Learning how to take better photographs

Just thought you might like to watch a short video I put up on You Tube a short while back. I had a lot of fun filming it and putting it together with the help of two lovely guys - Graham and Malcolm. They came up here to SW Scotland for a couple of day's tuition and we had a great time.

It's always a joy for me to show my students some of the hidden parts of Galloway, one of the most beautiful places in Scotland. We spent time photographing some old, wrecked boats, we went down to one of my favourite coves and tried out long exposures to photograph a secret waterfall.

Anyway - enjoy, and thanks again, Graham and Malcolm.

Photographing in hard light - part 2

As promised yesterday, here’s the other – very different - photograph taken for The Sunday Times at Aberdaron in North Wales.

This time, rather than use a wide-angle lens and move in close, I have moved right back from the scene behind the village churchyard and looked at the beach through a small telephoto lens. I’m still shooting into that hard, contrasty light, but the effect is quite different.

The outlines of the gravestones are picked out by the backlight – remember, backlight exaggerates outline shape – while the curve of the beach stands out because of the glare of the sun on the breaking waves. This backlight has also isolated the silhouette of each of the small figures in the water and along the beach.

Slight under-exposure has given an almost ‘moonlight’ effect, but in fact the shot was taken around midday with the sun very high in the sky. This under-exposure and ‘night time’ effect can be even more noticeable when shooting into the light and using colour. It is most noticeable when shooting into the light over a bright, reflective surface – like the sea.

Meeting photo bloggers

It was great to meet Dave, Alison, Christine, Jamie and ‘Angel’ at the Focus on Imaging show at the NEC in Birmingham the other day. Thanks for coming up to say hello. Obviously the tee shirt with the photoactive web address did the trick and you were able to spot me. Frankly I don’t know how you did it with so many people there. I just can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate your encouragement to keep blogging.

I had a good chat with folk at The Disabled Photographers Society stand and I'll be telling you more about them soon. I've had one or two seriously disabled photographers come to me for tuition and I can tell you, some of these guys are just a bit good behind a camera. Take a look at their website...
http://www.disabledphotographers.co.uk/

I also met one of my very first and most frequent students, Ken. He was tempted by a good show discount and took the plunge to spent an awful lot of dosh on a new Canon. He’ll no doubt be showing it off when he comes up to SW Scotland next week for the photography weekend. I’ve arranged for him to spend a day shooting wildlife under the guidance of the local wildlife ranger before he arrives at the hotel… looking forward to having you with us again Ken.

I am thinking seriously about taking a stand at the show next year - so then I will be very easy to find and maybe meet lots more of you.

Photographing in hard light

Here's a photograph I took for The Sunday Times some while ago. They commissioned me to photograph a whole list of British seaside locations, and this was taken on the beach at Aberdaron in North Wales on a hot summer's day.

The light was very hard and contrasty - what I would normally consider to be poor quality light, especially when shooting in black and white - but as a professional photographer working to tight schedules, I simply had to make the most of what I was given.

I started to look for shapes and shadows, and noticed the shadow of this chap cast on the windbreak. His shape has been distorted due to the angle of the sun, and this has added a touch of whimsical humour to the situation.

It is always good practise to look for unusual angles and the way light and shadow falls on different objects.

Of course, with this shot in the bag, I photographed the man from the other side as well - with the light behind me. But this produced a very ordinary shot.

The other advantage in photographing a subject's shadow is that those of you who are a bit nervous about taking pictures of complete strangers can do so without drawing attention to yourselves. In fact you may not be noticed at all.

Tomorrow I'll show you another, very different type of photograph taken in this same location on the same day.

Focus on Imaging NEC

I'm hoping to get along to the Focus on Imaging Exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham tomorrow. It would be great to meet some of you if you happen to be there. I'll be wearing a white tee-shirt with the address of my website on the back...

www.photoactive.co.uk

So if you happen to see me - do say hello.

How to photograph abstracts - part 2

Pablo Picasso, arguably the greatest abstract painter of all time, spent years learning the craft of fine draughtsmanship before he created his unique abstract art. The moral of the story?... learn the rules before you go and break 'em

So here are just ten practical ways to get more from abstract photography...

Practical camera skills will lead to better abstract photographs.

Look more closely at everyday subjects.

Look for strong colour, lines, shapes and textures.

Shadows can be included to create abstract shapes.

Place your rectangle around the most interesting part of the subject.

Try to exclude any obviously recognisable elements.

Create visual puzzles to make your viewer think.

Don't always tilt your camera at an angle this is a hackneyed, overused idea.

Look closely at the natural world to see beautiful abstracts.

Think about presenting a finished set of abstract photographs as a montage.

Photograph above:

So what is it? This type of puzzling photograph doesn't actually need and answer. For me it is enough to enjoy the diagonal bands of colour and the shapes created by the shadows. If you really want to know, it is a picture of upturned canoes

Photography Weekend place available

Due to a late cancellation I now have one place available for the Photography Weekend on 7th - 9th March. The theme is portraiture with both available light and flash.

Full details on my website

http://www.photoactive.co.uk

You'll really enjoy this one, but do let me know asap.

How to photograph abstracts - part 1

Let your imagination off the leash and photography becomes far more than a means of capturing the literal world however beautifully or skilfully that may be done. Once you start to look beyond obvious reality, a whole new world of shape, colour and form begins to reveal itself. Capturing and portraying abstract design is not just the preserve of painters who have it easy because they can paint what is inside their heads and claim the result to be art. The photographer needs an actual subject, and must think objectively before he, or she, can convey a subjective view of it. Practical skills and visual perception are needed in equal doses to release a subject's full potential.

Of course, you must look further than a simple representation of the obvious world, but unless you just get lucky, those basic practical photographic skills are essential before worthwhile abstract pictures can be produced with certainty almost every time.

And that is where many newcomers to photography come unstuck and need help. The 'abstract' genre is so often an excuse for poor, lack-lustre 'arty' images. It is also where I part company with the teaching methods in many colleges and universities these days. I have lost count of the number of youngsters who have come to me straight from college and told me they only like taking 'abstract shots'. Why? Because they don't know how to photograph anything else. They have not been taught the essential practical skills of photography that will enable them to be fully creative. They have been sent out unprepared and told to 'be creative' as if this by itself will produce 'art'. What utter nonsense. The methods encouraged vary from waving the camera about with a slow shutter speed to angling every composition at 45 degrees. These half-baked teaching methods are cheating our youngsters; filling them with false hopes and denying them access to professional standards though which they might find employment and personal fulfillment.

To me, an abstract picture is one that draws on the less obvious elements of a scene or object such as line, shape, texture, tone and colour purely for their own sake. Often it is the type of image that stretches the imagination of the viewer that is most successful. A picture that puzzles or intrigues; the one that makes someone look twice and then hold their attention.

Start by looking at an everyday subject it might be an interesting modern building or perhaps a river view with reflections. Look for lines, shapes, colour, anything that you can identify as having some visual appeal. Then frame these elements of the subject carefully, placing your rectangle around them tightly so that you isolate them into one strong composition.

The joy of seeking abstract images is that everyone sees things quite differently, in fact some photographers just cannot see them at all and prefer to concentrate on more obvious subjects. It's all subjective and in each individual's eye. Once you start to see abstract pictures, though, you will soon realise that they can be found everywhere in the natural world and in the everyday manmade world as well. So far as my pictures here are concerned, they were all taken purely for the fun of capturing them, and they make no claim to be art… and if I can spot the visual potential of simple subjects like these then so can you.

One of the best ways to start recognising the abstract potential of a subject is to take a closer look at an everyday subject. Try to home in on one particular area of the whole. Find something that has strong colour, good lines or outstanding shapes. Don't fall into the trap of tilting the camera to one side every time in an attempt to inject an unusual angle or viewpoint. This is a hackneyed idea. Try, instead, to compose tightly and if possible crop out any obviously recognisable elements.

Photograph above:

I found this fairground a fertile ground for all sorts of abstract pictures. It was closed during the daytime and the canvas covers of some of the rides have helped provide an intriguing point of view. I like the bright colours and the fact that the clown's picture can only be half seen

Photography in bars and cafes

Not counting India, which is in a league of its own, there are three places in the world that really press my button - places where you can almost feel the buzz and vitality coming up through the pavements beneath your feet. The first is New York, then Hong Kong. The third, and possibly my favourite, is Istanbul.

How could any photographer go to Istanbul and not find visual stimulation? The buildings,the skyline, the boats on the Bosphorus, the markets. But, for me, best of all the people. I have always found the people of Turkey to be kind and helpful.

The picture above shows a man smoking his hookah, better known in the West as a hubble-bubble - in a cafe on the old Galatta Bridge. It was taken before this fascinating bridge with its double-deck of shops and cafes was burned down. Probably by someone sat in a cafe smoking a hookah.

I just walked into this cafe because it looked interesting, and ordered a glass of that wonderful Turkish coffee that is so strong and thick you can stand a spoon up in it. Within a short time, people were asking where I was from, introducing themselves and trying to speak English.

Now you must judge these situations very carefully when you are in a strange new place, but all my senses told me there was nothing to fear in this cafe. I started to take photographs and some of the customers insisted that I took pictures of them. One man borrowed my camera to photograph me with the owners of the cafe. I was even prevailed upon to take a pull on a hookah which damned near killed me. I still have that out-of-focus shot as a happy memento.

The photograph from the cafe that pleased me most was of the man sat quiety puffing away on his hookah beneath the faded pictures on the wall.

The picture was taken with a Nikon F3 with a 24mm Nikkor lens. It was hand held ISO 400 Neopan film at 1/20sec at f3.5

How to use a telephoto lens

Here is another simple example of using a small telephoto lens - in the case a 135mm equivalent - to capture candid pictures of people. I've had some photographers take me to task for daring to use a telephoto for 'street' photography. These purists believe it is only possible to take real 'street' pictures if a lens of 35-50mm is used. They are talking twaddle.

Perhaps they are secretly obsessed by the notion that they are following the example of Henri Cartier-Bresson who, they believe, was able to make himself invisible, get in close to all his subjects without being seen, and capture them all on a Leica with just a 35mm lens.

The story goes that the 'great' Cartier-Bresson tried this method while covering Winston Churchill's funeral for The Sunday Times. Apparently he did not produce a single photograph worth printing.

A small telephoto can actually add a lot to the 'feel' of a candid photograph by throwing the background slightly out of focus and isolating the most important elements of the picture. This frees the viewer's eye to concentrate on what really matters in the picture.

Of course it also gives the photographer the added advantage of remaining just that little bit less obvious.

Photography weekend now fully booked

The Photography Weekend at the Cally Palace Hotel, March 7-9th is now fully booked. I will not be able to change the Photoactive website for a little while so thought it best to let everyone know through the blog.

Meanwhile, never missing a chance to publish a a photograph or two, I've posted a couple more pictures taken on that little outing with the Canon G9 yesterday. I was in the old city of Chester a wonderful place to be taking photographs.

I loved the old chair, and confess that when I spotted it I did move it to a positition in front of that lovely distressed wood. What a great background. Remember, the world is your studio - so never be afraid to move things around a little if you think it's going to make a better picture - as a travel photographer I often did exactly that. No one will mind if you put things back where you found them.

The other photograph was taken in Chester Cathedral. Dead simple, nothing clever, I was just attracted to the colours hitting the wall from the light coming through one of the stained glass windows.

Canon G9 optical viewfinder

I got a few minutes to get out and about with that new Canon G9 of mine yesterday. The first thing I wanted to do was put that optical viewfinder to the test after my initial misgivings. I found a very simply subject that was not moving, and tried to compose the same picture by using first the lcd screen and then the optical viewfinder. I readily admit that this was not a scientific test and it should have been done on a tripod - but my findings definitely confirmed my fears - that optical viewfinder is rubbish.
It does not point at the same framing as the screen by a very long way.

Quite apart from the fact that its coverage is only a fraction of the lcd, anyone using this optical viewfnder will almost certainly cut off a goodly section of the bottom of the picture. It is just simply dreadful and almost useless.

I was seriously impressed by the Image Stabalization function - that really does work very well. The pictures you see here were shot hand-held at 1/20sec and there is not a hint of camera shake even though I was zoomed in a fair bit.

The top photograh was composed with the rear lcd and the bottom one with the optical viewfinder. I did not cheat, but tried really hard to compose both pictures properly.

Blogger comment problem solved?

We think we've solved the problem - here's hoping.

Feel free to send me a comment to test though.

Philip

Blogger comments problem

Some of you may have noticed that I'm having problems with the reader comments - for some reason they have gone from almost all the posts. Please bear with me while I try to sort this out. It's a Blogger problem and it seems others are having similar trouble.

Photography holidays and weekends

Okay, so I hope you enjoy the technique tips – well now it’s time you put up with a bit of promotion for the photography holidays and weekends I run here in SW Scotland and in Menorca, Spain.

All these events are designed to be instructive and a great deal of fun. If you would like to read some comments about them, just click here.

www.photoactive.co.uk/tuition/learn02.htm

If you want any further details, please refer to my website for all contact details.

www.photoactive.co.uk/

It would be great to have you with us.

Photography Weekend
7th -9th March at The Cally Palace Hotel, Gatehouse - the theme will be portraiture, both with and without flash £399 including all accommodation, meals and tuition

Full details at www.photoactive.co.uk/kbt_groups/kbt_groups_cally.htm

Photography Holiday Menorca 1

2nd-9th May
Still some places available. The theme will be travel photography.

We do not 'suffer for our art' - we stay in a beautiful 4 star hotel!

www.photoactive.co.uk/menorca/menorca01.htm

Photography Holiday Menorca 2
19th-26th September
The second of our Photography Holidays in Menorca. We will visit different locations, but the theme of Travel Photography will be the same.
www.photoactive.co.uk/menorca/menorca01.htm

Photography Weekend

October 31st - November 2nd 2008

At the Cally Palace Hotel
www.photoactive.co.uk/kbt_groups/kbt_groups_cally.htm

Photography Weekend

November 28th - 30th 2008

At the Selkirk Arms Hotel
http://www.photoactive.co.uk/kbt_groups/kbt_groups_selk.htm

Oh, the pictures show some of the photographers at work in Menorca - the top pictures is of Jan getting a little help from one of the locals. And that's me in the white tee-shirt pulling George's camera to bits... or was I putting it back together again?

Photographing older people - part 2

Six good reason for photographing older people

Older people are usually more willing to give their time.
They have faces full of character.
They are normally a lot more interesting to talk to
They have fewer inhibitions.
They can sit still.
You will not have to ask their parents’ permission.

This old lady came out of a church and looked at me with a degree of suspicion (lower photograph). If this happens to you, don’t let it put you off pressing the button – take the picture. The hint of the man in the black hat in the background has added a slightly mysterious atmosphere to the picture.

Once I had this old lady in my sights, and when she had got used to the fact that I was around, I decided to try for a close-up showing her lace mantilla. I was fortunate that she was talking to another lady who was wearing a turquoise dress, and this has reflected in my subjects spectacles and added just a touch of interesting colour.

Bottom photograph
I took lots of photographs of this old chap from the other side of the street as he was taking his evening stroll. I liked his slightly stooped, pre-occupied look, but when I saw the turquoise door ahead of him, a moved quickly ahead and waited for him to walk into the picture. This is one of the basics of good street photography not matter what the age of your subject, and I have spoken before about how important it is to be aware of what is around you and anticipate what might happen.

Photographing older people - part 2

It’s an old saying that a person has the face he deserves by the age of forty. Maybe these days sixty would be more appropriate. Certainly as far as photography is concerned, the older a person gets the more of their life story will be etched into their features – and this means that older people make natural and fascinating subjects for portraiture. The sensitive photographer should be able to capture the essence of a person’s personality and of course this will be that much easier if you have a good, expressive face to photograph.

Remember, an understanding of light is your most important tool and most vital asset; its direction, quality and colour. The direction of light that can most often enhance texture, shape and form is sidelight. So it stands to reason that if you are photographing an elderly person and you want to emphasise the lines and wrinkles of that person’s skin – its texture – then side light can come in very useful. However, like everyone else, some older people can be extraordinarily vain, and will not take too kindly to photographs that make them look decrepit. So a degree of diplomacy may be needed if a photography session is to go smoothly. If you want to take a more flattering picture, try using backlight and reflect it back into the subjects features with a white reflector. We touched on this simple technique when I wrote about the Quality of Light.

I love photographing children because of their natural innocence and charm – they can be very funny. Well so can older people, and often the spark of youthful mischief and memories can still be seen in the older subject’s eyes and facial expressions.

Older people tend to be less self-conscious and easier to work with than younger adults. Older people often take it as a great compliment that a photographer should want to spend time photographing them, and will usually be more than willing to give their time as a result. You will almost certainly be able to work closely with an older person in order to achieve the picture you have in mind. So explain exactly what you want to achieve at the start of the session

Top photograph

How could any photographer resist a face like this. The light is from one big window to the right of the camera. It was very important that the shepherd’s hands and his crook should be included in the composition – they told his life story

Bottom photograph

Share your enjoyment when you are photographing older people. They are naturally interesting in the photographs you have taken. This is Graham, one of my photoghraphers who joined one of my photography holidays in Menorca He's showing the old guys outside a Bar the pictures he has just taken of them – it breaks the ice and can lead to many more wonderful photographs and opportunities – it makes it all fun!

Photographing older people - part 1

It’s an old saying that a person has the face he deserves by the age of forty. Maybe these days sixty would be more appropriate. Certainly as far as photography is concerned, the older a person gets the more of their life story will be etched into their features – and this means that older people make natural and fascinating subjects for portraiture. The sensitive photographer should be able to capture the essence of a person’s personality and of course this will be that much easier if you have a good, expressive face to photograph.

Remember, an understanding of light is your most important tool and most vital asset; its direction, quality and colour. The direction of light that can most often enhance texture, shape and form is sidelight. So it stands to reason that if you are photographing an elderly person and you want to emphasise the lines and wrinkles of that person’s skin – its texture – then side light can come in very useful. However, like everyone else, some older people can be extraordinarily vain, and will not take too kindly to photographs that make them look decrepit. So a degree of diplomacy may be needed if a photography session is to go smoothly. If you want to take a more flattering picture, try using backlight and reflect it back into the subjects features with a white reflector. We touched on this simple technique when I wrote about the Quality of Light.

I love photographing children because of their natural innocence and charm – they can be very funny. Well so can older people, and often the spark of youthful mischief and memories can still be seen in the older subject’s eyes and facial expressions.

Older people tend to be less self-conscious and easier to work with than younger adults. Older people often take it as a great compliment that a photographer should want to spend time photographing them, and will usually be more than willing to give their time as a result. You will almost certainly be able to work closely with an older person in order to achieve the picture you have in mind. So explain exactly what you want to achieve at the start of the session

Top photograph

How could any photographer resist a face like this. The light is from one big window to the right of the camera. It was very important that the shepherd’s hands and his crook should be included in the composition – they told his life story

Bottom photograph

Share your enjoyment when you are photographing older people. They are naturally interesting in the photographs you have taken. This is Graham, one of the student photoghraphers who joined one of my photography holidays in Menorca. He's showing the old guys outside a Bar the pictures he has just taken of them – it breaks the ice and can lead to many more wonderful photographs and opportunities – it makes it all fun!

Next in Part 2 - 5 good reasons for photographing older people

Humour in photography

It is always a mistake to assume that everyone shares the same sense of humour as yourself. In fact there are lots of people who have no sense of humour at all. I try to avoid these people whenever possible... the exception being pompous people, who I find hugely amusing and funny.

I have always enjoyed injecting a gentle sense of fun into my photographs. In fact, when I was working for The Daily Express, I got a reputation for what we called affectionately the ‘Silly Jobs Department’.

Over the years I have been commissioned to photograph some profoundly silly things.

I was once sent by a highly prestigious magazine all the way to Fiji with a life-sized pot replica head of the of the captain of the England rugby team. I remember it was in a very large and heavy box. England were due to play Fiji in the Rugby World Cup, and I was told to get a photograph of the Fijian front row players sat around a cooking pot in which they were boiling the English captain’s head. No, jobs don’t come any sillier than that. All very non-pc these days. If you would like to see the results of this extraordinary trip, you will have to put your requests in the comments and say please – I don’t show these pictures to just anybody! It can be all too painful to me. Still, I got well very paid and the pictures were given a tremedous spread in the magazine.

I’m delighted to say that even quality newspaper are not immune from having a little fun and I have posted a photograph I took for The Daily Telegraph here in the UK, together with a copy of the newspaper cutting showing how they used it.

The secret to success is to be 'gentle' with your subjects. I find nothing in the least funny about about crude and obvious jibes.

Well, you’ve got to laugh, it’s better than crying.

Canon G9 vignetting - answers

Yesterday I posted a question on photo.net regarding the post about vignetting when using attachment lenses on the Canon G9. Having only had the camera a short time and not yet having used it a great deal, I felt unqualified to answer fully, however, I did express the view that ‘inexpensive’ lenses might be at the root of the problem. It turns out that this might not be the case, but that the camera needs setting up properly.

The link below should take you to the forum page where several members responded. However, you may have to join the group to gain access. I can recommend that you do. This forum is huge and very useful.

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00OK88

Denise D from San Francisco pointed out that even with the Canon wide angle and tele adaptors can produce vignetting unless you go to the settings menu and the into the ‘converter’ option. There are two options – one for tele and one for wide angle. You must select the correct option.

In fact there are three options, the other one is 'none' for normal shooting.

So, I hope this helps our anonymous friend who posted the original question, and my sincere thanks to those who responded on Photo.net

The pictures show the menu of the G9 and the two options for the Converter.
Hope this helps.

Street photography - perspective

Having said quite a lot about photographing people and what a powerful device it can be to have your subjects making eye contact with the camera, here’s a photograph that goes entirely in a different direction.

The strength of this picture comes from a dynamic feeling of depth and movement going right into the heart of the composition. Every line of linear perspective and every human action leads the eye forward, and yet it has to come back to look again at the straining figure behind the cart.

It is another photograph from my visit to China some years ago. I suspect all those people cycling to work will not be driving cars.

Canon G9 vignetting

Canon G9 - shutter lag

I have a comment to one of my posts about the Canon G9 that is a bit disturbing…

“I have a G9 and I just got an inexpensive wide angle/macro lens and adapter. I’m not experienced with this type of camera yet but is it normal to see the outer edges of the lens adapter when camera is in widest angle position? Is it normal to have to zoom in to get past that?”

Well, without actually seeing the kit for myself, I doubt you can blame Canon for this one. I think the answer to your problem might lie in that word ‘inexpensive’. Sounds to me as though your inexpensive lens and adapter is not completely compatible with the camera (can it be a proper Canon one?). I can not imagine any situation when it would be normal. The problem you describe is called vignetting and with compatible lenses, mounts and lens hoods, this should not happen.

Please bear in mind that I am NOT an expert on the G9 and I own only the basic camera and no accessories – I’m still trying to find the time to get out there and use it. So far I still remain unimpressed – but we’ll see what happens when I put I to work.

Maybe there’s someone out there with more knowledge about this situation with the G9.

Photographing people in the street - eye contact

This picture was taken in China – one of the few places in the world to which I have no desire to return. As you can see, the street performing sword swallower is the main subject. He has his eye glued on me and is trying to draw me into his act. Maybe he wanted me to try swallowing a sword. Whatever it was he failed. Simply because I kept my eye to the viewfinder and just kept on taking photographs. Eventually, he gave up on me and got on with trying to impress his audience by stuffing an assortment of swords and knives down his throat. I just carried on taking photographs.

One of the strengths of this photograph is a composition that gives a strong sense of depth – this is partially due to the use of a wide-angle lens, but mostly because of the differing scale of the figures from foreground to background.

Another forceful aspect of this photograph is the eye contact of the main subject, and, if you look to the left, the eye contact of the man who is watching for my reactions. Eye contact is a powerful device and can give the viewer of your photographs a feeling of involvement with the scene and the subject. It confirms that the subject is aware of the camera’s presence – in this case the subject is actually responding to the camera – there is a shared interaction.

street portraiture

Cathy was asking in one of her comments whether I had shown any of the pictures I took while I was working with her on the harbour side here in Kirkcudbright. Cathy is one of my students and was here with me on a one-to-one photography course a few months back. I delighted to say she will be joining us in Menorca for the photography holiday in May this year

Well, as I have mentioned before, when I’m working with a student I don’t normally get much chance to take my own photographs, I’m far to busy concentrating on what the student is doing. When we spotted the chap in this photograph on the harbour, he was chatting to someone and just about to get back into his car – not the best place for good photographs. I explained to Cathy that the best thing to do was glance around, find the best spot to photograph him, then ask him to go there. The red bollard with the side of the boat and the nets as a background was an obvious make-shift studio.

I know Cathy was having problems with her auto focus at the time, but she did manage to get some successful photographs. I managed a couple of simple portraits on my little Canon Ixus.

The moral of this little yarn is that by all means, get your candid shots in first when it is feasible – and then don’t be afraid to make contact with your subject, it can lead to some good photographs – remember, once you have broken the ice you have a tame subject in front of you. Don’t was the opportunity – take lots of photographs.

Yes, I know the light was flat and undirectional, but the portraits are lifted by the extraordinarily bright colours of the subjects shirt, and the blue and green background. This background also helps tell the story of an old salt on the harbour – and I simply love the carpet slippers!

These are simple portraits – no great works of art, but they are fun to take, and this sort of photography is good practice for anyone wanting to learn and build their confidence when photographing people in the street. Meeting this chap has opened the opportunity to meet him again and take more photographs of his - perhaps with better light.

Photographing people - smile

Cathy has posted a comment about my post ‘Photographing people – TEN TIPS’. Part of her comment reads…

I've been reading more about street photography on various websites, and the range of advice and techniques on offer seems endless! One site offers advice on what to do when spotted which runs directly counter to your advice, Philip, and which makes me feel quite uncomfortable. http://candids.hervard.net/tips

Well, Cathy, I’ve just taken a look at that site and I have to say I am not in the least impressed by what I see. These pictures remind me of a list. They are mostly just visual records of people. Yes, there are a few interesting expressions – but then there would have to be when you consider how many pictures there are. What are these pictures of people for? I can see very little in the way of composition – most are simply cropped tightly around each subject. I might be missing something here, but, no, I don’t think so. These really are just records of what these people look like

It is not what I like to think of as street photography. I fail to see the visual appeal or merit. No story, no event or interesting moment captured – just records. Why?

I have no doubt that this photographer gets a great deal of pleasure from his photography, good luck to him. But it is definitely not a style I would want to copy. I am convinced that this method of sideways glances and detachment would have got me into a lot of trouble in many of the sensitive situations in which I have been involved around the world.

I am always telling my students that the camera belongs to the eye when they are photographing people in the street – and to press the button again when they are spotted. Then damned well smile!!! Look happy. Talk to people. Make contact. Be human, Do it all from behind the camera if you wish – it can lead to some great photographs and open all sorts of doors.

To illustrate just one situation like this, I have posted a couple of photographs. In the top picture, the main subject had no idea he was being photographed – yet almost everyone else around him could see what was happening. I even mimed to them, by smiling and putting my finger over my lips, to keep quiet and not let him know I was taking his photograph – they shared the joke. Of course it was not long before the man heard my shutter behind him – I was using a 24mm lens so I was very close. When he turned round his face bloke into a big smile – and everyone else joined the fun. I pressed the button again. That for me made a worthwhile photograph with a visual story to tell.

I’ll give you a few more examples of this technique soon.

Reducing camera shake - simply

Now you can laugh it this is you like, but the embedded video below demonstrates a method of keeping your camera steady - by using a piece of string. I have used this method for many years - and I promise you it can work. The video shows quite a refined version. I just make a loop at one end through which I put my foot, and the other end I simply wrap around the camera a couple of times. The idea of using the tripod screw at on the camera's base is a good one.

The truth is, this really can work - not in all circumstances, I admit, but it costs nothing, weighs nothing and you can stuff it into your pocket. If you lose it, you simply find another piece of string.
Thanks to Jon for this



$1 Image Stabilizer For Any Camera - Lose The Tripod - video powered by Metacafe

Photography forums and links

JP has posted the following comment. He says...

"I have learned an amazing amount from the Photo.net forum, a site I stumbled upon, literally, late one night. That forum is how I learned of the photoactive blog. Thank you very much Philip, I really enjoy it! And I'm excited to dive in to talkphotography.jp"

My reply is...

Thanks JP, I'm delighted to hear you are finding my blog interesting. Comments like yours help make it worthwhile.

Some of those forums out there are bursting with information and help. I wonder why people bother with expensive paper magazines any more. While you are doing your 'stumbling', I would ask you to spread the word about THIS blog, which will only florish if the number of visitors continues to increase - so please spread the word, leave links and use the feed. That's how the system will work and the blog will grow. Thanks Jon, this bit edited!!!!

Oh, and I can recommend http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/photoactive_photographers
A small group started by some of my former students. They are serious about two things - taking better photographs and getting more fun from their photography.
Thanks again.

Canon G9 and Olympus XA

My criticism of the Canon G9’s poor optical viewfinder prompted happy recollections of one of my old cameras from the late 1970s. I still have it – a tiny Olympus XA. What a joy that little camera was to use. Without its detachable A11 flash, it fits beautifully into the palm of my hand – and it’s viewfinder, well… bright, wide and clear. This Olympus was revolutionary in its time. It has Aperture Priority only, with the shutter speed the camera selected displayed in the viewfinder by a lovely big analogue pointer.

Of course, unlike the modern digital compacts, you are able to stop the f2.8 lens right down to f22 if you wish. However, the fastest shutter speed was 1/500sec.

None of your fancy auto focus, either. Split-image focusing is by a silken-smooth sliding tab or knurled ring beneath the lens. Long before ‘ergonomics’ was a selling point, the focusing lever fell perfectly to hand. The slide-to-close casing was all but bullet-proof and the optics were wonderfully sharp. Oh, and the shutter was fired by a feather-light touch.

That little camera travelled countless thousands of miles in my pocket and it produced thousands of pictures that were published in newspapers and magazines all over the world. But one of my favourites was taken much closer to home. In Blackpool, Lancashire here in UK. This shot appeared in my first book way back in 1986. The original negative has had a pretty hard time over the years and the scan needs a lot of cleaning up now – so don’t look too closely - it is, though, needle sharp.

Know I know I’m getting all nostagic, but I reckon if Canon really want to produce a compact camera that is useable for street photography – they should take a very close look at that old Olympus XA – in particlular they should put their eyes – and I don’t mean the blind ones – to that wonderful optical viewfinder.

There is a fascinating original review of the Olympus XA here… Canon people please take a look.

http://www.urban75.org/photos/olympus-xa.html

Pictures show the Olympus XA with and without its detachable A11 flash gun

And in case you are wondering, no, I do not want to go back to the days of film - I love digital and all it can do... but I would like a small compact digital camera that I can put to my eye and see through properly. I want to be able to see what's going on through there, compose a photograph and time the action perfectly. Is that a lot to ask?