Portraits and Festivals

Portraits and Festivals

• Language barriers can be overcome with a good phrase book
• Show the peopel you just captured their image on the LCD screen
• Children are especially eager to become the start of the screen
• Make sure to know the settings on your camera, dont waste any time fiddling with your camera while trying to take somebody's picture
• Getting the right background is key to a successful portrait, make sure you dont include clutter that could take away from the focus point of the person
• Fill the frame as much as you can with your subjects face and ensure the best angle of light casts evenly across your subject. Using a wide aperture of f2 of f5.6 will throw the background out of focus to flatter the main subject
• If you are unable to gain eye contact with your portrait subject, then candid shots can prove just as effective
• Using wide angle lenses enables this to be captured on camera -the person will remain the central focus, but the details of what is going around him or her will add a story to the scene somewhat verging on the photojournalist style, and will lend human impact to your pictures

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Tips on...<Travel.. creativity>

Heading off the beaten track is a guaranteed method for limiting your chances of cliched travel images, but remember that in this day and age you would have to be very quick to snap something that hasn't been photographed.

Boosting creativity

• The use of unusual perspective is an obvious option for boosting creativity. Getting down low with a wide-angle lens of 24-42mm will give an extreme edge to any landscape, as will using a fish eye lens which will work to distort the trye dimensions of the scene in front of you
• Timing of photography is another key factor in determining the result image. You could for example wait for what is assumed to be a remote untouched location to become swamped in rush hour traffic and then shoot for impact.

In detail

• Homing in on small details is a superb stylistic point in man travel photography portfolios, whether it happens to be the people, a street sign, local craft product or something that springs to your attention just as you are about to the press the shutter button. Something as simple as a door knocker, a plate of food or even a ceramic tile provided it is photographed well and in focus, can reveal a lot about a different culture

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Exotic Landscapes

Tricks of the light

• If you are traveling anywhere near the coast or desert, the exotic idyll of white sands and turquoise skies although photogenic will present the photographer with a multitude of hazards. They key is to be aware of the suns position.
• In locations where cloud cover is sparse, intense sunlight will be detrimental to the level of detail in your image.
• Adjust EV compensation up by one or two stops, or use exposure bracketing to cover yourself against inaccurate metering in tricky lighting scenarios
• Early morning light is perfect for highlighting contours and textural formations of a deser landscape, emphasized even more by a low shooting position and wide angle lens
• The low position of the sun and quality of natural light later in the day will give shots an atmospheric appearance, casting long shadows and adding depth to scenes such as rock formations and layered landscapes. Landscapes will also take on a warmer color tone at the beginning and end of the day, compared with the cool blue cast of midday

Wide Open

• A standard wide angle lens at 35mm equivalent focal lent of 43-60mm or a super wide angle lens of 24-42mm will work to capture every last detail while making the most of the sjy and foreground
• Place the horizon in your frame according to the interest that the sky and foreground each hold - they must wor kwell together or not at all-

For coastal areas

• Using fast shutter speeds higher than 1/250 secs will freezse the motion of waves and sea spray. In contrast, slow shutter speeds of less than half a second will blur the water and soften the scene. If this is where your traveling interest lues then the addition of a polarizing filter to your kit bag will help you improving the color and contrast of your images, and will reduce the glare caused by reflection. A tripod is a most on all of this situations
• The inclusion of a human element into a typical landscape photograph can give a striking sense of scale to a place. Focus your lens on the person in the frame, but employ a wide aperture to ensure sharpness from front to back.

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Tips on...<Travel>

Travel Photography tips

Is good to go to a location and have a them around the photoshoot. Get an assignment

• Working hands
• Colorful
• Street names
• Vivid Colors
• Close up Local architecture
• Children

• Keep it friendly when approaching people
• Know when to back down. dont be upset by a refusal, just try somebody else
• Learn the lingo:: learn a few basic words from the language of the country you are visiting, at least please and thanks
• Understand the culture: research into local customs
• Fill the frame: get in as close as possible to the subject
• Research your destination thoroughly, if you get some research done it will tell you what kit to bring
• Make the light work for you. Bring a reflector/diffuser kit and a flash with a diffuser. Controlling the light is key for a good portrait
• Know the best time to shoot: Avoid harsh sunlight if possible move the subject to the shade
• When shooting wildlife, preparation is key: Bring the longest lens you have
• Consider composition carefully. Dead Center is deadly. Position the subject off-centerfor a more interesting composition
• Experiment with filters: Use a polarizing filter, to reduce glare on water and foliage
• Ask permission to take pictures of people:
• Change your perspective, tell more of the story by using wider lenses.
• For more marketable pictures, try writing, it helps selling a set for a certain location
• Create a diary of your travels, this will help tell a story of your set

Checklist before you go...

• Do your research: read upon the area for things to shoot where to go and where not to
• Check your documents
• Equipment list
• Clean Equipment
• Check equipment (take a few test shots)
• Charge batteries
• Power (dont forget a travel adapter)
• Check airline restrictions for carry-on on passport and electronics
• Storage; enough memory cards and back up units in case those cards fill up

Think Kit

Make sure you pack the right equipment. Think about these filters, lenses and cameras to suit all the photographic situations you might encounter. A circular polarizer is a most

Outside the box

Capture not only buildings and locations but the locals while on your travels and you will have some outstanding shots

Add context

Although some shots look like they could have been taken anywhere in the world, make sure your shots dont. Add subtle touches like a local language sign pr native animal to your shot to give a little context

Zoom In

Great travel shots arent just sweeping vistas and huge buildings. Get up close and shoot individual hieroglyphs, single crucifixes or sained glass windows

Colour composition

Take advantage of local dress, landmarks and culture to take striking photos.. The rules of composition still apply, but you could try to vary your viewpoint to get more exciting frames

After dark

Wait until the lights go down brefore you get your camera outm Dusk and sunset hours are beautiful by the water. Look out for reflections, slow your shutter speed.

Local people

Landscapes may be the most common travel shots, but the ones if local people are often the shots that speak the loudest. Make sure you ask permission to take their photo

In the wild

Invest in a good telephoto lens as well as abean bag. Its essential for a safari

Do your research

Find out everything you can before travel. What events are going while yuou are there. Are there any high vantage points to shoot from?.

Research what your destination has to offer and what makes it unique. Research travel brochures it can give you a good indication of whats been shot, so you dont repeat it, but it also is a good start

Find out of any festivals as well as where the local markets are, this creates a huge opportunity. If you want to add some portraits to the mix, learning some of the local language helps

Ideally you should carry 2 DSLR bodies and with them a collection of overlapping lenses a telephoto, tele-zoom and two wide-angle. Keeping lenses to a minimum will mean less switching and less risk to your sensor getting dirty or damaged.

For shooting on the move a good back up unit is essential, there are several at different prices, I personally own this one. Some extras to pack on your bag are a tripod (carbon fiber would be ideal), cable release, USB cables and spare memory cards. Graduated filers could be consider a luxury if you want to travel light as some of this effect can be recreated in Photoshop

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