinity,evenatthemaximumlensaperture.Inaphotofocusedatinfinity,iftheentiresubjectisatinfinityorbeyond—asisoftenthecaseinlandscapephotos—theneverythingwillbeinfocusnomatterwhatapertureyouchoose,andyoucannolongeruse
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aperturetocontroldepth-of-fieldcreatively.
F-stops(showninrelativescale).Thelargerthef-number,thesmallertheopeninginthelens.
TherearemanylandscapesituationswhereIdoneedtothinkabouthowapertureinteractsasacreativecontrolbecausethelandscapeisnotentirelyfocusedatinfinity.Forexample,supposeIwanttomakeaphotowhereanelement—suchasabird,orsignage—isinfocusbuttherestofthelandscapeisnot.Thisstrategygivesthein-focuselementmoreimportancethantherestofthelandscape,andalsoisolatesit.IcanachievethisresultbyfocusingontheelementIwantto“isolate,”makingsuretouseawideenoughaperturesothatotherelementsinthelandscapearenotinfocus.
Ontheotherhand,supposeIwanttomakeaphotoinwhichafloweringshrubintheforegroundisinfocus,butyoucanalsoclearlyseethedetailsofalandscapeinthebackground.Thiskindofimagerequiresasmuchdepth-of-fieldasIcanget,andmeansstoppingthelensallthewaydowntothesmallestaperture.
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VisitingthemuseumatManzanar,theinternmentcampinOwensValleyusedforJapanese-AmericansduringtheSecondWorldWar,Iwasstruckbyoneman’sstory.“IfIevergetoutofhere,”hewrotepoignantly,“I’mgoingtohangmykettleonthesignatTeakettleJunction.”
Twodirtroads,designatedas4-wheeldrivetrails,meetatTeakettleJunction,halfwaybetweentheSierraNevadaMountainsandDeathValley.It’sbeenatraditionforyearstohangteacupsandkettlesonthesignmarkingthejunction.
Iusedamoderatelylongtelephotolens(105mm)withafairlywideopenaperture(f/7.1)andfocusedontheTeakettleJunctionsignitselftoisolatethesignfromthesurroundinglandscape,whichisslightlyoutoffocus.
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105mm,1/1000ofasecondatf/7.1andISO200,handheld
IgotascloseasIcouldtothisredtailhawk,andthenusedthelongestlensIhadwithme(200mm)tobringthebirdevencloser.Amoderateaperture(f/8)helpedmakethebirdseemcrispagainsttheout-of-focusPacificOceaninthebackground.
200mm,1/250ofasecondatf/8andISO200,handheld
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TocaptureboththelupinealongthetrailandthelandscapeofPointReyes,Californiainthebackground,Istoppedmyfisheyelensdowntoitssmallestaperture(f/22)formaximumdepth-of-field.
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Inthismacroshotofapoppy,Iwantedtocreateavisualreferencetolandscapephotographyinwhichthecoreoftheflowerseemstobelikethesun.Followingthisvisualmetaphor,thestamensshownintheforegroundare“basking”inthe“sunlight.”
Iusedatelephotomacrolens(105mm)andfocusedonthestamens,usingashallowaperture(f/5.6)toachievethefocuseffectthatIdesired.
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ISO
TheISOsettingonyourcameracontrolsthelightsensitivityofyoursensor.It’sagreatgifttodigitalphotographersthatwecandial-up(ordialdown)howsensitivetolightourcameraisonaper-capturebasis—it’salotmoreconvenientthanhavingtofinisharolloffilmtochangethesensitivityofthecapturematerial.
ButwhynotjustdialyourcamerauptoitsmaximumISOforthemostlightsensitivity,andleaveitthere?Youprobablyalreadyknowtheanswer.IncreasingtheISOtoofarcompromisesthequalityofthephotosyoucreatebyintroducingnoise(seethesidebarbelowformoreaboutnoise).
ThelowertheISOyouuse,thelessnoiseyou’llget.Usually,youdon’twanttoseenoiseinlandscapephotos.Therefore,mostofthetimeIshootwithaslowanISOasmycameraallows,orneartoit—thismeansshootingatISO100orISO200.OnesituationinwhichI’llcertainlyshootataslowanISOaspossibleiswhenIwanttheexposuretouseaslongashutterspeedaspossible—forexample,incertainkindsofwaterfallcapturesasexplainedonpages118–123.
GettingbacktousingahighISO,insomecircumstanceswhenIknowIcan’tuseatripod—forexample,becauseitisrainingtoohardtokeepmycameraout—I’llboosttheISOsoIcanhandholdwithoutworryingaboutcameramovement.InthesesituationsifI’veboostedtheISO(generallyintothe400–1,000range),I’llalsousethehigherISOtofreezemotionwithafastershutterspeed.
TherearesomespecialsituationswhereusinganextremelyhighISO(2,000andabove)makessenseinlandscapephotography.Oneoftheseiswhenyouaretryingtocreateanintentionallypixelatedimage.Imagesthatarecreatedthiswaycanhaveanalmostimpressionisticeffect—andbeveryattractive,despitethegenerallybadreputationthatnoisehas!
NoiseandLandscapePhotography
Youcanthinkofdigitalnoiseasstaticontheline—similarinnaturetothestaticonesometimeshearsinanaudiobroadcast.Somedigitalnoiseisinevitable,althoughcamerasensorsaregettingagreatdealbetterabouttheir
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inevitable,althoughcamerasensorsaregettingagreatdealbetterabouttheirnoiselevels,andpost-processingsoftwareisimprovinginhowitcanhandlenoiseaswell.
Fromtheviewpointofthelandscapephotographer,thethreeleadingcausesofpreventablenoiseareusingahighISO(discussedinthissection),underexposing,andmakingexposuresthatarelongerthanabout8secondsinduration.Thecombinationoftwoorthreeofthesefactorsinthesamephotocanmaketheimageunusable.
AlthoughIrecommendslightlyunderexposinginlandscapephotos,particularlyinimagesthatcontainverybrightareas,suchastheskyatsunset,becarefulabouttoomuchunderexposurebecauseofthenoiseissue.Ifyoureallydoneedtosubstantiallyunderexposeanoverallimagetoavoidblowingoutthebrighterpartsofthelandscape,considershootingbracketedexposuresforHDR(explainedonpages208–217)togetaroundthisissue.
Regardinglongexposures,excessivenoisecanoftenbereducedbyturningonin-cameralongexposurenoisereduction.Thissettingcausesthecameratoshoota“darkframe”immediatelyfollowingyourlongexposure;itcanusethedarkframetocancelthenoisegeneratedbythesensorduringyourlongexposure.
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Idecidednottocarrymygearbagandtripodontotherain-sweptbeach.Alittlelater,asthesunbegantocomeout,IbegantowishIhadmytripod—butmadeupforitsomissionbyincreasingmyISOsubstantially(toISO640).
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IwatchedthedelicatecloudsovertheStraitsofFloridafromthewaterfrontinCojimar,Cuba,asmallfishingvillagethatHemingwaywroteaboutinTheOldManandtheSea.
AsIpre-visualizedthisphoto,Idecidedtotrytocreateanimagewithvisible“dots”—muchlikeanimpressionistorpointillistpainting.IboostedtheISOsubstantially(toISO2000),withtheplanofusingthenoisecausedbytheincreasedISOforthepointillisteffect.
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CapturingMotion
Theearthmovesaroundthesun,andthestarsdescribeanapparentarcintheheavens.Alltheworldaroundusisinmotion,somemovementsoslowastobeimperceptible,somesofast—likefallingwater—thatitwhizzesrightbyus.Shutterspeedisthecreativecontrolthatphotographersusetocontrolhowallthismotionisrendered.
I’vealreadyexplainedthatsettingtheshutterspeedisactuallysettingadurationoftime.Aslongasyoubearinmindthatshutterspeedisnotaspeedbutratheraninterval,thissettingisprettystraightforwardandshouldnotconfuseyou.Ashutterspeedof1/1000ofasecondistwiceaslongasashutterspeedof1/2000ofasecond.Ashutterspeedofonesecondis1000timesaslongas1/1000ofasecond.Andsoon.
Shutterspeedisyourcreativecontrolovermotion,butaswiththeaperturesetting,ifyouchangetheshutterspeedsettingyou’llneedtochangeeitherapertureorISOtokeeptheexposurevaluethesame.Onceagain,anexposureisanissueofbalance—andyoucan’tchangeonesettingwithoutchangingtheothersunlessyouarepreparedtochangetheoverallexposure.
Ifyouhaveasubjectinmotion—fallingwateristheclassiclandscapeexample—thenthereisahugedifferenceinhowyourphotowilllookdependingupontheshutterspeedyouuse.Fastshutterspeedswillstopthemovementofthewatercrisply,whilelongshutterspeedswillcreateaninterestingmotionblur.Thelongertheshutterspeed,thesofterandmorepronouncedtheblur.Shutterspeedsofabout1/250ofasecondorfastercreatecrisptrailsofwater,apparentlystoppinginitstracks.Shutterspeedsofabout1/10ofasecondorlongerturnflowingwaterintolong,delicatewhitetendrils,andshutterspeedsofoneortwosecondsorlongerwilltotallyblurwater—oftenquitepoetically.
Ofcourse,fallingwaterisn’ttheonlythingthatmovesinlandscapephotography.Grassblowsinthewind,asdoessandandsurf.Ifyouhavecarsinyourlandscape,theywillbemovingaswell.Cloudsmove,birdsmove,everythingmoves.Soitisimportanttolearnhowyourchoiceofshutterspeedwillchangethewaythesemovingsubjectsarerendered.Armedwiththis
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insight,youcanbetterpre-visualizeyourphotos—andchoosetheshutterspeedthatwillenableyoutoachievetheresultsyouhavepre-visualized!
Crouchingbesidethiswaterfall,IknewIwantedtousealongexposuretoturnthefallingwaterintoasilkenabstraction.Myideawasthatthisflowingeffectwouldcontrastnicelywiththehardedgeoftherockthatthewaterwasfallingagainst.Tocreatethiseffect,Istoppedthelensallthewaydown(tof/25),andusedaneutraldensityfiltertomaketheexposureaslongaspossible(2seconds).
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TocapturethemotionofthewaterflowingoverVernalFallsinYosemiteValley,Californiaonawindyspringday,Iusedafastshutterspeed(1/320ofasecond).
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Inthisphoto,thesegreathornedowlchickslookalmostasiftheyarestuffedandnotinmotion.Infact,Iobservedthisnestforhoursandthesebirdswereconstantlymoving—groomingeachother,snappingoverfoodbits,andcallingtotheirparents.
TheonlywaythatIwasabletogetashotshowingthemrelativelystillwastowaitpatientlyforamomentofcalmandthenuseareasonablyfastshutterspeed(1/250ofasecond).
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Ashutterspeedof1/200ofasecondwassufficienttorenderthisseagull,thebird’sshadow,andthebeachcrisply—eventhoughthecomposition
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involvesquiteabitofmotion.
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Onthisviolentdayatthebeach,ascouringwindblewstraightoffshoreintothelineofapproachingwaves.Afastshutterspeed(1/400ofasecond)wassufficienttostopthemotionofthewaveswithcrispness,butthesandonthebeachwasblowingsofastthatitblurredevenwhentheoceanspraydidnot.
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CompositionandLandscape
Whybenormal?Ifalandscapecompositionseemslikeitissomethingyou’veseenbefore,thenitprobablyistrite.Whynotputyourownnewtwistonit?Themainchallengeincomposinglandscapephotosistograbtheattentionofyourviewers.Ifpeoplethinkalandscapeimageisjust“thesameoldsameold,”thenyou’velostthebattlebeforeitiseventrulybegun.
Artistshavebeencomposinglandscapesaspaintingsorphotosforages,sobeingoriginalisnotaseasyasitmightseem.Intheprocessofcreatingallthislandscapework,compositionalprincipleshavearisen,suchasthewellknown“ruleofthirds.”Astheruleofthirdswouldhaveit,youshoulddivideyourcompositionusingagridintoverticalandhorizontalthirds.Keyelementsofthecompositionshouldthenbeplacedattheintersectionsoftheverticalandhorizontallines.Inotherwords,atthepositionsthatare1/3or2/3ofthewayuporacrossthecomposition.
Thiscompositionplacementmakessomevisualsenseinmanylandscapephotos,andyoushouldbeawareoftheruleofthirds,butnooneshouldtakeapreceptliketheruleofthirdsandfollowitblindly.
Theprimaryinsightyoushouldderiveisthatphotographiccompositionisthecraftoftakingthethree-dimensionalworldandprojectingitininterestingandintriguingwaysintoatwo-dimensionalspacethatis“framed”—meaningplacedwithintheborderofthephoto.Thisframeisinherentlyartificial,andsignalstotheviewerthatthereissomethingspecialwithintheframethatisworthpayingattentionto.Ofcourse,thiskindofframehasnothingtodowithapictureframe.
Asamatterofgeneralprinciples,goodphotographiccompositioninlandscapephotos:
Startswithanacknowledgementofthetwo-dimensionalityofthelandscapephotodespitethethree-dimensionalityoftheworld;thisimpliesrecognizingandworkingwiththeartificeinvolvedinartisticcomposition.Createssomekindofdramatic,visualmovementtodrawtheviewerin.Emphasizesthemostimportantelementsinthescene.Isawareofthehumandesireforbalanceandsymmetryandeitherplaystothesedesiresorintriguesbydenyingthem.
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Considerstherelationshipoftheimagetoitsframing.
NeartheoldminingtownofTrona,California,Icameuponthesenearlyabandonedrailroadtracksinaharshdesertlandscape.ThecompositionImadeismeanttoemphasizetheparallellinesleadingtheviewerontowardsthehorizoninanotherwiseemptylandscape.
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Herearesomeideasabouthowyoumightachievethesegoalsinthecontextoflandscapephotography:
Createanimagewithparallellinesthatseemstostretchwithnoendtowardsthehorizon.Thisdrawstheviewerinandmakesthemthinkabout
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theedgesofthephoto(theframe).Cropanimageunusuallyshowingthekeycompositionalelement—forexample,abreakingwaveorthecrestofmountains—ratherthantheextraneousdetailsofthelandscapesurroundingthekeyelement.Thisheightensthesenseofdramaintheimage,andmakestheviewerfocusonwhatisreallyimportantinthecomposition.Balancealong,recedingperspectivewithadifferentkindofvisualelementontheothersideofthecomposition.Useapath,road,orotherelementtodrawtheviewerintotheheartofthecomposition.Bisectthecompositionwithahorizontalline,andthenoffsetthehorizontalitywithaverticalelementthatseemstocutacrossthefirstline.Inotherwords,thekeyelementsofthecompositionformakindofcross.Inthisscenario,theverticalandhorizontalelementscouldofcoursebereversed.Usereflectionstomirrorthekeyelementinthecompositionaroundacentralaxis,creatingasenseofbalanceandsymmetry.Placeanunusualorunexpectedelementintheforegroundofanotherwiseconventionallandscape.
Asyouworkwithlandscapecompositions,you’llfindmanyideasforaddinginteresttoyourphotos.Someofthesearetoincludeanelementthatrepeats,tolookforpatterns,toseetheworldthroughaninternalframe—suchasawindow.Therearemanywaystoarriveatintriguinglandscapecompositions,soneverfeelthatyouhavetofollowonlyasinglepath.
Idofindthattheworldisfullofnoise,color,anddistractions.Sometimes,however,simplicityisthekeytogoodcompositions.Tohelpmeseethingsinasimplerway,Itrytoeliminateextraneouselements.Anexcellenttechniqueforimprovingcompositionalskillsistoworkmonochromatically.Withoutcolortodistract,andtoattractivelycloakthecomposition,thebonesofyourphotosaremuchclearer—anditishardertogetawaywithboringcompositions.
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IshottheroughwintersurfcomingintothegreatSouthBeachofPointReyes,Californiawithalonglens(200mm).
Lookingatthecomposition(right)Idecidedthattherealpointwasthecrashingwavewithitsmantleoffoam.
SoIcroppedthephotointoapanoramicformat(above).
Actually,theimageworksbothways.Butitisimportanttorealizethatyouarenotobligatedtopresentalandscapecompositionintheformatthatitcomesfromthecamerain.
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MatanzasissometimescalledtheVeniceofCubabecauseoftheriversandbridgesthatbisecttheplace.
WalkingacrossabridgeovertheMatanzasRiverinthelateafternoon,Imadesuretoframemycompositionsothatitincludedakayaker—tobalancethelongrecedinglinesofbuildingsontheright-handsideofthephoto.
Inmymind’seye,Ipre-visualizedthiscompositionasaCanalettopainting.CanalettowasagreatpainteroflandscapesofVenice,andthelightingandlinesofperspectivearesimilar,aswellasthethemeofacityofwaterandbridges.
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ForanunusualviewofYosemiteValleyfromInspirationPoint,Iincludedasnow-coveredmanzanitabushintheforeground—animportantpartofthecomposition.
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Thisphotofeaturesstrongdiagonallines(thefoldsinthehills)thatmeetahorizontalelement(themountainsinthedistance).Butneitheroftheseelementswouldbesufficienttocreateacompellingcompositionwithoutthewindingfootpaththatleadstheeyeacrossthegentlysculptedhillstowardsthefog-boundlandscapeinthedistance.
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ThisrockanditsperfectreflectionintheMercedRiverformanabstractcomposition—almostasiftherockhadbeenplannedandinstalledassculpture.
Forthiskindofcompositiontowork,thereflectionshouldbeverystrong—whichcanoftenbeachievedifotherconditionsarerightbyusingapolarizingfilter.
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LandscapesandLighting
Asopposedtosomeotherkindsofphotography—suchasstilllifeandstudioportraits—landscapephotosaremadealmostexclusivelyusinglightthatthephotographerdoesn’tsupply.Thiskindoflightingissometimescalledavailableorambient.
Whenworkingwithavailablelight,theroleofthephotographerismorepassivethanincaseswherethephotographeractivelysetsuplighting.Essentially,thisroleconsistsofbeingintherightplaceattherighttime,readytoshoot.Ifthissoundstrivialoreasy,anyonewhoshootslandscapesextensivelywillquicklytellyouthatitisnot.
Theverylackofcontroloverlightingmeansthatyourabilitytoplanyourshotsiscrucial(seepage144forsomeinformationaboutplanningtools).Youneedtohaveagoodsenseofhowweathermoves,anditsimpactonlighting(workingwithweatherisdiscussedonpage142).Inmanycases,youmustbeabletomoveveryquicklytoachievegreatlandscapeimagery.Pause,orblink,forasecondandtheshotmaybegone.
Mostofall,youneedaninstinctivesenseforlighting.Thismeansunderstandingthedirection,intensity,andqualityofthelightyouhavetoworkwith.Aslightchangeincameraposition,lens,orexposuresettingcanhugelyimpactthewaythelightingworksinyourphoto,andtransformamundaneshotintoamasterfullandscape.
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ThisisashotofHorseTailFallsinYosemiteValley,California,litbythesunafterithasset,inaphenomenonsometimescalledalpenglow.FamouslandscapephotographerGalenRowellfirstcapturedtheevent,whichoccurstowardstheendofFebruarywhenweatherconditionsarerightandsnowmeltissufficientforwatertoplungeovertheupperslopesofElCapitan.
Thesedays,manyphotographersmakeapilgrimagetophotographthislightingphenomenon,andIhavebeenthereonanumberofdifferentyears.Thisshotisfrommyinitialvisit.Likemostoftheotherphotographers,Ihadalreadypackedmybagswhenthelightingstartedtoglow.Iturnedaroundandwasabletosnapthisimage—withthetake-awaythatphotographers(includingmyself)areoftentoohastyandnotpatientenoughtowaitforthebestlighting.
200mm,1/13ofasecondatf/5.6andISO200,tripodmounted
Allthistakespatience,andthepracticeofcloseobservationoflightingconditions.Thiskindofmindfulnesscanbelearned.Whilethereisnosubstituteforspendingagreatdealoftimeinthefieldobserving,practicing,and
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forspendingagreatdealoftimeinthefieldobserving,practicing,andphotographing,hereareafewgeneralthoughtsthatusuallyholdtrueinlandscapephotography:
Manylandscapephotoscanonlybemadeduringtheso-called“goldenhours”—theperiodoftimethatextendsfromshortlybeforetoshortlyaftersunsetorsunrise.Goldenhourlightingisbeautifullighting.Youshouldaimtobeinpositionforlandscapephotographyduringgoldenhouratdawnandatsunset(sunriseisusuallyshorterthantheoneatsunset).It’sokaytosleepthemiddleofthedayaway!Bright,cloudlessskiesinthemiddleofthedayusuallyresultinlandscapeswithboringandharshlighting.Butbearinmindthatharshlightingworksforsomekindsoflandscapecompositions(seeexampleonpage66).Thebeginningorendofamassivestormoftengeneratesgreatlightingforlandscapes.Butbecareful:stormscanbedangerous,andbeingintherightplacetogettheshotcantakeluckandtiming.
Bepatient!It’seasytoleaveascenetoosoonandmissthebestlighting,whichcansometimestakelongertodevelopthanonemightthink.
Gettingalandscapephotowiththerightlightingcanseemeasy,andsometimesitisjustamatterofluck.Butconsistentlyproducinggoodlandscapephotostakesagreatdealmorethanluck.Itrequireshardwork,persistence,planning,andagreateyeforlighting.
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Forabriefinstant,thesunsetlitthiscloudaboveMonoLakeineasternCalifornia.Iwasinpositionandready,andswiftlymademyexposure.
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LookingdownattheMercedRiverfromStonemanBridgeinYosemiteValley,California,Isawthatthereflectionsoftheforestonthevalleyfloorhadtakenonbeautifulcolors.Therewasnowind,andthewaterwasstill,soImadealongexposure(1second)thatcapturedthegloriouslightingthatIwasobserving.
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Iwantedtocreateanimageshowingthebeautifullightinthecloudswhilealsoshowingsomedetailsintheforeground.IknewIcouldn’tdothisinasingleexposure,soIbracketedmyshutterspeedacrossanumberofexposures,andcombinedtheresultsinthedigitaldarkroom(seepages200–207).
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18mm,circularpolarizer,tenexposuresranginginexposuretimefrom1/10ofasecondto1/200ofasecond,eachexposureatf/11andISO200,tripodmounted
InthissunsetviewoftheGoldenGateBridgeandSanFrancisco,California,thelargecontainershipaddstothecompositionbymovingtheeyeinacontrastingdirectiontotheother,prevailinglinesinthelandscape.
IwasinpositiononHawkHillintheMarinHeadlandslongbeforesunset.Foralongtime,Ithoughtthelightwouldbetoodulltocreateaninterestinglandscapeimage.Then,shortlyaftersunset,gloriouslightcaressedthetopsofthebuildingsindowntownSanFrancisco.Isnappedmyphoto,andtheninaninstantthelightwasgone.
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WorkingwithWeather
Ifyouneverventureoutinbadweather,thenyou’llneverbetherewhenthebadweatherends—oftenoneofthebesttimesforlandscapephotography.Doesthismeanthatifitstartstorainyoushouldpickupyourcameraandtripodandheadforyourfavoritelandscape?Well,no.
Itpaystobethoughtfulabouttheweather.Ifitisrainingsolidlyforaweek,there’sprobablynopointinvisitingtheworld’smostmagnificentlandscapes.Today’stools—suchasweatherinformationontheInternet—helpgiveyouanideaofwhatyoucanexpectintermsofbothdurationandintensity.
Ialsobelievethatgood,old-fashionedintuitionandcommonsenseabouttheweatherplayarole.IfIamgoingtobeactivelyphotographinginanarea,Iliketotrytoformanunderstandingofhowtheweathersystemsintheareaoperate.Weathermapshelponetracktheprogressofstormfronts.Iparticularlyliketobeinalocationasthestormfrontisbreakingup.
Ifyouaregoingtobephotographingduringbadweather,itisvitaltokeepyourselfwarmanddry.Youcannotexpecttodogoodworkifyouaren’tcomfortable.Furthermore,itisanot-so-well-knownfactthatthemajorityofhypothermiadeathsoccuratcomparativelywarmtemperatures.Wetweatherwhenthemercuryisinthelow50sFahrenheitcanbeextremelydangerousbecausethecoldcansneakuponyou.Breathable,waterprooflayersaretheanswer.
Ofcourse,youalsoneedtokeepyourcameraequipmentdryinsnoworrainyconditions.Irecommendawaterproofcoveringforyourcamerabag.Somecamerabackpackscomewiththiskindofwaterproofcoveringinaspecialpocket,andyoucanpullitoutwhenyouneedit.Otherwise,investinaseparate,fullywaterproofcover.
Takingyourcameraoutintherainisthetrickypart.Itisbesttogolightongearinthesekindsofconditions.It’seasiertoprotectasinglecameraandlensthanitistodealwithmorecomplicatedequipment.Ifthingsarereallywet,I’llsometimesevenforgothetripod,andboostmyISOsoIcangettheshotsIwant(seepages114–115foranexample).
Ifyoudoneedtohaveyourcameraoutinwetweather,itshouldbeprotected.I
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Ifyoudoneedtohaveyourcameraoutinwetweather,itshouldbeprotected.Ifindthatasimpleplasticbag,orashowercap,worksaswellasanycoveringthatisspeciallydesignedforthissituation.
IdrovethelongdirtroadtothePatriarchGroveofbristleconepinesintheWhiteMountainsofeasternCalifornia.Thesetreesaretheworld’soldestlivingthings.AsIprogressed,stormcloudsgathered.Rainbegantofall.BythetimeIreachedthesetrees,Ifearedthetripwouldbewashed-out.Thenthesunbrokethroughtheclouds,andIsetmycameraupjustintimetocapturethisrainbow.
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PlanningTools
Fortunefavorsthepreparedmind!AsI’vementioned,youmayhaveonlyaveryshortamountoftimetogettheperfectshot.Itthereforepaystodoasmuchadvanceplanningaspossible,particularlyifyouhaveaspecificshotinmind.
I’vealreadyexplainedtheimportanceoflearningasmuchasyoucanaboutlikelyweatherconditions(seepage142).WhatyoumaynotknowisthatmobiledevicessuchasiPhonesandiPadsaregreatforplanninglandscapeshoots.Thefactthatthesedevicesarewirelessmeansthatyoucanusetheminthefield—nomoretryingtoplanalengthyandcomplexseriesoflandscapephotographysessionswithinsufficientreal-timedata.
TheappsIusetoplanmyshootsincludetideApp(tidetablesforanywhere),VisiMoon(advancedmoonphasecalculator),andparticularlyThePhotographer’sEphemeris(TPE).
WithTPE,youpickalocationanddateandyoucanlearnwhenthesunandmoonriseandset,whentherewillbedaylight,andwhentwilightends.Theapplicationwillalsotellyouwhattheprecisedirectionofthesunandmoonarewhentheyset(fromthisyoucanfigureoutthedirectionofthelighting).Anadvancedfeatureistheabilitytoaddinclinationtothedata,soyoucanfigureout(forexample)whenthemoonwillriseoveraparticularmountain.
TPEandothermobiletoolsaregreat,andmaketheprocessofplanninglandscapephotographyalittlelesshit-or-miss.Theonlydangerisgettingsocaughtupinreal-timeplanningthatoneforgetstophotograph!
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ThePhotographer’sEphemerisisagreatplanningtoolforlandscapephotography.Usingit,youcandetermineinadvanceforanylocationthetimeanddirectionofphenomenaincludingmoonriseandset,andsunriseandset.
ThetrekuptheVirginRiverthroughtheVirginNarrowsinZionNationalPark,Utahisalwayswonderful—andvery,verywet.Forsafetyreasons,itisimportanttocheckweatherconditionstomakesurethereisnochanceofthunderstormsfallingupstreamtoproducedangerousflashfloodingconditions.
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OneWorld,ManyLandscapes
IcreatedthisimagebyshootingnorthfromnearFurnaceCreekinDeathValleyNationalParkduringthedarkofthemooninlateFebruary.IsetmycamerauponabluffwhereIdidn’tthinkitwouldbedisturbed.IusedaportableACpowersupplyandanACadaptersoIhadenough“juice”tolastformanyhoursofcontinuousphotography,thensetthecameraonManualexposureandBulb.Iusedanintervalometer—aprogrammableremotetimer—toshoottheimagesthroughmostofthenight.WhilethecamerawasworkingIwasevenabletogetsomesleep!
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SeasonsandaSenseofPlace
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Inthesummertime,athighaltitude,wildflowersburstintocolor—likethislupineIfoundinmid-AugustnearTuolumneMeadowsintheHighSierras.
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Inlandscapephotographyseasonsmatter—averygreatdeal!WhenIamplanningatrip,oronlocationshooting,oneofthefirstthingsIthinkaboutistheseason.Someofmyconsiderationsareprettyobvious:inwinterthereissnowontheground,inspringflowersareinbloom,andinautumntherearefallen,colorfulleaves.Buttheimportanceofseasonalitytolandscapephotographygoesbeyondtheobvious,andisacrucialaspectofthesenseofplacethatispalpableinsuperiorlandscapephotographs.
Landscapephotographydoesnotexistinavacuum.Infact,ourresponsetoalandscapeimageisinextricablyboundupwithhowwellthatphotospeakstooursenseofplace.Alandscapephotothatdoesn’thaveastrongsenseofplaceisbanal.Thiskindofwishy-washyimagemayworkinastockphotothatisintendedforgenericusage,butitwillnotbethekindofphotothathasemotionalresonance.
Therearemanydifferentkindsofplacesthatcanprovidespecificitytoalandscapephoto:intimateviews,grandlandscapes,mountainsandoceans,junglesanddeserts.Inallofthesekindsoflandscapes,theseasonplaysanimportantroleinconvincingtheviewerthatwhattheyareseeingdepictsanactualplaceataspecifictime.
Somewhatparadoxically,whilethebestlandscapephotosdohavespecificity,theyalsohaveanemotionalresonancethatgoesbeyondthespecific—andheadstowardsaPlatonicidealofthesubjectmatter.Greatimagesofmajesticmountainsremindusofthewaymountainsshouldbe,ifonlywecouldbeintherightplaceattherightseason!
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SpringwildflowersmakethecoastofCaliforniabeautifulbeyondcompare;thesceneshownherewithitscarpetofyellowblossomsandaruggedcoastlineisatthewesterntipofthePointReyespeninsula.
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Beyondtheflowers-in-spring,snow-in-winteraspectofseasonalityinlandscapes,therearemanymoresubtlewaysinwhichtheseasonisimportanttothelandscapephotographer.
Anoverlookedaspectofseasonalityisthewayitimpactslightinginlandscapephotos.Theangleofthesunisdifferentindifferentseasons.Forexample,inwinter,lightingcomesfromalowangle,andiftherearenoclouds,itisharsherthanatothertimesofyear.
Thetimeofyearaffectswherethesunandmoonriseandsetonthehorizon,andalsohowearlyorlatethishappens—withthechangesinthisgeometrybeingofgreatermagnitudethefurtheroneisfromtheequator.
Ifyouareshootingearlyinthemorningorlateintheafternoon—asissooftenthecasewithlandscapephotography—thetimeofyearimpactsnotonlysunandmoonandoverallqualityoflight,butalsotheotherastronomicalbodiesthatyoumaybeabletocaptureduringtwilight.
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maybeabletocaptureduringtwilight.
Asapracticalmatter,ImakecarefulnoteoftheseasonwhenIamgoingonlocationwiththreepointsinmind:
AretherespecialfeaturesofthelandscapeIshouldbelookingfor,e.g.,springflowers,snow,orautumnleaves?Howdoestheseasonimpactthequalityoflight?Willmydaysbeshortorlong,andhowdoestheseasonchangethelengthoftheprocessofthesunsetting(orrising)?
Youmightnotexpectittobetrue,butitis:somekindsofphotographyareactuallyeasierwhenthedaysareshorter.Forexample,Idon’thavetowaitupsolatetobeginmynightphotography!Inaddition,itisoftenthecasethatcoldweatherinwinterandearlyspringcanproduceatmosphericconditionsofhugeclarity.
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AthighaltitudenearWhitneyPortal,California,inmid-Octoberthesignsofautumnwereallaroundme.IcomposedthisimageofLonePineCreektoemphasizethefallenleavesintheforeground,sotheseasonalityofthephotoisveryclear.
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Itdoesn’toftensnowinthecoastalrangesofCalifornia.SowhenthisdramaticwintersnowstormdustedtheselowmountainsIknewIhadtotakeadvantageoftheweather.Noonecouldseethisscenewithoutrealizingthatitwastakeninwinter.
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EarthandSky
Wecallthem“landscapes”—butmanyofthebestlandscapephotosdon’thavemuch“land”inthem.Waterandskyareasimportanttolandscapeastheground.
Afterall,we’velongsinceinternalizedtheconceptthatourworldismorethanaflatplane.Weknowthattheearthisaroundglobetravelingthroughspace.It’sintriguingtopicturethelandscapeinthecontextofthesky:clouds,andhowtheyrelatetoearth-boundformations,theheavens,andthemajestyofthestarsastheygyratethroughthenight.
Evenwhenalandscapephotoisrestrictedinsubjectmatterto“terrafirma,”theviewpointofexcitingphotostendstobeunusualoroffbeat.Afterall,there’snothingveryinterestingtomostpeopleinamundanelandscapethattheyseeeveryday.
Tofindunusualviewpoints—whichamountstoathresholdbarthatyouneedtocrosstocreateexcitinglandscapephotos—youcanincludeunusualatmosphericorweatherconditionsinyourphoto,orincludethecontextoftheearthasasphericalobject,orpointyourcamerastraightattheearth,butfromanovelangle.
Forexample,mostpeopledon’tusuallyseethelandscapestraightdowninanaerialviewfromabove.Aerialphotographyturnsnormallandscapesintovastpatternsthatcouldbemacroshotsuntilyouunderstandthescaleofwhatyouarelookingat.
Moreintherealmofeverydaylandscapephotography,bothwideangleandtelephotolensescantransformmundanerealitybychangingtheapparentrulesofperspective.Inthehandsofsomeonewhoknowstheiroptics,youcanlookatalandscapephotoandseeplacesinentirelynewways.
Iamalwayscognizantthatthemostinterestingaspectofmanylandscapephotosiswhattheysayabouttherelationshipoftheearthandsky—eitherinthedirectportrayalintheimageorwhenyoustopandthinkaboutwhatyouareseeing.Withthisinmind,whentakinglandscapephotosItryto:
Emphasizetheroleoftheskyasanequalpartnerwiththeearthinmy
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composition.Choosemyangleofviewcarefullytorevealvisualaspectsofthelandscapecompositionthatarenotobviousatfirstglance.Selectmychoiceoflensandfocallengthwiththeimpactuponthelandscapeimageinmind(seepages82–93formoreaboutlenschoice).
HikingaroundthecircumferenceofMountTamalpais,California,theseaofcloudsmademefeelasifIwerethelastpersonleftaliveintheworld.In
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thedistance,MountDiabloroseabovetheclouds,theonlylandmarkpokingthroughthevastcoverblanketingSanFranciscoBay.
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Fromtheopenwindowofasmallairplane,IshotstraightdownattheearthcoveredwithsnowintheAlaskanwinter;therivershownherewascompletelyfrozen,withthebendintheriverandislandmakinganeatabstractpattern.Youdon’treallyknowitisalandscapeuntilyoulookatitforawhile.
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SurroundedbythemagnificentrockformationsofValleyofFireStateParkinNevada,Isetmycameraupforthenight,andpointeditnorth.Asthenightworeon,IbecameincreasinglyconcernedaboutthelightpollutionfromthecityofLasVegas,airplanetraveltoandfromMcCarranairport,andtheincreasingcloudcover.However,whenIprocessedtheimageIwaspleasedtofindthattheseworrisomeelementsactuallyseemedtoaddtothecomposition.
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Mountains
Mountainsarewheretheearthmeetsthesky,andarethusaspecialplaceintheheartsoflandscapephotographersandthosewholovethewilderness.There’snodoubtthatsomeofthemostdramaticlandscapesareinthemountains.
However,thewildernesslandscapeofthemountainsisoftennothospitableterrain.EventhoughthealpinemeadowsinTheSoundofMusicseemplacid,trulymountainousterrainisruggedandsnowboundandshowsthecataclysmicandtortuousgyrationsoftheearthwhenlookedatfromageologictimeperspective.
Complexlandscapesofupthrustigneousrockcombinedwithglaciatedareasandvastfieldsofsnowmaybeinterestingtogeologistswhostudythebonesoftheearth,buttheseelementswillmostlyseemajumbletoviewersofaphotographunlessthereisanorganizingprincipleinthecomposition.
Thehighmountains,particularlyinwildernessareas,areoneofmyfavoriteplacestobe—butIrecognizethattheseruggedandremoteareasarenoteveryone’scupoflandscapetea.
There’salsothequestionofhowyougettotheseplaceswhilecarryingcameragear.Sometimesyoucanflyovermountainstogetphotos,butmostoftenthisisanarduouslaborofloveperformedonfoot.
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BannerPeak,intheheartoftheAnselAdamsWildernessareaintheSierrainCalifornia,glowswiththelastlightofthesettingsun.Astheseasonprogresses,thisvistawillchange,andalakedottedwithislands—aptlynamedThousandIslandLake—willberevealed.
TrekkingthroughthemountainstoalocationevenasrelativelybenignasMountBannerisoftenanarduousaffair.TogettothespotwhereIsnappedthisphotoIfordedrushingcreeks,climbedasnowbridgeoverawaterfallfarbelow,andcrossedovermilesofsnowfields.Laterintheseasonitwouldhavebeenmucheasier,astheareaiscrossedbytheJohnMuirTrail,sometimesderisivelyreferredtobythehardcoreas“TheJohnMuirSuperhighway.”
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Itrytoconveymyloveofmountainsandthewildernessinmylandscapecompositionsusingthesestrategies:
Showinganinterestingskyalongwiththemountainousearth
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UsingtheforegroundtocaptureanelementsuchasaflowerthathelpshumanizethescaleofthesceneryCapturingmountainsfromadistancetoallowtheviewertogetasenseofagreaterformationTryingtocreatea“symphonic”presentation,sothegrandeurofthemountainsprevailsovertheapparentchaos;forexample,fromadistance,aglaciercanseemtobeakindof“highway”
DawnstrikesMountWhitney,thetallestpeakinthecontinentalUnitedStates,fromtheeast,leavingthelowerelevationsstillindeepshadow.
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ThisaerialphotoshowsaformationknownastheMoosesToothintheforeground,withDenalibehindit.(TheofficialdesignationomitstheapostrophefromMoosesTooth.)Iwasleaningoutthewindowofasmallplanetotakethisphoto.Thepilotdidn’tseemveryconfident—hekepttellingmeaboutthebadaircurrentsaroundDenaliandthathehadn’tdonetoomuchofthiskindofflyingbefore.ItriedtoignorehisrunningcommentarywhileIconcentratedonthesymphoniclandscapearoundme.
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85mm,1/1000ofasecondatf/4,scannedfroma35mmKodachrome64slide,handheld
ThisisashotofRuthGlacier,oneofthemanyglaciersthatformaninterlockingsystemaroundDenaliinAlaska.
Leaningoutofasmallplane,withthewindwhistlingpastme,lookingdownatthismagnificenthighwayoficeandrock,Ifeltasifheroicmusicwasplayingallaroundme.Thepatternoftheglacialhighwayseemedtogoonforever—andindeedRuthGlacierdoesextendmanymilesinlength.
Ofcourse,whenIshotthisphoto(inthe1980s)wedidthinktheglacierswouldgoonforever,andhadnoconceptofglobalwarming.I’msureacontemporaryphotowouldrevealaglacierthathasshrunkconsiderably.
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Deserts
Notopographyismorebarren,andnolandscapemoreextreme,thanthedesert.Nonetheless,desertsareveryfertilegroundsforlandscapephotographers—becauseoftheirextremeandstarknature.
Perhapsmorethaninanyotherkindoflandscapephotography,youneedtobeproperlypreparedfordesertphotography.Inthesummer,thismeansprotectingyourselffromtheheat,bringingplentyofwater,andbeingextremelycarefulaboutnavigationandtopography.Andinthewinter,particularlyatelevationsabove5,000feet,desertterraincanbeastoundinglycold.
Somyfirstruleofdesertphotographyistoavoidsummerheatandmid-winterchill.Thebesttimesofyearfordesertphotographyarespringandfall.InNorthAmerica,I’dsaylateFebruarythroughmid-May,andmid-Septemberthroughmid-November,dependingonexactlywhereyouareplanningtophotograph.
NomatterwhenIgotothedesert,Itakecaretoprotectmyphotographicgearfromextremesofweather,andfromdustandsand.
Besidespickingatimeofyearinwhichtheweatherisrelativelytemperate,herearesomeofthethingsIlookforwhenIamgoingonlocationtophotographthedesert:
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Thishighdesert,sagebrushenvironmentismadevisuallyinterestingbecauseofthepatterneddustingwithsnow.Indesertatelevatedaltitudes,itisnotunusualtoseesnowinthewintermonthsdespitetheoveralllackofprecipitationbecausedaysandnightsarebitterlycold—sowhatsnowthereislingersalongtimedependinguponpatternsofsunandwind.
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Stormsinverydryenvironmentsprovideanopportunityforexcitingphotos—somyadviceistogetreadyforphotographywhenyouseeinclementweatherbrewingneararidterrain.ItwascleartometheminuteIsniffedtheozoneandsawthecloudcoverthatrainbowswerelikely,soIwasreadyforthemwithapolarizingfiltermountedonmylenstoenhancethesaturationofthecolorsintherainbow.
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Weatherconditionsthatarevaried;thedesertlandscapeisoftenmostinterestingbefore,during,andafterstormsTexturesandpatterns,writbothlargeandsmall;forexample,thedetailsinthepatternsofshadowsonasanddune(small)orthecontrastbetweensnowandsagebrushesonadistantdesertmountainsideLocationsthatprovideforegroundinterestsothatmylandscapescanbringtheviewerintoalargerlandscape,butalsofindsomerelieffromthevast,emptyspacesofthedesert
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IshotthisimageoflateafternoonshadowsinCoralPinkSandDunesStateParkinUtahneartheArizonaborder.Carryingphotoequipmentintosanddunescanbetricky,becausesandisdangeroustocameras.However,sanddunesoftenareplaceswhereonecanfindveryinterestingpatterns,particularlyintheearlymorningorlateafternoon.
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VisitingGreatSandDunesNationalParkinColoradoinlatespring,Iwasstruckbyhowthewindhad“combed”thesandintoneatlinesofwaves.TrudgingoverasandduneIsawsomeflowersholdingtheirownagainstthesandandwind,andknewIhadtomakeanimage.
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Seascapes
Aslongastherehavebeenartistscapturingthelandscapetheirimageshaveincludedtheocean.Intimesgonebytheworld’scommercetravelledbywater,naviesruledtheworld,andwhalesfurnishedthefuelpeoplereadby.Theexperienceofshipwreckwascommon—everyoneknewsomeonewhohadbeenwrecked.Sotheawesomeforceoftheoceanwasterrifying,andaproxyforallthosemajesticforcesofnaturethatwerebeyondone’scontrol.Nowondertheoceanwassuchanimportantsubjectforsomuchart!
Intoday’sworld,theoceannolongerplaysquiteascrucialaroleintheconnectivityofpeoplesandcommerce.However,itremainsagreatsubjectforphotographersandotherartists.
Alwayschanging,neverthesametwice,calmordramatic,aseascapeisthecanvasuponwhichthelandscapephotographercanpracticehisorhermasteryoffundamentalcomposition.
WhenIgoonlocationtophotographseascapes:
IchecktidetablesandweatherforecastssoIcanaccuratelyassesswhatconditionsarelikelytobeIneverturnmybacktotheocean,andalwaysputsafetyfirst;itisneverworthtakingchancesinordertogetaphoto,anditdoesn’tpaytounderestimatethepoweroftheoceanI’mawarethattheseasprayandsandybeachescanrepresentanextremehazardtophotographicgearIpackapolarizingfilternearthetopofmybagIlookforpatternsandshapesthatexemplifythefundamentalnatureofwavesasabuildingblockforlight,sound,andmanyotherforcesintheuniverse
Atlowtide,thereareinterestingpondsandshallowstophotographintheintertidalzone.Athightide,orwhenthetideiscomingin,thesurfisatitsmostferociousandelemental.Let’sfaceit:wavesarealwaysexcitingtophotograph,andincludingaruggedcoastlinecanonlyenhancealandscapeimage.
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IshotthisimagefromabluffaboveDrakesBeach,inPointReyesNationalSeashore,California.DrakesBaycanproduceinterestingwavesbecausetheprevailingwinddirectionopposesthedirectionofthesurf—aneffectyoucanseehereinthemiddlelineofwaveswhichisactuallyheadedoutwardstowardsthetopmostwave.
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Heavysurfwarningswereinthenews.Hardrainwasdrivingpoundedsurfintothestorm-boundshoreoftheNorthernCaliforniacoastline.Icarefully
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pulledmytelephotolensout,tryingtosheltermyequipmentfromtheweather,andsnappedthisphotofromacoastobservationpoint,thenquicklygottheexpensivepieceofglassbackintoitsprotectivebag.
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ThisimageoftheTomalesPointforkofPointReyes,Californiaisagoodillustrationofaseascapethatmanagestocapturethefeelingofthecurvatureoftheearth.Inotherwords,lookingatthislandscapeitisnothardtofeelthattheworldisindeedroundbecauseofthecurvedhorizonlinesonboththelandandwater.
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PeopleandLandscapes
LeaningovertheedgeoftheparapetofthenewHooverDamBypassBridge,Iusedmyfisheyelenstoshootavertigo-inducingviewoftheHooverDam.Iwasparticularlyinterestedtoincludetheshadowofthebridgeitselfasanimportantelementofthecomposition.
Bytheway,alittleresearchshowsthatinadditiontohisgreatlandscapes,AnselAdamsenjoyedmakingheroicimagesofimportantfeatsofengineeringsuchasthisveryHooverDam.
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Thetruthis,itisn’tsoeasyanymoretofindalandscapethatdoesn’thavepeople,oratleastsometracesofpeopleinit.I’vebeenthere,inAlaska,inthehighSierra,andinotherremoteplaces—butyoureallyhavetoworktofindplacesthatappearpristine,withoutanysignthatpeoplehavebeenthere.
Ifyoudon’tbelieveme,lookaroundcarefullynexttimeyouareinthewilderness.Thenwaitfornightfall—ifyoudidn’tfindevidenceofcivilizationduringtheday,youwillalmostcertainlyseeairplanesandsatellitesatnight.
Itisn’treallyclearthatlandscapeswithoutpeoplearesuchagoodthing.Thetruthisthathavingpeopleortheirworksinalandscapephotocangreatlyaddtotheinterestoftheimage.
Therearemanykindsoflandscapephotosthatinvolvebuildingsandpeople.Cityphotographyisoneobviousexample(seepages186–189).Butyoualsowouldn’tthinktophotographalandscapewithquaintcastlesandancienttowns
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—suchasyoufindinpartsofEurope—withoutincludingthesestructuresinsomeofyourphotos.Anotherkindoflandscapewithpeoplecreatescompositionsthatcontrastthebeautyofthehumanformwiththebeautyofthenaturallandscape,tocreateimagesthatmaybemorebeautifulthaneitheralone.
FollowingarockslideinYosemiteValley,crepuscularraysfromthemorningcreatedfascinatinglightingeffectsamongtheredwoodtreesonthevalleyfloor.Ishotmanyvariationsonthisimage,buttheonewiththefellowphotographerinitseemedtogiveasenseofscaletothetrees—anditworksbetterformeasanimagethantheversionwithoutpeople.
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Myrecommendationistobeopenmindedaboutthedefinitionof“landscape.”
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Therearemanythingsyoumightnotthinktophotographifyoutakeapurist’sviewoflandscapephotographythatareactuallyquitevisuallyinteresting.Furthermore,inmanycontextstheadditionofafigure,town,orhumanartifactcanreallygiveasenseofscaletoyourlandscape.
Asalandscapephotographer,itisfunformetoplaywiththedifferencethatpeoplehavemade.Insomelandscapes,notsomuch—butifyouarephotographingtheHooverDam(page176),thedifferencepeoplehavemadeishuge!ItwouldtakemorethanPhotoshoptoshowthisportionoftheColoradoRiverwithoutpeople(seepages180–181foranexampleofrestoringalandscapetoitspristinestateusingPhotoshop).
InthisviewofshadowsandrockformationsinthePariahWildernessontheUtah-Arizonaborder,myshadowgivesthelandscapeasenseofscale.
Isometimesliketoaddasmallself-portraitcloakedasashadow,orhiddeninareflection,tomylandscapeimagery—asawayofsaying“Iwasthere!”
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It’shardtophotographinaplacelikeYosemiteValleywithoutgettingvisitorsinyourshots,particularlyonasunnydaylateinspring.
TheoriginalversionofthisphotoshowstheobservationareanexttothetopofVernalFallsonafinespringday.Therearefolkswalkingaround,lookingatthesceneryandtakingpictures.Afencekeepsthemsafe,awayfromtheragingtorrent.
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Idecidedthatitwouldreallybeinterestingtoseethislandscapevistawithoutpeople,thewayaNativeAmericanfivehundredyearsagomighthaveviewedit.Voilà,acoupleofmouseclickslater—andPhotoshophaschangedtheworld!Thepeopleandthefenceareallgone.Now,there’snothingtostopmefromstandingattheverybrinkofVernalFallstomakemyphoto,asI’veoftenwantedtodo.
Both:25mm,1/200ofasecondatf/10andISO200,handheld
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Reflections
Reflectionsareoneofmyfavoritethingstophotograph.Includingareflectioninalandscapeautomaticallyincreasestheinterestoftheresultingphoto,solocatingsourcesofreflectivity—usuallywaterinlandscapes—thatcanbeorganicallyintegratedintoyourlandscapecompositionsshouldbeatoppriority.
Thebestreflectionsoccurwhenthepredominantlightsourceisnottooharsh,forexample,towardstheendoftheday.Ideally,forthebestreflections,lightshouldbecomingfromaboveandbehindthecamera,andtotheleftortheright.Inthisscenario,ifyoudrewalinefromthecameratothereflection,andalinefromthelightsourcetothereflection,thecameratolightsourceanglewouldbeabout35degrees(seethediagrambelow).
Onceyou’velocatedabodyofwaterthatisreflecting,there’sanissueastowhetherthewaterisinmotion.Ifthewaterismoving,thereflectionsmaynotbeashighqualityasifthewaterisstill.Inaddition,youmayneedtouseafastshutterspeedtostopthemotionofthewater(seepages118–123).Dependingonthespecificsituation,thismaymeanyoudon’thavesufficientdepth-of-fieldforagivencomposition(seepages106–113formoreaboutapertureanddepth-of-field).Theconclusiontobedrawnfromthisisthatstillwatersnotonlyrundeep,theyarealsobestforphotography!
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ThecolorsinthisreflectioninLakeTenayaintheSierrasofCaliforniaseemmorevividthanthe“real-life”counterpartsonthelakeshore.
18mm,circularpolarizer,1/60ofasecondatf/8andISO200,tripodmounted
Ialmostinvariablyfindthatusingapolarizingfiltercanimprovethevividnessandsaturationofreflections—andthisisoneofthefewfiltersthatworksbetteronyourcamerathanwhenappliedafterthefactinthedigitaldarkroom.Infact,thereisalmostnopracticalwaytorecreatetheimpactofapolarizerinpost-processing,soplantouseoneinthefieldinsituationswhereitenhancestheimage.
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WanderingindowntownOakland,California,withmycamera,Ihappenedtolookacrossthecanyonof“Broadway”andnoticedthesereflectionsinthewindowsoftheofficestoryontheotherside.
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IcameacrossthisstillpondwhilewanderingonsnowshoesinYosemiteValley,Californiainthewinter,andimmediatelydecidedthatthereflectionsmadethescenelooklikeawinterypoem.Theintricatepatternsofasnow-coveredtreeareneatlycaughtandreflectedinapond,whilethewholecompositionis“framed”ontheleftandrightbyout-of-focustrees.
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TheCityasLandscape
IshotthisviewofManhattanlookingdowntowntowardstheEmpireStateBuildingandtheWorldTradeTowersfromthedeckoftheRockefellerobservatoryinthe1980s.
20mm,2secondsatf/16,scannedfroma35mmKodachrome25slide,tripodmounted
Iknowthatyou’regoingtolookatmeasthoughI’mkindofweirdwhenIsaythatIenjoyshootingcitiesaslandscapes.(Well,youalreadyknowthatIloveshootingcitiesifyou’vegottenthisfarthroughmybook!)Inthiskindofphotography,basicallyyouignorepeople.Youpretendtheyaren’tthere.
Treatingcitiesaslandscapestakesabitofimagination.Maybesomekindofsuperapocalypticeventhasmadeallthepeoplevanish,leavingthebuildingsintact(Icertainlyhopethisneverhappens,ofcourse!).Thisleavesthehillsandmountains(theman-madebuildings)andthecanyonsandvalleysbetweenthebuildings(majorboulevardsarevalleys,anddeepnarrowstreetsarecanyons).
Whenphotographingacityasthiskindoflandscape,Ineedtounderstanditstopography,justasIwouldintherealmountains.Wherearethehighplacesthatonecanshootdownforabird’seyeview?Whatisthebestpositiontophotographthemassifsandtowersthatrisefromthe“plains”ofsmallerbuildings?
Takingthisonestepfurther,justaswithnaturalformations,planningtoolscanhelptounderstandthelightingatspecifictimesofday,aswellasanyspecialphenomenonthatmightmakeforagoodphoto.Forexample,it’sinterestingtoplanalocationsessionaroundmoonriseormoonsetbehindawell-known
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planalocationsessionaroundmoonriseormoonsetbehindawell-knownlandmark.Seepage144formoreinformationaboutsomeoftheplanningtoolsIuse.
BoilingwhatI’vesaiddowntobasics,myfirststepwhenphotographinganewcityaslandscapeisplanning.IlearnaboutthehistoryoftheplacebeforeIvisit,andIspendagreatdealoftimestudyingthebestmapsIcanfind.Next,Itrytoidentifythefollowingkindsofplacesinthecity:
Thosethatwillworkforbird’seyevistasfromaboveSpotsthatgivepanoramicviewsoftheskylineInterestingstructuresthatwillworkwellatsunrise,sunset,moonrise,ormoonset
Ofcourse,thebestnewsforthephotographerwhotreatsacityaslandscapeisthatunlikearealwildernesslandscapeassignmentthere’sneveranyreasontogohungry,ortoskipyourlattes!
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Hangingoutofthedoorofahelicopter,withonlyatetheredharnesstokeepmefromfallingstraightdown,italmostseemedlikeIcouldtouchtheantennaontopoftheWorldTradeTowers,butactuallyIwasabout500feetabovethetopsofthebuildings.
EverytimeIlookatmyphotosoftheWorldTradeTowers,Ifeelquitesadbecausethedaythesebuildingsweredestroyedbyterroristswasaterribledayforhumanity.
Butatthesametime,I’mgladtohavethesephotosasarecordofhowthingswere—andalsotoassertonceandforalltheemotionalimportanceoflandscapephotography.
50mm,1/640ofasecondatf/4,scannedfroma35mmKodachrome64slide,
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tripodmounted
IselectedmylocationandplannedthisshotbasedoninformationgleanedfromThePhotographer’sEphemeris(seepage144formoreaboutTPE)aboutwhenthefullmoonwouldriseoverSanFrancisco’sTransamericatowers.
400mm,2combinedexposuresat1/30ofasecondand1/2ofasecond,eachexposureatf/5.6andISO400,tripodmounted
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TheNightLandscape
Nightblanketstheearthhalfthetime,soitmakessensethatlandscapephotographersshouldconsiderexpandingtheirhorizonstoincludethedarkside.Thisparticularlymakessensewhenyouconsiderthedramainherentinlightsatnight—whetherthoselightscomefromstarsorcitystreets.Whentheworldisotherwiseindarkness,vividcolorscanseemallthemorespectacular.
Generally,whenIamphotographinglandscapesatnight,Ilookforvistaswherethereisinterestinbothforegroundandbackground.Backgroundinterestcancomefromstarcircles,buttomaximizethem(atleastinthenorthernhemisphere)youdoneedtopointyourcameranorth.
Landscapeexposuresawayfromcitiesatnightarelongaffairs—verylong.Innormalphotography,youthinkofashutterdurationofmorethan30secondsaslong.Innightlandscapephotography,itisnotuncommontohavetotalexposuretimebeinthehours.
Whiletheseimagesareoftencomposites—becausecombiningimagesinthedigitaldarkroomusingatechniquecalledstackingcutsdownonnoisecomparedtoasingleexposure—thetotalexposuretimeisofteninthehours.
Thismeansthatyoumaybeabletotakeonlyonelandscapephotopernight.Therefore,it’swisetoscoutnightphotographylandscapeswhenitisstilllight.Thisnotonlycutsdownontherisksinherentinnightphotography,italsomeansthatyouaremorelikelytobeabletoorientyourcompositionthewayyouwant,andtoframeitnicely.
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DuringanightphotographyworkshopIled,theclassphotographedBixbyBridgealongtheBigSurcoastofCalifornia.Ithinkthisphotohumorouslymakescleartheveryrealhazardsinvolvedinnightphotography—althoughIhaven’tlostanyoneinaworkshopyet!
10.5mmdigitalfisheye,3minutesatf/4andISO200,tripodmounted
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Pages192–193:ThisisacompositeshottakeninthemiddleofthenightintheAlabamaHillsregionofeasternCalifornia.Thecameraispointingduenorth,asonecantellbytherelativelystationarypositionofthenorthstarinthecenterofthestarcircles.
Incombinationwiththedramaticstarcirclesinthesky,theunusualrockformationsintheforegroundcreateanotherworldlyeffect,almostasifthislandscapehadbeenshotonanotherplanet.
10.5mmdigitalfisheye,27exposures,eachexposure4minutesatf/2.8andISO400,foratotalexposuretimeof108minutes,imagescombinedinPhotoshopusingstacking,tripodmounted
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LandscapesandPost-Processing
InthisnightshotoftreessymmetricallyarrangednearSanFrancisco’sCityHall,streetlightscastshadowsinadirection—andwitharelativeintensity—thatyouwouldn’tseeduringtheday.Sincetheambientlightlevelswerelow,therelativelydimlightscastbigshadows,makingforaninterestingcompositionthatwouldn’tbepossibleduringtheday.
Tobringoutandemphasizethecompositionthattheshadowsmade,Iconvertedthephototomonochrome,startingfromtheRAWcapture(seepages218–221formoreaboutmonochromaticconversiontechniques).
44mm,30secondsatf/29andISO100,tripodmounted
UnderstandingDigitalWorkflow
Mostpeoplewhotakeuplandscapephotographydoso—atleastpartly—becausetheyenjoybeingoutdoorsinthelandscape.Forsome,itisthereforea
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becausetheyenjoybeingoutdoorsinthelandscape.Forsome,itisthereforeasaddaywhenthefactslowlydawnsthattogetthemostoutoftheirdigitallandscapeworktheyneedtospendafairamountoftimeworkingatthecomputerusingthedigitaldarkroom—perhapsmoretimethantheyactuallyspendphotographinginthefield.
I’mallforgettingthebestresultsonepossiblycaninthecamera.Butalmostwithoutexceptioneveryphotothatyou’veadmiredinbooksandmagazineshasbeenimprovedinpost-processing.Digitalphotographyisahybriddiscipline:thephotographypartinvolvescameras,andthedigitalpartmeansusingcomputers.Whatyoucandoafteryou’vetakenthephotoshouldinformhowyouproceedwhenyoumakethecapture.
Whilethecombinationofcomputersandcamerasisveryexcitingtome,there’snodoubtthat—comparedtofilmcameras—digitalphotographyhasintroducedsomanyoptionsandwaystocreateimagesthatthewholeprocesscanbeoverwhelming.Havingagooddigitalworkflowcanhelpmanagethecomplexity.
IntheMercedCanyonbelowYosemiteValley,California,snowblewthicklyinalldirections.Myideawiththisshotwastocreateatexturalimageinwhichthesnowandtreesmergedtoformapattern.Thebiggestproblemwastoprotectmygearfromtheverywetsnowandhighwinds—soImadesuretoperiodicallyretreattomydrycar,whereIcouldbackupthecapturesIhadalreadymade.
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Thefieldofworkflowinitsentiretyiswaybeyondthescopeofthisbook,butyoushouldknowthatitincludesthesetasks:
SettingthecameracorrectlyMakingyourcaptureTransferringyourphotofilesfromcameratocomputerProcessingthephotosonyourcomputerGeneratingversionsofyourimageforvarioususesArchivingyourimagessotheycanberetrievedInsuringthesafetyofyourimageryatallstepsofthisoperationAnythingelserelatingtomaking,processing,storing,andfindingyourphotos
Thepieceofworkflowthatinvolvesstoring,archiving,retrieving,andmakingsurefilesaresafeisgenerallycalledDigitalAssetManagement(DAM,forshort).AsI’venoted,theentiretopicofDAMwillnotfitinthescopeofabookaboutlandscapephotography.However,therearesomespecialconsiderationsregardingassetmanagementinthefieldthatyoushouldbearinmindbeforeyouheadoutinwoollyweathertothewildswithyourcamera.
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ProtectingDigitalAssetsintheFieldGoodlandscapephotographyoftenimpliestraveltoremoteplacesandbeingoutsideinroughweather(seepage142foradiscussionofwhysomeofthebestlandscapephotosprecedeorimmediatelyfollowstormyweather).Bothremotenessandbadweathermeanthatyoushouldtakeprecautionstoprotectyourdelicateelectronicequipmentaswellasyourdigitalassets:
Knowwhatyouaregettinginto.Animportantpartofbeingpreparedisdoingyourhomeworkaboutwhatthepossibilitiesare—youcanthenplantokeepthingssafeunderallconditionsyouarelikelytomeet.Thislevelofpreparationseemsobvious,butitisamazinghowmanyphotographersfailtobediligentaboutstudyingpossibleweatherconditionsinaplannedshootinglocation.Seepage144formoreaboutplanningtools.Cameras,memorycards,andotherelectronicsarevulnerabletoweatherconditionssuchasheat,sand,moisture,andcold.It’swisetotakeprecautionstoprotectyourgear,perhapsbysealingequipmentinplasticbagsorotherwater-and-airtightcontainers.Ontheotherhand,upper-endDSLRstendtobewellsealed,andifyounevertakeyourcameraoutinbadweatheryouwillmissmanyopportunities.Carryacleancottonclothfordryingequipmentthatgetswet,aswellasalens-cleaningkit.Youshouldneverrelyonasinglecopyofanydigitalfile.Thisimpliesbackingyourmemorycardsupassoonaspossible.Ifyouhavealaptopinthefield,youcanburnDVDsasbackups.InsituationswhereIcannotbringalaptopcomputer,IuseadigitalwalletdevicesuchastheWolverine,www.wolverine.com,forbackingupmyvaluableimagefiles.Anemptymemorycardhaslittlevalue,butitispricelessonceithastheonlycopiesofyourimagesonit.Electronicdevicesrequirepowereveninthefield.Dependingonthesituation,youmayneedtobringpowersuppliesforrechargingbatteries—andforrunningyourcamerasandlaptoponACpower.
Onarelatedpoint,mywifeinsiststhatIcarryaninsurancepolicyonmyphotographygear.Herreasoning:“Ifyourcamerablowsoveracliffinastrongwind,Idon’twantyoueventhinkingaboutgoingdownafterit!”
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Panoramicandotherkindsofcompositeimageryareeasytocreateinthedigitaldarkroom.TomakethisimageoftheSanFranciscoskyline,inPhotoshopIcombinedeightimageswiththecameracarefullyrotatedhorizontallyonthetripodbetweeneachcapture.Ofcourse,whenyourimageconsistsofmultiplecaptures,youneedtokeeptrackoftheexposuresthatwillmakeupyourfinalimage—andthisaddstothecomplexityofassetmanagementinthedigitalworld.
EightcapturesmergedinPhotoshop,eachexposureat42mm,1/6ofasecondatf/4.5andISO100,tripodmounted
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TheRAWAdvantage
Asyouprobablyknow,dependinguponyourcamerayoucansaveyourcapturefilesinJPEGorRAWfileformats,orwithmanycamerasinbothfileformatsforeachcapture.(Inaddition,somecamerasallowyoutosavefilesintheTIFFformat.)Withoutgettingintotechnicalfileformatdetails,theRAWadvantageboilsdowntothefactthatitistheonlyformatthatretainsallthedataactuallycreatedwhenyoumakeaphoto.Soifyouareseriousaboutyourlandscapephotography,youshouldmakesuretosaveandarchiveyourphotosasRAWfiles.
There’snosuchthingasaRAWfileformatthateveryoneuses—eachcameramanufacturerhastheirown“flavor”ofRAWthatisproprietaryandtunedtotheirownsensorarraysandprocessingalgorithms.ThetablebelowshowssomeofthemostcommonRAWfileformats.
ThisisaJPEGthatmycamerasavedatthesametimeasImadeaRAWcapture.TheJPEGdoesn’tshownearlythelightnessofcolorthatIwasabletoteaseoutoftheRAWfile(ontheright).
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FromFortBaker,IwatchedthefogblowinfromthePacificacrossthetowersoftheGoldenGateBridge.Ishotalongish(30second)exposuretoincreasetheapparentluminanceandsmoothnessofthefogclouds.
Both:24mm,30secondsatf/8andISO100,tripodmounted
Inpointoffact,thereareafewdownsidestoshootinginRAW.Foronething,RAWfilestakeupmorespaceonyourmemorycardsthanJPEGfiles(whicharesavedinhighlycompressedform).Moresignificantly,youcan’tdoanythingrightawaywithaRAWfile—youcan’tdisplayitonyourcomputerormakeaprintfromit.First,thefilewillneedtobeprocessed.
ButifyousaveyourfilesasJPEGs,youareacceptingthecamera’sinterpretationoftheimagedata.Believeme,asahumanbeingwitheyesandabrain,youcandoagreatdealbetterthantheteeny-weenycomputerinyourcamera!Asyou’llseeinthissectionofCreativeLandscapes(seeparticularlypages200–207)you’llgetalotofmileagebytakingadvantageofthepotentialities—thenumerouspossibilities—inherentinanyRAWfile.
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Forexample,thereisahugerangeofpotentialexposureswithineachandeveryRAWfile—about4f-stopsineitherdirectionfromyourbaseexposure,althoughtheentirerangeisn’tusablebecauseofnoiseconsiderations—andtheexposureyouchoosetouseisn’t“bakedinto”yourphotountilyouprocesstheRAWfileandsavetheresults.
Bytheway,whenyouprocessandsaveaRAWfile,acopyofitissavedinaformatsuchasJPEG,PSD,orTIFF.TheoriginalRAWfileremainsuntouchedasaRAWfile.
Asyou’llseeshortly,thebestpartaboutthisisthatyouaren’tstuckwithonlyoneoverallexposurevalueforanimagebecauseyoucanmultiplyprocessaRAWfilewithdifferentvaluesfordifferentareasinyourphoto.
Multi-RAWProcessing
AsI’vealreadymentioned,oneofthemostpowerfulaspectsofprocessingyourownRAWfilesisthatyoucanprocessthefilesmorethanonce—andcombinewhatyoucomeupwithtotakeonlythebestpartsofeach!
LandscapephotographyinparticularisarichfieldformultipleRAWprocessingbecausethereareoftenverydifferentlevelsoflight—requiringverydifferentexposurevalues—inaphotothatincludesbotharelativelybrightskyandthemuchdarkerearth.Intheoldendays,beforedigitalpost-processing,thiscommonlandscapedilemmacouldbesolvedintheshootingprocessusingasplit,oragraduated,neutraldensityfilter—anopticalsetupthatallowedforthedifferinglightlevelsinthelandscapeandthesky.Nowadaysyoudon’tneedtouseasplitneutraldensityfilter;youcanjustmulti-RAWprocessafterthefact.
Tomulti-RAWprocessyourphotos,youwillneedsoftwarethatcanprocessRAWphotossuchasAdobeCameraRAW(ACR),AdobeLightroom,Aperture,NikonCaptureNX(forNikon),orthesoftwarethatshippedwithyourcamera.ACRisthemostcommonlyusedRAWprocessingengine(italsopowersLightroom’sRAWprocessing),sointheexamplesinthisbookI’lluseACR.
Besidesprocessingasingleimagemorethanonce(withdifferentsettings)youalsoneedawaytocombinethedifferentversions.CombiningtheimagescanbeaccomplishedusinglayersandmaskinginAdobePhotoshopElementsorAdobePhotoshop.
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Photoshop.
Ithinkthatthiswillallseemclearerfollowingaconcreteexample.ConsidertheshotoflowerYosemiteFallsandarainbowshownfinishedonpages206–207.
WhenItooktheimage,Iknewthatthecombinationofdarknessandlightwouldbehardtorenderinafinalphotowithoutprocessingdifferentportionsofthephotodependingupontheircharacteristics.Inparticular,Ipurposelyunderexposedtheimagebyabout2½f-stops(comparedtoanaverageoveralllightmeterreading)becauseIdidn’twanttoblowoutthehighlights,andIknewIcouldrecoverthelightareasusingmultipleRAWprocessing.
SomeCommonRAWFileFormats
Manufacturer Fileextensions,comments
Adobe DNG
Canon CRW,CR2
Nikon NEF,NRW
Olympus ORF
Pentax PEF
Sigma X3F
Sony SRF,SR2,ARW
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Adobe’sDigitalNegativeFormat
Adobe’sDigitalNegative(DNG)formatwascreatedtoprovideauniversalRAWfileformat.Thisisalaudablegoal,butnotentirelypracticalsinceeachmanufacturerclaimsaproprietaryadvantageinhowtheyprocessthedatafromtheirparticularsensor.TheupshotisthattheDNGspecificationincludesa“cloaked”proprietaryareaforeachcameravendor’s“secretsauce”—andyourtakeawayshouldbethatitisfinetoarchiveyourworkasDNGfiles;butifyoudo,alsoarchivetheoriginalRAWfiles.
Step1:WhenIlookedatthecaptureinAdobeBridge,itwasquitedarkoverall—asIhadexpectedsinceI“underexposed”theimage(seetext).Idouble-clickedontheimagetostartprocessingitinAdobeCameraRAW(ACR).
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Step2:FormyfirstRAWconversion,IprocessedtheimageessentiallyusingthedefaultsettingsinAdobeCameraRAW(ACR),adjustingSaturationandVibranceslightly.
Step3:Afterconversion,theinitialRAWprocessingoftheimagewasverydark.Thechallengewastoselectivelylightentheimageintheareasthatneededit.Inamedthelayer“Defaultprocessing.”
SoIdecidedtousethisconversionasthebottomlayeranduseACRtoconverttheRAWcaptureagaintwomoretimestoaddsuccessivelylighterlayersontop.
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Step4:IconvertedtheoriginalRAWcaptureforthesecondtimeinACR,settingtheExposure,Contrast,andVibrancesliderstocreatealighterversionwithgoodmidtones.
InPhotoshop,IhelddowntheShiftkeyandusedtheMoveTooltodragthenewversionontopofthe“Defaultprocessing”layer.(SeeStep5onpage213formoreaboutthisdraggingtechnique.)Inamedthisnewlayer“Lighter.”
Step5:IthencombinedthetwolayersbyaddingablackHideAlllayermasktothe“Lighter”layerandpaintinginthelighterareasIwantedusingtheBrushToolwithwhiteselectedastheForegroundColor.
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Step6:UsingACR,IconvertedtheoriginalRAWcaptureonelasttime,usingtheExposureslidertocreateaversionforthehighlights.IaddedthisconversiontothelayerstackinPhotoshop,andthennamedthislayer“Lightest.”
AfteraddingablackHideAlllayermasktothe“Lightest”layer,IusedtheBrushTooltopaintinhighlights.Turntopages206–207toseetheresultsofthismulti-RAWprocessing.
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AtYosemiteFallsearlyinthemorning,therewasdarknessandlight.Partsofthelandscapewereindeepshadows,andotherpartswereintermittentlylitbysunlight.Iwasreadywhentherainbowcameoutwithmypolarizeralreadyonmylens.Iusedafastshutterspeedtostopthemotionofthewater,andunderexposedbymorethan2f-stopstoemphasizethechiaroscuroeffect(seepage205fordetails).
Later,atmycomputer,IwasabletousemultipleRAWprocessingtorecreatetheeffectofthechiaroscurolightinthefinalimage.Processingthiscaptureonlyoncewouldhaveledtoanoverallflatandundramaticfinalimage.
62mm,circularpolarizer,1/640ofasecondatf/13andISO200,handheld
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UnderstandingHDR
Don’tgetcaughtupinworriesthatHDR—HighDynamicRange—imagingissomethingarcaneandcomplexthatyou’llneverunderstand.Thecoreideaissimplicityitself.
Thinkabouttheapparatuswehumanshaveforseeing.Ifyoulookataroomwithbrightsunlightcominginfromawindow,butdarkshadowsinonecorner,afteralittlesquintingandadjustingyou’llprobablybeabletomakeoutdetailsinboththelightanddarkareasoftheroom.
Thisisemphaticallynotthecaseforasinglefilmordigitalcapturewithdefaultrenderingofthesamescene.Detailwillbelostintheshadowareasorinthesunlitareas—or,mostlikely,inbothdarkandlightareas.
HDR,orextendingthedynamicrange—therangefromdarktolightthatisrenderedinanimage—simplymeansusingtechnologytogetmoreexposureinformationthanonecaninasinglecaptureprocessedatdefaultsettings.Arguably,multi-RAWprocessing(seepages200–207)shouldbeconsideredaformofHDR.ButtherubberreallymeetstheroadwhenyouusemorethanoneexposuretocreatecompositeHDRimagery—becausetherangeofpossibleexposuresisgreaterthanyoucanobtainfromanysingleexposure.
YoucanusesoftwaretoautomatetheblendingofasequenceofbracketedimagesshottocreateanHDRcomposite(seesidebar).ButIoftenprefertocreatemyHDRcompositesbyhandasshownonpages210–217.Thatway,IcancreateHDRimagerythatappearsnaturalistic,withoutthestartlinggrungeeffectthatyouseesoofteninaggressiveHDRimagery.MygoalwhenIcreateahand-HDRlandscapeisoftentobeunobtrusiveaboutwhatIamdoing,sothatsomeonelookingatmyimagedoesn’tevenconsciouslyrealizethattheimage’sdynamicrangehasbeenextended.
HDRSoftware
AutomatedHDRsoftwareinvolvesatwo-stepdance.First,thesoftwarecombinestheimages.Then,sincethishighbit-depthcombinationcannotbedisplayedaccuratelyonstandardmonitors,a“tonecurve”isappliedusingvarioussettingsyouchoose.ThefinalHDRimageisrenderedasa16-bitimage
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varioussettingsyouchoose.ThefinalHDRimageisrenderedasa16-bitimagethatcanbeviewedonastandardmonitorandprinted.
DependingontheHDRsoftware,youcanaccessitasapluginforAperture,AdobeLightroom,orAdobePhotoshop,orrunitinstandalonemode.IfyoualreadyhaveAdobePhotoshop,itshipswithitsownHDRcapabilities.TousetheHDRbuiltintoPhotoshop,chooseFile►AutomateandthenselectMergetoHDR(CS4andearlier)orMergetoHDRPro(CS5andlater).
TheleadingautomatedHDRprogramsinadditiontoPhotoshopare:
HDREfexPro,fromNikSoftware,www.niksoftware.comPhotomatixfromHDRsoft,www.hdrsoft.com
TheforegroundwasdeepinshadowbutthecloudsinthebackgroundwereverybrightinthisimageofNativeAmericanpetroglyphsineasternCalifornia.IshotasequenceofbracketedimageswithHDRinmind,andbackatmycomputerblendedthebracketedsequenceusingPhotomatixforHDRprocessingandPhotoshoptoenhancetheresults.
10.5mmdigitalfisheye,eightexposuresatshutterspeedsbetween1secondand1/30ofasecond,exposurescombinedusingPhotomatix,eachexposureatf/22
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andISO100,tripodmounted
It’sworthnotingthatshootingforHDR—whetherautomatedorhand-HDR—requiressomespecialconsiderations.HDRtechniquesworkbestwhenthesubjectisnotmovingandthecameraisonatripodsoitdoesn’tmove.Youshouldplantobracketexposurestoencompasstheentiredynamicrangefromlightestlighttodarkestdarkinyoursubject.Thisislikelytoinvolvegreaterexposurebracketingthanonemightexpect.
Itmayalsoworkbettertobracketusingtheshutterspeedsettingratherthanyouraperture—becausechangingaperturecanchangethedepth-of-field(seepages106–113formoreaboutapertureanddepth-of-field)inyourseparatecaptures.
HDRimagingfitsparticularlywellwithlandscapephotographybecauselandscapephotographyoftendoesnotinvolvecapturingmovement,andlandscapestendtohavealargedifferencebetweenbrightareas—suchasthesky—anddarkareasinshadow.
Hand-HDR
IfIseealandscapewhereIknowthedynamicrange—therangefromdarktobrightinthescene—willcausemeproblemsinasinglecapture,IalmostalwaysshootforHDR.Thismeansmakingsuremycameraissolidlyonmytripodsoitwon’tmoveatall,andbracketingextensivelyusingshutterspeedasthechangingvariableintheexposure.Bytheway,Iusuallydomybracketingwithmycamerasettoexposemanuallybychangingtheshutterspeedsettingmyself,ratherthanusethecamera’sbracketingfunction.Imakesuretocapturetheentireexposurerangefromdarknesstolightinthescenebeforeme—withsomerangetospareincaseIneedit.Usuallythismeansatleastanorderofmagnitudedifferencefromshortesttolongestexposureduration,forexamplefrom1/200ofasecondto1/20ofasecond,andsometimesafargreaterspread,forinstancefrom1/200ofasecondto1/2ofasecond.
Myprocessforcombininghand-HDRimageryisprettysimple.IlookthroughtheRAWcaptures,seewhichimageshavethebestareas,andthenchangetheexposureandcolorvaluestosettingsthatlookbestforthatarea,notworryingabouttheimageasawhole.
Next,IcombinetheseparatelyprocessedRAWimagesinPhotoshopaslayers,usingthetechniquesIexplainedforcombiningdifferentversionsofmulti-RAWprocessedimagesonpages200–207.
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processedimagesonpages200–207.
Forexample,Icanusehand-HDRtechniquesto“rescue”landscapescapturedwithapparentlyflatanddulllight,suchasthissequenceIshotinYosemiteValley,California.
InAdobeBridge,thissequenceofimagesIshotinYosemiteValley,California,looksflatandgrey;thedarkcaptureswereexposedforthesky,andthelighterversionsfortheforestedvalley.
Step1:ProcessthisversionofYosemiteValleyinACRtocreateadarkskywithabluecast(don’tworrythatyoucan’tseetheforeground).Then,clickOpenObjecttoopentheimageinPhotoshop.
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Step2:SelectLayer►New►LayerfromBackgroundandrenamethelayer“DarkSky.”
Iknowyoucan’tseeanyoftheforegroundintheimage(yet),butjustwait.Itwillappearinafewmoments.
Step3:Next,processthislighterviewinACRtoshowdetailsofthetreescoveringtheforestfloorandthemountainsbehind.Don’tworrythattheskyisblownout—onlyconcentrateongettingthetreesandmountainstowhereyoulikethem.Then,clickOpenObjecttoopenthisimageinPhotoshop.
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Step4:SelectLayer►New►LayerfromBackgroundandrenamethelayer“BrightEarth.”
YounowhavetwoimagesopeninPhotoshop.
Step5:HolddowntheShiftkeyandusetheMoveTooltodragthe“BrightEarth”imagefromitswindowontopofthe“DarkSky”image.Don’tletgooftheShiftkeyuntilyoureleasethemousebutton.Otherwise,thetwoimageswon’tbeexactlyaligned.
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Step6:Withthe“BrightEarth”layerselectedintheLayerspalette,selectLayer►LayerMask►HideAlltoaddablacklayermaskthathidesthe“BrightEarth”layer.
Step7:Makesurethelayermaskonthe“BrightEarth”layerisselected.Then,usetheBrushToolwithwhiteselectedastheForegroundColortopaintinthetreesonthevalleyfloorandthemountainsbehind.
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StandingatTunnelViewinYosemiteValley,thescenelookedflatandgray.IshoteightexposureswithHDRinmind.Atmycomputer,Ihandprocessedeachimagetobringoutcolorsinspecificareas,andthencombinedtheversionsusinglayersandmasking.Theresultisapleasingandunusualcompositeofanoften-photographedview—createdfromsomeinitiallyunpromisingelements.
18mm,circularpolarizer,eightexposureswithshutterspeedsfrom1/500ofasecondto0.8ofasecond,exposurescombinedinPhotoshop,eachexposureatf/11andISO100,tripodmounted
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BythesideoftheroadnearYosemite,California,Ishotthreedifferentcapturesofthiswaterfallatshutterspeedsrangingfrom0.1ofasecondto0.8ofasecond.
OnceIreturnedhome,IsavedtheRAWfilesonmycomputer,andthenprocessedtheimagesinACR,adjustingExposure,Contrast,Blacks,andVibrance.
Afterprocessingtheimages,IopenedeachoneinPhotoshop.SoIhadthreedifferentcapturesopeninthreedifferentwindowsatthesametime.
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IcombinedthethreecapturesinPhotoshopusingthesamedraggingtechniquedescribedinStep5onpage213.
Next,IaddedblackHideAlllayermaskstothe“Lighter”and“Darker”layers.
Finally,IusedtheBrushandGradientToolswithwhitesetastheForegroundColortopaintinmidtones,highlights,anddetail.
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ComingintoYosemiteValley,California,neartheintersectionsofRoutes120and140,Isawaroadsidepulloutwhereabulldozerwasparked.Downtheslopefromthebulldozerwasthiscreek,apparentlynamelessandforgotten.Iwasintriguedbythesculpturalaspectsofthissmallwaterfall,butrealizedthatasinglecapturecouldneverdojusticetotheentiredynamicrangeofthelightingfromtoptobottom,soIplannedmultiplecapturesthatIlatercombinedinpost-processing.
26mm,threeexposureswithshutterspeedsof0.1ofasecond,0.3ofasecond,and0.8ofasecond;exposurescombinedinPhotoshop,eachexposureatf/25andISO100,tripodmounted
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MonochromaticConversions
Onpages60–63Italkedaboutwhatworksinmonochromaticlandscapephotography,andgavesomeadviceaboutwhattolookforwhenyouaretryingto“see”photographicallyinblackandwhite.Ialsoexplainedthatthebestpracticeindigitalphotographyistoshootincolor,thenconverttomonochromeinpost-processing.
Thefulldetailsofthebestwaystoconvertcolorphotostomonochromearebeyondthescopeofthisbook,althoughasInotedearlier,thesubjectiscoveredindetailinanotherbookofmine,CreativeBlack&White:DigitalTips&Techniques(Wiley).
Inthissection,I’llprovideanoverviewofhowyoumightgoaboutprocessingaphotofromcolortomonochromeinthecontextoftwoimages.Thesetwophotosareverydifferent—butwhattheyhaveincommonisthatbothstartedlifeasacolorimagethateveninitiallywasprettyclosetomonochrome.Therewasn’tmuchcolorinthesceneinfrontofme,whichalwaysmakesmeconsiderblackandwhite.
StartingwithanimagethatIthinkisalikelycandidateformonochromaticconversion,myusualworkflowistostartbydoingtheRAWconversionasthoughtheimagewereacolorphoto.Idon’twanttoloseasingleiotaoftheinformationcontainedintheRAWfile,evenifthecolorlooksmostlygrayscale.Itiscrucialtohavethefullcolorinformationavailablewhenyouconvertyourimagestomonochrome.
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ItwascleartomewhenIshotthisimageoflowerYosemiteFallsthattherewasn’tmuchinthephotointermsofcolorsbesidesblacksandwhites.Whenthereisnotmuchcolorinanimageanyway,amonochromaticpresentationwilloftenworkwell.
200mm,circularpolarizer,1/640ofasecondatf/5.6andISO400,handheld
OnewayIcouldhavegoneaboutconvertingtheRAWfiletomonochromewouldhavebeentochecktheConverttoGrayscaleboxontheHSL/GrayscaletabofAdobeCameraRAW.Icouldthenhaveusedthe
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colorsliderstodeterminetheprecisemixtureofcolorsusedtocreatethegrayscale(monochromatic)image.
ThisdoestakeadvantageofthecolorinformationintheRAWfilewhenmakingthemonochromaticconversion,butit’susuallymypreferencetofullyprocessthefilefirstfromtheRAWtoacolorimage.TherearethenanumberofwaysIcangoaboutconvertingthefiletoblackandwhite.
AddingaBlack&WhiteadjustmentlayerinPhotoshopallowsme(aswiththeHSL/Grayscaletab)tousecolorvaluestodeterminehowthemonochromaticconversionwillappear.ThepresetfiltersthatarepartoftheBlack&Whiteadjustmentlayerfeaturesetareaveryhelpfulstartingplace.(TheHighContrastRedfilterpresetisselectedasyoucanseefromthedrop-downlistshownatthetopoftheAdjustmentswindow.)
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NikSilverEfexPro2,www.niksoftware.com,isaLightroomandPhotoshoppluginthatprovidesanelegant,powerful,andflexiblewaytoapplyavarietyofpresetmonochromaticconversions.Justafewofthemanyconversionpossibilitiesareshownhere.
AsInotedwithRAWfileconversion(pages200–207),youdon’thaveto
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processdifferentareasofanimageinanidenticalfashion.Thesameideaappliestomonochromaticconversions.Usinglayersandmasking,differentpartsofanimagecanbeconvertedusingdifferentcolorsettings,anddifferentpresets.Infact,asshownintheLayerspalettebelow,there’snoreasonnottocombineseveralmonochromaticprocessingprograms—forexample,oneareacanbeprocessedusingPhotoshop’sownBlack&Whiteadjustmentslayers,andanothercanbeprocessedusingtheNikSilverEfexPro2plugin.
Thisflexibilitymakesitpossibletohavewonderfulmonochromaticlandscapeswithagreattonalrange—farbeyondwhatispossibleusingasinglemonochromaticconversiontechnique.
ThismonochromaticshotoflowerYosemiteFallsstartedlifeasacolor
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imagethatwasessentiallyblackandwhite—andIneverbotheredtoenhancewhatlittlecolorwastobefoundintheimage.However,inotherphotos,conversiontomonochromecanessentiallymeanablackandwhiteroundtrip:theimagestartsassomethingthatseemslikeitwouldbegoodinmonochromebecauseofhighcontrastandtherelativeabsenceofcolors.Next,Imanipulatetheimagesothatitishighlycolorful.Finally,usingthecolorsthathavebeenenhanced,Ireturntheimagetomonochrome.
200mm,circularpolarizer,1/640ofasecondatf/5.6andISO400,handheld
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UnderstandingLABColor
Acolorspace,orcolormodel,isastructureforreferencingandnotatingcolorvalues.Asyoulikelyknow,theRGBcolorspaceisacolorspacewiththreechannels—Red,Green,andBlue—commonlyusedinLCDsandmonitors.CMYKisafour-channelcolorspace—thecolorchannelsareCyan,Magenta,Yellow,andBlack—usedtodescribethecolorvaluesinimagesthatwillbeprintedinbooksandmagazines.
LABisathree-channelcolormodel—I’llexplainhowthechannelsworkinamoment.UnlikeRGBandCMYK,LABisatheoreticalmodelinthesensethatyoucan’tsaveaLABimageasaJPEGfordisplayontheweb,andtherearenoreproductionprocessesthatuseLABtoprintthings.ButLABhasacoupleoffeaturesthatmakeitexcellentformanipulatingcolors.Onceyougetthehangofit,itiseasytouseLABcolorstomakeyourlandscapesgofromdrabtofab!
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AsthesunsettothewestofStinsonBeach,California,ImarveledatthegloryofthecolorsreflectedinthenearlystillwatersofthePacificOcean.ButwhenIlookedatthecaptureonmycomputer,itseemeddullandlifeless(checkouttheinitialversionofthephoto,above).TorecreatethevibrantcolorsastheyseemedtomeinthetimeandplaceIshotthephoto,Ifirstmulti-RAWprocessedtheimageandthenusedLABcoloradjustments.
18mm,1/50ofasecondatf/9andISO100,tripodmounted
InPhotoshop,toworkinLAByouhavetoconvertyourimageintotheLABcolorspace.OnceyouarefinishedworkinginLAB,ifyouwanttoactuallydoanythingwithyourphoto,youneedtoconvertitbacktoRGBorCMYK.
ThetwofeaturesthatmakeLABparticularlypowerfulforworkingwithcolorarethatitseparatesgrayscaleinformationcompletelyfromcolorinformation,andthateachofthecolorchannelsarecoloropponent,meaningtheyincludeinformationbothaboutacoloranditsoppositecolor.ThewaysthesefeaturesworkinPhotoshopareshowninthefigurebelow.
YouhavetoworkwithLABforawhiletounderstandjusthowmuchthese
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YouhavetoworkwithLABforawhiletounderstandjusthowmuchthesefacetsofLABcanbeusedtoimproveyourlandscapephotos;agoodexampleisthenextcaseinwhichI’llshowyouhowtousetheseLABfeaturestomakethecolorsofarainbowbolderandbrighter.
LABColorandTonalAdjustmentsI’vetoldyouthatLABisfabulousforworkingoncolor,nowlet’stakealookathowyoucanuseitpractically.
ThediffusemistunderYosemiteFallslentitselftoarainbowwhenthesunpeekedthroughtheclouds.Butlookingattheimageonmycomputer,Iwassurprisedbyhowdullthecolorswere.Thiswouldnotdo!
ConvertingtoLABColorTherearetwowaystoconverttoLABcolorinPhotoshop.YoucanselectImage►Mode►LABColor.OryoucanchooseEdit►ConverttoProfile,selectLabColorfromtheDestinationSpacedrop-downlist,andthenclickOK.
ToconvertanimagebackfromLABcolor,useoneoftwomethods:selectImage►Mode►RGBorCMYK;orchooseEdit►ConverttoProfile,thenselectRGBorCMYKfromtheDestinationSpacedrop-downlist,andthenclickOK.
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AtthebottomofYosemiteFalls,themistcreatesalovelyrainbow.Iwasabletocapturethislovelyprismaticeffect,butathomeonmycomputer,thecolorsdidnotshineasbrightlyastheyhadinthefield.So,insteadofacceptingthe“AsShot”defaults,youcangetalittlebounceincolorandsaturationbypushingtheSaturationandVibrancesliderstotherightinACR,andalsobyslightlyraisingthecolorTemperature(seethesettingsaboveintheACRdialog).
However,evenfollowingmulti-RAWprocessingthisimagedoesn’tbegintohavethekindofsparkleandcolorthatI’dliketosee.Theanswer:selectivepaintingwithLABcoloradjustmentstoenhancethecolorsoftherainbow.Bytheway,selectivepaintingwithLABhasonebigadvantageoversimplypaintingincolors:theLABadjustmentsalreadyhavetheunderlyingshapeoftheelementsofthephoto,soyoudon’thavetoworrymuchaboutprecisionwhenyouapplythecolor.
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WithLABcolorIcanquicklycreate“colorpalettes”thatIcanusetopaintintheshadesoftherainbow.
Tomakethisgreenandmagentaversion,IconvertedtherainbowphototoLABcolor.ThenIduplicatedtheimagebyselectingImage►Duplicate.
AfterselectingtheAchannelintheChannelspalette,IappliedanEqualizationadjustmentbyselectingImage►Adjustments►Equalize.Thismaximizesthegreensandmagentasintheduplicateimage.
Tomakethisblueandyellowversion,IagainduplicatedtheoriginalimagebyselectingImage►Duplicate.
ImadesuretheBchannelintheChannelspalettewasselected,andthenIappliedanEqualizationadjustmenttothatchannelbyselectingImage►Adjustments►Equalize.Thismaximizesthebluesandyellowsinthesecondduplicateimage.
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ThenIselectedallthechannelsintheChannelspaletteandappliedanEqualizationadjustmentbyselectingImage►Adjustments►Equalize.
IncreasingContrastwithLAB
Theequalizationtotheleftlooksprettyodd,butitcanbeusedtoattractivelyexpandthegrayscaletonalrangeoftheimage.Todoso,dragtheimageontotheoriginalimageasshowninStep5onpage213.ThenusingtheLayerspalette,setthelayer’sBlendingmodetoOverlayorSoftLight,andlowertheopacityofthenewlayerto10–20%.
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Afterdraggingthetwoequalized“colorpalettes”(thetopandmiddleimagesonthepreviouspage)ontotheoriginalimageusingthetechniqueshowninStep5onpage213,IaddedablackHideAlllayermasktoeachlayer,andthenpaintedintherainbow’scolorsusingtheBrushToolwithwhiteselectedastheForegroundColor.
ThisfinalversionismuchclosertothevibrantcolorsthatIsawwhenIcapturedtherainbowatYosemiteFalls.
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SelectiveSharpeninginLAB
We’renotthroughwithLABcoloryet!ButbeforeIshowyouhowtosharpenwithLAB,letmeexplainthegeneralconceptofselectivesharpeninginthecontextoflandscapephotography.
Whensomeonelooksataphoto,theireyenaturallygoestobrightareas,andareasoftheimagethataresharp.Ofcourse,thereareanumberoftechniquesyoucanusewhenyouaretakingaphototocreateimagesthatareselectivelysharp,butitalsoturnsouttobeveryeffectivetousethedigitaldarkroomtoaddsharpnesstospecificareasofaphoto.Ifthisisn’toverdone,theresultwillbethattheviewer’seyeisdrawntotheareasthatyou’veselectivelysharpened—perhapswithouttheviewerknowingwhythoseareasaresoappealing.Evenwithoutthiseffect,selectivesharpeningalmostalwaysaddsinteresttoacompositionbycreatingagreaterrangeofcontrasts,againwiththecaveatthatyouneedtobecarefulaboutoverdoingtheeffect.
Youdon’tneedLABcolortoselectivelysharpen.YoucansimplychooseyourfavoritesharpeningtoolsuchasPhotoshop’sSmartSharpenfilter,workonaduplicatelayer,maskoutthesharpenedlayer,andpaintintheareasyouwantselectivelysharpened.
ThisisexactlythetechniqueIusewithselectiveLABsharpening,butwithatwist.ThebenefitofusingLABtosharpenisthatyoucansharpenthegrayscaleinformationwithoutdoingathingtothecolorinformationinyourimage.Thistendstocreateaverypleasingeffect.
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Thisintimatelandscapeshowsthestemsofajadeplantrefractedthroughawaterdrop;thesestemslookratherlikeaforestonecouldwalkthrougheventhoughtheyareminiature.SelectiveLABsharpeningdrawstheeyeintotheworldinthewaterdrop,subtlyhelpingtoemphasizeitsimportancetotheimage.
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Step1:ConvertyourimagetoLABcolorbyselectingImage►Mode►LABColor.
Thenduplicatethe“Background”layerintheimagebychoosingLayer►DuplicateLayer.A“Backgroundcopy”layerwillappearintheLayerspalette.
Step2:Makesurethe“Backgroundcopy”layerisselectedintheLayerspalette.Next,makesuretheLightness(L)channelisselectedintheChannelspalette.EventhoughtheLightnesschannelisselected,allthreechannelsshouldstillbevisible.
Step3:TosharpentheLchannel,chooseFilters►Sharpen►UnsharpMask.ThisopenstheUnSharpMaskfilterdialog.
Iliketousethegood,old-fashionedUnsharpMaskfilteronthegrayscaleinmyimagesIamselectivelysharpening,becausetheUnsharpMaskisparticularlyeffectivewithedges.
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You’llhavetoexperimentwiththeUnsharpMaskfiltertofindtherightsettingsforyourparticularimage.Thesettingsshown—Amountat50%,Radiusat4.2pixels,andThresholdat9levels—areagoodstartingplace.ThehighertheRadiussetting,themoresharpening;andthelowertheThresholdsetting,thesharpertheresults.Remembernottooverdotheeffect(Ipromise,thisisthelasttimeI’llmakethisreminder!).
Ifyoulookcloselyatthewaterdrop,youcanseethatsharpeningtheLchannelinLABhasapotentiallyhugeeffect—notonlyonsharpnessbutalsoonthecontrastlevelsinthedetailsoftheimage.
Don’tyouhateitinabookwhensomeonesays“Lookatthis”andyoucan’tseewhattheyaretalkingabout?Soforthatreason,thesharpeningshowntotherightisdefinitelyoverdone—Iexaggeratedtheeffectsoyoucanseeitclearly.
Step4:OnceyouaresatisfiedwiththesharpeningsettingsintheUnsharpMaskdialog,clickOKtoapplythesharpeningtotheLightnesschannel.
Toapplythesharpeningtoyourimage,addablackHideAlllayermaskto
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thesharpenedduplicatelayerbychoosingLayer►LayerMask►HideAll.OntheblackHideAlllayermask,usetheBrushToolwiththeForegroundColorsettowhitetopaintintheareasyouwanttosharpen.MakesuretheBrushToolissetto100%Opacityand0%Hardness.
Step5:Whenyouarefinishedpaintinginthesharpenedareas,selectLayer►FlattenImagetocollapsethelayers.
Next,converttheimagefromLABcolortotheRGBorCMYKcolorspace.
Andthat’sit!YouaredonewithLABselectivesharpening.Asyoucanseeinthefinishedimageonpages228–229,theeffectdrawstheviewer’seyetothewaterdropandawayfromitssurroundings—aswellasincreasesthevisualdistinctionbetweenthewaterdropworldandtherestoftheimage.
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NotesandResources
Pages232–233:ThisisashottakenrightatdawninasnowymeadowinYosemiteValley,California.
46mm,1/200ofasecondatf/7.1andISO100,handheld
FurtherReadingIfyou’veenjoyedCreativeLandscapes:DigitalPhotographyTips&Techniques,Ithinkyoumightalsolikesomeofmyotherbooksthatcoverotheraspectsofphotography:CreativeLighting:DigitalTips&Techniques(Wiley,2011)CreativeBlack&White:DigitalTips&Techniques(Wiley,2010)CreativeNight:DigitalTips&Techniques(Wiley,2010)CreativeClose-Ups:DigitalTips&Techniques(Wiley,2010)CreativeComposition:DigitalTips&Techniques(Wiley,2010)Pleasecomevisitmyblogatwww.digitalfieldguide.com/blog.You’llfindthousandsofphotosandstoriesaboutphotography—manyofthemaboutlandscapephotography.
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LearningPhotoshopCreativeLandscapes:DigitalTips&TechniquesisnotabookaboutPhotoshop—it’sabookaboutmodernlandscapephotography.Thatsaid,landscapephotographyinthedigitaleraisinextricablyboundupwiththedigitaldarkroom,andthefinalpartofthebookisconcernedwithprocessingyourlandscapeimagesusingAdobeCameraRAWandPhotoshop(ifyouprefertosubstituteAdobeLightroomforAdobeCameraRAW,itreallydoesn’tmakemuchdifferenceinmyview).
I’vetriedtoincludeenoughPhotoshopinformationsothatyoucanusethetechniqueswithyourownphotos.
Atthesametime,Ihaven’tincludedinformationonmanybasicPhotoshoptechniques—becausetheresimplywasn’troominthisbook,andanyhowitisabookaboutlandscapephotography,notPhotoshop.
IfyouneedtobrushuponPhotoshopconceptsandtechniques,IthinkyoumightfindmybooksthatarespecificallyaboutPhotoshophelpful.PleasecheckoutThePhotoshopDarkroom:CreativeDigitalPost-Processing(FocalPress,2010)andThePhotoshopDarkroom2:CreativeDigitalTransformations(FocalPress,2011).
SoftwareHere’sthesoftwarethatImentioninCreativeLandscapes:Planningsoftware:
tideApp:www.tideapp.comThePhotographer’sEphemeris(TPE):www.photoephemeris.comVisiMoon:www.lighttracapp.com
Landscapesandpost-processing:
Adobe,AdobeCameraRAW(ACR),AdobeLightroom,andAdobePhotoshop:www.adobe.comHDRsoft,Photomatix:www.hdrsoft.comNikSoftware,HDREfexProandSilverEfexPro2.0:www.niksoftware.com
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DrivinginthefoothillsoftheSierraNevadamountainsinCalifornia,Icameacrossthishuge,oldoaktree.Thetreelookedbleakinthewinterweather,andseemedtomeaperfectcandidateformonochromaticconversion.
95mm,1/800ofasecondatf/14andISO200,handheld
SensorSizeandFocalLengthNotallsensorsarethesamesize.Thesmallerthesensor,thecloseragivenfocallengthlensbringsyoutoyoursubject.Forexample,ifasensorhashalftheareaofanothersensor,thenaspecificfocallengthlenswillbringyoutwiceascloseonacamerawiththesmallersensor.
Sincedifferentcamerashavedifferentsizedsensors,itisnotpossibletohaveauniformvocabularyoflensfocallengths.Sopeoplecomparefocallengthstotheir35mmfilmequivalentbyadjustingforthesensorsize.
Tomakethecomparisonwith35mmfilmfocallengths,youneedtoknowtheratioofyoursensortoaframeof35mmfilm,whichiscalledthefocal-lengthequivalency.ThephotosinthisbookwerecreatedusingNikonDSLRswitha1.5times35mmfocal-lengthequivalency.TofindouthowthefocallengthsIusedcomparewith35mmfocallengths,multiplymyfocallengthsby1.5.
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Tocomputethecomparablefocallengthsonyourowncameraifyoursensorhasadifferentsizethanmine,youneedtoknowthefocal-lengthequivalencyfactorofyoursensor.Checkyourcameramanualforthisinformation.
Forexample,ItookthephotoofawintermorninginYosemiteonpages232–233usingazoomlenssettothefocallengthof46mmwithmy1.5XsensorsizeNikonDSLR.The35mmequivalenceistherefore46x1.5=69mm,oralittlemorethananormalfieldofview.
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GlossaryAlpenglow:Alightingphenomenonthatoccursshortlyafterthesunhassetbelowthehorizonwhenobjectsturnpinkorreddish.
Ambientlight:Theavailable,orexisting,lightthatnaturallysurroundsascene.
Aperture:Thesizeoftheopeningintheirisofalens.Aperturesaredesignatedbyf-numbers.Thesmallerthef-number,thelargertheapertureandthemorelightthathitsthesensor.
Blendingmode:DetermineshowtwolayersinPhotoshopwillcombine.
Bracket:Toshootmorethanoneexposureatdifferentexposuresettings.
Channel:InPhotoshop,achannelisagrayscalerepresentationofinformation,suchasonecolorcomponentofanimage.
Chiaroscuro:Moodylightingthatshowscontrastsbetweenshadowsandbrightness.
CMYK:Cyan,Magenta,Yellow,andBlack;thefour-colorcolormodelusedformostoffsetprinting.
Coloropponent:Acolorchannelthatincludesinformationbothaboutacoloranditsoppositecolor.
Colorspace:Acolorspace—sometimescalledacolormodel—isthemechanismusedtodisplaythecolorsweseeintheworldinprintoronamonitor.CMYK,LAB,andRGBareexamplesofcolorspaces.
Composite:Multipleimagesthatarecombinedtocreateanewcomposition.
Depth-of-field:Thefieldinfrontofandbehindasubjectthatisinfocus.
Diffraction:Bendingoflightrays;unwanteddiffractioncancauselossofoptical
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sharpnessatsmallapertures.
DigitalAssetManagement(DAM):Theprocessofstoring,archiving,retrieving,andmakingsuredigitalfilesaresafe.
DNG(DigitalNegative)format:Cross-vendorRAWfileformatspecificationsponsoredbyAdobe.
DSLR:DigitalSingleLensReflex,acamerainwhichphotosarecomposedthroughthelensthatwillbeusedtotaketheactualimage.
Dynamicrange:Thedifferencebetweenthelightesttonalvaluesandthedarkesttonalvaluesinaphoto.
Exposure:Theamountoflighthittingthecamerasensor.Alsothecamerasettingsusedtocapturethisincominglight.
Exposurehistogram:Abargraphdisplayedonacameraorcomputerthatshowsthedistributionoflightsanddarksinaphoto.
f-number,f-stop:Thesizeoftheaperture,writtenf/n,wherenisthef-number.Thesmallerthef-number,thelargertheopeninginthelens;thelargerthef-number,thesmallertheopeninginthelens.
Fieldofview:Theangleofthescenethatiscaptured;anormalfieldofviewisroughlywhatahumanbeingsees,or50mmin35mmterms.
Fillcard:awhiteorfoil-coveredcardorboardusedtoreflectlightbackintotheshadowareasofasubject.
Fisheyelens:Anextremewideanglelenswithroughlya180degreefieldofview;typicallyafisheyelensdistortsthesceneitcapturesbyintroducingcurvature.
Focallength:Roughly,thedistancefromtheendofthelenstothesensor.(Therelationshipoffocallengthtosensorsizeisexplainedonpage235.)Thegreaterthefocallength,thecloserthelensbringsthesubject,sotelephotolenseshaveagreaterfocallengththanwideanglelenses.
Framing:Inaphotographiccomposition,positioningtheimageinrelationshipto
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itsedges.
Grayscale:Usedtorenderimagesinasinglecolorfromwhitetoblack;inPhotoshopagrayscaleimagehasonlyonechannel.
HandHDR:TheprocessofcreatingaHDR(HighDynamicRange)imagefrommultiplephotosatdifferentexposureswithoutusingautomaticsoftwaretocombinethephotos.
HighDynamicRange(HDR)image:Extendinganimage’sdynamicrangebycombiningmorethanonecapture,eitherusingautomatedsoftwareorbyhand.
Highkey:Brightlylitphotosthatarepredominantlywhite,oftenwithanintentionally“overexposed”effect.
Hyperfocaldistance:Theclosestdistanceatwhichalensatagivenaperturecanbefocusedwhilekeepingobjectsatinfinityinfocus.
Imagestabilization:Alsocalledvibrationreduction,thisisahigh-techsysteminalensorcamerathatattemptstocompensatefor,andreduce,cameramotion.
Infinity:Thedistancefromthecamerathatisfarenoughawaysothatanyobjectatthatdistanceorbeyondwillbeinfocuswhenthelensissettoinfinity.
Infrared(IR)photography:Capturesmadeusinginfraredratherthannormal,visiblelight.
ISO:Thelinearscaleusedtosetsensitivityofadigitalsensor.
JPEG:AcompressedfileformatforphotosthathavebeenprocessedfromanoriginalRAWimage.
LAB:Colormodelthatseparatesluminance(grayscale)fromcolorinformation.
Layer:ImagesinPhotoshoparemadeoflayersstackedontopofeachother.
Layermask:MasksinPhotoshopareusedtoselectivelyhideorreveallayers.
Lowkey:Dimlylitphotosthatarepredominantlyblack,oftenwithanintentionally“underexposed”effect.
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Macrolens:Alensthatisspeciallydesignedforclosefocusing;oftenamacrolensfocusescloseenoughtoenablea1:1magnificationratio.
Monochrome,monochromatic:Amonochromaticimageispresentedasnominallyconsistingoftonesfromwhitetoblack;however,“blackandwhite”imagescanbetintedortoned,andsomayvaryfromstraightgrayscale.
Multi-RAWprocessing:CombiningtwoormoredifferentversionsofthesameRAWfiletoextendthedynamicrangeandcreateamorepleasingfinalimage.
Noise:Staticinadigitalimagethatappearsasunexpected,andusuallyunwanted,pixels.
Openup,openwide:Toopenupalens,ortosetthelenswideopen,meanstosettheaperturetoalargeopening,denotedwithasmallf-number.
Pre-visualization:Beforemakinganexposure,envisioninghowanimagewillcomeoutaftercaptureandprocessing.
RAW:AdigitalRAWfileisacompleterecordofthedatacapturedbythesensor.ThedetailsofRAWfileformatsvaryamongcameramakers.
RGB:Red,Green,andBlue;thethree-colorcolormodelusedfordisplayingphotosonthewebandoncomputermonitors.
Sensitivity:SetusinganISOnumber;determinesthesensitivityofthesensortolight.
Shutterspeed:Theintervaloftimethattheshutterisopen.
Stacking:Combiningimagesshotovertimetocreateasingleimagewiththeeffectiveexposuretimeofalltheshotscombined.
Stopdown:Tostopdownalensmeanstosettheaperturetoasmallopening;denotedwithalargef-number.
Telephotolens:Alensofgreaterthannormalfieldofviewthatbringsdistantsubjectscloser.
Toning:Inthechemicaldarkroom,tonersuchassepiaorseleniumwasadded
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forvisualeffect;inthedigitaldarkroom,toningsimulatestheimpactofchemicaltoning.
Wideanglelens:Alensthatallowsyoutocaptureawiderfieldofviewthannormal.
Zoomlens:Alenswithavariableandcontinuousrangeoffocallengths.
Inwintertime,YosemiteFalls—thetallestwaterfallinNorthAmerica—is
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framedbysnowandice.Toseethis,youhavetophotographthefallsearlyinthemorning,beforethesunhasspentmuchtimewarmingthewallsofYosemiteValley.Overtime,asspringprogresses,theicebesidethefallsisknockeddowntoa“snowcone”atthebaseofthewaterfall,whichbylateMarchorearlyAprilmeltsinaphenomenonknownas“frazil”ice.
Istoppedmylensdowntoitssmallestopening,andusedtheslowestshutterspeedpossibletomakethefastflowingwaterseemrelativelysoftcomparedtothecrispnessoftheiceborder(seepages118–123fortechniquesrelatedtorenderingwaterinmotion).
Asalandscapephotographer,IfindthatthequalityofmyworkimprovesgreatlywhenIspendthetimetounderstandnaturalphenomena,andworktoincludetheresultsofthisresearchinmydepictionsoftheplacesIvisit.
200mm,1/80ofasecondatf/29andISO200,tripodmounted