I thought about whether or not I wanted to title this article “Why Take Photos” or “Who Do You Take Photos.” Either way, the answer might change based on how long you’ve been taking pictures.  In the beginning of my journey as a photographer, I think I would have answered differently than I would now.  But, the key is to make sure the reason begins and ends with you.  

How I began Taking Photos

In the beginning of my journey as a photographer, I enjoyed capturing moments that came up organically.  I might capture a picture of a grandfather and grandson, eating ice cream together, while leaning against a fence post.  Or, I would photograph a child, excitedly swinging on a tire swing.  Even more importantly, I would always have my camera with me, especially at family events.  

As the years went by, I started to crave more.  I thought better gear and a different subject might make me want to take more pictures.  I really leaned into the idea that my pictures weren’t as good as they had been because my gear just wasn’t good enough to produce the kind of photos “the pros” take.  So began a several year trek to acquire the right gear to make my photos better.  

In case you already guessed it, better gear was costly and overall, it didn’t significantly change the quality of my photos.  In fact, the more I watched videos and the more I considered my gear inept (and myself), the more my photos suffered.  This isn’t to say that gear isn’t necessary to take good quality photos, it’s just not the be-all-end-all.  

Taking Photos for Whom?

After some time passed, I joined a photography club.  This was a new adventure for me.  It opened up opportunities for me to take photos of subjects I never would have otherwise.  Two of these subjects include splash and toy photography. Without the incentive to take these shots, I would not have gotten two of the best shots I have ever taken.  But, over time, I desired to take more and more shots that impressed the judges and indirectly, members of the club.  During our meetings, I remember hearing about member complaints when the judges did not score someone’s photo in a way they felt was desirable.  I remember thinking to myself, “That’s how I used to think.  Now, I take photos for myself.  If I like them, that’s all that matters.”  These are the sentiments club members would share with the ones who were distraught over the comments and score judges would give them on their photos.  They would take it personally.  The truth is, I was still taking pictures to impress the judges, even though I wouldn’t get as bent out of shape over not placing in the competition.  

Why Do You Take Photos?

That leads me back to this question: Why do you take photos?”  It’s okay if the answer to this question changes over time, or morphs throughout your journey as a photographer.  But, I will venture to say, if you take pictures for others, it will eventually leave you frustrated and lacking motivation when you hit a rough patch.  Inevitably, we all hit one at some point, or several points, as we continually try new things.  Now, it seems trite to say, “take photos for yourself and not others,” so let me leave you with a few pieces of advice to help you.  

Planning to Have no Plan

While it’s important to have a plan when you go out to shoot, sometimes planning can also get in the way of the creativity we as photographers need to produce photos that are different.  I suggest planning trips that have no plan at all.  Bring a few lenses with you for different scenarios that might come up: a wide-angle lens, a zoom lens like 70-200, and maybe a long-range lens like 300mm or longer.  I suggest this so that you are prepared for different situations that might come up, like wildlife or a beautiful landscape or even some interesting people, walking around a major city.  There have been times when I have gone out to specifically take photos of birds in flight, only to come home to find that my photos didn’t come out so well, or in some instances, there weren’t any birds available to photograph.  I wasn’t prepared with a backup plan, so I came home empty-handed.  While I think going out with no plan at all, from time to time, can help spark creativity, I believe going out with a backup plan can also help the frustration of coming home with not much to show for the hours of work you did that day.  If I planned to take photos of birds and I didn’t have much success with that, I will make sure I have the address of a location nearby where I can photograph another subject that I know I will be successful in capturing.  This subject might be landscapes or even architecture.  These subjects are much more predictable and I am way more likely to nail a shot. Having no plan doesn’t mean you’re lacking preparation, it just means you’re open to taking photos of what is available around you, this way you will return feeling successful after a long day of work.  

How SlickPic Can Help

Once you find a location you like to shoot at and you decide you want to return, or maybe you don’t like a location for a certain reason, SlickPic provides a notepad for your photo albums.  You can type notes to remember something you want to tell a client or notes for your own remembrance.  Maybe you want to describe the story behind the photo that day; you can use the notepad to keep track of it.  For example, the day I took my first shot of an osprey has a great story attached.  I was heading over to take a picture of a seagull (which I wasn’t excited about), the only bird present on the beach, when all of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something splat into the ocean to the right of me.  It took me a second to figure out what had just happened, but once I realized it was an osprey who had just swooped down to spear a fish, I lifted my camera to the sky and began spraying (clicking and panning).  I love the story behind this photo because it reminds me that great photos aren’t always planned, they are a result of getting out there and doing.  SlickPic’s notepad will help remind me of this very important lesson.  Thank you, SlickPic!   

About the Author: Melissa Bilotta

Photographer- Teacher- Melissa has taught elementary school for over 12 years.  Her interest in photography began around high school, but really became her passion in more recent years.  She has been photographing mostly landscapes, wildlife, and portraits, as a hobby, for the last 10 years.  As a teacher, she continues to learn her craft so she can grow and help others pursue their photography goals.

The post Art 4 Why Take Photos? appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

I remember being at photography sites like a waterfall in Yosemite, the Mormon Barn in UT, and a night water scene in Cambodia that were all ‘go to’ spots for photographers who lead groups. In each case, the leaders gave photographers the F stop, ISO, and shutter speed. I’m sure everyone went home with lovely photographs. The settings being given are meant to result in one thing – proper exposure.

They have set their photographers up at winning sites at the right time of day with the correct lighting. If the students follow the simple instructions they are absolutely guaranteed to go home with a wonderful shot.

I can take a group out to shoot ICM and there is no guarantee at all. I can make recommendations but it takes practice to get a feel for them.

One of the biggest obstacles is that traditional photographers have been required to conform. People who have been successfully shooting for a while know the rules and they have most likely spent years adhering to them to get good photographs.

Many of those same photographers are participating members of photography clubs and if they want to do well in competitions, they must shoot what judges want. Those rules are pretty rigid and to win you must follow them.

It is counterintuitive to shoot outside the rules. All those years the point has been to keep the camera still. Tripods and/or steady hands are a must. Now, all of a sudden, you are being told to move that camera during a shot.

It’s a matter of overcoming your mind – your learned muscle memory. It’s a serious conflict and it really helps to be aware of it. It actually helps to just sit or stand and put your camera on long exposure and just shoot and shoot and shoot as you make yourself move. Don’t worry about the outcome – you’re breaking a habit that needs to be broken. It’s just the beginning because you will be a rebel breaking all kinds of rules.

If your lines are not as straight as you want – take some time to work just on shooting linear lines – vertical – horizontal – diagonal if you can find a good diagonal to follow. You can sit inside your home and do this. Find a line with good contrast – a doorway – window – picture frame. Just practice getting the lines – see what kind of blur you get when you try different shutter and movement speeds. This exercise will work on your motor skills. When you can shoot the lines you want – then it will be time to go find the subjects and put your skills to work.

Once we get used to moving – what’s next?

With ICM, we and the camera move. But no one moves the same way and everyone’s sensor catches motion a bit differently. ICM needs good exposure too. But we are working with longer exposures which means we have to compensate for too much light. We can do this with ISO and F stop and ND filters. But there is no formula because we have to also compensate for the amount of light we have and the kind of motion we are planning and that’s always different.

I shoot shutter priority and the lowest ISO my camera allows. That way I can control the shutter speed for motion. I have enough experience that I can alter my motion and get similar results with different shutter speeds – or alter my motion at the same shutter speed and get different results.

I can’t predict in advance what the settings will be. Each camera sensor collects differently. 1/15th of a second with one camera will not net the same movement/texture as a different sensor. The second reason is human motion. We all move differently.

These three shots all have the same shutter speed. 1/50th sec. A much faster shutter speed than I usually use. My current camera allows faster shutter speeds than other cameras I’ve had in the past.

f there had been less light and the setting had been 1/15th sec, I would have slowed my motion and gotten very similar results. Why 1/50th here? It happened to be the setting I was working with on an extremely and glaringly bright day. I’ve amassed a lot of experience by going out and trying things and not expecting perfect results but instead wanting to learn what happens if I move this fast – or this way – or ……

If you had been standing next to me when I shot the above images, you wouldn’t have seen the difference in my motion. All you would have seen was a slight nod of my head. Yet, the degree of blur changed quite a bit.

My friend Bill Hewitt says he thinks yes or no – and whether it’s an enthusiastic yes or no with the camera resting on his forehead. I’m sharing this because it shows his sense of play and experimentation. He does a whole riff on yes and no. ICM thrives in that kind of imaginative and playful environment.

This is why ICM instructors say to experiment and go play. This style of shooting is unique and different for each individual. It depends on your camera – how you move – how much light there is at the time of the shot.

Here’s an example of play. I’m showing you the original image shot still. That one has people in it but I waited for them to exit to start playing with moves. I didn’t have an objective in mind – I just wanted to see how things warped with different motions.

The still shot was shot at 1/25th. One of the benefits of shooting ICM is that you really steady your hands as you learn to perfect motion and can hand-hold at pretty low shutter speeds with okay results.

The next three, the vertical-horizontal, and diagonal moves were done at 1/15th sec. I could have gotten similar results with a different shutter speed by altering my speed of movement.

The last two – a circular motion and then a zoom with my lens ring was done at 1/8th second. These are raw images out of the camera with only a crop applied – no other adjustments.

These shots show what happens when you go out and play. These kinds of activities give your brain feedback if you are checking results after each shot – and you should be. Playing like this is the best teacher of what is possible.

All of the above differences are why I don’t talk much about my settings. There are too many variables. We can stand next to each other with identical settings and come home with totally different results.

It’s not like astrophotography where a website can tell you the settings most likely to work. They know what your environment will be when you shoot – dark without ambient light. Your camera will be on a tripod. The settings they give you will usually get you a well-exposed shot.

It really doesn’t do any good for me to tell you about which ND filter I used on a specific shot either because you don’t know what kind of light I had that gave me the results I got. I could be at the same spot on another day or at another time the same day and need a different filter or none at all – because of light. I do what’s necessary to give me the right exposure. I usually use a 6-stop filter and work my settings around it – if I need or use one at all. When I’m going for longer exposures – 2 – 4 seconds – I use the 6 almost always. The correct filter to use for every shot is the one that gives you good exposure. There is no rule or recipe.

I wish I could give you a magic recipe – but this is art. Think about painting a watercolor. Same brush, same surface, same paint, same colors – and an untold ability to create an unlimited number of outcomes depending on your moves and your imagination.

The only way to succeed in shooting ICM is if you are out playing, experimenting, and having fun. At first, when you get a shot you like, it will feel like a happy accident. But it’s not. It’s the result of working toward your goal.

So, if this genre fascinated you – go for it! It’s challenging but rewards in so many unexpected ways. Go find them!

For more free blogs, information on my books that teach photography, and current workshops, visit my website: www.roxanneoverton.com My latest work is on Instagram @roxanne_overton_photography

The post ICM – Getting Started appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

Here are a few questions to ponder before jumping right in. Is action figure photography expensive? How will learning lighting on a small scale help me on a larger scale? Also, an action figure photography help me explore my creative side?

Taking pictures of action figures does not have to be expensive. Some action figure photographers spend a ton of money to purchase large-scale or highly detailed action figures. I would not recommend starting off this way. Invest the money in making a detailed scene that makes the photo come to life. I started off with fifteen-dollar Toy Story action figures. Believe it or not, these twelve-inch figures are highly poseable and look fairly realistic for such a low price point. Maybe you have action figures lying around at home that has been loved by your children. Those are free and can be used to make great photos as well. Side note here: notice I said “make” great photos. That is something I’ve thought a lot about recently…the difference between “taking” and “making” photos. The photos that stand out are usually the ones someone spent time creating, versus quickly snapping a picture of something they saw. Of course, this is not always the case, but it might be something worth considering. Now, back to purchasing items for action figure photography. A dollar store is a great place to find inexpensive items to set up a scene. Foam core makes great walls for a diorama. Next, you can use wrapping paper or scrapbook paper to glue to the foam core to create realistic-looking wallpaper. Once the walls are set, think of what you want the action figures to be doing. Placing action figures in a room, standing or sitting without them doing something, is nothing more than taking a picture of an action figure inside of its box…not very exciting. After you have a vision for what they are doing, consider the props you want to include to help the figures come alive. For example, if the action figures are watching TV on the couch, one of them might be holding a remote out toward the television, while the other is scooping popcorn into their mouth. You can find items at a dollar store to help create props, too. This can help to keep the cost down. Once you have an idea of what you want the figures to do, but you don’t have a clear vision for it yet, consider the storytelling aspect of photography. Every photo should evoke an emotion and/or tell a story.

What is the story behind the photo? Some of the best photos have a story to go along with them. The story might be about why the photographer took the photo, or where they were when they shot it. But, usually, the best photos tell the story for the photographer. An action figure standing in a scene, looking straight at the camera, does not convey a sense of purpose in the photo. So, think of the story you want to tell. The story can be something as simple as the action figure doing something it wouldn’t normally do. For example, going back to the Toy Story action figures I have used—the whole idea of toys playing while no one is watching is intriguing to me. So, I began to brainstorm ideas of what Woody would do while no human eye is watching. From here, I looked to see what other toys I already had to utilize in the scene. I found large Legos, Mr. Potato Head, and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. From here, I picked a place in the house that had a neutral background (to eliminate distraction) and a spot where I could either use some natural light, or I could easily set up a flash that would be able to bounce to create soft light. The kitchen seemed to be the best spot to check all of these boxes. After that, I thought about what Woody and his friends would be doing in the kitchen. See how I am creating a story. Preparation is key in action figure photography. If you are stuck here and you cannot think of what you want the action figures to be doing, do not despair, seek help. There is nothing wrong with looking to the work of others for inspiration. That is exactly what I did. Is this called copying? Well, I did not use the same toys in my photo (except for Woody), the scene was different and the lighting was not at all the same. I look at it as inspiration. So, Woody is in the kitchen with his friends. He grabs the grape jelly and yellow mustard, as well as the cell phone charger cable he sees lying around. Next, he builds a set of stairs out of Legos, which he climbs to tie the cable around the two bottles to create a tightrope. What does he do next? Yes, of course, he grabs something to juggle while walking across the tightrope. And, where are his friends while all of this takes place? Mr. Potato Head and Michaelangelo (he’s the purple one, right?!) are staring up at him with their hands stretched toward him, almost as if to say “tada”.

Alright, that is the overdramatized version of the scene I created, but the point is, the photo leaves the viewer questioning and thinking about what transpired in order for Woody to end up where he is. The photo shows Woody doing something, not just being “an action figure”. Suffice it to say, creating a story for the viewer draws them into the photo and evokes emotion that leaves them desiring more, or at the very least thinking, wow, that’s one creative photographer. Another important aspect of photography that often leaves people in awe of photos is creative lighting.

Practicing lighting a small scene in action figure photography can be an invaluable lesson to help light scenes with actual people. Picture a scene with three walls, where three action figures, Buzz, Woody, and Jessie are playing a game of Catan. They are seated at the living room table with the board game laid out in front of them and not to mention a few snacks to go along with it. Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned Hershey’s bar to snack on during game night? How should one light this scene?

Diffuser set on top of foam board walls with light shining at an angle from above

Well, consider what the lighting would look like if this were a real scene with people playing in their living room. Do you want the lights to mimic overhead living room lights, or do you want the light to come from another source like a window? Of course, there isn’t actually an overhead light or window in the scene, but here is where playing around with lighting can teach you how light functions. For this scene I described to you, I used a Litra Torch because of the ability to easily adjust the intensity and angle of the light within the scene. In addition, I shined the Litra light through a diffuser to spread the light more evenly, avoiding harsh light and/or shadows.

Behind the Scenes: camera to the left, diffuser to the right, Litra Torch 2.0 & wired remote in the middle

This still left me to figure out which direction the light should come from and how high or low to hold the light to perfectly light the set. Before firing the camera, I looked to see where the light was falling and where there were heavy, dark shadows. Then, I moved the light around, front-to-back and side-to-side, while watching to see how the light changed in the scene. I specifically watched to see how the light affected the eyes of the action figures. Just like I would want the human eye to be lit in this type of scene, I also wanted the action figures’ eyes to be seen. Once I got the light where I thought I wanted it, then I began to take test shots. Taking time to see where the light falls with the naked eye before jumping to taking photos can save a lot of time and frustration when the photos just are not coming out how you’d like them to. I learned a bunch about light by “playing” around with it. I might have played with the light more than I did with the action figures.

Speaking of playing, let’s touch on posing. Here is the part where you get to play around with the figures before photographing them. But, before you do, looking at images of humans doing the action the figure will be doing can help make the photo look more realistic. You can also do the action yourself and take notice of your hand position, stance, head angle, etc. The slightest adjustment to the angle of the hand can take a photo from looking staged to a more natural and realistic-looking one. Next, consider the angle. When posing action figures, positions that look great from one angle might not look so great from another. Before introducing the camera, look at the posed figures from multiple angles, horizontally and vertically. Once you believe you’ve found a vantage point that looks good, then place the camera in that spot and use live view mode (if your camera has this setting) to see the scene “through the camera”. The advantage to using live view mode first is to be able to see all parts of the photo with both eyes while looking for distractions within the scene. At this point, you can even take the photo using live view mode, if you prefer. If not, at least you have viewed the whole scene almost as if it was an actual photo. One thing to look out for when you pose is overlapping objects, especially the arms of figures that cross over each other. I cannot tell you how many times I posed the figures from above, only to find out when I lower my viewing angle, the arm of one figure is in front of another. Their arms are typically away from their bodies, up in the air or out in front of them. This is why there are instances where one part of a figure’s body might cross over another and it typically does not look good.

This helpful hint might not fall under a specific section, but I want to share it anyway. To create the scene with Buzz, Woody, and Jessie playing Catan, there were a few other props that were needed in order to create the reality you see in the photo. In the background, there are photos of the characters. To create real-looking photos, I printed the framed photo on real, semi-glossy photo paper. In addition to that, I wrapped the printed photo around a small piece of foam core and glued it to the back to create a 3D framed photo. These are the small details that can add to the photo. Behind the table, there are boxes of actual games that I also printed, then folded to create a realistic-looking game box. These small touches are not super expensive, but they can be time-consuming. I could go into more detail on how I created all of the props in the scene, but I will leave that for another time. Sometimes, all of the small details add up to a lot in the end because they help create a feel that would otherwise be missing. In this case, a realism that portrays real toys, playing with real toys.

As I mentioned earlier, an important piece of all of this that made it all possible is showcasing photos. First off, I would not have had the creative vision for this photo (and several others I am currently working on) without someone taking the time to showcase their work. I cannot always pull ideas out of thin air and often look to others to help spark my creativity. Thankfully, someone took the time to put together their best work to share with others. Through their work, I was able to find enjoyment in a type of photography I would have otherwise discounted. But, in order to choose the best work to send out into the digital world, being able to properly organize photos and choose which ones to share is crucial. For me, using a Work in Progress (WIP) folder, as well as a Final Edits one, helps me to keep my photos organized. There are times when I have edited a photo, but there seems to be something missing. For some reason, I cannot put my finger on it at that moment, and going back to the photo at a later time will save me the hassle and embarrassment of publishing a photo before it’s ready. On the other hand, the Final Edits folder will contain photos that are ready for the world to see or just a handful of people I choose; it’s up to me. What makes this all possible is a great service called SlickPic. Through SlickPic, you can organize your work into folders and choose who you would like to share them with. You can even choose to make the photos private so they are only visible to you. Once you’ve chosen photos you want to share as a part of a portfolio to gain clients, SlickPic will be there to help you create a professional portfolio website. You can choose from many different layouts or you can leave it to a SlickPic designer to do it all for you. It is really that easy. Now that I have created several images using action figures, what do I do with them? First, I upload them to SlickPic, then I decide on when to share them with the community. SlickPic has a community of photographers I can share my work with. It is a great place to gain exposure and possibly gain business. It is a great place to showcase your photos for the world to see or only a small community of people (if you so choose). SlickPic is designed so you have the control to choose. I don’t know about you, but I have taken many photos that sat on an external hard drive for years, hiding away, until SlickPic gave me a place to organize and share those photos. Now, I enjoy taking pictures even more because I feel as if they have a purpose.

If you want to see some work from the pros I mentioned earlier, here are a few links:
https://www.duaneshootstoys.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/sirdork730
https://www.mitchelwutoyphotography.com/

The post Action Figure Photography appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

If you like nature and you are looking for a bit of a photographic challenge, you might want to consider photographing birds.  Maybe you are already into bird photography, but you are quite getting the types of shots you are hoping for.  Here, I will take some time to share some tips and tricks that will help you get the shots you have been waiting for.  Be prepared though, as I mentioned earlier, it will be challenging.  It takes practice to get the shots you see the “pros” taking.  

Do Some Research

The first step is to do research on the bird(s) you want to photograph.  Research can take many forms.  You can search for information on the Internet and in books, but you can also research birds by watching them.  I might even dare to say, this type of research will go farther in making the great photos you want to see than doing a Google search.  This is not to downplay the importance of researching the species of birds in your area or where you can find them, so you can go and watch them.  But, observing their habits and behaviors in their natural habit might be some of the best research you can do.

It might take several trips to the same location to determine what time of day a certain species visits that spot.  You might find there isn’t a specific time of day it visits, while that might not be ideal for shooting them, it is good information for you to have.  You might also find another species you want to photograph more, which might lead you back to research step number one, Google.  In addition to visiting locations at different times of day, try to visit different times of the year.  Not only could the subject of your shots change, for example nesting eagles in the winter, but the visibility you have could also change.  This year, I visited a nest of eagles several times over several months.  I was able to see the eaglettes grow from tiny babies into almost fully grown juvenile eagles.  What I did not account for during my visits, was how drastically the visibility of the nest changed from the winter to the summer months.  As the leaves grew back on the tree branches, I was scarcely able to get a clear photo of the eagles in their nest.  Lesson learned….I still enjoyed watching these eagles grow, but my photos were not so great.

Observe Before you Shoot

Once you’ve nailed down a location or a couple you would like to continue to visit, be ready to go and observe.  Before even lifting the camera to take a shot, look around.  What is the lighting like?  Is it consistent or are there well-lit areas and shadowy areas?  What type(s) of birds are there?  Are they moving from spot-to-spot?  Are they intimidated by your presence?  Are they interacting with each other, or with other birds there?  Spend some time looking for behavior and action because those are the ingredients that typically make some of the best bird photos.  

“Bird on a Stick”

There’s a term photographers have coined called “bird on a stick”.  Bird on stick refers to a photo where a bird is stationary on an object, usually a stick.  If you like “bird on a stick” photography, that’s okay.  What I will say, though, is that “bird on a stick” photos don’t typically stand out as much as action shots of birds doing something. Again, photos of birds strategically placed in their natural habitat can be absolutely stunning.  In fact, I’d venture to say it’s important to practice photographing stationary birds before attempting to capture birds in action, but the action shots are usually the ones that grab the viewer’s attention. The preparation that goes into capturing action shots (and just being in the right place at the right time—-more on that later), helps them to be the ones that usually stand out to people because they show something that isn’t seen every day.  In fact, it might have taken the photographer ten trips back to the same location at five different times of day to nail that shot.  

My Lucky Break

Talk about being in the right place at the right time— I visited a spot for the first time ever.  It was a beach location where seagulls, oystercatchers and various other birds spend their time hunting for food.  About five minutes into the trip, while on the way to a group of seagulls, out of the corner of my eye, I see something huge flop down into the water about twenty feet away.  I look over to see this huge mass of a dark blob on top of the water.  Before I could think of what to do next, this dark blob started to ascend into the air.  It was an osprey that had just caught its lunch. 

Fortunately for me, it turned around and flew back toward me just in time for me to snatch a few shots of it with a fish in its talons.  I have visited this location twice more since, to find some gulls and that’s about it.  Although this may seem to contradict what I said earlier about visiting several times before getting “the shot”, there are times when just being in the right place at the right time is the way to get the shot.  I’d venture to say, the odds increase as you visit and spend more time in a location, though.  

Adjust Your Camera Settings

If you aren’t set up to take a photo in the location you’re currently at, the right place or right time won’t matter at all.  Prior to walking the beach, I made sure my camera settings were already set for the photos I was anticipating.  I considered at least two very important things: the exposure and moving objects.  What does this matter?  If I am prepared to shoot a moving bird, I most likely use focus tracking.  Of course, the exposure is important but also balancing the right shutter speed for a moving bird, while getting a proper exposure is just as important.  These are things I considered before stepping foot on the beach and this is the reason I was able to quickly capture a shot of a flying osprey when I wasn’t ready for it.

What should you look for when preparing a spot to photograph?  Are there distracting colors or objects in the background?  Is my subject far enough away from the background for it to be blurry? Do I want the background in or out of focus?  How much of the scene/environment do I want in the shot?  Where do I want to place the subject in the frame?  Once you figure this out, take a test shot to see if all of what you’re hoping for appears in the scene.  It’s okay if the bird isn’t in the frame yet, make sure everything else is set so you are ready when it is. 

Going back to something I mentioned earlier, “bird on a stick” or a term that I think I coined, “swan on a pond” (we’ll see if it catches on)—Before taking to the streets to photograph birds in action, I practiced with stationary birds in my backyard.  I think it is important to learn your camera before venturing out to take action photos.  I set up natural-looking bird feeders to get natural looking photos.  If you take a medium-sized limb from a tree and cut a piece, you can bore a long trench down the center.  Then, melt some suet for a short amount of time in the microwave.  Fill the trench in the limb with the suet and hang it in a location where you can control the background and every other aspect previously mentioned.  Wait for the birds to come and be ready to fire away.  I spent hours in the doorway with the slider door slightly ajar, with my camera poking out, so I could capture woodpeckers feeding.  It was well-worth the effort.  This was taken from right inside the house, with a Sigma 150-600mm lens.

 I was able to spend time waiting for the right moment without the pressure of having just driven far to possibly come home with nothing.

On that note, be prepared to come home with “nothing”.  There are days you might venture out and come home to a memory card filled with photos to delete.  But, remember, even though you came home with no photos to share, you did not come home “empty handed”.  In fact, the time you invested in learning about the birds you desire to photograph and how to set your camera to take these photos is worth it.  Eventually, this type of investment will lead to the kind of photos you are hoping to take. 

To Sum it Up

If I could sum it up, practice using your camera and research the subject you want photos of as often and as much as possible.  Be prepared before taking the shot by knowing your subject and by having your camera settings set before the action begins.  Most importantly, don’t get frustrated when you don’t immediately land the types of shots you see others getting.  Who knows how long they spent waiting for that shot or how many years of practice it took them to get where they are.  

How SlickPic Can Help

To track the progress of your bird photography journey, consider a SlickPic account.  I have used SlickPic to store bird photos.  It is amazing to be able to see the progress I have made and to keep track of the places I have visited with organized folders.  Slickpic can help you to organize your photos so you know where you were when you took certain photos and it can also help you share your amazing work.  Check it out!        

The post Bird Photography appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

If we add a spot or two of clarity, we get wonderful energy of contrast between sharpness and blur.

The shot above was planned around the window shape which would serve as a frame within my frame when my walker passed through.  I also liked the echo of the rectangular case on the right as well as smaller echoes of the same shape on the left. Reflections would add strength.  Most importantly, I chose a quick vertical motion for the camera to gather time and blur along that axis. The result was an image with strong verticals almost perfectly sharp contrasting the softness of blur.

Reflections of shapes are an added pleasure when I find them.

In this shot, long wooden fishing poles pierced the sky and the hut was nicely mirrored in the water.  The rich colors of the sunset were why I was there but it was these shapes that led me to choose this particular spot to shoot.  I knew I would follow those vertical lines to find some sharpness.  It doesn’t take much – just a spot here or there to let the viewer rest their eye.  It’s subliminal but important in most ICM shots.

Chicago was filled with wonderful buildings and I wanted to capture a couple of favorites a bit differently.  I walked around until the perspective lined everything up the way I wanted.

I used the lines again to project my motion. My perspective allowed me to show the lines and shapes clearly, in a blur.  It was worth taking the time to plan and execute the shot. I knew I wanted the shapes to maintain their integrity so the motion was held in check – just enough to elongate the blur but not so much that I lost the distinction between the buildings.  

Driving at sunset – racing to find a foreground – netted this shot of an old silo along the railroad track.

The rails were gleaming in the reflected sunlight and were perfect vanishing lines to the silo which had a great shape to contribute to the shot.  The vertical motion gave the rails more substance while I elongated the building and picked up a shape in the sky.  A good sunset is always worthy of a great foreground. 

These boats, with their masts reaching into the sky and falling into the water, were a natural draw.

The motion followed the masts and was kept minimal because I also wanted to get the details of the rigging. Reality is altered here only slightly.  It’s enough though to cause a viewer to lean in and see things differently.

I was drawn to repeating ridges as they layered on the horizon.  I knew I wanted a longer exposure to gather echoes and whispers.

I swept along the ridgeline horizontally slightly back and forth to emphasize the ridges and multiply their shapes a bit. The back-and-forth motion also kept the sun from blurring completely into the surrounding sky.

ICM photography has to have excellent bones.  A poor shot only gets worse in a blur.  Successful ICM work has to be founded on photography that has excellent composition.  Looking closely at what you are shooting – what the lines and shapes are telling you – makes the decision on the timing and motion much more likely to be successful.

If you are just starting to play with ICM, keep things simple.  Find a subject and stay awhile.  Keep your shutter at 1/13th second as it will be more controllable. As you try different moves, you will see the results and learn what is possible.  You will be training your eye and muscle memory to help you plan more successfully as you progress to new subjects and expand your shutter speed and different moves.

Shooting ICM makes you pay attention to details and composition.  Otherwise, it doesn’t work. It’s this mindfulness that spreads into all of your photography – making any genre you shoot better than ever.

I have two books on ICM that give much more detail on how to achieve the results you want.  

• Catching My Peripheral Vision 
• Advanced ICM Techniques

Available through my website.  Clicking on a book cover will get you a sneak preview of what’s inside. https://roxanneoverton.com/

The post Using Lines and Shapes to Compose for ICM Photography appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

I was given a helping hand at the beginning of my photographic journey. I was taught the value of critique and more importantly, how to use it to advance my skills. It is my compass. My own journey would be less rich without it. And much less successful.

Critique – it means to criticize right? Actually, no. It means to analyze and when done properly, the emphasis is on the positive. It’s a surprising way to grow photography skills.

Every once in a while, we see a photograph that commands us to stop and look and perhaps even see. You know, that photograph that makes us look again. Perhaps it causes us to gasp in wonder; cringe in horror; be dazzled by beauty; make us smile, or even laugh out loud. What is there about these photographs that prompt such diverse feelings? Do they have a common denominator? And if so, can we bottle it and become the exceptional photographer that we want to be?

Luckily for us, the answer is yes!

Most photographers never do a critique of their own work. I’ve been told that I can’t critique my own work – it isn’t right. The people who tell me that really don’t understand what critique is or how to use it.

How can we expect to improve if we don’t know why we like something? Even in our own work, when we are happy with what we have, doesn’t it make sense to understand why? If we critique often, we will find patterns of what appeals to us personally, and that information plants seeds in our brains. Those seeds grow and incorporate the things we like into how we shoot.

It’s really pretty simple. You may not know all of the accepted parameters of how to present a critique but you can certainly tell whether you like a photograph or not. You are used to determining whether you like an image every time you look at one. When you see a photograph you either look at it and maybe smile or you pass by to look at something else.

That’s a critique. Short and simple. It’s your first impression. Most people don’t get any further than that in their review of a photograph. They look and then move on – either thinking that it was pretty cool or pretty boring or pretty awful. They are missing the whispers.

When passing by, we don’t learn anything. Sitting and paging through a photography book, or scrolling through photographs on a computer screen is a passive activity. We aren’t exercising much but the hands and fingers we use. We aren’t engaging our brains. A simple reaction – nice, or wow, or yuck, doesn’t teach us a thing.

We are passing up a great learning opportunity. In fact, we are passing up valuable information by the best teacher you could ever wish for to develop your own inner photographic vision.

Yourself.

Let’s get practical and take a look at some photographs. Here are three. What do they have in common?

I see many relational aspects. Each of these images uses color effectively. Our eye is drawn immediately to the light. There are prominent storytelling aspects to each shot. None of these photographs were taken at eye level – they use perspective well.

They are technically well done. The color balance in each is well rendered and adds quality to the photograph. The focus is appropriate – our eye is drawn in and easily finds the focal point where it can rest during exploration. These images have a good balance.

The composition in each has used strong elements. They all have well-defined shapes and lines. Each has a clear center of interest and everything else in the photograph contributes to the center of interest and makes it more powerful.

Now, pause a minute – choose your favorite above. Imagine seeing it as you scroll through one of the photo apps on your phone or computer. You might have paused a moment and thought nice or cool. What did that reaction teach you? Go back and read the three paragraphs above and imagine that YOU thought about the photograph in those terms. What did you learn?

Note that the images above are all different genres, yet the critique works equally well on all of them. They are very different and yet they are also the same in terms of what makes them good.

Can Critique Really Help Us Shoot Better?

Here’s an example of how critique works in the field when you are shooting. I find myself pointing and shooting when I should be thinking and planning. I think photographers are incredibly lucky people. We look at things differently – we see things in intended ways. We watch the light, consider all the surroundings, look at depth and color, and details. We look for the story. Unless we don’t.

Below is an example of a shot I took in Burma at Shwedagon Paya. It’s a wondrous place; so expansive that it becomes hard to isolate individual pieces. The whole is so intense with colors, scents, noise, and atmosphere that it overwhelms the senses.

I did what every tourist with a camera does. I started pointing and shooting. Everything. But then I caught my breath and took a moment to calm down. Took a moment to quiet my brain and let myself just stand there and be.

Then I looked at the last shot I had taken and I did a critique. I was appalled. I went back and looked at another shot and critiqued it again. The same result. Terrible shots of a wonderful place.

Here is that first shot I critiqued. Look at that lovely light she isn’t standing in. My depth of field was poor. Take a look at the man in the yellow shirt because he will end up being one of my main focal points. This photograph clearly shows a story taking place but it shows nothing of the emotion of that story. It is a flat two-dimensional tourist photograph.

In the time I took to evaluate what I was doing, the sun moved downward in the sky. The man in yellow found his friend. I changed my camera settings and serendipity sat on my shoulder as they stepped into the light. In truth, the fact that I had found a wonderful spot and had the patience to wait also needs to be factored in.

This photograph has both a visual story for you to read but I also think it evokes the magical and reverent moment. It is the result of a critique done moments before. I knew what I wanted and what I had to do to get it. I had settled down and moved into the moment.

I no longer had that frantic feel – that pressure to shoot. Instead, I relaxed and became part of the scene. I let my calmness direct my work. The real bonus is that my enjoyment of being there, in the moment, made the visit to this amazing place even more meaningful. I wasn’t an observer. I was participating.

It doesn’t matter whether I am in an exotic location, shooting ICM, or doing macro work in my own backyard. If I go out to shoot and if I’m frantic to get photographs, they often don’t turn out well. Instead, I need to step into the world I’m observing. I need to see what I am looking at. I need to feel the environment and become part of it. And I need to plan my shot so that it includes the elements that will make it good – the elements that matter to me. Light. Color. Shapes. Patterns. Emotions. Balance. The story.

If critique interests you, I have a book that teaches critique and how to use it to improve your own work. It’s called: Critique – a Path to Creating Exceptional Photography. It is filled with examples of photographs and their critiques. It also has an easy-to-use chart that has references on what to look for as you analyze impact (hint, it’s not the subject of your shot), technical aspects, and composition. That chart is posted to my wall right next to my computer monitors and I refer to it often.

You can find more information on my photography on my SlickPic website: roxanneoverton.com. I have several galleries, more blogs, and information on my books that teach photography. My latest work can be seen on Instagram at @roxanne_overton_photography. I post almost daily. Each shot has to pass a critique before I am willing to show it. That process and the discipline of posting have grown my photography in ways I could have never envisioned.

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By Tony Sweet

Hi and welcome to fall, one of our favorite times of year. There is fall color all over the country, so wherever you choose to photograph, here are a few tips that may help wherever you may roam this fall.

The right tools

Along with your gear, including tripod, you’ll need a polarizing filter to control glare and
optionally a neutral density filter to control the speed of the water flow.

The right clothing

Research the area, but we carry clothes for 20F to 80F, incl. rain gear
Dress in layers and consider NEOS overshoes for wet and muddy areas

The right conditions

Best quality color – overcast, diffused light, light rain
Best reflection color – Water in the shade, trees in bright sun (no clouds)
Early morning for misty ponds and low lying fog

Get out early

We are always at our location at civil dawn (when you barely see enough to walk around)
waiting for light to break. On clear cool mornings, thin ground fog is likely.
And should the dawn sky light up, you’ll be ready.

Image info: We got here when it was dark and waited for the light to brighten up enough
to find the row of grasses that were the least blocked up, where we could see the color through them.

Getting out and scouting locations to find the right locations for sunrise/ sunset is a good practice.
Having a headlamp is recommended. It’s better to be set up and wait at sunrise than rushing to it in the dark. On this fall morning, the warm, low-angle light blast, lasted only a few seconds.

The fully polarized maple leaves removed all glare. Sometimes glare can be our friend. It’s a good
practice to photograph scenes like this, with wet leaves, at various levels of polarization.

Everyone’s first inclination is to drink up as much color as possible in every image. Since this is a very wet scene, I used my polarizer to remove the glare, which darkened the rock face. Actually, you don’t need to mount the polarizer to see the effect. You can just hold the filter up and turn it as you look through it to see if it does what you want.

Fully polarized image deepened the foreground color after removing the glare.

This image is cropped so that the color completely fills the upper 2/3 of the frame with the cool green foreground for a desirable warm/ cool relationship, and exemplifies peak and robust color of fall in northern Ohio.

My personal favorite time to shoot is at the edge of the seasons. Here, we have the final act of fall. The bright mist, separation, and balance gives me the feeling of the calm before the impending winter.

Fall reflections

One of the most fun things to photograph is fall reflections in waterways. It’s not a good idea to fully polarize the scene, as glare (reflection) is the subject, and you don’t want to polarize out your subject, but partially polarizing can work to remove or tone down the glare on rocks.

Shutter speed can greatly affect the feel of an image. Faster exposures separate colors, freezing the action. It’s a good practice to photograph moving water, especially with colorful reflections, at various shutter speeds as every image will be unique.

Make sure to move around your subject area, getting higher and lower to see how the reflections are affected. For example, the green and red colors were much more pronounced by getting lower (about 3 feet off the ground). The exposure is mid-range between the fast exposure of the previous image and the long exposure of the next image. That is why you see some softness and some detail.

As mentioned in the previous image, this is a 4 minute expoure, which seamlessly blends all of the colors
completely. No separation of colors. Very smooth. Liquid gold-like.

MACRO

Fall is a perfect time for frost and heavy dewdrops on colorful leaves.

Don’t be shy about making your own images. The single dewy leaf was very carefully moved to this colorful forest floor.

Pack your macro lens. Areas in deep shade will hold frost for a very long time, however, know that your body heat and breathing can melt frost quickly when working in close proximity.

If you’re close to running streams, go there early in the morning after a chilly clear night. Frost may have formed on the bare trees.

Camera movement with fall color is a fun and creative thing to do. The color combinations are endless and it frees up your creativity. A good starting point is moving the camera during a 1 second exposure in the orientation of the subject (vertical for trees). However, the movement here is a slight diagonal. If the light is too bright even after stopping down and choosing the lowest ISO, you’ll need to add a neutral density filter.

Moving the camera upwards from the bottom of the bright white birch trees during the one second exposure renders this more painterly fall image

Final Tips

Was the leaf there? No. I placed the reddest leaf I could find in the most golden patch of reflection.

Was the leaf there? Yes. The compositional goal was to get the grids perfect and balanced throughout the frame while bottom weighting the leaf.

Don’t forget to look straight up.

Don’t forget to look down. At the bottom of streams and runoffs, if you watch closely, and if there is sufficient water, you will see leaves come to the bottom of the runoff and enter into a small eddy. It may be hard to notice, but it you watch and discover the slow circular movement, try a one minute exposure to capture the movement of this type of colorful fall image. Long exposures will necessitate a neutral densitiy filter.

FILTERS

To slow down the exposure in bright light, I use Singh Ray MorSlo filters: http://singhray.com and
use discount code sweet10. For the examples herein, I used a Variable ND to increase the exposure
time, and a 10 stop fixed neutral density filter for the much longer 4-minute exposure.

To control glare, I use the Singh Ray neutral polarizing filter. If without an ND filter, using a polarizer can hold back 1.5 to 2 stops of light.

We hope that you find this info helpful.

The post FALL Photo tips appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

Angel Oak, Johns Island, SC—This massive tree is a tourist attraction, but none the less, one of the most photogenic live oak trees in the area. It’s easy to get lost in all of the green and brown in color, but in infrared, it was easy to separate tones to truly show the spread and rhythm of this great tree. The longest branch is 180 feet long. For scale, there is a car parked to the left of the base, about 50 feet away.

The Other World of Infrared Photography

I remember the first infrared image that captured my imagination. It was when I was ten years old and in the fourth grade. I saw a LIFE magazine with red palm trees on the cover. This was before Photoshop®. There was always a photo caption in those magazines. I read that the image was color infrared, which I learned renders greens as reds. Many years went by, as I didn’t get to a photography career until age 44, but I never forgot the excitement of seeing that first color infrared image.

After researching color infrared film processing, I decided to start with B&W infrared. I was set up to process B&W film and BW infrared could be processed in the same tank. It was more convenient and much easier to process (in the wet darkroom in those days).

When digital came in, it took a few years for conversion companies to begin switching out sensors to get an infrared camera. At that time, I got my first digital infrared converted, a Nikon D200.

Let’s have a look at several discussion points, infrared properties, and image examples.

Why would one choose to shoot infrared?

#1: It’s Different

The number of good photographers and outstanding images makes finding a new and exciting way to self-expression a bit daunting. It’s easy to give up, thinking that everything has been done. This is a common path to cynicism, which can be stifling to creativity and to “out of the box” thinking. Even with its growing popularity, infrared is still in the margins. However, B&W infrared is an interesting look, different, and popular with fine art photographers and galleries.

#2: Shooting Times

A common misconception is that infrared is the domain of bright sun and trees with full green leaves. Although, it’s true that the aforementioned is a great situation, it is only one of many viable conditions. I photograph infrared at dawn/early morning, late afternoon/dusk, bright overcast/ dark overcast, in the rain, in fog, mist, midday, and during a full moon.

#3: Qualities of Light

Front light — Light source is behind you
Side light — Light source 90 degrees to the right/ left
Backlight — Light source is behind the subject
Top light — Noon
Overcast/ diffused — Soft light spreading evenly over the subject
Rain — An unexpected time for infrared. Bright overcast/ soft drizzle, and just after a storm are both excellent times for infrared.
Fog — Bright/ crisp early morning fog is outstanding
●●● Low angle front and side light can be quite dramatic in IR.

#4: Ethereal/Surreal Look

One of the great appeals of infrared photography is what many people refer to as the “other worldly” look. Infrared is literally re-visualizing your world

#5: Compared to B&W Photography

Infrared can capture greater cloud detail (not visible to the naked eye), and naturally adds glow to highlights.

Hardware/Software Conversions

You can dedicate a camera to be an infrared camera by getting an infrared filter installed by a company specializing in infrared conversions (http://kolarivision.com and http://lifepixel.com)

What do the number designations mean?

• 590nm and 650nm — The lower the number (nm = nanometers) the closer to the visible light spectrum and the easier it to introduce color. Advantages: ability to introduce faux color, softer blacks.
• 720nm (Standard infrared) — Creates high contrast black and white infrared, yielding puffy white clouds and dark skies. Advantage: Creates high impact, black blacks, and white whites.
• 830nm — Higher contrast than 720nm. Best used in flat or subdued light conditions. Advantage: Increases contrast on low contrast days.
• Full Spectrum — Basically, a clear filter is inserted in the camera allowing you to add external infrared filters on your lens to achieve any and more of the aforementioned designations: 590 filter, 650 filter, 720 filter, and 830 filter. You will have to purchase each filter separately. NOTE: The eye piece is blacked out when using filters. Live view is essential. Recommended for mirrorless cameras.

Singh Ray 690 infrared filter — Designed to be used on a color camera to create true B&W infrared images. Note: The exposure time will be a little longer than on a converted camera.

Backroad Barn, Eastern WA State — Normally, clouds are desirable, but blank skies, as in this image, can give us a clean palette for texturing

Here’s the way it works:

All sensors have a hot mirror to block infrared for cleaner/ sharper images. However, all hot mirrors leak small quantities of infrared. It takes time to gather enough infrared leakage to create an image. Hence, a normal exposure of 1/30 sec may result in a 2 second exposure. Exposure times will vary greatly depending on the amount of light. You can raise the ISO and lower the aperture for a faster exposure using the filter. But, you will need Live View as the eyepiece will be blacked out when the filter is added.

Spot light, Badlands NP, SD — A single ray of light spot lights this single cottonwood tree, the effect enhanced by the use of a radial filter, bringing out the tree and single cloud and darkening the edges.

Focusing

There is slight disparity between the normal focusing point and the infrared focusing point. Live view focusing AF is more accurate than thru the eye piece focusing. However, the disparity is small enough that stopping down to f/16 or f/22 will cover the difference. As a general practice, we focus through live view on our DSLRs.

Underwater Ballet, Acadia National Park, ME — The underwater stems were pronounced by the infrared, causing me to change the subject focus from the lily pads to the undercurrent of the flowing stems.

Lenses and Hot Spots

This is a known issue and there are lists of lenses that create the hot spot, which is a bright spot (BW infrared) or a discolored spot (color infrared) in the center of your infrared image. The intensity of the hot spot can be more pronounced at higher apertures.

In addition to the list of incompatible lenses, you can easily determine if a lens creates the hot spot by taking a properly exposed image of a clear blue sky, using several different apertures. The hot spot will be visible on incompatible lenses, and not there on compatible lenses.

If you currently have images with the hot spot, it can possibly be corrected. Depending on the image, the hot spot can be fixed in many cases by adding contrast by any number of techniques: NIk’s Viveza (now owned by DxO), brush contrast in the area, try the burn tool and cloning at a very low opacity. It is a time-consuming process.

The easiest fix is to have a compatible lens.

Time Warp, Badlands National Park, SD — The long exposure and spires exemplify what many refer to as “the otherworldly look” of infrared. I needed 15 stops of neutral density to achieve the 4-minute exposure in the late morning light.

Processing

What is that red cast?

The red cast shows up on the image on back of the camera and when imported. It has no effect on the infrared image, but can be a bit distracting when viewing on the camera. If you would rather see your images in infrared on the camera, you can go into your respective camera menu and choose to view in monochrome. However, the image will still input with the color cast, which quickly goes to infrared when processed as B&W.

My Infrared Set Up

Main Camera: Nikon D800 converted to standard infrared, 720nm

Second Camera: D800 converted to 590nm, which enables introducing color into the image.

I use a Singh Ray 690 infrared filter* which has two functions:

It can be added to a color camera to create a true BW infrared.

1. Image. The exposure can be a bit longer, depending on the ambient light. However, in bright sunlight, the exposures are shorter
2. The way that I use this filter to the greatest effect is to take a color and infrared image of the same scene (tripod needed), have both images open as layers in Photoshop, then adjust the opacity. Consider masking in / out certain areas. It’s pretty much up to you at that point.

Arnistapi, Westfjords, Iceland — Photographed from the pier, this is a favorite image from this area. The low tide opens up a wonderful, large boulder foreground, lush with kelp, which renders glowing white in infrared.

Is a tripod always needed?

No, not always.

If the exposure is fast enough (shutter speed > 1/ longest focal length (e.g. for an 85mm lens, the shutter speed has to be 1/85 sec or faster (1/125 sec) to successfully hand hold the camera.

Personally, I use a tripod as a matter of course.

What camera mode to use?

It depends on what you’re used to, as all metering systems work the same in infrared.

Experiment with all modes. To get the quickest and most accurate histogram, try shooting in program mode, but you will need to remember to watch the aperture, as P mode resets to the widest aperture when turning the camera off and on. I will shoot on P mode for street shooting, as things can happen quickly, and taking time to set anything could result in missing a shot. I switch between Aperture priority and Program modes in all my work.

Turf Church, South Coast, Iceland — An example of photographing infrared in the rain where the whites become bright and tree bark goes dark when wet.

Since my first exposure to infrared as a child, I’ve developed and maintained an affinity for infrared. It wasn’t until recently that a point was reached to where hardware and software came together to help me achieve the look and feel to my work that I’ve been seeking. Enjoy your fantastic voyage into infrared-land.

Pot Hole, Greenbriar, Great Smoky Mountains, TN — Image made during a persistent spring rain, making the rocks very dark and increasing the brilliance of the whites. Glow was added to the highlights using the NikDXOs Glamour Glow filter. A 10 stop neutral density was used to slow the water.

Hill Street, Whidbey Island, WA — I added a 10 stop neutral density filter to create the 4-minute exposure. Obviously, there was no wind, which is a rare event at this location.

Tony Sweet

Coming from an artistic background as a professional jazz artist and professional close up magician (sleight of hand artist), Tony has always sought creative, deeply personal endeavors.

The transition from jazz artist to nature photographer was a seamless transition as both require an improvisational nature and an ability to adapt to quickly changing conditions.

Tony was named as a Nikon Legend Behind the Lens and has been published worldwide for over 35 years. He has authored 8 books, contributing to many others, co-produced an educational DVD series, and teaches and lectures throughout the US, Canada, Iceland, and Cuba.

Tony is co-owner, along with Susan Milestone, of their Visual Artistry Location Workshops Series, Creativity Seminars, and 1 ON 1 virtual training sessions and ZOOM presentations to photographic societies worldwide.

Please visit URL: http://tonysweet.com
Email: tony@tonysweet.com

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Leading lines create a sense of continuance…

A quick history of Gestalt theory

In the early 20th century, a group of German psychologists developed a set of theories on visual perception.  They referred to them as Gestalt principles and used them to describe the human perception of visual information. The origin of the word is, of course, also German. Gestalt simply means shape, form, or the whole. Some experts in the field say that each individual part of an image has its own meaning. When you pull them together, they make a whole, but not necessarily with the same meaning. So when you use the Gestalt approach in your photography, you’re actually structuring these individual parts in one completed image. 

Gestalt principles of photography

Visual input is a part of everyday human life. It’s in our nature to try to make sense of the environment that surrounds us. As photographers, it’s our job to present this visual information in a controlled way. That’s how we take charge of what the viewer sees when looking at our photographs. 

You can use more than one principle in a single image (continuance & the law of common fate)

Don’t get intimidated by the technical terms, Gestalt is not that hard to understand and you probably know a lot of these principles already. They’re all around us and it’s just a matter of noticing them. Although there are many concepts, the six main principles of Gestalt in photography are figure-ground, similarity, closure, continuance (leading lines), proximity, and the law of common fate. Each principle is unique but fairly simple to understand. For a more detailed description of these principles, check out our Composition series.

The similarity is one of the easiest principles to apply…

Connecting the dots

How do we use the Gestalt approach in photography? We simply pay careful attention to each and every element in front of our lens. What do you see when you look through the viewfinder? Are there any elements missing? Or maybe there’s too much going on? Are you going to stand up or kneel down? All of these questions have to do with Gestalt theory, and you’ll have a much easier time answering them once you apply the theory to real life.

Allow the viewer to draw their own conclusions by playing with closure…

Learn how to arrange elements in your photographs in a way that will draw the viewer in. You will be able to create visually stunning images, just by making a few small changes in your perception. Take control over your composition and you’ll see the results in no time!

The post The use of Gestalt in Photography appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

Play with the cropping of your photo

Shapes exist in nature and are generally separated by lines. These are the high contrast areas that close in a specific shape and emphasize it. Differing light and color areas, as well as contrast, define different shapes. You could say that all photography is shape photography. Almost every photograph contains one or more shapes, but truly great photographers use them in their unique way.

Everyone can recognize the shape of a bird, even though it’s only a silhouette

Shape and form photography

Shape and form photography can be geometrical or abstract. Abstract shapes communicate with the viewer on various levels. A simple silhouette, like a bird flying over the sky, can be identified as just that – because it’s a shape everyone is familiar with. You can create abstract shapes by using elements of photography such as blur, distance, shadow or scale. Try to hit the viewer on a more subconscious level and don’t let them recognize the shape immediately. A little bit of mystery can often create a greater visual impact.

Highlight your shape photography with these techniques

There are a number of techniques you can use in shape definition that will make your photographs really stand out. The first step is cropping. Decide which information you are willing to present to the viewer. You can either crop the entire composition or obstruct the subject with another element. The ratio between what you decide to reveal and what you decide to hide will ultimately determine the level of intrigue in a photo. This technique is closely connected to the law of closure.

Bring emphasis on a subject by playing around with elements of photography such as lighting and focus. Focus on a subject and bring importance to it, or blur it out and create a level of abstraction. The level of blur you use is up to you. In addition, intelligent use of depth of field can often bring visually stunning results.  Combine this technique with some creative lighting and bring it up a notch. Exaggerate the form by using a strong sidelight. 

Determine where your positive and negative space is

Positive and negative shapes

If you are new to shape definition, you have probably been focusing primarily on positive shapes. Positive shapes are created by physical objects, while the ‘empty’ space between them creates negative shapes. You can read up on positive and negative space in detail right here (link). Learn how to read your photographs in a two-dimensional way and it will help you understand the 3-D world much better.

Generally speaking, shapes convey a lot of visual information to the viewer. Symmetrical shapes like circles and squares create a sense of stability and ease. Irregular shapes like triangles and ovals are more dynamic, hence they give the illusion of motion. Whether it’s one or a group of objects, together they should make a harmonic form. Choose to group similar shapes to avoid creating chaos in an image. 

Find abstract shapes in conventional objects

Before you take this practice into the field, try studying your work first. Define the positive and negative shapes, examine your lighting and focus and choose your favorite photos. Ask yourself, what is it that makes them good? When you learn to apply a critical eye to your existing work, naturally, your current work will improve.

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Whispers are caught as we let time gather on the sensor.  In the case above a full second passed while the camera dipped and weaved a bit gathering its data.  It takes practice – lots of it.  But in time we can sense what we capture, even without our eye to the viewfinder.  

The longer exposures allow minuscule amounts of time to stagger a bit – a little more spent here rather than there – as our second collects.  It gives more emphasis to some elements and lets other elements leave the barest hint that they were there.

You might think that isn’t possible within a tiny second but if you stop and think about how little motion it takes in intended sharp photography to inadvertently blur a photograph, you soon realize that a full second of time offers a lot of opportunities. 2.5 seconds, even more.

I use ND filers – usually a six-stop unless it is very bright.  Then I will pull out the 10.  It allows me to play in .5 – 2.5 second time ranges as I shoot.

We aren’t limited to landscape photography when we play with this technique.  It’s all about shape and color and tone.  Any subject that catches your eye will do.

The table umbrella, collapsed and solitary, is a case in point.  This is another 1-second exposure.  Instead of sweeping the camera in arc type movements, I quickly ‘placed’ the camera three times.  A quick movement, stop, move, stop, move – time up!

It gives the appearance of a multiple exposure shot in a very abstract form.

The camera movement we choose has no rule.  Nothing is right or wrong in your choice.  It comes down to experimentation and preferences in outcomes.  And don’t forget all that practice you have to do to learn what works and what doesn’t.  All that practice also teaches what’s possible.

The above shot was taken over 1.6 seconds with a lot of stuttering around.  I underexposed to put emphasis on the brilliantly lit sails that multiplied with each slight jerk of the camera.

Another motion technique I use is very slight in and out, or up and down – very quickly.  Almost like polishing the pixels in my mind.  It blurs things slightly and gives some detailed edges in a smudgy kind of way. 

The genre of photography doesn’t matter.  Think about the great impressionists – they painted everything from landscape to portrait to architecture to battles to seascapes.  Anything that caught their fancy was tried.  We all have that same latitude.  Every shot is an adventure waiting to be interpreted.

If this type of photography intrigues you, put yourself in a dreamy state.  And when you spot something that catches your eye – step outside the box.  The camera is waiting for you to ask it to dance. The photograph above used that polishing technique – constant motion but not very much.

Each of us will find our own moves that are unique to us.  No two of us will interpret the same way.  We’ll choose our shutter speeds and play a bit.  I usually try several shots – each unique in my approach.  I change shutter speeds and moves and often get inspired by snippets of what I see.  My goals are known to change depending on where the results of previous shots lead me. It’s truly an adventure.

In this shot, I spent time in one area and then less time in the next and the next.  It gave me imprints of shape and tone and color slightly out of register.  There is no mistaking the subject.  The lack of clarity – the impression – gives each viewer the freedom to tell their own story – to fill their own imaginations.

In this day of Instagram, iconic shots are everywhere.  People go out and take the same photographs, following the same rules and come back with very similar shots.  The photographs that catch our eye are the ones that see things a bit differently.  

There is no right or wrong way to interpret what you see.  You are shooting the story.  It becomes you, your camera, and your imagination.  Mix that with practice and skills and you can truly make original photography that is unique to you.

Sweep the camera in a bit of a dance – gather the light and celebrate the creation of an original!

Before I close, there is an important caveat to keep in mind.  We are blurring things but we cannot forego good shooting principles. We must pay attention to good composition, lighting, and extra attention to lines and shapes.  If we throw good photography out the window, we will spend our time shooting bad photography.  My own opinion is that impressionistic work, any type of ICM (intentional camera movement) must be pristine in its approach.  If it isn’t, we will end up with a blurry mess.

The above was shot over 1.3 seconds and the moves were definitely rocking ‘n roll!  Now it’s your turn to ask for a dance!

Please visit roxanneoverton.slickpic.site — where you will find more photography and information on my instructional and travel series photography books.

Instagram: @roxanne_overton_photography

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The line between the subject and the background is clearly visible

Think shapes and contrast

A photograph is a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional space. The surface of a photograph is made up of various shapes, which are in some kind of relationship to each other. To better understand figure to ground relationships, try thinking in shapes. Your subject is the main shape that needs to stand out in relation to other shapes. The best way to do that is to enhance the contrast between the subject and the background.

You can easily make the distinction between the subject and the background with black and white photographs

Blur it out

It is easier to recognize the line between figure and ground in high contrasting and black and white images. With color photography, the line isn’t always clear and there are other elements that divert attention. If you are unsure of what constitutes a strong figure to ground, try blurring out your photograph. You can to that by looking at it from a distance – that way your eyes will disregard the details and focus on the colored surfaces. If there is a clear distinction between the surface of the subject and the background, you’re on the right track!

There is another method to this concept which is simply putting your photograph through Photoshop and applying the blur filter.

Light and dark

There are a number of different contrast that can be applied in photography, which we’ve covered in our color theory series. But the most basic contrast that works together with the figure to the ground concept is the contrast between light and dark. Your subject and your background should be in this relationship – one should be light and one should be dark. That way the contrast between them is greater which constitutes a good figure to the ground relationship.

The clear light and dark contrast makes a good figure to ground relationship

All of the above are only tools and not definitive rules. There is more to photography than just following composition principles and theories. You should never forget about your own creativity. A good photograph is usually made up of more than just one simple principle – it is a compound of many different elements that reside in harmony.

By learning and practicing you will be able to employ more than one rule in an image

Think about everything you’ve learned thus far – from color theory to composition rules – all this information is somehow implanted in your subconscious. You don’t have to think about them all the time, on the contrary, it is better not to think about them so they don’t overwhelm you, which will make you miss opportunities. So if there is one rule I would always keep in mind, it’s to keep your eyes open and your camera ready. You will realize that you’ve t a photograph that has an impeccable figure to ground relationship and you weren’t even thinking about it!

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It used to be that I could pack up my camera and travel near or far and take original photographs. Even if I was shooting iconic scenes or structures, I could do it in a way that made the image mine. 

Now things have changed. Everywhere I go there are people taking pictures with cameras or phones. If I go to a well-known site, there will be 50 or 100 tripods set up in a row. Some of the results will make their way on to Instagram and some of the results will be very good. The one thing I can count on is that if I line up with them, I won’t get anything original anymore. 

I found myself getting a bit depressed over this. I wanted the shots I took to be unmistakably mine. I wanted them to convey what I saw and felt at the moment I clicked the shutter. It occurred to me that if that was my intent that first, I needed to identify what I was seeing – how I was seeing it – what I was feeling – and how could I convey that? 

Tall order. But it has led me down new paths of photography and has resulted in unique photographs – in fact, the most exciting photographs I have ever taken. 

It became all about perspective. Not in the usual terms of perspective – but in new terms which gave different results. Traditionally, perspective in photography is about camera level – is it eye level – ground level – up on a ladder – or? 

This perspective was more total in its content. It was about what was happening. What was the atmosphere – motion or still – my intent? Everything around my subject came into play. I found if I introduced camera motion with a long exposure, I would get interesting/exciting results. 

Another way to photograph in an urban area was to look at my subject from a reflection. That way I could add altered reality to what I was going to shoot. Framing my subject in a different context allowed me to see it in a whole new way. 

A simple street photo became very untraditional. 

Plain windows sharing advertising on a reflecting window across the street take on more interest. 

And sometimes, just the reflection itself becomes the subject on its own. 

Another interesting perspective is multiple exposure. Taking a good look at a single subject from a few different angles is one way to accomplish it. 

It’s also interesting to add camera motion to multiple exposures. An entirely different look and feel shows itself. It’s especially fun and challenging to build these kinds of shots in-camera and not rely on software. 

Unexpected results occur when you take some random photographs of a specific area and merge them into a single composite. Everything is related but in a unique way. 

An unexpected bonus came from this path. I found all kinds of interesting subjects that I had totally ignored in the past. I was busy looking for that perfect shot – you know – the beautiful, breathtaking image. Now I find breathtaking images all over the place. Common sights seen in unexpected ways net fascinating photography. 

Here I worked on capturing the Empire State Building into a meaningful image that differs from what I usually see. 

When I get one of those shots, it sends me out looking for more – and they are everywhere! 

Experimentation has given me new insights in how I might want to capture subjects. It has given me new paths to explore. In the exploration, I have discovered new ways to see things and my own personal horizons have expanded beyond what had become a bit too ordinary for me. 

The New York City skyline has been shot and shot and shot. I wanted to shoot it too. 

These new horizons have been exhilarating. Every time I think I can’t possibly come up with a new approach, I find myself seeing some of the same old things in unexpectedly new ways and I figure out how to capture them. 

What I have outlined above has been part of the journey I have been on with my photography in more recent years. For awhile I felt guilty when I went places and only took these non traditional photographs. But not anymore. I let all those people on Instagram do that. 

PS – you’ll find me and my posts on Instagram too. Please stop by for a visit. 

Please visit roxanneoverton.slickpic.site — where you will find more photography and information on my instructional and travel series photography books.

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If you stop and think about it, most of what is in our field of vision is out of focus. Our eyes are only able to focus on a very small area. Our true focus has no depth of field. I think that’s why many of us are fascinated by photographs without clarity – or how our eye finds clarity within blur.

I’ve actually trained my eye not to focus so it can explore scenes looking for what catches my eye. Only then do I focus in and see what I have found. Then comes the challenge of capturing it in all it’s blurry beauty.

A few years ago, I got an app for my iPhone that easily allowed me to capture those images in their magical and unfocused state. I could leave the phone shutter open one second or two and I could watch an image build and morph on the screen. I was transfixed. The phone became an obsession as I studied what was happening and learned what was possible.

The next step was to take that knowledge and transfer it to my digital camera. I had to figure out how to get the right settings and the correct motions to fix those moments in time onto my sensor. It was incredibly challenging because unlike the phone, where I could watch a photograph emerge, I had to work blind within my camera.

That turned out to be a bonus because through trial and error – lots of error – I made new discoveries and learned. My limited expectations began to expand and they continue to expand to this day.

This journey into capturing my peripheral vision is still a work in progress. I hope it always will be. But I’m far enough along now to share what I have discovered – what I have learned. Here are a couple of tips and hints.

When shooting blur, it is important to follow some kind of line that will maintain clarity. Our eye needs a place to rest and it doesn’t rest in a state of blur.

Subjects for blur can be anything we see – or don’t see clearly. The first step is to start paying attention to what catches your eye. We never find a subject to shoot in clarity that hasn’t entered our consciousness in a state of blur. In your next ‘aha’ moment, back up and think … what caused me to look at this? What caught my eye? Be mindful.

The next step is to identify if you want to try and capture that moment before clarity. If the answer is yes, then your journey has begun.

Blur photography happens with a longer shutter speed. My favorites are 1/10 – 1/13th for most subjects but I also have other subjects that do well with one or two seconds. I started with the shorter exposures and worked hard on camera control. I personally do not use a tripod – I sort of dance with my camera. Without a tripod, steady hands are important.

Here are two examples of camera settings. One short and one a bit longer. These are Lightroom screen shots.

The only important setting to note is shutter speed. The ISO and aperture are set only to serve proper exposure at whatever shutter speed you choose. Sometimes you can get by without any type of light reduction filter (ND Filters) but usually it is easier to use one. Your camera’s sensitivity and the ambient light will determine what your choices are.

Motion usually needs to be smooth and sure. This takes practice. So be grateful for digital and the trash can. You will use the trash a lot at the beginning.

Like anything worthwhile, it takes practice, practice and experience to be good. If you want exceptional blur results then it takes a lot of practice.

ICM is just one style of blur photography. There are more and each gives exciting and often dramatic results. It’s a new way to look and savor and capture the world around us.

Please visit roxanneoverton.slickpic.site — where you will find more photography and information on my instructional and travel series photography books.

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I know my equipment and use it often – not just my cameras, but lenses, filters, flashes, etc. When I buy something, I learn how to use it. My camera must be an extension of me so that my reactions can be instinctively right. There’s a lot to consider when shooting; learning how to use equipment can’t be on my mind. 

Before I leave, I sort through everything and decide what Iʼm going to take with me. Next, I start using it. I make time to go out and take photographs. I run through different scenarios that I might encounter and make sure that using my photography tools is second nature to me. I refresh my mind on how things work if I havenʼt been using them for a while. Good examples might be my flash attachment or specialized filters. 

Digital gives us many great gifts in photography but the ease of feedback has to be near the top. Live view and software programs give me the ability to analyze and make changes. Trying different settings and approaches broadens choices and helps capture distinctive views that tell my story. I study other people’s images, the ones that inspire me, and figure out how they move into things. I don’t try to copy what they do. I try and learn how they see things and it helps me expand my own vision. 

When I happen into a scene that I want to shoot, my mind runs through a series of questions, “What’s the story here? Who or what is the star? Are there leading lines, shapes or patterns I can use? Is there a ‘moment’ about to happen? Where do I need to be?” What is the light doing? I think before I shoot. I may never pass this way again. I certainly will never be back under the exact same circumstances so I want to make what I shoot really counts. 

Every photograph I take is the expression of my inner voice bursting to get out. Photography is visual language. When I want to say something with words, I formulate them to get my point across. When things are blurted without thought, often the point of what I want to say is lost. The same is true with visual language. If it is to succeed, thought must go into our photography procedure. 

There are many things to consider as we start this decision-making process. The camera flattens what the eye sees in our three-dimensional world and compresses it into two dimensions. Light is one of our most powerful tools to add back part what the camera takes away. Don’t ignore perspective. Most photographs are shot from eye level. When I gain a different perspective, I see the world change. 

Travel brings all kinds of restrictions. I think about what I have to work with, not what I wish I had. Embrace constraints – interesting photography happens because of them. I can battle the weather, the light or the wrong lens and go home empty-handed. Or I can embrace the limitations and work with them, finding an image I might never have suspected was there. 

I always look behind me. It’s surprising how often the best shots are at my back. Look around and be aware. Look around and see what’s coming. Then move into position. 

Good photographs elicit emotions. When I consider the lines, light, placement, framing and all the other choices I have, my images will more likely express not only what I saw, but also how I felt. Photographs speak to viewers because they tell a story. It’s important to choose the correct elements to make that story intentional and evocative. 

The choices of how to capture a subject are almost limitless. When traveling in Cambodia, I came across a lady carrying water from a lake. It was sunset. It didnʼt take much thought to frame and shoot the photograph below. 

Itʼs a lovely shot. But there were a lot of people with cameras and phones stopping to take the same photograph. Was there another choice to capture the magic of this moment – the swish of the water – a bit of her dance? For me, the answer was yes. 

The gifts of being a traveler with a camera are enormous. We see so much more than other travelers. We note details, light and people; we look deeply. Even without our photographs we bring home richer experiences. We don’t just pass through. We become part of the environment. 

A photograph is magic. We can capture a moment in time and subsequently savor it for as long as we want. When it’s done well, others are delighted that we share our work and let them journey with us. 

As we think about packing our gear, remember the most valuable tool in our tool box is ourselves. Keep your head, think before you click the shutter, bring home photographs you love; and happy shooting!

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Please visit roxanneoverton.slickpic.site — where you will find more photography and information on my instructional and travel series photography books.

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