So you think that a naked lens was able to capture some of the best landscape images? Well you are wrong, a lens alone cannot handle the harsh sun and very bright clouds and still expose for the ground. The filter commonly used for outdoor photography is a neutral density filter. There are many types of neutral density filters. You will first need to identify the location of the image you want to capture and then analyze the light at the time you would like to capture the image. With this information, you will now select how many stops necessary to under expose the sky to balance the exposure to the ground. Once you have this information, then go to your closest camera store or buy the neutral density  filter online. The two brands I use and trust are filters from B+W and Hoya.

Another filter I use outdoors to help reduce the glare from shiny surfaces and water is a circular polarizer. I use a Hoya filter for my Nikkor 18-200mm 3.5-5.6 VR lens.

If you just need to protect your glass, I’d get a UV filter. I am using a B+W filter for my Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8 VR2.

I know there are a few photographers that shoot naked and proud of it and simply make the necessary adjustments in photoshop, but if you are like me and like to do as much on camera as possible then a filter will be your best friend.

_____________________________________________________________________

Timing Timing Timing is not only important to sports but also photography. There are times in photography when your subjects aren’t idle or the external factors are in motion while your subjects are frozen. So what is necessary to capture the image? Timing, Timing and Timing.

Timing was necessary to capture the couple through the window of the passing train. Ok ok it did help that I used my Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8 VRII lens.

Give it a try and anticipate a moving subjects climax. You will get some animated and compelling images that show motion captured just at the right moment.

Most people think that getting the latest and greatest camera will automatically make you a great photographer that produces great images.  I DON’T THINK SO. If that is the case than all of the Steve Jobs and Bill Gates of the world would also dominate the photography world. Thank goodness that is not the case.

You can take incredible pictures with a camera phone. If you don’t believe me check out Chase Jarvis’s book “THE BEST CAMERA IS THE ONE THAT’S WITH YOU”. You will see what an iphone camera with a talented an visionary photographer like Chase Jarvis can do.

I hope this is evidence enough that the “Photographer” is what makes a great image not the equipment.

So, if you don’t have the cash to get your dream camera settle for a consumer DSLR like the Nikon D5000 if you like Nikon products or the Canon EOS Digital Rebel Xsi if you like the Canon products. Just learn as much as you can about the technical aspects of photography (Shutter speed and Aperture) and learn the basic rules like the 1/3rd rule or triangle rule. Once you feel that you’ve mastered the technical aspects of photography and have outgrown your consumer DSLR, then move to the prosumer models. For Nikon, I am looking into the D700.

In conclusion, the equipment can only enhance the quality of your photograph. It cannot create the image.

When shooting outdoors the Sun can be your best friend or your worst enemy. The Sun as you know is selective on when it is friendly. Usually the Sun is most kind in the wee hours of the morning and an hour before the Sun goes down, commonly referred to as the “Golden Hours”.

Unfortunately, we all can’t take pictures at the times where the Sun is most friendly to our images. So what do you do? Well, the example illustrated in the image posted with this tip was taken at an engagement session I photographed for a very cool couple. In this example, I used the sun’s bad position to create a cool effect to match the couple’s personality. Again, only use this technique if it makes sense for your subjects. In this case, I used the Sun’s poor position of almost above us to my advantage. If you’ve read a lot of photography books, then you will know that high noon is what you need to avoid because of the unflattering light it produces and the ugly shadow it creates in the eye area commonly called raccoon eyes.

So, what did i do exactly? I simply bent down so that I am shooting up at the couple and made sure to use the subjects head to slightly cover the Sun’s powerful light. This is key as you don’t want the Sun to fully shine at the camera which will prevent you from seeing the subjects. If you cover the Sun ever so slightly using the subjects head,  then as you can see the subjects faces are slightly visible.

Make sure to drop by next week for another photography tip.

__________________________________________________________________________________________
When taking photographs of monuments or at public locations with a lot of foot traffic, it can be very difficult to take your picture. Well, if you have an only automatic point and shoot there is nothing you can do about it. Although, if you have a manual capable point and shoot and/or a Digital SLR, then people will not be a problem.

All you need to do is slow down your shutter enough that the people walking by the building become more and more transparent. I haven’t been able to completely remove the people from the image but the ghost trails in the image is rather cool and adds a creative element to a building or landmark photograph. Give it a try and experiment.

__________________________________________________________________________________________
There are hundreds and thousands of images produced every day, but not all are captivating images. You ask why? Besides the technical aspects of the photo in terms of clarity, focus, composition etc…One important element some photographers fail to address is the story and what the image is intended to communicate. The example included in this post is a typical portrait which illustrates the persons personality and hobbies.

__________________________________________________________________________________________
I’ve read somewhere that the subject shouldn’t be lit from the bottom because it will produce unflattering light. Well, I believe if done correctly, you should be able to produce a pleasing edge and fill light as you can see from the image above. For this image, I used 3 lights. A main camera left, a hair light right above the model’s head and edge from bottom camera right.

Have you noticed when looking at an automotive print advertisement a compelling location is used as a background? Why? Well, I don’t know about you but it communicates the feeling generated by the compelling background is transferred to the vehicle in the picture. An example could be the image below of the 2010 Prius in front of the Golden Gate bride. The feeling of awe from the site of the bridge is passed to the Prius. It might just be me. You tell me what you think.

At times what makes or breaks an image is how well it is lit. Which is why lighting is so important to my style. If you see my work, I hope you are able to see my distinct style in the use of lighting. One major ingredient in my lighting setups is the fill light. Some people also start their lighting setup in a different manner than I do. I setup my fill light first. Yes, I set the fill light first. This way I can perfect the fill and simply add on the lighting effects such as edge light etc.. at a later time . Try it out and it will significantly cut your lighting setup time.

__________________________________________________________________

All you photographers know light is very important in photography. Light is used to help illustrate emotion. For example, if you would like to communicate a happy image what type of lighting will you use? This is really a simple question right? I hope so. The lighting for a happy image should be bright with minimal shadows. So from this example, you can guess what type of lighting is necessary for a moody sad image. During the early stages of conception make sure the lighting matches your concept or the image will not be as believable as it could be .