Photography articles by Merrifield Photographyhttp://www.merrifield-photography.com/index.htmlPhotography articles by Merrifield Photographyeninfo@seydoggy.comCopyright 2007 seyDoggy2007-12-22T18:10:29-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:15:21 -0500Family dynamicsinfo@seydoggy.comTips and tricks2007-12-22T18:10:29-05:00http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/1a153b446f2c80012416f5a0b1e34d17-8.php#unique-entry-id-8http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/1a153b446f2c80012416f5a0b1e34d17-8.php#unique-entry-id-8
tough love



What I love best about shooting this parent-child dynamic is making that undeniable love shine through, regardless of how embarrassed the teenager is with their parent, or how annoyed a tween is with their guardian, or despite the child of any age thinking they are too cool to be there, etc... It's fun to work with that and turn those attitudes around on them or play into them. There is a certain pleasure that kids can derive from the juxtapositions of the stature and indeed their lot in life against that of their parents.

I will often place kids on stools to bring them to the height of their parents or even higher. I will dress kids as their parents would. I will get kids to mimic or mock certain characteristics of their parents. But best of all, I will get the parents to do all of the same but in reverse. The results make for fun, light hearted images that truly show what bonds lie between a parent and their child.]]>The wedding party holds the cardsinfo@seydoggy.comTips and tricks2007-10-17T23:09:32-04:00http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/fdd13b2510b0f8b23f8ede4ea629cd7d-7.php#unique-entry-id-7http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/fdd13b2510b0f8b23f8ede4ea629cd7d-7.php#unique-entry-id-7
the bridesmaids in the nose



1. Be a friend to your clients

The wedding party may not be the ones paying you, but you should treat the brides maids and groomsmen the same as you would the bride and groom. Get friendly with them. Be compassionate. Allow them to talk about what things, good or bad, transpired on the days leading up to the wedding and be sure to make them feel like they can trust you to keep their stories in confidence.

the bridesmaids


This is your opportunity to get some inside details on the bride and groom. Find out what dynamics between each member of the wedding party has between them and the bride and groom; how they met, funny stories, sensitive topics and so on. Knowing this information up front will help you compose shots later on.

2. Be an equal

I shouldn't have to bring this up but it is worth stressing. You should never look down at your client. But the other side of the coin is, you should never let your client look down upon you either. If you do, you fall into the trap where the client demands you shoot this way and that despite your better artistic judgement. And yes, the bridesmaids and groomsmen will indeed make compositional demands on you.

informal posing

Instead, try to establish a solid rapport with the clients that demonstrates your confidence in your creative ability while at the same time respecting their position of likes and dislikes in photography. Don't bow to their every whim, but at the same time try to demonstrate some flexibility and understanding when it comes to taking their picture. This is ever so important when it comes to photographing women; they don't like this side of them, or this angle makes them look chubby, or whatever their concerns might be. Work with this as best you can but keep in mind that good composition is good composition. What a camera sees and what someone sees in front of a mirror are often to different things.

3. Read your clients

This is a tricky one; you either have it or you don't. If you do then you have the advantage of gaging what your clients are all about. Chances are this is easier with the bride and groom because presumably you have seen them and interacted with them on a few occasions prior to the wedding day from meetings and engagement sessions, etc, but what about the wedding party? The wedding day is often the first time you've met or even seen any of them. You don't know who they are, what they do, what they like and dislike, etc... That's why point 1 is so useful. But you can't just rely and getting friendly with the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

the boys are chuckling

You need to get a little deeper into their psyche. Watch how they interact with each other and more importantly, how they receive you and your attempts at befriending them. Are you viewed as one of them, or just a fly on the wall, or are you intruding in their little circle? Do they all like each other? Are they lifelong friends, or were they thrust upon each other do to the circumstances? Your take on this will heavily influence the role you try to play in their day. For instance, if they are a tight nit group, give yourself a little distance between you and them. Shoot them interacting and show genuine interest in the results of your photo taking. They will be quick to do one of two things; put on a show for the camera or invite you in to the circle to have you share what you have been shooting. Either way is a winning situation.

couple laughing

If, on the other hand, the party is comprised of an eclectic group of yesterdays classmates and todays colleagues who have little, if anything in common, you might find yourself being the bridge that closes that gap. You can do this by shooting this person or that person and then sharing that with a member of the party that hails from a different era in the bride or grooms life. It's the icebreaker, so to speak, and before long you should be able to get all of them interacting more. And when they do... shoot!

4. Build on relationships

Nothing conveys better in an image than the bond of dear friends. Often times in a wedding party you'll have a one member that is best friends with another member of the party. By briefly highlighting those relationships and centering out what is sure to be a special moment for them you earn there trust and appreciation and you will find that they put in more effort into the day and work harder for the camera thereafter. Of course this is only true if you tease them with a sample of what you have just captured. They will feel as though you have done something special for them and in-turn reciprocate the favor by, perhaps, being on their best behavior for the rest of the day. One can only hope.

best friends for ever

there is a history between friends


Abbot sibblings

the bride and maid of honor

5. Laugh at yourself

The quickest and easiest way to get people to loosen up and have fun is laugh at yourself first. Make a spectacle of yourself. This is where reading your client comes into play since you will scale your antics based on the mood and background of the people in the party. A younger playful group may respond better to flirtation, blue humor, and locker room antics while an older group could be in favor of a more reserved, sophisticated repertoire. Often times there are at least a few members in the group with children so I find that tails of the trials and tribulations of parenthood are richly rewarded with jovial smiles and free spirits.


can't keep their hands to themself

the men can't keep it together

Humor may not come naturally to most. I am fortunate enough to be the class clown who can morph into what ever comical persona the group needs. A lot of people aren't so lucky so I recommend arming yourself a catalogue of joke you can rhyme at a moments notice. The internet is a great resource to find an endless supply daily funnies.

what are they laughing about

6. Show enthusiasm

If it's your first wedding you are probably terrified. If it's your two-hundredth wedding you are probably bored. Expressing either one of these emotions will kill your career. What you should convey to your clients at all time is complete and total enthusiasm. Enthusiastic to be there, enthusiastic to work with this group, enthusiastic about the results you are getting... That excitement and enthusiasm gets the party excited and into it. They can't wait to pose for you so they can help you realize your artistic vision. They figure if you like what you are seeing they can deliver more and they can work it better.


on the prowl




Being a photographer is like being an entertainer; you are only going to receive from the crowd, that which you give them. Just remember; a big grin and a belly laugh may not always flatter the vanity, but it sure does warm the soul. Have fun!]]>Shooting groups: spread them outinfo@seydoggy.comTips and tricks2007-09-18T09:49:47-04:00http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/1ba9be2bd46e75eb9efe68d8ebe9b34b-6.php#unique-entry-id-6http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/1ba9be2bd46e75eb9efe68d8ebe9b34b-6.php#unique-entry-id-6
soldier style formation


The answer to all if this is to use the space you have available to you. Most wedding formals happen outdoors and usually occur in relatively wide open places. Granted you can't always control your surroundings and the people that might be occupying that space, but when you have the opportunity to shoot big, take it!

Make formals... less formal

The reality is, the only ones who wants to see formal pictures so formal is your Aunt Betty and Grandma Smith. Everyone else want to see some nice pics of the bride, groom, brides maid, or who ever, is their snazzy outfit. Sure you still have to take care to pose them appropriately so that they look right in 2D, but let them be who they are in front of the camera. Let them spread out and get comfortable. You'll find they loosen up and laugh a little more.
be less formal

Multiple points of interest

Rule number one in Photography is to simplify your subject matter by removing extraneous information or points of interest. Rule number one in wedding photography, give a little something for everyone to look at. In this picture are six separate portraits that can be cropped for each member of the party. Each person in the photo is at ease and looks their best. Yet each person in the picture is positioned in a way that not only frames the Bride and Groom, but actually draws you in to them. It's a win-win situation.
frame your subject

Make large groups fun

Separate large groups into family units and have them surround the bride and groom in a loose and casual way. Spread these units out and use whatever space is available to you. This makes for an effective narrative of the family tree and helps to celebrate the variety and differences in the family. By surrounding the bride and groom in this way, you illustrate their past, present and future.
use more space when it's there

Do it when you can

Not every wedding can be so accommodating and many times you might find yourself short on space, but anytime you get a chance to occupy width, distance or height, take the opportunity to play with it. You'll be forced to break out of the police line-up style of group shots.]]>Polarizing filters are still relevantinfo@seydoggy.comTips and tricks2007-08-28T09:01:17-04:00http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/3259969e4859afc7e74d0543bff39b98-5.php#unique-entry-id-5http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/3259969e4859afc7e74d0543bff39b98-5.php#unique-entry-id-5HDR of a simpler era, polarizing filters can offer a glimpse into a more natural world than what a frame of film or sensor can detect on it's own.
tree on Mount Trashmore


What a polarizing filter does mechanically can be summed up easily; a polarizing filter converts an unpolarized or mixed-polarization beam of electromagnetic waves (e.g., light) into a beam with a single polarization state (usually, a single linear polarization). (source wikipedia) However, what polarization does to an image at time of capture is a little tougher to explain. In essence, a polarizing filter cuts out the haze, the glare, the shine from just about everything, whether you are aware it's reflective or not. It more or less does the filtering that your brain and eyes do in the field. It helps make images as vivid as your mind likely remembers them.
pond on trillium

Probably the most dramatic effect obtained with polarizers is the darkening of the sky and increased contrast it provides for the subjects in the frame. Normally, a properly exposed image of clouds in the sky would offer perhaps a 1/4 to 1/2 stop difference in range from cloud to sky. With a polarizing filter you can get up to 3 1/2 stops or more (depending on your film stock or capture format) leaving clouds to literally pop out of the surroundings.
pond on trillium

By dialing in how much or how little effect you want you can control the reflectivity of elements like bodies of water. In the image above I wanted to show some reflectivity from the sky above but not so much that the water simply mirrored it. I was able to adjust the polarization to give some depth to the water while at the same time reflecting a hint of the clouds above.

Take a minute to give polarizing filters a try. How you choose to use them and what you choose to shoot can be as varied as the effects that they can have in the end, but one thing is for sure, you images will take on a closer rendition to what your mind will remember seeing in the field. For the best effect, try underexposing you shots by 1/2 to 1 full stop as I have done in all of the above.
]]>Larger than life; Macro for beginnersinfo@seydoggy.comTips and tricks2007-08-14T11:16:52-04:00http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/2d4646b434f6fc07370cb7dee17007e6-4.php#unique-entry-id-4http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/2d4646b434f6fc07370cb7dee17007e6-4.php#unique-entry-id-4well composed landscape, some of the most fascinating imagery is of the world close up. Macro, or close-up photography is neither easy nor is it inexpensive. The gear required is not necessarily out of the ordinary, but there are a few "must-haves" in macro photography that make acquiring the pieces costly if you don't already have them.
Leaves, Sigma 90mm macro, f 2.8


Let's talk about what you need before we talk about how you shoot a macro image. At a bare minimum you need:
  • A sturdy tripod (the longer, more steady a shot you can take, the better)
  • A 3D adjustable head mount (for getting in to all those tricky angles)
  • It's preferable to have a reversible mast that allows you to mount your camera underneath your tripod (again, for getting in to all those tricky angles)
  • A cable release or remote (for hands free, remote firing of your shutter to help reduce the potential of camera shake at slower shutter speeds)
  • A lens with macro capabilities of at least 1/4X or more (the closer to 1X the better)
  • a flash bracket or other means of getting adequate light on the subject
Back in the day, there were a great many options for getting closer to your subject; diopters, extension tubes, bellows, etc... but macro capabilities are now fairly common place on lenses today that there isn't much point dwelling on any other technique. So let's get started!

Your subject

What you choose to shoot close up can vary greatly, but generally it'll be something that you want to either show, in part or in whole, a great amount of detail in. You might typically see close-ups of flowers and flower parts, insects, small animals, etc... But macro photography can be used on a more grand scale to show details like the coarse skin of an elephant, the granular texture of mortar in a brick wall, or the tiny fossils on a cliff face. No matter the subject matter, the technique is the same.
flowers, Sigma 28-70mm macro, f 2.8, 1.4X tele-converter

Working distance

About the biggest challenge you are going to have in close-up photography is getting some space between you and your subject. This is certainly true of some of the standard zooms available that offer you macro at the 70mm focal length. Where possible, and if it's within your means, get your hands on a lens that gives you macro focus at a length of 200mm. This will give you the chance to get back from your subject, giving your subject better access to available light and giving you more options for camera angles. This also narrows the angle of your field of view, allowing you to trim out extraneous or distracting background elements from your composition.

If such a lens is not in your budget, consider getting a 2X or 1.4X tele-converter. This will increase your magnification allowing you to get about twice the distance from your subject. Keep in mind that any additional glass between your subject and the focal plane can adversely effect the image quality. Just keep an eye on this while you keep this fact in the back of your mind.

Focal plane

You have to decide what you want in focus and be sure to put as much of that parallel to the focal plane (the imaginary plane that the film or sensor lies on) as possible. In this picture (below) you'll notice that the focal plane is on a diagonal from the top right hand corner to the bottom left hand corner, which is nearly perpendicular to the direction that the leaves veins run in. This not only accentuates perspective but serves as a place for your eyes to stand; a wide area of focal refuge before slipping down the visual slope.
Hostas, Sigma 90mm macro, f 2.8, 2X tele-converter

It's not always critical to have as much as possible in focus, just that what is in focus helps support the image. You want the image to feel natural, the way that your eye might see it on it's own. In the shot of the grass below, the surroundings weren't important, but it was crucial to align the camera so that both the blade of grass in it's entirety and the drop of water were in perfect focus.
grass and dew, Sigma 90mm macro, f 2.8


Depth of field

The line between how much or how little is in focus becomes very narrow the tighter your shot gets. So much so that many macro shots are unusable. Selective focus can be a desirable effect in portraiture but in macro photography, the range is so limited that having anything in focus at all is a boon. To combat this problem as best you can, you'll need to use a tripod to steady your shot and to fine tune your composition (see "Focal plane" above), use narrower apertures and get as much light on the subject as possible to facilitate faster shutter speeds (and a narrower aperture).
a tiny bee barely bigger than an ant, Sigma 90mm macro, f 2.8, 2X tele-converter

What you see above is deceptive. That might look like an ordinary bee when in actual fact that bee is actually smaller than the ant pictured below. The flower he is perched upon is about 2/3rds the size of a dime from petal to petal. In order to get nearly his entire body and some of his surroundings in focus I had to set up my camera on a tripod at an ideal focal plane, making sure that nearly everything in the bottom 2/3rds of the frame would be in relatively good focus while allowing the top 1/3rd to fall away in the distance to help give perspective.

The lighting was such that I could afford an f-stop of 18 while maintaining a shutter speed of 1/80th of a second (the slowest I was able to shoot with the breeze and given the subjects flighty disposition). f18 allowed for maximum depth of field considering the conditions and helped to give me a little breathing room in my depth of field so that the bee could land anywhere within 2-5mm range and still be acceptably sharp.

I set my focus manually to the place where this little guy kept returning to and simply waited for him to come back when the air was calm. I shot both the bee and the ant with a 90mm f 2.8 1/2X macro, atop a 2X tele-converter giving me 180mm 1X macro, which makes this little bee about 7.5mm long!
an ant barely bigger than an ant, Sigma 90mm macro, f 2.8, 2X tele-converter

For more on depth of field, read this article.

Aperture

In case you didn't get it by this point, stop your aperture down as far as conditions will permit. The smaller you get your aperture the better your chances of getting your subject in focus. If you can't shoot at f16 of higher due to wind or movement, get a flash in there to throw some light on your subject. When working close up every f-stop counts. Smaller apertures provide a greater depth of field which provides you with more breathing room on your focusing accuracy and your focal plane setup. Remember when working in macro, you have millimeters to play with, not inches, so make them count.

Composition

There is a tendency in close-up work to center everything and throw the basic rules of composition away. This is due, in large part that it is infinitely easier to our minds eye to bring something into focus when it lies in the center of the view finder. If you want to shoot successful close-ups though, you have to get your subject away from center. Also look for ways to have the surroundings support your subject with leading or trailing lines, forced perspectives and contrasts in lighting or subject matter. This is a pretty tall order for a composition that might be taking place in less than a few inches of physical space, but at least considering some of these elements during setup will vastly improve your results.

Summary

To summarize quickly:
  • Have a subject worth showing in such detail as close-up photography affords.
  • Give yourself enough room to work around your subject. This might require a longer lens or a tele-converter but whatever the case make room between you and your subject.
  • Be careful to set your focal plane parallel to any points of interest in your composition (those that will or should be in focus).
  • Your depth of field is a fine dance between your focal plane and your aperture but warrants it's own category. Be mindful of how much of the composition you can actually achieve reasonably sharp focus. The great the depth of field the better your chances of obtaining a sharp image. (read more on depth of field)
  • A small aperture is the key to it all. The smaller you can squeeze those blades the better if you want to attain a usable depth of field. If there isn't enough light available then make some.
  • Composition is so important to interesting imagery. Don't throw the rules out the window just because your composing in a few square inches versus feet or miles. The rules are the same no matter the scale.
I hope you found this rather long winded article useful. It's hard, sometimes, to put into words something that I take for granted. Hopefully I was able to convey the ideas well enough to make you think a little the next time you try your hand at macro photography.

]]>How to shoot succesful landscapesinfo@seydoggy.comTips and tricks2007-07-31T09:04:12-04:00http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/6efe735f7c9eb8d6dbd1b250ee4104bb-3.php#unique-entry-id-3http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/6efe735f7c9eb8d6dbd1b250ee4104bb-3.php#unique-entry-id-3
example of landscape composition


What's your subject

That's obvious... it's the scene before you right? What happens when you just set up your camera and shoot that scene? It ends up in the distance, on the horizon, hardly noticed at all. Why? That's the funny thing about the human brain. We extrapolate the key points of interest and blur the rest out. In real life, this is often the background behind us, the horizon, the scene in the distance. So what we need to do is trick the brain to find the background interesting. So yes, the scene is your subject, but you need to present another point of interest closer to us that helps lead the viewer into that great sprawling landscape.
example of foreground object

This is often done with contrasting elements or juxtapositions, like the foreground subject of a delicate flower against a backdrop of rugged, sun soaked mountains. Or you can draw the viewer into the scene with converging lines like a road trailing off until lost in the rolling hills of harvest time wheat. In each case it's the greater scene that is the subject, but something in the foreground takes you there.

It's all about focus

One of the trickiest aspects of marrying a foreground point of interest with a landscape subject is focus or maximum depth of field (read this article for more on this). There is no point in including both the foreground and background as key points of interest if they can't both be in perfect crystal clear focus.
example of maximum depth of field

This means stopping down your aperture as much as the surrounding light and wind conditions will allow you. If your fortunate to be shooting on a windless day, a long exposure time is of no concern, but if the wind is a factor, consider shooting static objects not prone to swaying. AND ALWAYS USE A TRIPOD!

The overall picture

It's hard to tell a story in a landscape shot. You'll find many viewers asking, "What's the point of this?" Keep in mind that the viewer wasn't there at the scene when you shot it so they didn't see the 360º panoramic that your eyes witnessed before taking a slice of that home with you in your camera. What does and doesn't get included in your compostition says as much about the picture as the scene itself.
example of busy but focused composition

If it's going to be a busy compostion, make sure that each element in the frame helps support the purpose or theme of the shot. If it's going to be sparse, ensure your lines compliment the absence of detail.

This way or that

Many people automaticall assume that landscape photography has to be photographed... well... in a landscape orientation. This isn't true. Typically a wide angle lens is used to convey an exagerated sense of scale which means if you want to illustrate how tall something is, you need to shoot in portrait. If you want to show far a road stretches into the distance, it might show better in portrait. The bottom line is, fill your frame in the orientation that seems to compliment the scene best.

example of portrait composition

To recap

So the key to succesful landscapes are:
  • Subject - include foreground objects that will draw the viewer into the greater, overall sceen
  • Focus - get the greatest depth of field possible given your particular circumstances, it is vital to have everything in focus
  • Composition - be sure the elements that you include in your image deserve to be there. Make sure to only include objects that help tell the story.
  • Layout - determine which layout, landscape or portrait, shows your subject matter best. Lanscapes are often about scale, so choose the layout that conveys the scale of your scene.
]]>Tips for Photographing Your Babyinfo@seydoggy.comTips and tricks2007-07-22T11:54:21-04:00http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/2fe740b14ada75f577e0342b9dfa2a40-0.php#unique-entry-id-0http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/2fe740b14ada75f577e0342b9dfa2a40-0.php#unique-entry-id-0by Ann Scaling Tucker (from www.theclassicbabystore.com)

More pictures are probably taken of babies than any other subject is; however, most of them aren't worth showing to the neighbors. We've collected some hints that may help make your pictures better:

  • Always move close to the baby - don't shoot from across the room!! That is unless you want a long-range photo.
  • Don't place the baby in the midst of a bunch of objects.
  • Make the baby the object of the photo.
  • >Don't think that the baby is going to hold still for very long. Don't expect the baby to do something cute when you're ready. You need to be ready when they do happen to do something.
  • Take lots of shots and you should get one or two out of the roll that are really worth showing around the office.
  • Use soft light. Soft light compliments a child and prevents squinting. Always use soft light when taking a photo of a sleeping baby.
  • Take into account the age of the child. A newborn will lie there looking angelic unless it decides to have a good cry. Then you'll just have to wait and wait and possibly wait. The older baby will move around more, putting whatever is near in its mouth, which is usually the fist or the fingers or both. If the baby has become a toddler you're on your own as the toddler does what toddlers do - get into everything or tries to leave the country as fast as their legs will take them.
  • It is probably best to have your spouse or a sibling help keep the baby's attention and possibly make them laugh. Also they can be prepared for unexpected things like a sudden roll over or a fast get away.
  • Be sure to take your pictures after the baby has napped, eaten and had a diaper change. The baby's playtime is a good time if you want a wide-awake, possibly smiling child in your pictures.
  • Other pictures taken a naptime, eating or even when the baby is crying can make cute pictures also so don't take only planned set ups.
  • Always have your equipment ready for those candid and informal shots. Make sure your batteries are good and you have plenty of film handy. There is nothing more frustrating than to be on the next to last picture of your last roll and the baby or child is in a really great posing mood.
  • Babies at play, with props and toys, provide a great selection of photos. Good informal portraits can be made if the baby's attention is focused on something that moves or makes a noise. You can also hold attention by rolling a strip of tape with sticky side out and placing it where the child can play with it. Just be sure to grab it if it starts going to the mouth. Giving toddlers a new item they haven't seen before can keep them occupied.
  • When doing portraits always focus on the eyes. Don't make your background too busy or cluttered. Make the baby or child the main object in the frame. Formal portraits are a little harder and are usually done in a studio or if outside, with more sophisticated equipment. The new parent who is an amateur photographer is discouraged from trying the formal portrait. Let the pros (like Merrifield Photography) get those special shots meant for the fancy frame over the fireplace.
  • For better shots - turn off the flash and move near a window. Faster speed film will help. Get eye level with your baby. You don't have to dress the baby in the fanciest outfit since you're after the baby's picture - not the clothes.
  • Don't get all bent out of shape if you miss that "first" step or roll over. Just get lots of those shots; it just doesn't have to be the "first" one. When you want that special shot - a favorite toy is a must. Candy or a treat is not a good idea. Sticky fingers and chocolate all over the face is not a great idea.
  • Remember that the baby or the baby and family members should fill three-fourths of the image. Soft light from a window or a lamp is best for indoors. Place the baby where the light shines from the side. Take close up photos and let the family get relaxed before snapping the picture. Photos can be even better if the subject(s) is slightly off center.
  • Another great look can be obtained with mother and child are dressed in the same color. Great baby shots make cute birth announcements. Punch two holes in the picture and a blank card and run a thin ribbon through the holes to secure the picture to the card.
  • A unique look for a photo is using the Sepia tone setting and making the photo look like it was taken in the 1800's. An example of this coloring is the photo of our baby on the heading of the home page.
Don't be afraid to experiment but always remember to take off the lens cap and keep your fingers away from the lens. Have fun taking pictures of your baby and don't forget to send lots of photos to the grandparents!!! I hope you enjoy learning to use this technique, and I hope you become a better photographer for it. Happy shooting to you, and be sure to stay tuned for more helpful hints from www.merrifield-photography.com.]]>Depth of Field vs. Shutter Speedinfo@seydoggy.comTips and tricks2007-07-15T09:14:25-04:00http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/6c53449dc717339e6e97f7253d4289dd-1.php#unique-entry-id-1http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/6c53449dc717339e6e97f7253d4289dd-1.php#unique-entry-id-1

As you have figured out by the title, we are going to discuss depth of field, shutter speed, and the intertwined relationship they share with light. A comment I often hear is, “My picture didn't turn out the way I thought it would when I shot it.” This is a common complaint by many photographers, amateur and pro alike, and there are many factors that contribute to this phenomenon, but I feel the strongest cause for this is depth of field. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this term, depth of field or DOF as I will refer to it from here on out, is the range or distance in front of, and behind your point of focus that still maintains relative sharpness. For example, if I take a picture of your face, I will focus on your eyes (which will always be the point of focus in a good portrait). If the end result shows that the tip of your to nose to the back of your ear is in focus than I am shooting with a greater DOF than if only your eyes were in sharp focus.

Still confused? Try this: stand at one of a room, pick an object somewhere in the middle of the room, and with your naked eye, focus on that object. Without taking your eye off the object, try and notice your surroundings. How much is in focus? Very little, right? Your eyes are demonstrating a shallow depth of field. Now, take a look at a painting. A nice landscape painting, like the kind you find being sold out of the back of a van at the corner gas station, by a “starving artist” (come on, we all have one of those kicking around in the closet somewhere). As you let your eyes wonder across the painting, you'll notice that every object in the painting is in focus; from the little flower beside the cottage in the foreground, to the snowcapped mountains in the background. This is an example of maximum DOF. Shallow DOF = very little in focus. Greater DOF = lots in focus. Got it?

Now with that being said, you ask, “How do I control the DOF?” Well if you look into your cameras operating manual you will hopefully find a section about aperture settings. Now don't worry about what an aperture is at this point, just try to remember that your aperture is represented by an f-stop. If your camera is equipped to adjust this aperture (or f-stop) then it is by this adjustment that you can control the DOF. Now, a more complicated text would go on to explain that an f-stop is a ratio of focal length to aperture diameter, where f2 = 1/2, and if applied to a lens with a 100mm focal length would be the equivalent to an aperture diameter of 50mm, and f4 would be 25mm and so on... but what does this really mean to you? Instead, I would like to spell it out in a way that make total sense and is very easy to learn. All you need to remember is that like quantitative terms belong together. So far, I have taught you that:

A shallow (or small) DOF = very little in focus
A greater (or big) DOF = a lot in focus
Now let's add the next part of the equation:
A small f-stop (i.e. f2) = a shallow (or small) DOF = very little in focus
A large f-stop (i.e. f32) = a greater (or big) DOF = a lot in focus

Seems easy enough right? So what's the catch? The catch is that the DOF you desire must be attainable within the light you have available to you. If you are working with a flash, then you have more flexibility. If, however, you are working with the natural or available light around you then your choices become fewer. This is due to a nasty thing called exposure. A proper exposure is made up of three components; your f-stop, your shutter speed, and the amount of light you have at your disposal. Add all of these up and factor in a few light sensitivity ratings expressed in iso values (i.e. iso 100, iso 400 and so on... I'm sure you have seen this before), and you have the makings of a University masters degree in obscurity and confusion.

Lets simplify, shall we? Lets say you want to take a picture of grandma, but grandma is standing 8 feet in front of a graffiti covered brick wall (yeah, grandma's 'hood has taken a turn for the worse). Obviously (for me anyway) you don't want the graffiti in focus, so you decide to shoot the picture with a small f-stop to minimize the DOF so that grandma's face is in focus and not the graffiti. So now that you have changed the f-stop you have to account for the other two components in a proper exposure; shutter speed, and light. Lets assume that the light hasn't changed, so all we need be concerned with is the shutter speed. At this point I could break into the theories of exposure and the reciprocal relationship between aperture and shutter speed, but instead I am going to return to the formulas we have been building, but this time we will add the shutter speed:

A short shutter duration = a small f-stop = a shallow DOF = very little in focus (a working exposure example: 1/8000 of a second at f2)

A long shutter duration = a large f-stop = a greater DOF = a lot in focus (a working exposure example: 1/30 of a second at f32)
(Incidentally, on a sunny day, with iso 100 film, both of the above examples amount to an EV (or "Exposure Value") of zero as per the “Sunny 16” rule...but we will leave that for another lesson)

So with all else equal, what ever you do to adjust the aperture, you must also make an equal adjustment to your shutter speed. Fortunately many cameras are built with automatic options that compensate one parameter for any adjustments that you have made to the other, so you really won't have to worry yourself with too many technical details.
In closing, let's recap what we have learned here.

If you want your main subject to be in focus but the background to be blurry, you must:
use a small f-stop number, and a short shutter duration to get a shallow depth of field so that very little is in focus.

If you want everything in the shot to be crystal clear, you must:
-use a large f-stop number, and a long shutter duration, to get a large depth of field so that lots is in focus.

I hope you enjoy learning to use this technique, and I hope you become a better photographer for it. Happy shooting to you, and be sure to stay tuned for more helpful hints from Merrifield Photography.]]>The Rule of 3rdsinfo@seydoggy.comTips and tricks2007-07-10T09:16:16-04:00http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/5f1a8b20dd8e69aafd41b0b69bbfcea4-2.php#unique-entry-id-2http://www.merrifield-photography.com/articles/photography-articles/files/5f1a8b20dd8e69aafd41b0b69bbfcea4-2.php#unique-entry-id-2

Many weekend shutter-bugs find out quickly that better equipment does not make a better photographer. Truth be told, many pros have discovered the same reality. So what is it that sets a great image apart from an ordinary snap shot? Technique!
While there are countless tricks, rules and techniques that one could spend a lifetime mastering, there is truly but a handful that really make all the difference. In this article I would like to discuss one that I feel is the easiest way to turn your snapshots into portraits.

It all comes down to composition, and what many refer to as the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is a special concept that is born of mathematics, and applied to everything from architecture, to fine art, to interior design, and certainly photography. In its simplest form, the law of thirds states that things look better when proportioned in thirds. This can take many different forms in other mediums, but for photography, it simply means moving your center of focus off to one side, or up and down.

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I would like you to take a look at the two examples on the left. The example on the top demonstrates a typical error in composition. The eyes, which should always be the point of interest, are low in the frame. In actual fact, they are dead center. This leaves a lot of uninteresting space above the head. It also gives you a sense of looking down upon the subject, as opposed to looking straight on at the subject as an equal.

The lower image shows how an image can be made more appealing by changing the position of the camera. The point of focus is still the eyes, but this is now made more powerful by filling the empty space. Also, by making the body an integral part of the image, the viewer is naturally drawn upwards, from the body to the eyes. Take a look at all of the portraits at the bottom of this page. They all follow this same basic rule.

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To make an image like this all you need to do is point your camera (no matter what grade or quality that may be) at your subject, then offset in an appealing direction, so that your subject does not occupy the dead center of the frame. Remember, though, to focus on your subject prior to shifting your composition. If you follow these simple steps, you will be taking better, more satisfying pictures, whether you have a $2000 camera or a $200 camera.

I hope you enjoy learning to use this technique, and I hope you become a better photographer for it. Happy shooting to you, and be sure to stay tuned for more helpful hints from Merrifield Photography.]]>