Category Archives: Information posting

The art in photography has old roots

Posted on April 24, 2013 by | 1 Comment
Today photography appears more realistic.

Perhaps that is more true than at any time in the history of photography. Yet, today the expression of the artistic element in photography is as alive as the art in say, the history of painting. What is not so clear is just what we mean by “art” in photography.

Much of the modern wave of photography is about snapping the ‘picture’; just capturing what you see and moving on. However, the committed, artistic photographer, sees more in the frame than just the picture. The images we capture show form, shape, expression, balance – lots of intangible things that are not necessarily about just getting the picture and moving on.

Early in the history of photography this very same debate raged. Some saw photography as being “realistic” and therefore not containing artistic elements. Anxious to establish photography as an art form in its own right the Pictorialists worked with the raw elements of the photographic medium, particularly lenses and negatives. They manipulated them to make the picture resemble the hand-made craftiness of paintings and drawings. It was as if taking away the “realistic” look of the final picture and converting it to a facsimile of a hand-drawn picture or a painting turned the picture into an art form.

Perhaps this manipulation did make an art form out of some pictures. However, the basic point was missed by the Pictorialists. The underlying picture still needed an artful arrangement to carry off the translation into a ‘crafty’ final image.

This short video shows the arrival of an alternative school of photographers. The school of “Straight Photography” acknowledged the power of the camera to represent the world with a realism other art forms did not have. At the same time, Straight Photography revealed that through capturing reality you can see through the artists eyes. They went to great pains to retain the element of reality, clarity and sharpness in the pictures. Much of their work would today be recognised as abstract. Their emphasis was on shape, form and expression rather than the every-day and mundane view of the world we see with almost every blink of the eye. They went to great lengths to see things the ordinary picture did not show. They emphasised beauty in simplicity; shape and form in the abstract and a new way of seeing detail through careful framing of everyday objects. They created images that showed the ordinary reality to have an extraordinary interpretation.

Pictorialist and Straight Photography


Debbi Richard

Related articles/links:
Start Photokonnexion email subscription now!
Photokonnexion Photographic Glossary – Definitions and articles.
Composition
Definition: Abstract Photography
Abstract Photography
Seven examples of abstract photography


By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is managing editor of Photokonnexion.com with professional experience in photography, writing, image libraries, and computing. He is also an experienced, webmaster and a trained teacher. Damon runs regular training for digital photographers who are just starting out.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’
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Posted in Composition, History, Information posting, Insights, Photography, Tips Tutorials & Techniques

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Ten simple ideas to help your portraiture improve

Posted on April 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment
Video

Video

Straight forward portraiture advice is difficult to come by…

In the video we have some great ideas that help you to map out a great Portraiture session. This is straight advice aimed at getting you to a good quality completed portrait as directly as possible.

I have to add that the book advertised in the video is also a great book. It is packed with some excellent ideas and written in a simple and easy-to-read way. If you are interested in following up on the book I can highly recommend it. My copy is pretty dog-eared these days!

 

Portrait and Candid Photography: Photo Workshop This is a great book packed with lots of hints, tips and ideas like the ones below. A really worthwhile read.

 

Ten points at the core of good portraiture

In the video Erin Manning highlights the importance of the following ten points…

  1. Don’t fix your subject in the middle of the frame. Instead, think about the rule of thirds – a more dynamic outcome.
  2. Poses and “cheesy” words to force a smile are false and make the photo look strained.
  3. Make your clothes simple and un-distracting. Forget patterns and fussy details. Simple solid colours help the subject to stand out, not the clothes.
  4. Avoid straight on shots with a big flash. The open pupil in the eye will cause light to reflect back to the camera and show bright red eyes… You don’t want your subject to look like red-eyed monsters. Use red-eye reduction settings if your camera has them.
  5. Vary your poses, angles and heights. The more angles you get the more you are telling a story about your subject. Get them in many different ways.
  6. Use flash to help reduce harsh shadows. The sharp sunlight of the middle of the day is very unflattering. The use of fill-in flash softens the shadows bringing out the subjects character.
  7. Look for great quality of light. Remember that hard light (harsh edges and strong contrasts) is very unflattering. Shoot in the later afternoon or early morning to get soft light with better colours. Use shade to reduce hard light if you are forced to work in bright mid-day light.
  8. Don’t stand too close and use a wide angle lens. This exaggerates the nose. Stand away and zoom in. This reduces nose size and is much more flattering. (Great advice).
  9. Pay attention to the background. If it is too busy make sure there is nothing distracting. Check to make sure the background has not created odd effects like poles sticking out of heads and flowers in ears!
  10. Make sure you have enough battery capacity and memory card space to cover the whole session. You don’t want to lose any shots when you are in full swing.
Erin Manning’s Top 10 Dos and Don’ts for Great Portraits


Erin Manning

Related articles/links:
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Photokonnexion Photographic Glossary – Definitions and articles.
Portraiture – Resources on Photokonnexion.com
Portraiture
rule of thirds
red eye
fill-in flash
hard light
soft light


By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is managing editor of Photokonnexion.com with professional experience in photography, writing, image libraries, and computing. He is also an experienced, webmaster and a trained teacher. Damon runs regular training for digital photographers who are just starting out.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’
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Easter competition… two days to go – still time to win Prizes!

Posted on April 12, 2013 by | Leave a comment
• Competition pictures •

• Competition pictures •
Spot the difference between the two pictures…

Spot the difference competion…

Over Easter we ran a simple spot-the-difference competition for prizes. Compare the pictures (full versions on the competition page). Pick out fifteen differences (from a total of twenty). You could be a winner!

Want to know more?

Just click here and have a look at the pictures… simple!

 

 

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Just click here and have a look at the competition pictures… simple!

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Pure white featureless skys? How to tone them down…

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment
• Cokin neutral density filters (graduated) •

• Cokin neutral density filters (graduated) •
A quality set of filters that can be adapted to fit any lens size.
Buy: Cokin H250A ND Grad Kit

When your sky is too bright its a problem!

You lose all or most of the detail and your foreground is starkly highlighted by the blown out sky. The way to overcome blow out like this is to use various techniques with neutral density filters. All landscapers come across this problem at some time. The best way to overcome the issue is to tackle it head on in-camera. The best way to do that is to use “graduated neutral density (ND) filters”.

What are ND filters?

Neutral density filters are glass filters that you reduce the incoming light. They do this without affecting the colours in your shot. For blown out skies you want to reduce only the incoming sky light and allow the foreground to expose properly. The Graduated ND filter will allow you to achieve that.

In the picture above you can see the top half of each filter is dark. The bottom half is uncoloured glass. The trick is to place the filter in front of your lens. Place it in such a way that the line separating the dark and light lies on the horizon between the ground (proper exposure) and the bright sky which will be toned down by the filter.

If the sky is blown out in your picture the light is brighter than the camera can cope with. Normally that will be two stops of light or more above your exposure of the ground. The ND grads. normally come in three strengths. ND2 (two stops), ND4 (four stops) and ND8 (eight stops). Each stop of filtration is equal to half of the total light. An ND2 reduces the light by a quarter. An ND8 will cut down the incoming light to 1/16th of the light.

Video – Graduated ND filters for Landscape Photography

In this short video Tony Sweet demonstrates how he balances the dynamic range of a landscape composition using a graduated ND grad. filter working in a wooded valley. He wants to brighten the foreground with a long exposure. This would lead to the distant trees being too bright and would show burnt out spots. He uses a great technique to make the right light conditions…

Recommended purchase

I have been using Cokin filters for years. They are high quality filters that fit into a filter mount screwed onto the front of your lens. I prefer this type of fitting. It is simple to change filters and you can adapt graduated filters to the position you want quite easily. Round filters are far less adaptable and tend to be much more expensive.

If you want to buy an ND grad set of filters here is the kit I recommend…
Cokin H250A ND Grad Kit

You will also need to buy an adaptor for your lens to fit the filter mount. You can buy them singly…
Cokin filter mounts and lens adaptors

You can also buy a complete adaptor kit so you can adapt your filters to fit any one of your lenses…

49 52 55 58 62 67 72 77 82mm 9x Adapter Ring Set+ Filter Holder For Cokin P DC21

 

 
If you feel like going the the whole way you can buy a kit that will cater for all your filter needs (including mount and adaptors) try this great kit…

 
24pcs Square Full + Graduated Filter Set + 9 Size Adapter Ring for Cokin P LF78

 

Related articles/links:
Start Photokonnexion email subscription now!
Photokonnexion Photographic Glossary – Definitions and articles.
Photographic composition
Definition: Neutral Density Filters; Graduated Neutral Density Filters
General articles on filters on the Light and Lighting resource pages.


By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is managing editor of Photokonnexion.com with professional experience in photography, writing, image libraries, and computing. He is also an experienced, webmaster and a trained teacher. Damon runs regular training for digital photographers who are just starting out.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’
By Damon Guy :: Profile on Google+
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Spot the differences between these two pictures. Prize competition…

Posted on March 31, 2013 by | 3 Comments
A fun competition for Easter Week

For a change here is a competition. The two pictures below are different to each other. There are a total of twenty differences. Eighteen differences between the pictures. But there is also an Easter egg hidden in each picture too. You can have a go just for fun. Find just fifteen differences and enter our competition.

Click the images to see them full size.

Workshop A
• Workshop A •

• Workshop A •
Spot the difference (Best viewed large)
Two Easter eggs and 18 differences between the pictures.
Click image to view large
• Workshop A • By Netkonnexion on Flickr External link - opens new tab/page

Workshop B
• Workshop B •

• Workshop B •
Spot the difference. (Best viewed large)
Click image to view large
• Workshop B • By Netkonnexion on Flickr External link - opens new tab/page

Prizes

If you can find just fifteen (15) differences including the two Easter eggs between the pictures and follow the other rules you can be a winner…
There will be one winning prize of a £30 Amazon voucher (or equivalent currency value) for a winner drawn at random from the entries.
There will be two runner-up prizes of one £10 Amazon voucher (or equivalent currency value) for each runner-up drawn at random from the entries.

To qualify for a prize (Updated!)

You must comply fully with the rules at the bottom of this page and…

  1. Be a validated email subscriber to Photokonnexion.com (free).
    You will receive an email announcing each new post on the site.
    Sign up now… Subscribe to Photokonnexion by Email or find out more.
  2. Find fifteen (15) correct differences between the two pictures below listed in your entry email including the two Easter eggs.
  3. Write in less than 50 words why you like the Photokonnexion website.
  4. Only submit one entry per email address (each to have a different 50 word statement)
  5. Put “Easter Competition” in the subject line of your entry email
  6. Send your entries via our secure email page: Contact Us
  7. Comply with the additional rules below the pictures.

[Comments and questions will be answered only to clarify the rules for the competition. Contact Us.]

Competition dates

The competition is currently open for entries.
The competition will close on Midnight Sunday 14th April 2013.
Winners will be announced within one week of closure of the competition.

Rules (*Updated*)

The full detailed rules are available here…
Easter competition rules (detailed) – opens in new tab/page

Rules Updated!
Entry requirements only require 15 differences (including the two Easter eggs) to be submitted with each entry.

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By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is managing editor of Photokonnexion.com with professional experience in photography, writing, image libraries, and computing. He is also an experienced, webmaster and a trained teacher. Damon runs regular training for digital photographers who are just starting out.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’
By Damon Guy :: Profile on Google+
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This one peculiar idea can transform your photography

Posted on March 28, 2013 by | Leave a comment
Look at a large number of photographs every day

Everything you see in a photograph is a composition. Looking at lots of photos every day, particularly good ones, helps you appreciate what makes good images.

The best way to improve is to involve yourself.

Every day, expose yourself to great images. The mind soaks up the goodness. But to make it effective you should also be seeing into the image. It is surprising, but the the good things about a photograph are seen with the first glances.

What is in an image?

When we look at an image it is often difficult to see what is good about it. Obviously our personal taste plays a part. Often however, other people who do not share our taste, also like it. The common appeal comes from the compositional elements in an image. Often these elements are very simple structural lines or edges that help the eye through the image or which lead the eye to the key subject of the image. Composition is all about helping the eye to appreciate the main point of the image.

How do we pick out the compositional elements that catch our eye in a picture?

Understanding the simple principles of composition is important. The “Rule of Thirds” and other simple rules help you to analyse a scene and understand the ways the eye uses the elements in the scene. You can find out more about composition from our page: “Composition resources on Photokonnexion”. There are many articles there to give you insights into composition.

To isolate important compositional elements in an image we have to pick out the simple structures that catch the eye. This is what you do…

  1. Take a small piece of paper – post card sized is ideal.
  2. You are going to draw on the small piece of paper…
  3. Pick out a picture – any picture.
  4. Study the picture for five seconds.
  5. Put the picture out of sight.
  6. Using simple curved and straight lines make a skeleton sketch of the picture from memory taking no more than twenty seconds.

That’s it. You have simply isolated the elements of the compositional structure.

Here is an example. Click the next link and follow the short procedure above to create the skeleton sketch.
Test Picture

Here is a good example of what you should see when you have finished your sketch: Test Picture Compositional Skeleton. It was done by my wife who is not a photographer or artist. Despite that she has successfully isolated the major compositional structures in the picture. It shows how effectively this exercise can work

More after this…

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Analysis

The test image is of Honiston Pass in the English Lake District. It’s successful because all the lines lead the viewer to one point. The exit in the hills in the distance is dynamically off-centre. That keeps you searching for symmetry. You feel like you know where the road is going, drawing the eye into the picture. Your eye does not exit upward – the clouds hold the eye into the valley. You are drawn along the road into the image, giving it depth. The picture has a 3d structure and a strong mood.

The strong lines and balance of this picture make it simple to pick out compositional elements. With practice this procedure will help you analyse more complex examples. With a few dozen drawn examples you will be able to pick out compositional elements without drawing them. If you do this sort of analysis in your head you are on the way to doing compositional analysis through the camera viewfinder.

As you learn new compositional ideas you will pick out more compositional elements. Use them as tools of compositional analysis to help you understand and compose in the frame while taking a shot. Soon you will compose to draw the viewer into the picture.

Rules don’t make things beautiful…

Rules of composition are limited in many ways. They are more guidelines than rules really. So do not fear to break them. Instead, know the things that work well for the eye. Develop harmony and balance, learn to appreciate beauty. Looking at many great images every day and knowing a little about why they are attractive and work for the eye will ultimately help you to create more beautiful and effective images of your own.

Related articles/links:
Start Photokonnexion email subscription now!
Photokonnexion Photographic Glossary – Definitions and articles.
Composition resources on Photokonnexion
Rule of thirds


By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is managing editor of Photokonnexion.com with professional experience in photography, writing, image libraries, and computing. He is also an experienced, webmaster and a trained teacher. Damon runs regular training for digital photographers who are just starting out.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’
By Damon Guy :: Profile on Google+
#1854#


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31 ways to use composition in your photography

Posted on March 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment
A peregrine falcon swooping - an image using the power of the Rule of Thirds.

A peregrine falcon swooping - an image using the power of the Rule of Thirds. Try to place the eye on one of the intersections. This helps to balance the shot.
Click to see large.

A successful image is based on a successful composition.

When we take a photograph what we like guides our capture. Composing our photograph helps us to bring out the best of the subject. Getting the composition right is the way we grab the viewers attention. So it’s worthwhile understanding what composition is all about.

On the “composition resources page” we have a whole range of links dedicated to composition (also look under “Subject/Articles” in the menu above). Each of the articles cover ideas to help you compose great photographs. However, I am sometimes asked “what is composition?”. The simple answer is composition is the arrangement of the elements of the picture through conscious planning or framing of the shot.

Tips for Composition by Joe McNally

The video below gets the view of Joe McNally, an acclaimed photographer with over 30 years experience. In the interview he tells us some of his ideas about composition. He has ideas that are spot on.

Putting it into practice

Of course understanding what ‘composition’ means is not the same as actually being able to do it. To help you out I have designed a 31 day programme. Each day one subject is provided for you to photograph. Each of these subjects is intended to be used to draw out a compositional situation. There is no right or wrong way to do it. But, it should be easy for you to use the subject to draw out good composition.

The Photokonnexion 31 Day Photography Challenge

Day 1. Deep red
Day 2. An item of clothing
Day 3. Something with special meaning
Day 4. Night lights
Day 5. Pet eyes
Day 6. Love is…
Day 7. Candles
Day 8. Circles
Day 9. Many people
Day 10. Tree
Day 11. Light at dawn
Day 12. Silhouette
Day 13. Black and white
Day 14. Power
Day 15. High-tech
Day 16. Long shadows
Day 17. Strong blue
Day 18. Roads
Day 19. Your favourite room
Day 20. A good thing
Day 21. A bad thing
Day 22. Humour
Day 23. Jewellery
Day 24. Self portrait
Day 25. Fame
Day 26. Bird
Day 27. Change
Day 28. Distance
Day 29. Wooden
Day 30. Your love
Day 31. Open space

If you have an online place where you have published these daily photographs we would love to see your results. Leave a link in the comments below. If we get lots of links we will find a way of publishing some. Good luck and have fun…

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Related articles/links:
Photokonnexion Photographic Glossary – Definitions and articles.
Composition resources on Photokonnexion
Composition resources on Photokonnexion


By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is managing editor of Photokonnexion.com with professional experience in photography, writing, image libraries, and computing. He is also an experienced, webmaster and a trained teacher. Damon runs regular training for digital photographers who are just starting out.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’
By Damon Guy :: Profile on Google+
#1854#


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