photo punk.

flash me.

2012-01-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

um. this topic is hard for me. not bc i dont know how to use it, but because, really, its not as hard as anyone wants to make it.

and if its supposed to be harder - dont tell me. bc, well, im doing fine my way ;) haha

you should probably remember, for many indoor scenarios, i like flat lighting. i am not a fan of many shadows for my studio stuff. so. yeah. my CC on so many studio set ups is the shadows - i dont *always* like them. so if thats your style, then you may have to adjust this tut for you.

here's what i mean by flat lighting --

see how there arent harsh shadows on her face? just an even *brightness* to the photo overall? thats how i, personally, define flat. consistent.

i always bounce. or at least just toss it behind me. i dont care that often about color casts because i shoot RAW and i''ll fix it later.

i also would rather use a SL then up my ISO and get grain. so there's that, too.

i do not drag my shutter. its not my style.

this tutorial is also not about fill flash.

so.

i mainly use it for extra light. to make the room look as if there's some sort of lighting there that is not.

lets say im at a house shooting a newborn - and there arent windows or light for me to use to my advantage.

so here's how the SL works. turn it on.

mode - M
hold down the (sel/set) button til your numbers are blinking. then play.

itll start at 1/1. thatll be super bright. maybe start test shots at 1/8 or something.

in my opinion, the idea is to set your settings how you want them and then adjust the SL.

*oh and dont forget that the meter on your camera is basically useless when a SL is on ;) also, your SL will have a sync speed with your camera's shutter speed. so you may not be able to go "faster" than 1/200. and youll have to adjust the SL's power, instead.*

so, for the pic below, i was at 1/32 + 0.3 on the SL. so you just need to start moving the arrow down to see what you need. test shoot. whatever. but you want just enough light to make it editable - without leaving flash spots.

i had already set settings for this where i was comfortable. i metered and still needed to use the SL so i just had to play.

it still has some depth, isnt totally "flat" but still gave me the lighting i need without the other problems.

i'll say the hardest part of using a SL is when youre shoot in portrait. horizontal is easy bc it just bounces behind you. but in portrait, you have to turn the SL so its still bouncing where you want it to. this can be useful if you want to MAKE shadows, but on seamless, it can be super hard.

like on this one, you can see that my SL is still the same position it would have been in landscape and that i just turned my camera to the left - bc the left side of her face is brighter. but it works out nicely and gives a bit of a natural light look.

some places in your home may REQUIRE a SL for good photos during the evening/night. or maybe your house is really dark? not all cameras have the ISO capability to not bring grain, not all lenses have a low enough f/stop, and not all kids are slow enough to use a slow SS. so, a SL can help.

sometimes, even when you have the gear, you still need a SL indoors bc of your house... at night, my living room is *ugh* to shoot in. but that doesnt mean i want to miss a moment ;)

i have a bajillion examples if you'd like to see more SL v non-SL. :) just let me know

equipment matters.

2012-01-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

it took me a while to decide on whether i wanted to write this post or not - bc i want it to "come off" the right way.

so here goes...

when we get our first dslr cameras - or even a nice p&s - we are told that we can emulate professional looking photos if we just try hard enough... just learn all the settings... just practice. and i want to start out by saying that its not necessarily *untrue*, but i feel like realistic expectations need to hold a place in our minds as well.

having been on several message boards, FB groups, etc for photography (or just for moms), ive seen people get super frustrated trying to do things that their cameras simply... can't. for instance, when everyone wanted to do twinkle lights for the holiday season, not many people realized that their p&s or kit lens couldnt do the job as well. i am not saying this to make people feel discouraged -- i am the #1 person to tell people to learn their gear and that they'll be happy in the results. but there is a reason people spend $2500 on a camera and another $1500+ on each lens --- bc they do make better photos.

***i am going to throw in the obvious disclaimer. it is also, entirely possible, to have $5000 worth of gear and still take a shizzy photo, still not know how to use your camera, and still have it come out looking like a p&s. so please - before this becomes misconstrued, the camera does NOT make the photographer. but its naive to say that it doesnt.... help. it helps someone who already knows what they are doing. who already can maneuver around manual, who already knows how to nail focus and exposure, etc.

i just see a lot of disappointed MWACs. who want their photos to like their favorite photo blogger. but that photog has spent a long time and invested a lot of money in what they have built behind their name.

there are few simple things that i think help any mom, trying to take pics of their kids at home, get better photos (besides, of course, being 100% on the technical end, of course lol)

1. getting rid of the flash. either by having it off completely, using a lightscoop, or getting an external flash.

2. buying a sharp prime. a 30/35mm, 50mm, or 85mm for nikon, canon, and sigma have low f/stops that let in a lot of light (of course, nailing that focus would be first, right?) and your kit lens is not going to cut it. ever. lol

3. editing correctly. meaning clean. meaning without being crazy, buying actions that you dont know how to lower, adding layers of "vintage" or horrible vignette that you think "adds something!!" but really ruins your photos. as a sidenote, hobbyists and pros buy actions all the time --- expensive actions, sometimes, that can make or break that photographer's style -- but they learned how to use them correctly, adjust them for who THEY are, etc. they also pay $$$ for editing programs. picnik and iphoto isnt gonna cut it lol bc, well, equipment matters, right? and remember, pros have monitor calibration software for their computers so that their photos are true to color/print all of the time. that also costs...

this is the time to start taking photos for you. to start comparing yesterday's with today's. and last year's with this year's. to improve for yourself. dont compare yourself to everyone around you -- this goes for all of you pros, too.

for 2012, i want to be *me*.

quick storyboard with color banner

2012-01-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

ok here's a quick tut on the color band story boards :)

the pics might be too small, but you can click on THIS LINK and make them bigger :)

first we need to resize the photo.

for horizontal pics, im going to do 750px. that makes it 500px high.

i then open a new blank file. i know i want it 500px high, but i want the width to be bigger.

since FB looks better at certain sizes, i chose 950px as my width.

drag your photo from the bottom tray onto your new blank spot

place it where you want to.

then click the color squares on your tool bar to open the palette. you can use the dropper to click a color from your photo.

make sure your "layer 1/background/etc" is highlighted on your layers tray to the right. then use the paint bucket to fill in the color

add text by clicking T in your tools bar and making a text box.

merge all layers and then save as jpg

nerd is in.

2011-12-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

who doesnt love a bit of nerd in your life? :)

i thought id toss some funny photos up. if you follow my facebook, you know im a fan ;)

not only for my kids (which you'll see) but for all ages LOL

comparisons for intro DSLRs.

2011-11-28T10:40:00.000-08:00

ok there are a few questions that i read and answer often.

1. canon or nikon?
2. which one should i get for just a mom with a camera?
3. should i get the kit lens?
4. what else do i need?
5. what about editing?

some of these answers are searchable in previous entries on the blog, but ill lump them here, again.

canon or nikon?

all i can say is that this one is up to you. how you feel. go to a camera store and try them out. although, i will suggest not *buying* from said camera store, but thats only bc any one that ive been to is so ridiculously over-priced lol

one will feel better in your hands. look at the buttons - see if they are accessible to how you move your hands... :) then you move on to the bigger questions...

which one?

here are my comparisons for the basic, entry levels for each big brand.

t2i v t3i (canon)

for this comparison - im going to say save your money and get the t2i. here's why: the t3i's main "hoopla" is over the flip out screen. eh? ok... if thats super important to you, then fine - but i def cant imagine paying extra for it.

the t2i is also smaller/lighter -- ok this can be a good thing or a bad thing. some photographers like larger cameras. the weight in their hands. but, for a MWAC, smaller and more compact is likely what youre looking for and the t2i is where it's at.

(the canon t2i)

t3 v t2i

id say the t2i, still. for the $200 youre getting a larger sensor, MUCH better screen, smaller body for a MWAC, and a self cleaning sensor. to me, the t3 is a step in the wrong direction.

buying used canons

do not discredit the t1i or the xsi if youre buying used, either. if youre on a budget, check adorama, b&h, or amazon (even CL - just find out the shutter count before you buy) - to check those rebels! i used my xsi for.everrrrrr and it is very similar to the new t-models canon has.

and i'll say this now -- megapixels are NOT what makes a good camera. no no no. so do not compare those when looking. you arent printing wallpaper ;)

5100 v 3100 (nikon)

i cant decide which wins --- so ill let your wallet decide. the 5100 is the better camera over all. less noise at higher ISOs (which remember is good for indoors when you do not have a lot of light), flip out screen (if thats your thang), and it has a larger sensor (which is more important v mpx).

BUT the 3100 is, imo, better for a MWAC - again, bc its smaller, more compact, and does what it needs to do without feeling as if you are holding a brick ;) and its cheap...

(the nikon 3100)

3100 v d90 (nikon)

again, i think i'll say the 3100 for the MWAC. the resolution of video is better (if the vid is a main selling point to you), but the d90 shoots faster (4.5 fps v 3 fps) and has a larger sensor.

for the price -- maybe a used d90 might be perfect for you - like i said about the canons, newest isnt always *best*. maybe check out used d80s as well?

kit lens?

that answer is always a big fat "no". do not waste your money. its not what youre looking for when taking pics of your children. so moving on....

eta: someone made a good point --- if you do happen to get the kit lens, you can always sell it later. someone on CL will buy it or even a local shop may take it for trade :) its understandable if you cant purchase the portrait lenses (down below) right away -- but just remember that you may be looking for something in your photos that that particular lens cant give :)

what else?

a portrait lens.

save the money from the kit lens and get a portrait lens like

canon 50mm 1.8 for $100
canon 35mm 2.0 for about $375
nikon 50mm 1.8g for about $225
nikon 35mm 1.8g for $200

THESE ARE PRIME LENSES -- that means you ***zoom with your feet***

if you think you are going to be in cramped spaces, maybe the 35mm is a better idea for focal length.

as you can see the apertures vary, but basically negligible for what you'll likely be doing. as i said in my metering/manual post, the lower the f/stop, the more light comes in - but its a lot harder to shoot at 1.8 than it is at, oh, 2.8 or 3.2. you want things IN FOCUS ;) and sweet spots are usually higher - and also gives you a bit more room to wiggle (or, rather, for your kid to move an inch haha)

also, i always hear moms talk about how they want "the background to be blurry!!!" (that is called bokeh, by the way) and you need a lower f/stop to do that. so those lenses that only have an aperture of, oh, 3.5 or higher? arent going to give you the look that youre likely trying to get.

a speedlite/light is another great idea for new photographers who are shooting their children indoors a lot of the time. its an external flash that you can bounce in different directions to gain light. i have a SL tutorial on broken lenses that i'll have to bring over here. but what youre looking for in one is that it can swivel in all different directions :) and that you can manually change the power and settings for your lighting needs. its going to cost you about $200-300 but rock your world in the end ;)

something i dont really think you need is a "set-up" for photos. you dont need a stand. or paper. or blankets --- enjoy shooting every day life FIRST, imo. my this year's love blog means so much more than any set up i can do bc they are every day moments --- shoot those first. then plan :)

editing?

save it for after you learn your camera. i think the biggest mistake is buying an editing program right away. it sort of, well, "saves you" from having to learn certain things bc "oh, pffttt ill just fix it later" but in reality, it does not look the same at all.

also, without learning your camera, people tend to go a bit, erm, overboard on editing ;) or overboard on DLing actions. hey, im not judging -- everyone has done it lol the best photographers out there started somewhere, right? everyone makes mistakes, but i just want to help you avoid them!

when you do decide to choose an editing program, remember you dont have to spend $500+. there are many options out there for those who just want to "clean up" a photo a bit.

Lightroom 3 is extremely powerful and easy to use. another option is Photoshop Elements - which is basically a "light" version of photoshop.

the way i compare the 2 is this --- in LR, you can easily adjust your white balance, exposure, brightness... you can remove excess of select colors -- you can also clone and heal spots! but, PSE can be easier for when you want to *fix* something big. you cant swap a head in LR - but you can easily in PSE - there are many other things that are easier to edit in PSE as well --- but not everyone needs to do those things lol. i, personally, use both programs together and its been the right fit for me. youll find your fit :)

remember that canon and nikon are going to spit out new entry level DSLRs all the time. just remember the things that are important --- the size and weight of the camera, the video youre looking for, the better sensor, maybe frames-per-second matter to you... and do not forget to look at used or refurb'd cameras along the way. :) getting a nice digital camera doesnt have to break the bank ;)

ok. i *think* thats all the questions i wanted to answer? if you would like me to add something PLEASE email me at any time -- amandaskelte@gmail.com and dont forget to stop by my FACEBOOK and *like* gingersnap photographs :) lots of fun stuff going on there all the time!!

fixable or not.

2011-11-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

some things in photography are not fixable --- out of focus, motion blur... no.

some things are -- too dark, noise/grain, etc...

here is a shot from a wedding we went to last night (as guests). i will say, i wasnt "prepared" for this shot. my camera settings were from another location, i didnt have an external flash on, and didnt want to miss this sweet face.

she was simply enamored while the bride and groom danced. then she told me she wanted to get married. so cute.

SOOC

COLOR

B&W (my favorite. and how I think the pic was *meant* to be edited*)

so i guess what im saying is with a little editing magic - you can save these photos that you might have thought "ugh too bad there wasnt enough light!!"

i used LR3 to reduce the noise, lighten, and brighten. i added a little fill light and then sent to PSE8 for some polishing. i added a bit of haze and color layer for the b&w -- and for the color, thats just playing with tones, some florabella actions, etc. :) these programs (LR3 runs about $300 and PSE runs about $100?) are extremely powerful and there are lots of great tutorials on how to use them.

if you have any specific "how did you...." questions -- shoot me an email and i'll do some screen shots!! amandaskelte@gmail.com

thanks for reading!!

twinkle and snow.

2011-11-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

i love the holiday season. so many fun photo ideas to try and play with :)

today my oldest daughter played with twinkle lights and "snow" :) on the "fake bed" set up.

(you can see a pull back of the faux bed HERE)

you can see a pull back of the lights here -- it might help with distance on "how far is her face from the lights?" etc :) i am also going to guess that you could do this will a tightly pulled sheet :) you dont need a stand, seamless, etc...

my settings on that photo (and i think all of the others)

i was using my 30mm - f/1.8 ISO400 ss 1/250 - using natural light (windows behind me)

i had to be careful bc i was using my bone paper and the lights were white string and when i wasnt directly facing her - the shadows made the top strings show

sometimes i had to clone in extra lights, too,

using my 85mm was 100x more glorious!

then i let her play with the fake snow.

i tried to focus on her fingertips/where the snow would poof out lol

just wanted to come and add a few more :)

another with the 85mm. really - this is the way to go - longer focal length.

an editing progression --- SOOC, out of LR, and out of PSE.

and a newb. swoon.

the *key*, in my opinion, is big space (a few feet) from background to subject. then CLOSE distance from you to the subject. thats why the 85 works so well.

ooh pretty!!!

2011-07-15T14:11:00.001-07:00

haha so ive changed things up a bit here at photo punk so i can get back to writing some tuts.

please let me know what youre interested in seeing on here! i should be writing a few a week if i can!! so keep the ideas coming <3

doing it manually.

2011-05-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

to this blog. im gonna be revamping, changing the URL, going to a real site soon - but i wanted to throw this out there for some people, but remember to go to www.brokenlenses.com for help at any time :)

Using your camera in manual does not have to be confusing. Googling tutorials, however, can lead you to complicated diagrams, phrases you may not understand yet, and supplementary topics that would make almost anyone pop that dial back to auto.

My set-up mimics the inside of my home. Windows behind me, subject in front.

To begin, put camera in M. Remember, shooting in manual does not mean manual focus, that's torturing yourself for portraits.

Here are some photos of entry level DSLRs.

The first one is a Canon XS.

1. Shutter speed dial

2. ISO

3. Program options (M is manual)

4. Aperture button

5. Metering options

Here is a Nikon D90.

1. Program options
2. Metering options
3. Aperture dial

4. Shutter speed dial
5. ISO

I, first, figure out my ISO. Indoors, I usually set it at 400 or 800. Outdoors, it's usually on ISO 100 or 200, depending on time of day and how bright it is.

Then, I adjust my shutter speed. Kids? Yep! 1/200 or higher is best. I don't want motion blur. In the photos I've provided, I could have easily gone lower than 1/200, but that is ONLY because my oldest daughter sits nicely for photos.

Lower shutter speeds are useful for newborns, landscapes, etc., but not for capturing a toddler making a mess or chasing the family cat.

Next, I mess with my aperture. Keep in mind that just because your camera goes to f/1.4 or f/1.8 or whatever, doesn't mean that's what you should use. Start at f/3.2, that's usually a "sweet spot" for lenses.

Take a pic.

How does it look?

This is where you look at your histogram and evaluate for the next shot. You are going to have to “meter” our light to decide the best exposure. I use evaluative metering because I tend to toggle my focus, meaning I move my little red dot/square to where I want it to go and take the photo that way. I usually compose my shot in camera, so evaluative metering allows me to meter off of that focus point.

To meter, point your camera and focus by put that red point on your subject. Next, press the shutter half way down. There will be a bar on your screen that looks like this:

(+/-)2..1..0..1..2{+/-)

On a Canon, the left is underexposed, the right is overexposed. The zero is "correctly exposed".

On a Nikon, the right is underexposed, the left is overexposed. The zero is "correctly exposed".

What is “correctly exposed” is up to you and affected by your camera/lens (different lenses can underexpose and overexpose at different marks on the slider). For me, the zero is usually too dark, and I don't want to mess with it later in post processing. Remember, underexposed photos can bring grain/noise!

I usually expose to +1 or so.

After you look at your photo, you can start adjusting. Here are some tips:

The larger the fraction on shutter speed, the more light that comes in
There is more light coming in at 1/60 than at 1/250, but you'll lose that shutter speed.

The wider your aperture is (the smaller the number), the more light that comes in.

More light comes in at 1.8 than at 3.5, but your depth of focus is smaller when you're wide open.

The higher the ISO, the more light that comes in.

ISO 100 lets less light in than ISO 800, but depending on your camera, you can get grain/noise at ISOs as high as 800/1600.

Here are some samples.

***All photos are SOOC and shot at a SS of 1/200***

This first set is at ISO 400. As you can see, both f/3.2 and f/2.8 are still underexposed. At f/2.5 we start to see a normal exposure (and that could easily be fixed in post processing). But then at f/2.2 – DING! It's now much better.

This set is ISO 800. I started at f/3.5 and worked my way down. When I finally got to f/2.8, I could see a much better exposure. If you prefer your photos a bit brighter, as I do, f/2.5 is pretty much perfect. Just for fun, I opened up a bit more down to f/2.2 and you can see how overexposed that is. I am on the verge of losing details in her face.

This last set is at ISO 1600. I started at f/3.2 and it's also pretty spot on. But, if I zoom into the photo, there is grain. It is “noisy”. For kicks, I knocked it down to f/2.5. Oops! Is she a ghost? I can barely see her cute dimples.

So start adjusting!! Take pics of things in your home, play outside. You have to practice!

Being outside can be a bit more of a challenge, but the same steps apply. Metering off your subject and adjusting. Play around! You are in control! It's nothing to be scared of – be proud of yourself for being the master of your DSLR.

new board.

2011-01-26T19:53:00.000-08:00

i know there are a lot of people who are trying to learn their camera :)

go to www.brokenlenses.com and join!!

besides having pros to help you out, there [will be] lots of newbies asking questions and we are more than willing to answer them :)

i love you guys and hope you join!

dear astrid.

2010-12-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

Now that it's winter, what's the best way to meter off the snow? I just tried today to take pictures of my son outside, but I ended up either blowing out the background or way underexposing his face, in an attempt to properly expose the snow. Any tips?

thanks for asking :)

this is something i need to practice this season. i would assume that the *best* way to do it would be taking 2 pics. 1 metering off your kid and 1 metering off the snow - then combining them.

but lets be honest, im not going to do that for snapshots of my kid.

i'd love to hear what other people say! but for me, personally, i'll meter off my kid and then burn some of the snow back. LOL let me practice on pics from last year and get back to you in a few :)

until then, i'll be waiting for other people to chime in as well!

christmas bokeh with Catherine Jeter.

2010-11-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

I'm so lucky to know such great photographers. A friend of mine (and my old college roomie!) Catherine Jeter posted this on facebook.

gorgeous, right?

so since someone asked about this before -- i figured i'd ask her to give us all a fabulous "how-to". here's what she says:

So, it's super easy:

Put your f/stop at the lowest it will go (widest) - this was my 35mm, so I took it to f/2, but I usually use my 50mm and will take it to f/1.4.

Then, set your camera on Manual Focus (side button on lens).

Use your meter to properly expose - you definitely want to underexpose.

Then, twist your lens until it gives you the effect you want. In other words, you can make the lights bigger or smaller, depending on how out of focus you go.

Also, it helps to be at least 10 or more feet away from the Christmas tree.

Hope that helps!

Don't forget to *like* her fabulous photography on facebook up at the top or down here!!

Catherine Jeter Photography.

dear carol.

2010-11-19T20:02:00.000-08:00

I really like photography, I have a Canon Eos Rebel Xt and the only lens I have is the 50mm 1.8f so for xmas I want to get another lens do you have any suggestions? I am using the automatic mode but I saw some tips on your blog that I may use to learn the manual mode.
How do you make their eyes so sharp ? there is a picture of your baby on a green background that I can't stop looking at because of it !
Any other tips you can give me ?

hey! thanks for the compliments! :)

ok, i would say the tamron 24-70 2.8. i am not a zoom gal, but people love it for a "walk around" lens. since it can be great indoors and tight spaces.

i have the sigma 30 1.4. its perfect for me focal length-wise and very good in low light. it stays on my camera 99% of the time.

OR i say get a speedlite. i dont know how many pics you take indoors or what they look like, but if they are dark, a speedlite can really help.

for sharp eyes, you just have to focus on them. :) for babies, you can toggle the focus (where you pic the focal point) but that can be hit or miss with kids that move a lot. but there's not harm in trying it!! get that little red dot RIGHT on their eyes!! :)

def try manual mode. it gets so much easier. i swear.

and let me know if you have any other q's!

dear julie.

2010-10-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

Since christmas is fast approaching. What is the best way to get some great bokeh photos with the lights (especially the one ones where nothing is in focus)? Also any other tips on taking pictures of christmas lights? I have a 50mm 1.8 for my canon.

alright. i'll play with this one when we put up our xmas tree ;) but some basics -

bokeh is explained a bit more HERE.

the simplest way to do a shot where, lets say, the ornament is in focus, but the lights behind it are bokeh'd would be like this.

put your aperture down. to 1.8 or 2.0.

and TOGGLE your focal point. there is a little button by your right hand. (ok, on my xsi, its the second circle on the right). click on it and look through your viewfinder. the little red dot will move around as you click on it.

put that red dot where you want to focus. and ta-da!! by NOT doing auto-focus points, you know exactly where its going to go - and wont possible get something BEHIND the ornament in focus that you didnt want.

for better bokeh, try to bring the ornament out on a limb so its farther in front of the lights, tree, etc. that will give you a better DOF and more bokeh in the back.

when the season hits, i'll do some trial and errors for pics of christmas trees - and as always, if anyone reading this has something to add - PLEASE DO!!

hope some of this helped? :)

dear toni.

2010-10-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

How do you always get such great catchlights? Yours always seems so clear and mine...don't. :( AND you seem to get them no matter where you are, so what do I need to know?

lol i dont know.

ok, well, here's the thing. outside - those are "easy" if its sunny. a sharp focus, nice light, and a reflection is possible.

i've said before that although cloudy is nice for exposure, its miserable on the eyes bc its just flat. which, dont get me wrong, can be pretty - but not the catchlights that we all *hope* for.

remember, catchlights are somewhat of a trend. not in the sense that it will go away, but in the sense that - yeah, they are cool and somewhat important, but to me - the most important thing is just having light in the eyes in general.

inside, when i use (and bounce) my speedlite, sometimes my kids eyes are dark and have zero CLs. if they DO - its just a sharp focus and a reflection of the kitchen lights or bathroom lights, etc.

so, enough babble. id say make sure you work on focus first. that can make the eyes naturally look the best. and secondly, make sure you arent sitting in the shadows, only trying cloudy days, etc - bc, hell, we NEED that sun!! it can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but for eyes - it literally lights them up :)

dear tiffany.

2010-10-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

Can you explain what is meant by "metering?" I see it on the message board all the time but I'm not sure what it means/how to do it. Thanks!

I have 2 links for you first. THIS one gives a how-to. and THIS one tries to explain it in the simplest terms.

If i had to explain it in steps, i, personally would do it this way:

1. make sure you are in manual mode.
2. assess your ISO. pick one. lower numbers for brighter areas.
3. set your shutter speed. moving children - at least 1/200. thats me. i dont "drag the shutter" bc it tortures me LOL
4. adjust the aperture so your historgram reads where you want.

here's the thing - youll need to play around. your aperture may be to high for a nice bokeh, your SS may have to change. you may have to compensate your ISO for noise, etc etc.

but DPS shows how important all 3 are to each other and are related. but here are a few reminders...

higher SS = less light in.
lower SS = more light.

higher aperture number (closed) = less light in.
lower aperture (open) = more.

higher ISO # = more light in.
lower ISO # = less.

i think i did that right.

haha hope that helps? ask me anything else!

dear amy,

2010-10-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

1) The Lightscoop: If I was in a lowlight newborn session, would it be terrible to use the lightscoop?

alright, well, the thing that would be "terrible" would be to use your on-board flash ;) so, if you have to use a LS, then so be it, i guess.

ideally, though, you need to meter. put that aperture low, up that ISO a bit, and see what you get. newborns are easier for lowering your SS as well - bc, well, they dont move ;) so practice a steady hand and see if you can try to go without a flash completely. get to the best light you can and just do some testing before you start.

2) Backdrops... would you recommend fabric or paper?

depends. fabric is great for babies who can't sit. newborns, obviously, need fabric. when kids can lay on their bellies (and hold their heads up properly), paper can be used!

at almost 2 months, i still used fabric and a beanbag for my own daughter.

but when she hit 4 months - swapped to the plexi/paper.

you can see here where people talk about fleece and other fabrics instead of paper. you can use it the same as you do paper - with flooring, baseboard, etc - just pull it tight. there are some great fabrics (like damask) that you can have fun with! i used it for this shoot - and it can look like a fun wallpaper.

play with different backgrounds until you see what works for you!

3) I have a 50mm 1.8 and a D80 body. I can never seem to have that laser sharp focus on the eyes that so many other photogs (including you) get. And idea what I could be doing wrong?

well. here's the thing. your nikon 50mm is not autofocus. :( you'd need to get the 35mm 1.8 for that. Nikon does not make a 50mm 1.8 that focuses with a entry level DSLR. so, unless, somehow, you are amazing well at manually focusing - that is the problem ;)

hope some of that helps!!

switching things up.

2010-10-28T14:18:00.001-07:00

i am changing this blog up :)

its going to be more question and answer based. if i dont know the answer, i'll find it. if you want before and afters, i'll do them. if you want to see something specifically done, i'll try it.

just let me know :)

you can comment here OR you can email me at amandaskelte@gmail.com

focus on this.

2010-08-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

christina tells us this.

Last week, I decided to try out back-button focusing in earnest, to see whether I liked it and whether it lived up to the hype. After about a week of trying it out, I have to say, I'm a believer. It took me like 10 shots to get used to the new sequence of buttons -- it's not hard to make the switch. And I feel like my ratio of in-focus to out-of-focus shots has gone way up. I'm not sure if that's because BBF is inherently a better method, or if using it makes me more aware of my focus, but it's working well for me so far!

Not sure what I'm talking about? Here's the Canon link to how to program your camera for BBF. And here's a link for Nikon -- I'm not sure if this covers all N.ikon bodies, but it looks fairly basic.

The major benefit of BBF to my mind is dissociating AF from the shutter button completely. On the 7D, this is done via Custom Function IV.1, where you assign different functions to different buttons. (This is different from the Canon article linked above -- the 7D has a different series of custom function options that lead to BBF.) I set the shutter button to meter only (no longer associated with AF start), and that's all I had to do to set up BBF.

So now, when I'm framing a shot, instead of half-pressing the shutter button to lock focus, I hit the AF-On button on the back of my camera. Once I lock focus, I let go of the button, and focus remains locked until I hit that button again. This means no more having to hold the shutter button halfway and hope that I don't drop the focus before I hit the button all the way. It also means I can lock focus on a subject and just sit there and wait for the subject to look up (for instance, when I'm taking a shot of someone doing a reading at a wedding), instead of having to keep the shutter half-pressed the whole time.

AND, this also means that when I press the shutter to take the photo, there's zero chance for me to muck up the focus, since the shutter no longer has anything at all to do with focus. This is the part I like best about BBF so far.

And it's not actually an extra step, or more time-consuming -- instead of half-pressing the shutter, I'm now hitting the button that lies right under my thumb. And I'm able to lock focus quickly even in the most candid and fast-moving of situations.

-----

ok seems pretty simple, right? im going to try this this afternoon with my girls. they move hella fast lol and sometimes i miss some great shots bc the "press halfway down" method doesn't always work. :)

sharpening for the web.

2010-08-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

grins tells us this :)

For portraits I do 75%, 2 Radius, and 3 Threshold.

I got it from Scott Kelby:

Subject Amount Radius Threshold
Soft subjects 150 1 10
Portraits 75 2 3
Moderate sharpening 225 0.5 0
Maximum sharpening 65 4 3
All-purpose sharpening 85 1 4
preparing for Web 400 0.3 0

ur doin it rong.

2010-07-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

lets have some fun and play "good photographer"/"bad photographer".

these are the DON'Ts. i will go ahead and offer up my adorable children's pictures LOL

let me say - i am not saying that my pics are 100% correct. but no matter what - youll be able to see the difference in what im talking about. :)

also, PLEASE comment with URL codes of other "wrong" pics and i will add them!! ***you guys know what im talking about***

let me start off by saying that it took me 15x longer to "ruin" these pics than it takes to not to. it was tedious. geesh. ok here goes.

1. vignette. gone wrong.

this. is. not. okay.

why the heck would anyone say to themselves: "hey, screw it. we dont need to BUY a frame!! we can just put one ON the photo!!"

and in case youre wondering - white is NOT OKAY either.

vignette can draw your eye towards the subject. but it should look (and i have done this wrong, too LOL dont worry) like its not there.

2. selective color.

obviously the MOST important part of this pic is the paci, right? i mean who would NOT want to focus on it?! ::lol::

selective color does nothing except for draw your eyes somewhere... well wrong.

3. gray and... um. gray.

when you are trying to do black and white, you need 2 main colors: black. and white. not gray.

see the difference between these two?

brighten, whiten, darken, play with your grayscale, etc etc - do not push "b&w" or "grayscale" on your editing program and think "phew that was easy!"

4. HOLY JAUNDICE!!

this baby needs bili lights! STAT!!

well, actually maybe not. babies, people, etc should NOT look like oompa loompas. playing with your color sliders (taking out some red/orange) or even a slight saturation adjustment can help.

5. blur.

i truly have no idea when youd ever need to use a blur tool.

wait, is there something on your lens? why the heck is there a blurry ring around this picture? this is not a "style" its a FAIL.

6. demon eyes.

watch out!! she might start shooting lasers!

crisp, clear eyes are usually done with 2 things: good light and correct focus.

if you MUST play with eyes, a simple clarity adjustment can help, but please do not over do them like is done here. she looks as if she's about to turn into the exorcist.

7. pin lights v. catch lights.

your onboard flash is your enemy. bottom line. in this pic, i incorrectly turned my speedlite (yes you can fail with that too, but youll always fail with your onboard flash) towards her and made her have tiny little pin lights in her eyes.

in this pic - you can see the catchlights. where there is a reflection from the lighting in the room. if you zoomed on the pic, you can actually see the doors in the bathroom.

pinlights can also be accidentally created from lights like ceiling fans if baby is on their back. be aware.

8. is that a china doll?

no. this is a real child.

skin smoothing should NOT go overboard like this (if you feel like you have to do it at all). opacity should be next to nothing. sometimes a simple spot healing can make it look 100x more natural.

okay - PLEASE add your own :) mess up some old photos. its fun!! :)

eta: comment submissions!!!

oh audrey. bad bad LOL live and learn!!

photoshop tools. simplified.

2010-07-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

ahhhh thanks for doing this, ntkoroshec!! :)

1. http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/35039323/ShowThread.aspx#35039323

2. http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/35039919/ShowThread.aspx#35039919

3. http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/35083880/ShowThread.aspx#35083880

what is that histrogram thing?

2010-07-06T15:47:00.001-07:00

sigh. lots of people (great photographers) still dont "get" how to read a historgram - so here's some help!

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/35298069/ShowThread.aspx#35298069

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/34110915/ShowThread.aspx#34110915

blog columns. deep and wide.

2010-07-06T15:45:00.001-07:00

how do you make blog columns wider?

stina to the rescue :)

oh - and a header? that part is easy!

http://www.musingsofahousewife.com/2009/03/how-to-design-and-upload-a-blog-header.html

kaboom!

2010-06-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

'tis the season for people to start wondering how on earth to take those stellar photos of fireworks. :) to reduce the bazillions of threads on thebump.com -- here you go. take heed and have a wonderful 4th of july season :)

ta-da!

full frame v. crop frame.

2010-04-15T19:26:00.000-07:00

betcha think you know exactly what the differences are, right? you'd prob be wrong ;)

HERE goes.

photoshop for dummies.

2010-04-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

you may not be a dummy, per se, but you may be confused with photoshop. and thats okay. in these threads, ntkoroshec explains the simple things :)

week 1. part 1.

week 1. part 2.

week 1. part 3.

some random things for PSE.

2010-04-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

watermarking?

general "huh"?

loading actions on a mac.

lightroom v. PSE

2010-04-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

what is the difference?

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/33636478/ShowThread.aspx#33636478

how to use them together?

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/33641324/ShowThread.aspx#33641324

aaaccckk!! the noise!

2010-03-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

what is noise?
http://www.picturecode.com/noise.htm

http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/key=noise

reducing "noise" in your photos -
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/30341295/ShowThread.aspx#30341295

what about noiseware?
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/33334421/ShowThread.aspx#33334421

an experiment by sahara! :)
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/31723039/ShowThread.aspx#31723039

these are MY photos. do not touch.

2010-03-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

ahhh you want to make a watermark, do ya?

here's how you do it in GIMP:
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/32430236/ShowThread.aspx#32430236

and here's how to do it in PS. (and i bet you could figure it out in PSE as well)
http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/2009/09/coffeeshop-editing-101-making-your-own.html

blurry in the background? thats called bokeh.

2010-03-17T10:43:00.001-07:00

and here are some simple tips:

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/33376835/ShowThread.aspx#33376835

magenta? green? color casts.

2010-03-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

how do you fix it and what does/can it look like?

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/33404033/ShowThread.aspx#33404033

that thread can help explain how to balance some color casts (either from elements or from your eye)

oooh look at the colors!

2010-02-14T17:59:00.001-08:00

seamless paper colors ;)
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/31433863/ShowThread.aspx#31433863

fleece colors - didnt think you could do that, huh? ;)
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/31896116/ShowThread.aspx#31896116

white balance stuff.

2010-01-28T19:13:00.000-08:00

this is important. like very important. you can learn the what and why's HERE:

how to do custom white balance.

more how-to.

how to use a gray card for WB.

more gray cards.

some comparisons.

jump on the bandwagon: 365.

2010-01-28T06:34:00.000-08:00

its simple. 1 photo (at least. i know its hard to limit to one. i sure as heck don't) every day for a year.

im on my second year and it feels GOOD to know that i can finish it. and you can, too!

some helpful tips:

--take a pic in the morning - so you don't run out of time during the day.
--remember it doesn't have to be the best.
--snapshots are your best friend - you want to remember things how they were. not how you staged them all of the time.
--have fun and don't stress. its not a big deal if you miss a day in the grand scheme of things. just do your best :)

HERE are some 365blogs if you are looking for some inspiration :)

give it to me RAW.

2010-01-27T18:03:00.000-08:00

taking pictures in RAW (as opposed or in addition to jpeg) is important for editing (in my personal opinion). and it makes things 230948230948x easier to adjust.

RAW and PS3.

RAW and PSE.

more RAW.

wtf is a lightscoop?

2010-01-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

THIS is a lightscoop.

how do you use it?
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/30063006/ShowThread.aspx#30063006

where do you get it?
http://punkfictionphoto.blogspot.com/2010/01/where-exactly-do-you-buy-from.html

where exactly do you buy from?

2010-01-27T17:59:00.000-08:00

well, i personally get most of my stuff off amazon, but thats not the case for everyone.
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/30286136/ShowThread.aspx#30286136

and what about that nifty lightscoop people talk about?
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/30180495/ShowThread.aspx#30180495

what about camera straps?
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/30035467/ShowThread.aspx#30035467

annnnd camera bags?
http://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/30331436.aspx

wide-angle lenses.

2010-01-27T17:50:00.001-08:00

here is some info on wide angles. its a preference it seems - but here you go.

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/30062256/ShowThread.aspx#30062256

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/30057238/ShowThread.aspx#30057238

and HERE are some examples of a wide angle on a full frame camera.

what do those letters on my camera mean?

2010-01-23T18:12:00.000-08:00

and when do you use what? how should you break into using manual more often?

HERE is a good thread about that.

expose it.

2010-01-23T18:10:00.000-08:00

see what "adjusting the exposure in photoshop" means to some, HERE.

and another one.

and HERE is some info on overlay layers for this type of thing.

looking at macro: up close.

2010-01-23T18:07:00.001-08:00

ok. macro lens? extension tube? here's what thebump.com has to say.

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/30031101/ShowThread.aspx#30031101

and extension tubes specifically - http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/30025943/ShowThread.aspx#30025943

from camera to the blog.

2010-01-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

this gets asked a lot. here are several threads telling "how-to":

downloading from flickr.

what blogs to use.

linking flickr.

flickr to blogger.

sizes of pics on blogger.

blogging templates.

software? who and what?

2010-01-22T19:23:00.000-08:00

a few different opinions - http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/29689350/ShowThread.aspx#29689350

and what exactly do *you* do in the most basic form? http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/29932853/ShowThread.aspx#29932853

and what do you do in elements? http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/30019110/ShowThread.aspx#30019110

lightroom.

2010-01-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

ahhhh so you purchased lightroom (or maybe you just have the free version? eh?)

afwells asks some good questions HERE.

well here are some tutorials (from sarah again! thanks!) on how to use this fandangled software.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/helping_hands_photo_editing_and_photography_help_group/discuss/72157622384952238/

http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/lightroom/articles/lir1at_publishgallery_02.html

http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1233663&seqNum=3

http://lightroom-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/lrn_spot1.mov

http://www.creativepro.com/article/add-drama-photos-master-lightroom-s-graduated-filter

http://lightroom-news.com/2008/07/31/auto-masking-in-lightroom-2/

http://www.presetsheaven.com/2009/02/19/8-epic-lightroom-presets-for-weddings/

more presets

we missed some basics.

2010-01-22T14:42:00.001-08:00

thanks to our friend, sarah, we now have a comprehensive set of tutorials. :) click and learn...

exposure triangle.

aperture.

shutter speed.

iso.

white balance.

aperture and shutter speed modes.

bokeh.

now i want to print them out.

2010-01-22T14:36:00.000-08:00

here are a few ideas of where to print- http://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/27873074.aspx

if you are looking to do a photobook for yourself or as a gift, here are some ideas for that - http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/29676914.aspx

oh. and in case you are wondering, print them in matte. not glossy. ::shudder::

and cropping? thats something you have to think about too!
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/30311949/ShowThread.aspx#30311949

what gorgeous eyes you have.

2010-01-22T14:13:00.001-08:00

wanna make eyes pop? well here are some tips and tutorials.

http://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/28416520.aspx

how'd you get that nifty backdrop?

2010-01-22T14:05:00.001-08:00

are your walls that color? is that a fake floor? what does it really look like?

backdrop stand.
wood floor.
seamless paper.
a few pullbacks.
more background debate.
seamless/plexi how to.
another pull back.
various fleece background colors.
how much fabric to buy.
barnwood paper flooring.

here are some pull backs with seamless paper, a piece of trim, and a box of wood flooring.

does your white background seem gray? here's how to fix that -
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/32165883/ShowThread.aspx#32165883

look at me!

2010-01-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

self portraits. some people love them - some hate them.

HERE are some tips on how to take pictures of yourself.

bottom line is you'll need a remote. look HERE for some comparisons.

sooc? WB? LR? huh?

2010-01-22T13:35:00.000-08:00

abbreviations. i figure we should probably mention this.

here are a few sites with (exhausting) lists of abbreviations.

http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/photography/articles/7634.aspx

http://www.dcviews.com/tutors-t.htm?tt50301

but bottom line there are a few you should probably remember:

SOOC - straight out of camera
PIP - picture in post
WB - white balance
LR - lightroom
PS - photoshop
CC - constructive criticism

(i'll add more as i think about them and use them)

what the heck is ISO?

2010-01-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

here are some basics: http://digital-photography-school.com/iso-settings

http://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/29861459.aspx

some more questions HERE.

and here are 2 threads from thebump.com talking about ISO and image quality for canon and nikon separately.

canon.
nikon.

how to reduce noise besides playing with ISO.

so what kind of camera do i get?

2010-01-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

well you have a lot of different options. do you want a point&shoot? DSLR? a cross between the 2? well HERE are what some rec and why.

also - that thread is filled with great information about first purchases.

a great site for reviews - http://www.dpreview.com/

and HERE is some information about choosing canon cameras.

7D v. 50D in the eyes of thebump.

nikon v. canon

welcome.

2010-01-22T12:02:00.001-08:00

hey, im just going to compile the best and most helpful links for photography. if you find them - email me: amandaskelte@gmail.com and i'll add them.

and help me think of topics as well! thanks guys <3