Tag Archives: Video

The simple secrets behind good food photography

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Damon (Editor) | Leave a comment

Food for Her World Vietnam magazine.
Food styling by Dang Phuong
Photography by Mads
Food for Her World Vietnam magazine. Photography by Mads • on Flickr

We all love good looking food…

So what is it that makes great food photography? I love to cook and make tasty food. But great cooks also have a skill with presentation. It is the presentation which really makes great food shots too.

Food photography seems to be centred on three things – good looking food composition; great light and picking the right focus/centre of interest. Duh! Wait a minute, isn’t that pretty much photography summed up all over? OK, I jest. Good food photography does seem to require a particular approach.

Here are some of my observations on food shots. You should look to achieve…

Understanding and practice with small-sized and table-top compositions.
A working knowledge of lighting at the table-top scale.
Simple natural light from one source (window).
Able to use reflectors/black cards to shape the light.
Simple centre of interest in the shot.
Carefully chosen depth of field.

And with the food itself…

Natural and where possible bright colours.
The colour mix should work together.
Avoid odd clashes of colour.
The food combinations should be simple and few.
Focus on the main interest.
Use bokeh sparingly.
Avoid highlight bokeh spots where possible.
Try to emphasis the texture of the food.
Use simple but eye catching cutlery and plates.
Avoid cluttering the shot with too much food.

More after this…

Book recommendation:

Food Photography:
From Snapshots to Great Shots
Simple advice on lighting including great diagrams. The pictures include camera settings. Excellent advice on setting up a table-top studio which was also inexpensive to do. Lots of tricks and techniques like the pros use. Great presentation ideas.

Food Photography Tips – Video

In this video we look a range of ways to look at and shoot food. It is a great introduction to the basics and covers a wide range of important points.

AmyR

Related articles/links:
Start Photokonnexion email subscription now!
Photokonnexion Photographic Glossary – Definitions and articles.
Composition
Light and Lighting – Resource pages on Photokonnexion

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

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#

Can you write? Of course you can!

We would love to have your articles or tips posted on our site.
Find out more…
Write for Photokonnexion.

#2248#

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Composition, Light and Lighting, Photography, Shooting specific subjects, Things to try, Video included

Tagged Black card, Bokeh, Centre of interest, Composition, Compostion, Creativity, Cutlery, Depth of Field, exposure, Focus, Food, Food lighting, Food photography, How to Shoot, Light, light and lighting, Lighting, Lighting food, Natural light, Plates, Reflectors, Simple lighting, soft light, Table top composition, Table top studio, Video, Vocabulary

The simple secrets of dodge and burn – post processing

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Damon (Editor) | Leave a comment

• Dodge And Burn
Important techniques for affecting the light and dark in an image. (Video below).
lynda.com on YouTube

Dodge and burn – powerful light/shadow effects

Two of the oldest techniques in the photographic skill set are dodging and burning. In the old days of chemical baths and film developing they were the most effective way of changing the image out of camera. Simple stuff really. During the development of your film you allowed parts of the developing film to become overexposed. Other parts of the film you allowed to become underexposed. The effect on the final print was to increase the brightness in some areas of the film and darken others.

In modern post-processing we still use these techniques. Most post processing software packages have ways to create dodges (whitening or brighten) or burns (darkening or blacking). The aim of this? Well its simple really. If you have a picture and you want to do any of these things you need these techniques…

Increase/decrease the intensity of shadowy parts of the image
Increase/decrease the intensity of brighter parts of the image
Brighten the bright spots and darken the dark spots to increase contrast
Darken down intensely bright spots in the image to prevent distractions
Brighten the darker areas in the image to bring out detail
Pick out highlights

More after this…

Photokonnexion tips by email
Enjoying this article? Please sign up for our
daily email service.
Find out more…

#11030#

Dodge and burn

Although this tutorial is based in PhotoShop, most of the techniques shown in this video can be used in most editing software. If your software does not have the same tools as those found in PhotoShop check your help files for more information.

You may have to do some trial and error experiments to get these techniques working – after all, the practice will give you control of your software. Trying out these skills will give you the basic command of light and dark in the post processing context. Dodging and burning are really important techniques. Watch the video for how the techniques are used.

Photoshop dodge and burn

lynda.com on YouTube

Related articles/links:
Start Photokonnexion email subscription now!
Photokonnexion Photographic Glossary – Definitions and articles.
Light and Lighting – Resource pages on Photokonnexion
Post Processing Images – Resource page on Photokonnexion.com

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

#1854#

Can you write? Of course you can!

We would love to have your articles or tips posted on our site.
Find out more…
Write for Photokonnexion.

#2248#

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Composition, How to..., Light and Lighting, Post Processing, Things to try, Tips Tutorials & Techniques, Video included

Tagged Approach, Burn Dodge and burn, Dodge., exposure, Highlights, How it works, How to Shoot, Light and dark, light and lighting, Shadow, Video

Pure white featureless skys? How to tone them down…

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Damon (Editor) | Leave a comment

• 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…

MasterPhotoWorkshops

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)

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

#1854#

Can you write? Of course you can!

We would love to have your articles or tips posted on our site.
Find out more…
Write for Photokonnexion.

#2248#

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Camera control, Composition, Equipment, How to..., Information posting, Light and Lighting, Tips Tutorials & Techniques, Video included

Tagged Burnt out, Filters, Foreground, Graduated neutral density, How to Shoot, Landscape, Landscape tips, Long exposure, ND, ND grad, Neutral density, River, Shutter Speed, Tripod, Video, Vocabulary

The simplest light set up – a reflected light technique…

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Damon (Editor) | Leave a comment

Lighting Techniques

The simplest techniques are often the best.

It is true we need to take time to get the lighting right. Equally true, we need to think about the simple way to do it. Too often photographers want to set up complex lighting. Actually with some very simple techniques we can make the light as simple and full as the light of day. If it looks natural nearly anything will benefit from simple lighting.

A great way to light your portraits

The technique shown in the video below develops ideas in these posts from earlier in the week…
Simple portrait lighting for anyone to try (pt.1)
Simple portrait lighting for anyone to try (pt.2)

If you are working with a home set-up, or you have a sophisticated studio, this technique is equally as useful. It simply uses a very large reflector – a white wall. That’s something nearly everyone has access to somewhere nearby.

One Light & White Wall

AdoramaTV

Related articles/links:
Start Photokonnexion email subscription now!
Photokonnexion Photographic Glossary – Definitions and articles.
Light and Lighting – Resource pages on Photokonnexion
Simple portrait lighting for anyone to try (pt.1)
Simple portrait lighting for anyone to try (pt.2)

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

#1854#

Can you write? Of course you can!

We would love to have your articles or tips posted on our site.
Find out more…
Write for Photokonnexion.

#2248#

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Camera control, Composition, How to..., Light and Lighting, Video included

Tagged exposure, Infinity wall, Light, light and lighting, Lighting, Video, White lights, White wall

Simple portrait lighting for anyone to try (pt.2)

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Damon (Editor) | 2 Comments

Video from the “Slanted Lens”

Making a portrait is a process.

A great portrait says something about the subject. It will capture something of the essence of the person in the shot. Achieve that level of artistry and you will have arisen above the technical process. However, if you cannot do the basic photographic capture well, all the artistry in the world will not save your shot.

In Simple portrait lighting for anyone to try (pt.1) I looked at the background layout for the one light set up in portraiture and explained the components involved. Today we will see a video for the same set up so you can put into context my diagram from yesterday.

The Basics of a One Light Setup: A Lighting Tutorial

TheSlantedLens

Related articles/links:
Start Photokonnexion email subscription now!
Photokonnexion Photographic Glossary – Definitions and articles.
Light and Lighting – Resource pages on Photokonnexion
Simple portrait lighting for anyone to try (Pt.1)
Portraiture – Resource pages on Photokonnexion
Definition: Portraiture

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

#1854#

Can you write? Of course you can!

We would love to have your articles or tips posted on our site.
Find out more…
Write for Photokonnexion.

#2248#

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Camera control, Composition, Light and Lighting, Site notices, Things to try, Tips Tutorials & Techniques, Video included

Tagged Approach, Buying equipment, Camera, Composition, Creativity, Depth of Field, exposure, How to Shoot, Light, light and lighting, Lighting tutorial, Manual Control, People Shots, Portrait, Portraits, Portraiture, Portratiture, Shutter Speed, Simple lighting, Tripod, Video, Vocabulary

How to capture great texture in your photographs

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Damon (Editor) | Leave a comment

• Rippled Sand •
Beautiful soft light from bottom left creates lovely shadows after each ripple. Had the shot been taken with flash from above, the ripples would have been near invisible.
Rippled sand by Seldom Scene Photography, on Flickr

The capture of texture depends on the angle of light.

It is that simple. The lower you get your light to the side of your subject the more you will create shadows that stand out. Photographers have long recognised the benefit of long shadows for their definition in landscapes. Beside the great colours of sunset, the long shadows provide character and definition to the landscape.

The same idea can be applied to the much smaller scale. Still life, studio set-ups and, yes, even drying paint can all be enhanced by side-lighting. When working with smaller subjects, “get in tight and side-light” is great advice.

Vintage Store Photo Challenge

This is the best video I have seen on working with smaller objects and side lighting. Gavin Hoey explains with an off-camera flash how to bring out texture and detail in still life photos. This is a very simple lesson. After seeing it you will want to explore side lighting further.

After the video there are some more resources on the subject…

From: adoramaTV

Approaching side lighting

In the video Gavin Hoey used a diffused speedlight, off-camera flash. In the post “Off-camera flash” you can find out all about what they are and the functions they provide.

If you want to improve your off-camera flash working with some sort of diffuser is a great idea. I have worked with a range of off-camera flash diffusers over the years and often been disappointed. I am really enthusiastic about the Rogue Flashbender range of diffusers. I use the Large Rogue Flashbender and the diffuser to go with it for work and my own projects. It is an exceptionally flexible piece of kit and occupies only a tiny space in your kitbag since it rolls up very tightly. The whole Rogue Flashbender range are great products and worth checking out.

One of the great tools I keep within reach when doing table top photography is little LED light unit below. Designed for camping it has become a great light for my table top product work. It is small, adaptable and very cheap to run as it uses very little battery power.

Rolson 61770 72 LED Camping Light

I have two of these and place them on the table lying down or on end. The light itself is quite white so it will not give you colour casts. If the light is too harsh I just cover the LED panel with tracing paper or ordinary (white) toilet tissue. The tissue-light is gorgeous, soft and easy to use. These are excellent products and inexpensive to buy.

Of course you can use any light from the side if you are working with still life subjects. So which do you choose?

Working with people you will tend to need a stronger light than the LED lights. For portrait work a flash is required. To freeze a portrait for a sharp picture use a brighter light and short exposure. A side-lit portrait is 100% better than a pop-up flash shot where the light is straight on. For this, the off-camera flash is the way to go.

At the other end of the scale the low intensity light of the LED panels allows for long exposures when using static subjects. Use a longer shutter time if you want your subject to be lit more brightly. Of course to do that you will need a way of steadying your camera for long exposures. A tripod is probably best in this situation.

The way to go…

In the wilds, or doing table-top studies the best light comes in from a shallow angle as side-light. It is the shadows that define objects and bring out strong textures. Look for side-lighting where ever you can, and create it yourself if the natural light can’t do it for you.

Photokonnexion tips by email
If you enjoyed this article please sign up for our
daily email service.
Find out more…

#11030#

Related articles/links:
Photokonnexion Photographic Glossary – Definitions and articles.
Light and Lighting – Resource pages on Photokonnexion
Soft Light (Information and use)
Soft Light (Definition)
Hard Light (Information and use)
Hard Light (Definition)
Make soft light work for you
Six things to know about light
Three little known facts about shadows

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

#1854#

Can you write? Of course you can!

We would love to have your articles or tips posted on our site.
Find out more…
Write for Photokonnexion.

#2248#

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Background Info., Camera control, Composition, Equipment, How to..., Light and Lighting, Tips Tutorials & Techniques, Video included

Tagged Buying equipment, LED, LED lighting, light and lighting, Manual Control, Micro texture, Off Camera Flash, Off-camera, People Shots, Portraiture, Shadow, Shadow and texture, Shutter Speed, Side light, soft light, Soft shadow, Still Life, Texture, Tripod, Video

31 ways to use composition in your photography

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Damon (Editor) | Leave a comment

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.

Silber Studios

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…

Photokonnexion tips by email
If you enjoyed this article please sign up for our
daily email service.
Find out more…

#11030#

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

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

#1854#

Can you write? Of course you can!

We would love to have your articles or tips posted on our site.
Find out more…
Write for Photokonnexion.

#2248#

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Background Info., Composition, How to..., Information posting, Opinion, Shooting specific subjects, Starters School, Things to try, Tips Tutorials & Techniques, Video included

Tagged 31 day Challenge, Composition, Practice, Video

Tag Archives: Video

The simple secrets behind good food photography

We all love good looking food…

Food Photography Tips – Video

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

The simple secrets of dodge and burn – post processing

Dodge and burn – powerful light/shadow effects

Dodge and burn

Photoshop dodge and burn

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Pure white featureless skys? How to tone them down…

When your sky is too bright its a problem!

What are ND filters?

Video – Graduated ND filters for Landscape Photography

Recommended purchase

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

The simplest light set up – a reflected light technique…

The simplest techniques are often the best.

A great way to light your portraits

One Light & White Wall

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Simple portrait lighting for anyone to try (pt.2)

Making a portrait is a process.

The Basics of a One Light Setup: A Lighting Tutorial

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

How to capture great texture in your photographs

The capture of texture depends on the angle of light.

Vintage Store Photo Challenge

Approaching side lighting

The way to go…

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

31 ways to use composition in your photography

A successful image is based on a successful composition.

Tips for Composition by Joe McNally

Putting it into practice

The Photokonnexion 31 Day Photography Challenge

By Damon Guy (author and editor)

Recent Posts

Categories

Previous posts

Top Posts & Pages

Search

Twitter

Subscribe by email

Subscribe by feed