Tech Talk Tuesday

Let's Talk About Focal Length

First of all, remember these posts, (for now), are bare bones, just the basics.  I get questions from beginners, and/or  'point and shooters',  who are after simple solutions so their family and travel photos are worthy of the time it takes to paste them in the scrapbook.  

Most point and shoot cameras now days come with great zoom capabilities, going from wide angle to telephoto.  Sometimes you zoom in or out to include or exclude what you want in the photo, but then are disappointed with the results.  Somehow things just don't look right; maybe distorted or blurry or appearing farther away or somehow different than how it looked on the LCD or viewfinder.  Today I'm going to talk about how different focal lengths can change the look of your picture.  I'm keeping this simple, so for all the following photos I put my camera on auto, shot indoors using natural light, had my ISO high at 800, and framed my shots with the strawberry as close to the lower left corner as possible.  A simple setup you can try for yourself.  I'm not going to talk about all the other adjustments that can change how your final picture will look, only the focal length and where you focus.  So here we go:

 

Here I used a telephoto lens with a focal length of about 200mm.  In other words, I zoomed in close.  In order for me to get the strawberry in the lower left corner and still get part of the flowerpot in the frame,  I had to be about 6 feet away.  I focused on the strawberry, and as you can see, everything else is blurred.

 

Here I used the same focal length and the same distance from the strawberry.  But look what happened when I focused on the little red hearts behind the strawberry.  There is a small band of the picture in focus, but everything in front and behind is out of focus.  (Although if you notice, the flowerpot is not as blurred as in the first shot because I focused closer to it.)

So now you get the idea.  When I focused on the flowerpot in this shot, it is in sharp focus while everything in front is out of focus.  As you can see with these three photos, where you focus is critical to the look you are trying to achieve.  In this still life, I like the strawberry in sharp focus, but there are many times when you could purposefully choose another area of the frame to be in sharp focus to make your picture more interesting.

A medium telephoto lens is a good choice when taking portraits, because, as in the first shot, when you focus on your subject in the foreground, the softly blurred background eliminates distractions and creates separation.  But it is important to remember to focus on the most important part of the face and that is the eyes.  The eyes must be in sharp focus for a portrait to look good (unless you are going for some artsy unusual look).  Even the difference in distance from the tip of the nose in relation to the camera, compared with the distance from the eye to the camera, can be critical in determining if you have a good portrait or a great one.  So focus specifically on the eyes, not on the nose or anywhere else on the person.  O.K., now for another look:

Whoa, what happened here??  Now I have gone to the other extreme and have a wide angle photo length of around 20mm.  Isn't it amazing how this changed the perspective of the scene and how much more you can see.  Again, I framed this so the strawberry was in the lower left hand corner.  But to get it there, I had to be about a foot away.  (If I had stayed 6 feet away, the picture would have looked a bit more in proportion but would have included a lot of the tabletop and floor in front of the strawberry.)  This looks totally different from the first three shots with the 200mm focal length.  The strawberry is HUGE, and looks like it is a mile away from the flowerpot.  This demonstrates why photographers don't use extreme wide angle lenses for portraits.  And that is because of the distortion in the size and shape of features.  If a head shot you've taken somehow does not look quite right, check your focal length.  If her cute button nose looks like the size of the above strawberry, you might have been using a wide angle focal length too close!!!   Photographers do, however,  use wide angle lenses when they want to be creative and purposefully produce a unique perspective like the above shot.  More often, however, wide angles are used to include more of the scene from side to side and from foreground to background.  For example, a real estate agent would use a wide angle lens to take photos of her homes because she can get more of the room in the picture, and a landscape photographer would use a wide angle lens to include more of the scene in the frame from the flowers in the foreground to the distant mountains in the background.  In this shot, notice once again that I focused on the strawberry and everything else is blurred.

Here I've focused on the little red hearts in the center.  The strawberry is really out of focus, but the flowerpot is not nearly as blurry as when I focused on the little hearts with the 200mm focal length, and you can see much more detail behind the flowerpot.

In this shot I focused on the refrigerator in the far background.  Now the flowerpot, hearts, and strawberry are all out of focus.  (If I were shooting a landscape there are other 'rules' for getting the sharpest focus possible throughout the image, but that discussion is for another day.)

I hope this shows you visually why it is important to know how different focal lengths and focusing points will change the look of your photo.   With a little forethought in visualizing how you want your photo to look, and having the know how to take advantage of the capabilities of your camera,  you will have the best chance of taking a picture you'll be proud to paste in that scrapbook!

NOW, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO COULDN'T CONCENTRATE ON THE PHOTO LESSON BECAUSE YOU WERE DROOLING OVER THE CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY......THIS NEXT ONE'S FOR YOU!

Well, actually, this one is really for Jeff.  I have to tell you my Valentine story.  Jeff's favorite treats are chocolate covered strawberries.  My tradition is to give him chocolate covered strawberries every Valentine's Day, and he looks forward to them with great anticipation.  Well on Saturday, the day before Valentine's Day, I was so busy and I had lots on my mind.  I attended a class all morning, ran errands, then took wedding photos in the afternoon until evening.  I was gone all day and came home late and tired, totally forgetting Valentine's day.  Jeff knew I had forgotten.  Later that evening he brought me red roses, and he also bought himself strawberries and chocolate dip and proceeded to make his own Valentine gift!  I know, I know, I'm soooo ashamed!!  Since I didn't make you chocolate covered strawberries this year, Jeff, I took a picture for you!  Let's hope I do better next year!! 

   

Happy Valentine's Day!

Steve Loves Tiffanie

Yesterday I took wedding photos for Steve and Tiffanie.   It was a lovely and appropriate way to spend the day before Valentine's Day, and a great reminder that not only is love a feeling, but it is also an action.  I hope everyone has a wonderful day spoiling those you love!  (Yes, her hair is natural and the most beautiful shade of auburn I have ever seen!)

Phriday Phun

Peggy Sue, Peggy Sue, Oh How My Heart Yearns For You, 

Oh Peggy, My Peggy Sue ew ew.....

That should be enough of the song to jog your memory if you remember that era!  (For you young folks, you'll just have to bare with me on this post.)  This diner is off I-15 right near Route 66.  As many times as we have driven past, going to and from Calif, I have never eaten here.  (Jeff and the boys have while on their way to a car show a few years back.)  Anyway, it has been there for years, and this trip we stopped for lunch and enjoyed all the nostalgia, memorabilia, music, and friendly waitresses.  I wanted this photo to have a vintage look so I faded and altered the color to give it an 'old' feel.

Taking this photo reminded me that sometimes it's good to get out of one's rut and/or comfort zone and shoot subjects you normally don't do or feel comfortable doing.   Several years ago Kay Lynn and I had the wonderful opportunity of attending a week long photography workshop taught by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore.  I've mentioned this before because I learned so much and we had so much fun.  This workshop really forced me out of my comfort zone.  The hardest assignment for me was one evening we were told to walk the streets of Santa Fe alone, and take photos of strangers at 20 feet.  And no sneaking quick candids.  We had to engage strangers in conversation, ease their suspicions, and make them comfortable enough that when asked, they would allow us to take an up close and personal photo of them.  Yikes!  Talk about intimidating and being out of my comfort zone.  It took a long time to muster up the courage to initiate that first conversation, but I did.    I think many of us are comfortable shooting landscapes, still life, etc.,  where we can take our time, fiddle with our camera, experiment and shoot until we get it right.   These  'subjects'  usually don't move and they certainly don't bruise our egos with a critique of our abilities.  Even if we shoot moving wild life, still, no one is sizing us up or watching to see if we know our stuff.  For me, next on the list of intimidation is to do portrait or  wedding photos.  Now you have to perform and people may or may not like what you do.  Really scary at first, but at least most of the time, these people are asking you to take photos.  (I have a wedding on Saturday.)  But walking up to a total stranger who will probably be irritated that he has been interrupted from where he was going or what he was doing, and more than likely has no interest in having his picture taken, is about as intimidating as it gets for me.  Here are some of the photos I took for this assignment:

Street vender selling jewelry.  I think this was the first one I did and I bought that bracelet because I was sure she would be angry for letting me take her picture if I didn't.

This guy was sitting with friends in an open air bar facing the sidewalk.  They were drunk and having a 'great' time, and I was sure he'd forget I took a photo of him 5 minutes after I left!

This is the owner of another open air bar. All the photos behind him were of his father, a war hero. He was very proud of him and told me about each of the photos. I noticed he looked very much like his father, and I like that I caught him mimicking the pose of his father in the photo behind him.  BIG DISCLAIMER HERE...In case you think I frequent bars, I don't!  We were in the tourist section of Santa Fe where there are numerous bars open to the sidewalk, and this was where most of the people were!

Sidewalk cafe, reading the paper and drinking his coffee.

I stopped this man on the street and told him he had a very handsome tie and asked if I could take a picture of it.

This experience led to a fun, interesting and ongoing photo project of mine, that has been a challenge and has stretched my abilities.  When I'm out and about, I try to find people at work and take their picture in their work environment.  A sort of character study if you will.  I try to find unusual jobs, but not always.  If the person is interesting or photogenic, that's good too.  This forces me to make decisions quickly... how will I compose the shot, how can I eliminate distracting backgrounds, how do I emphasize what the person is doing, then decide which lens and camera settings, etc.  I learn to multi task, because while all these things are going on in my brain, I'm engaging the person in conversation by asking questions about what he does in order to develop a quick rapport and lower defenses.  I meet interesting people and hear interesting stories.  I'll post more 'characters' in the future.    

Tech Talk Tuesday (Just the Basics)

Repeating Patterns, Bright Colors and Unexpected Colors...

also make for interesting photos.  (All three don't have to be in the same shot, but I got lucky with this one.  Did you notice it's also on a diagonal?)  When you are able to isolate what you want your viewer to see from surrounding distractions by zooming in or post process cropping, you are able to create added drama and interest.  This scene was on a busy, colorful, New York street and actually kind of blended in because we were surrounded by visual interest and activities all competing for our attention.  If I had taken the photo with all the other activity included, this scene would have lost its impact.  I didn't realize how attractive it was until I looked at my photos later and saw it isolated.   When you are in a busy area like this, it helps to use your viewfinder and zoom lens in order to focus in on individual scenes and block distractions from your view.   Especially for travel photography and street photography, I have my camera up to my eye far more often than I actually take a photo.

Red Rock Winter

Phriday Phun

Some people just have too much free time!!!  This house is just a few blocks away from our house.  I have no idea what he is creating here, but he had it all lite up at Christmas.

Note From Karen

Jeff and I are leaving today for a little get-away to sunny (and rainy), but we hope warmer, California.  We're going with Tiera & Scott and the grandkids to Disneyland!  I think I'm as excited as they are!!!!!  We'll be gone a few days, but I've scheduled some posts while I'm away including Phun Friday and Tech Talk Tuesday.  Hope everyone has a great week....we intend to do the same!

Floral Fantasy

Well, it's my fantasy anyway.  I'm anxious to be looking for tulips popping up outside, but for now I'll have to be content to enjoy them on my counter.  Hope you have a bright and happy day!

Tech Talk Tuesday (Just the Basics)

Keeping Your Viewer Engaged

One way to tell if you have created a great photo is to note how long it holds someone's interest.  In other words, is a passing glance good enough, or does one linger and enjoy looking at a picture for some time.  There are many qualities that make up an interesting photo - beautiful colors, interesting people, lots of action, etc.  But I'm going to mention a few things that are a bit more subtle that you as the photographer can do to make photos more interesting for people to look at.  Here are some examples:

Look for compositions with Triangles

Think about how your eyes move around a picture.  Usually you start with the most prominent element, then move to the next and then the next.  If these elements form a triangle you have a tendency to keep moving around the triangle.  In this picture I first look at the chair, then I move to the beautiful light on the palm, then I see the gazebo in the distance, then I come back to the chair.  Compare with the next photo....

Notice the path acts as a leading line into the picture but then moves you quickly out of the picture to the right.  There is nothing to take your eye to the left of center in this scene.  Below is the same view with a different composition:

This is a little better, in that the path leads you into the center of the picture and not out of the picture.  You want to explore what is at the end of the path.  (This, however, is still not a great picture.  Can you tell me why?????  There needs to be a strong, distinguishing element at the end of the path to rest your eye on and study.)

Don't Place People, or Animals, etc. on the Edge of the Frame Facing Outward.

In general, a picture looks out of balance when composed like this, and the viewer quickly moves out of the frame in the direction the person is facing.  Most often we want to see more of where the person is looking and we can't.  See the next photo for a better view:

This is a more pleasing composition.  The fireman, or main subject, is not dead center but was placed on the cross lines of an invisible tic tac toe (do you remember the 'Rule of Thirds'????), and is given plenty of space in the direction he is facing.

Create a Definite Foreground, Midground and Background

Again,  one's eye typically starts at the largest object in the foreground, the rocks, then moves and rests on the next element, the fence in the middle, then on to the background interest, the Tetons.  Because there are interesting elements throughout the picture, one tends to pause and take a longer look at each individual element in the image.

Create Tension

In this image there are two distinct areas of activity on opposite sides of the picture.  First my eye goes to the most prominent subject, the two boats and large group of people.  I study what the people are doing for a moment, but don't stay long because I'm curious about what the other group of people are doing way over on the other side.  I study them for a minute but then go back to the larger group because I really didn't take long enough the first time to see everything that is going on there. Get the idea?  Back and forth.

These examples show just a few ways to keep the viewer interested in looking long enough to discover how amazing your photography is, why you took the photo and why you wanted to share it with them.  We'll talk about more ways another time.  Also remember that all rules, suggestions, helpful hints, etc., are meant to be altered, revised and downright broken as you, the artist sees fit!  (Do you remember way back when I told you what National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore said to us in a workshop...."The first rule of photography is, there are no rules!")

February Desktop Image

I thought Bleeding Hearts would be nice for February.  I'm thinking there might be a few other people who are anxious for spring to be here and would like to see a bit of color.  This image should fill your monitor without being pixelated.  (Although I edited it as a soft focus image so it will not be tack sharp.) Just click HERE to download, then right click to set as a desktop image.  (Let me know if you have problems and I'll help.)

More Diagonal Compositions

Seashells on the Edge of a Bathtub

Peanut M&Ms Sitting on a Broom

Fruit & Fruit Bowl

(Hope this got your 'creative juices' flowing!)

Tech Talk Tuesday

Diagonal Lines

Diagonal lines are pleasing to the eye and make pictures more interesting.  That's it!!!  Short and simple!!  As you compose your picture, look to include natural diagonal lines, or see if you can create or emphasize one or more by changing your point of view,  or the placement of your subject, or where you are standing, or the orientation of your camera.   Study the following photos:

It is more interesting to look at the fence dividing this scene as a diagonal element rather than if it were in a straight horizontal line.  The soft diagonal lines of the background hills also add interest.

  Notice the diagonal line of the lanterns is complimented by the shape of the building in the background.  I could have taken this shot with the lanterns in more of a horizontal line, but moved to where they were in a diagonal line because it looked more interesting to me.

I wanted to add emphasis to this quirky little store so I made sure there were no straight lines.  Even the lens flare forms a diagonal, although that was not planned.

And last, the diagonal fence and tree line visually lead to the subjects in this engagement photo of Dalin and Emily.  (So does the lighting and the bicycle facing in their direction.)

ASSIGNMENT:

While the kids are napping, pick up your camera and compose a picture in your home that shows a definite diagonal line.  Now set a timer for 15 minutes and see how many photos you can take showing diagonal lines.  They can be natural, or compositions you create.  How many can you come up with in 15 minutes???  Here's a simple one to get you thinking:  Take 5 pieces of fruit, place them in a straight line on top of a colorful tablecloth on your kitchen table, then photograph them from all different angles.  (Be careful to simplify your background.)  Then see which angles make the most interesting pictures.   I'll show you mine tomorrow, and if anyone is brave enough to email me your best shot, I'll post those too!

P.S.  If you are interested in looking back at past "Tech Talk Tuesdays" I've listed them on the right sidebar so you can click rather than spend time searching.

Liquid Gold

While I'm on a waterfall kick, I'm posting this beautiful scene taken at La Paz Waterfall Gardens in Costa Rica.  The 'liquid gold' was actually red mud caused by an earthquake about a year ago.  Our guide said this waterfall is usually crystal clear and it may take several years to clear up again.  He also said it used to be twice as tall.  At any rate, this place was one of the most beautiful places we visited, but it was raining the whole time.  To get to this waterfall we had to walk down a ton of steps, and then of course, we had to walk back up, all in the rain while trying to take photos and keep cameras dry at the same time.  Well worth the effort, don't you think??

Calf Creek Falls

After my recent waterfall post, I just had to post one of my all time favorite waterfall pictures.  It's probably my favorite because I love where it is.  As most of you know, Jeff and I spend a good deal of time exploring southern Utah red rock country.  This area is called Calf Creek, and is in between Escalante and Boulder on scenic Highway 12.  It is so, well,  unexpected, considering it's in the middle of dry, desert.  Off the road there is a campground called Calf Creek.  From there you take a 3 mile hike along a small stream that winds around beautiful red cliffs.  The hike is easy and pretty enough, but it ends in a box canyon with this beautiful waterfall to enjoy.  Not only was the waterfall beautiful, but there  is also green trees and vegetation.    Because it is an enclosed box canyon and you are surrounded by cliffs, it is all misty and seems about 20 degrees cooler.  It is truly an oasis in the desert.  The year we took this hike for the first time, we left very early in the morning.  When we arrived at this waterfall it was so beautiful and peaceful that Jeff laid on a grassy spot and took a nap while I took about a thousand photos.  It was so nice and relaxing because of the cool breeze from the water that we couldn't bring ourselves to leave.  We finally left in the early afternoon and after walking out of the canyon and out of the mist we could really feel the temperature which was probably 100 degrees.   The rest of the hike was hot and miserable because we didn't bring enough water.  We learned how well the cool, misty canyon masked the true temperature.  This has become our Memorial Day weekend trip we take almost every year.  Now, however, we take plenty of water, and we never go later on in the summer when it gets really hot.  If anyone wants to go with us this year, let us know.  We'll be your personal guides.      

Phriday Phun

 ROCK CRAWLIN' 

This is one of the most fascinating things I have ever seen!  Last summer when we were in Moab with Dalin and Emily, they took us to a place called 'Helldorado'.  Here, men with too much testosterone decide that the lack of a road is not going to stop them from going anywhere they want to go.  No challenge is too great, they will conquer any boulder in sight!  And they did!!!  We watched for about an hour, and in an hour they only went about 25 yards, but they made it.  What was really amazing is that they were prepared for any mechanical failure.  I think one broke an axle and they hauled out a portable welding machine and welded it back together while it was stuck on a boulder.  They also fixed a flat tire while precariously stuck between two boulders.  This sport-activity-hobby is called 'Rock Crawling' and it is truly....  man and machine vs. wild.

Last Ride of the Day

Dreamin' of Summer!!!!!

Tech Talk Tuesday (just the basics)

VEILING

Subtle differences can change the look and 'feel' of an image

The photo above is a nice enough picture of Jaron and Michelle in front of a waterfall.  The waterfall is the main subject and Jaron and Michelle add interest and show scale.  I wanted to experiment a bit to come up with a slightly different look.  See if you can tell the difference in the photo below:

In the top photo, the waterfall is SOOTC,  (impressive photo jargon meaning 'straight out of the camera').   In the bottom photo, notice the waterfall is different, more soft and silky.  Not a huge change, but noticeably different.  Nothing right or wrong about the two photos, just a personal preference for the photographer.  In photography circles, this effect is called "veiling", because, well, it looks soft and silky.  To achieve this look you must check out a few things.  You need to have a scene where the parts that aren't going to be veiled can remain still.  In this case, no wind to move the foliage and Jaron and Michelle who were able to hold perfectly still for longer than the usual snap of the shutter button.  Then depending on the speed of your lens, and the lighting conditions of the scene, you have to be able to slow down your shutter speed, (while maintaining a proper exposure), so that only the moving water is slightly blurred.   (You know the thousands of pictures you take of your kids who are always in motion and when the photos come back the kids are blurry, but the background is sharp????  This is the same thing, only now you are doing it on purpose!!!)  Often this involves using a darkening filter (neutral density filter) screwed onto your lens so the shutter can stay open longer without 'blowing out' or over exposing the photo, and a tripod because of the slow shutter speed.

But wait!  There's more!   It's another way to accomplish this same look.  Much to the delight of many photographers, and the distaste of others, computers, software, and post processing can allow the photographer many ways to change the look and feel of her images after they have been taken.  For those of you familiar with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements,  (or other software), there are always numerous ways to achieve variations of veiling.  One way is to experiment with the 'motion blur' filter.   Since my 'Tech Talk Tuesdays' are primarily to show beginners, (and non-believers), why photography is so fun, I've just done a simple overview.  Let me know if you want more details.  Below is another photo with soft and silky water!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Grandpa & Grandma Larsen!

R

Russ, Kay Lynn & Jacob flew in to help us celebrate Grandpa and Grandma's birthdays. It was Kay Lynn's birthday, too! Grandpa is 93, and I think Grandma is 87, (someone correct me if I'm wrong), and Kay Lynn is 39! We went out to dinner then back to Jan & John's house for birthday cake and movies. We also watched a video Kay Lynn made of their family trip to China last summer. It is always fun being together, visiting and catching up. What a blessing that our family is also our very best friends!!!

Phriday Phun

THE BEST FAMILY GAME EVER......WE CALL IT THE BAG GAME!

If you want a fun, simple, quick, easy, active game that EVERYONE of EVERY AGE can play, then this is it!  From toddlers to grandpas,  it's fun to play, and more fun to watch.  I have photos of all the family playing this game on Christmas Eve that I've posted on the website, but here I'm posting just the oldest and youngest participants.  I will have to mention that Scott won and I think Jaron was a close second.  The rules are simple.  Take a plain paper bag, bend over on just one leg and pick it up with your mouth without putting your other foot on the floor.  We do, however, bend the one leg rule for players under 2 years old!!!   (Hint - if there is a big group playing, the strategy is to go first so the edges of the bag aren't slobbery wet by the time your turn comes.)  After everyone has had a turn, two inches are cut off the top of the bag, and those who were successful in the first round move on.  And on and on it goes to see how low you can go!  We were reminiscing about a Larsen family reunion at Lake Powell years ago, when Jaron & Lindsey were the two remaining players and Lindsey won with the bag about an inch high.

Tech Talk Tuesday

Taking Time to Connect With the World

As I've often said, photography of all types can influence us in profound ways.   And one of the best ways to become a better photographer is to study the work of talented photographers of all types of photography and contemplate why their images are memorable.  Today,  I only want to speak about photojournalism.  These are photos that show a moment of reality as seen by someone, at some place, at some time, and are frozen by the click of a shutter button.  With a click of your mouse I'm making it easy for you to view a group of exceptional photographs that summarize some world events of 2009.  Through the magic of photography you will be able to witness, 'up close and personal', amazing scenes and events as they happened.  You will laugh, you will cry, and you will be shocked.  I think you will be profoundly moved by many of them.  These photos are not to be skimmed through briefly.  Please don't click on the following link until you have some quiet time so as not to be interrupted, then take time to observe, study, read, and ponder what is happening in our world, as seen by some amazing photojournalists.  I tried to summarize my feelings and emotions as I took this visual journey, but there were too many; however,  my overwhelming thought was a prayer of gratitude for all I have been blessed with, and that in my life, so far, I have been shielded and protected from most of the hardships that so much of humanity must endure.  I have been reminded that no matter where on the planet we live, we all share the same spectrum of human emotions as we struggle to make sense of the circumstances we've been given throughout the course of our lives.   I hope you find the experience thought provoking as well, and if you are so inclined, let me know how you were moved by this collection of photographs.

(When you click on the following link, note there are four parts.  After you have looked at the first group of photos, scroll back to the top, and in the center, in small print, there is a place to click for the second group, third group, and fourth group.) 

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2009/12/14/the-year-in-photos-2009-part-1-of-4/

If you want more, check out the following:
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/2009_in_photos.html