Tag Archives: equipment

Seven deadly photography sins

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Damon (Editor) | 10 comments

Seven deadly sins of photography – it will catch up with you!

Some things you should be careful about…

Photography is full of pitfalls! You will come across them. Keep your eyes wide open. In the meantime here are some of the obvious sins that create problems for all the unwary…

Lust

Drooling over the latest release of some mega-technological update of the latest camera, lens, equipment… Then actually buying it because you think it will make you a photographer! Every photographer has suffered from equipment lust. Not one photographer, ever, has become a great photographer because they have suddenly purchased the latest and most expensive equipment. All that will happen if you succumb is that you will be the same photographer with less money in your pocket. Concentrate on getting better with what you already own. When your excellence surpasses the ability of the camera to show it, then consider moving to something new.

Pride

Carrying your equipment as a badge… If you buy equipment because it looks good, or shows off your purchasing prowess you are misguided. Successful photographers carry equipment because they need it for the shoot. Your pictures will be much better if you buy equipment only because it is necessary. Then use it until it falls apart. Your photography will improve, your pocket will thank you.

Sloth

Not using the equipment you have… If you have the equipment you are not a photographer unless you use it. If you stay in bed and don’t take photographs your photography will stagnate. Get up early, stay up late, travel to distant locations, take thousands of pictures and make lots of friends who also shoot pictures. The only way to enjoy photography is to get out there and do it. Then your photography will improve.

Envy

Being jealous of someone else’s equipment, photographs, ability, lights, job, whatever.. This is a shameful waste of your own time and ability. There is no better camera in the world than the one you own. Your own ability and skill will increase if you spend the time focussing on your photography. Share with others what you enjoy, and enjoy what you have. That way your photography will benefit directly from attention to your own improvement.

Gluttony

Buying more and more equipment, because its on sale, because its new, because it’s, well, photography equipment… Just because it is photography equipment does not make it good. Just because it is cheap does not make it worthwhile. Just because it is on sale does not mean you have to buy it. Good equipment should be well made, well designed and last a long time. Research your needs very well. Question your motives for every purchase. See if you can borrow something to try it first. Buy only what you need every day for your photography. Anything else you can probably do without.

Wrath

Hating on others because… The “Other” camera manufacturers products are not to your taste. If someone has something that is not your thing, or they shout about how good it is, then there is only one response. Celebrate the fact they are photographers. Express joy for their ownership. Rejoice with them over their successes. Getting angry about things you have no control over will do nothing for your photography. It will certainly do nothing to help you make friends. Concentrate on working with your own equipment, your own ability and take joy in your successes too. Then your focus will be on improving your photography. Stay with that.

Greed

Wanting it all now… No amount of wanting will give you what you want now. Money may buy the equipment, if you have the money. If you don’t then save up for it. There is very little money in photography. So make sure you fund the purchases you make with readily available cash. Debt will do nothing for your photography. It will reduce your ability to get to locations and take photographs. Instead, work consistently for well formulated goals. Set up a savings fund to ensure you get what you really need. Concentrate on what you need to do to improve and focus on working with what you have got. If you work and plan for your improvement what you want will come in time and with step by step positive action.

Being a better photographer…

Is really about being a better person. Great photographers have great insights. Those only come with introspection, self-improvement and concentrated, goal directed work. Oh, and you should enjoy yourself too!

By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photog and editor of this site. He has run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photographers.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’.

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10 Comments

Posted in Equipment, Insights, Opinion, Projects

Tagged equipment, Improvement, Project, Understanding

How to decide what to take on a photo-walk

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Damon (Editor) | 4 comments

• Evening Walk By The Lock •
Click image to view large
• Evening Walk By The Lock • By Netkonnexion on Flickr

A trip out is a key part of your photography.

The photo-walk is a common photographic activity. Many amateurs take the photo-walk as the main way to enjoy their hobby. So how do you decide what to take with you each time?

The purpose?

The main problem with photography equipment is the weight. If you pack everything you will probably not use most of it and you will break your back carrying it around. The art of photography is not about equipment. It is about what you make of your shot.

Every shoot is a way to achieve something. Of course you may be going on a stroll for the fun of it – no photographic aim. Nothing wrong with that. But if you want to choose some equipment to take with you it helps to have a purpose. Then you can choose suitable equipment for the purpose.

So, if your photo-walk does not have a specific aim then create one. If you are, for example, going for a walk with the family, then decide what you think will be fun. Take a camera body and a wide angle lens perhaps? Make the aim to capture people in wide scope. Or, maybe, fix your zoom with a piece of tape so you cannot change the focal length. Then you can walk around to get the shot rather than zooming.

There are many things you can do to set yourself a task. The idea is to create one thing you can concentrate on photographically during your walk. Work with the equipment you have taken even though you may encounter lots of different things to photograph. Your decision to work with pre-defined and specific equipment will present you with new creative photographic challenges. Set a purpose and develop your photographic skills.

Purpose determines direction

When you have a specific aim in mind for a photo-shoot the situation is already specific. You have a purpose to choose your equipment around. The best way to move forward is to plan what you want to do at the shoot location. Your choice of equipment should be closely aligned to what you expect to achieve.

I find advance planning makes the difference. Even if you have not been to the location you should be able to find out about it. Do a Google search and check out the situation. Also do a Google image search for the location so you can get ideas from shots other people have taken. The idea is to narrow down what you want to get from the location. If you think you need one specific type of lens then take only that. For flexibility I try to take a maximum of two lenses to a shoot. One to tackle the main shoot. One to expand my options if that is possible.

Lenses are the core of your equipment and tend to be weighty. Limit them to keep the weight down. Flash units, light modifiers, batteries, memory cards, cloths, light meters… there may be other equipment you want to take. If your planning is good you can cut that list. The type of shots you want to take will determine your lenses. The weather and time of day will help you figure out most of the other things you need. It is all about understanding what you are going to encounter. Then, be ruthless. Pack the equipment you need to meet your plan and nothing else.

The point is…

…have a purpose. Make sure every time you go out to do some photography you have a purpose in mind and plan to achieve it. That way you will be able to plan to get the most out of the situation.

Related articles/links:
Photokonnexion Photographic Glossary – Definitions and articles.
Don’t get lucky, get great photographs
Shoot Less – Keep More
Preparing for a Night Shoot

By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

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4 Comments

Posted in Background Info., Equipment, How to..., Things to try, Tips Tutorials & Techniques

Tagged Choosing equipment, equipment, Photo-walk, Planning, Preparation

Thread Size for Photography Equipment

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Damon (Editor) | 2 comments

Photography thread size :: Standard tripod and camera thread sizes

• Photography thread size •
Standard tripod thread sizes and camera thread sizes… these are standard throughout the world.
On the left 3/8 inch 16 UNC thread on a Manfrotto camera mount. On the right a 1/4 inch 20 UNC thread for a removable tripod top. The 1/4 – 20 UNC thread (right) is the standard on most consumer cameras.

Interested in Photography Equipment?

You need to know something before you start buying your kit. You need to know the size of that screw thread into the bottom of your camera. It is used on your tripod and a range of other photographic mountings. To fit things to photo-equipment you will need to know the photography thread size(s). Well here are the details you want…

Universal Photography Thread Size Table
Diameter inch	Diameter mm	Thread size
1/4	6.3500	20
3/8	7.9375	16

These are set out under the ‘Unified Thread Standard’ (UTS). It’s published by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The camera thread is a UNC specification for a ‘coarse’ thread. The Standard ISO 1222:2010 Photography – Tripod connections allows for the same fit in metric size.

Most cameras are fitted with a hole to take a photography thread size of 1/4in – 20 UNC thread. This means…

A quarter inch width (1/4 inch)
By 20 threads per inch UNC thread

Larger/heavier fittings, pro-cameras and heavy lens mountings may take the larger photography thread size…

A three-eighth inch width (3/8in)
By 16 threads per inch UNC thread.

Manufacturer awareness – consumer awareness

Quality manufacturers are aware of this compatibility of threads. For example, buying a tripod head and tripod from the same manufacturer usually means compatible thread and mounting standards.

Beware of the equipment range trap. Some “pro-range” equipment may have a photography thread size that differs from the standard “consumer range” photography thread size. That difference is despite being made by the same manufacturer. If you are picking and choosing equipment from different equipment ranges or from different manufactures, check photography thread size compatibility first.

If you do buy differing photography thread sizes on equipment there is probably a converter available. However, it is better to have a direct fit than fiddle around with converters on your expensive equipment.

Converters are available from photo-retailers…

Photography thread size :: Thread adapters

• Photographic Thread Adapters •

Most cameras, tripods and other photo-equipment have mounting screws or threaded holes. If these do not match you have a problem.

Actually, matching a tripod and camera thread is easy. These threads are standard sizes. A variety of adapters are widely available and cheap.

Click the link below to see a some adapters.
Photographic thread adapters

Tripods

Some tripod manufacturers fit the larger sized 3/8in – 16 UNC to their tripods. When buying a tripod make sure you buy it with one of the standard fitting threads given in the table above. Alternatively, make sure you are able to use a converter if needed.

Very old tripods may not have used the same photography thread sizes I gave above. In most cases a digital camera will mount on a legacy tripod. Just check it with a fitting test. But do not force the thread if it is tight. For modern tripods the threads size for the tripod head and the camera fitting is the modern standard.

Tripod heads

Tripod Heads fit onto the same standard photography thread sizes used on the tripod. So buying a tripod head from a modern photography manufacturer ensures a proper fit to a standard tripod screw (one of the two sizes given above). But, make sure you buy the compatible thread size. Obviously, if the tripod mount has the large size thread (3/8 inch), a tripod head with a small sized hole (1/4 inch) will not mount in a stable way on it as you will have to use an inverting converter.

Lighting equipment and stands

A wider range of fittings are found on light stands and light fittings, flash units and special mountings. They tend to meet the same standards of thread sizes on modern equipment. That allows the easy inter-change of photographic kit. Again, modern manufacturers are aware of the standards. So buying lighting equipment from reputable suppliers and manufacturers will usually ensure compatible thread sizes as I give them above.

A lesson learned…

I bought a light stand that looked like a good deal from a Hong Kong supplier. It did not have a compatible screw on the top for anything except the supplied fitting. This meant that the stand is of very limited use and will not fit with any of my other stands or lighting equipment. The moral is, beware of “knock-offs” and cheap imitations. Stick with reputable manufacturers. That message is true of most photography equipment.

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Related articles/links:
Photokonnexion Photographic Glossary – Definitions and articles.
Definition: Tripod
Buy a good tripod – nothing beats it
Definition: Tripod Head

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photographer and editor of this site. He has run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photogs.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’.
By Damon Guy see his profile on Google+.

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2 Comments

Posted in Background Info., DIY Projects, Equipment, Insights, Tips Tutorials & Techniques

Tagged Buying equipment, Camera, DIY, equipment, Photography thread size, Tripod

What is the ‘Bulb’ Setting?

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Damon (Editor) | 1 comment

'Bulb' is often set from the modes dial. Once it is set you can take long exposures.

'Bulb' ('B') is often set from the modes dial. Once it is set you can take long exposures.

Very long exposures are fun and provide opportunities to see things that you would not normally see. Movement, light trails and exciting activities are but a few of the captures that become possible. The ‘Bulb’ setting provides the key…

Definition: Bulb Mode; Bulb Setting

Bulb Mode; bulb Setting

The ‘B’ setting on the camera ‘modes’ dial stands for ‘Bulb’. On some old film cameras the ‘B’ setting is sometimes known as ‘T’ for time. The bulb mode setting is a shutter speed setting. Digital cameras normally have maximum shutter speed settings up to 30 seconds. For exposures longer than 30 secs you will need to use ‘bulb mode’.

Bulb mode is only found on an adjustable camera. It is a full manual setting. In some very old film cameras the shutter was opened by squeezing an air bulb. Air actuated the shutter while the bulb was squeezed. On releasing it the shutter closed. The name has stuck. In post-war SLRs ‘bulb mode’ was activated by holding down the shutter button until the exposure was complete. On release of the button the shutter closed. The exposure was then complete.

Activating ‘bulb mode’

‘B’ or bulb mode on a DSLR is activated by one of three methods. These depend on the make and model of the camera…

Press and release the shutter release button. To complete the exposure the button is pressed again. Then the shutter closes. Most cameras using this method have an auto-closer to time-out the shutter after a default time. So if the shutter button is not pressed again it will close the shutter automatically after, say, 30 minutes.
Press and hold the shutter release button for the duration of the exposure. On release of the button the shutter closes. Pressing the shutter button by hand for long exposures will move the camera. Use a tripod.
Most cameras can also have the bulb mode activated by electronic remote control. These generally allow for the “press, exposure, press-again” method of shutter control. Remote control minimises movement as you are not touching the camera. When using remote controls Follow the instructions in the manual.

Very long exposures using the bulb mode setting allow a range of photograph types that are not normally available on other settings. For example…
Fireworks, light trails, star trails, moving vehicles at night, lighted streets and buildings at night.

Bulb mode is found on most DSLRs, but may not be found on bridge cameras or point and shoot cameras and some other older, cheap popular cameras.

Related articles/links:
Photographic Glossary – Definitions, articles and resources…
Tripod
adjustable camera
The Camera Shutter
Exposure

Comments, additions, amendments or ideas on this article? Contact Us

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Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photographer and editor of this site. He has also run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photogs.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’.
By Damon Guy see his profile on Google+.

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Posted in Background Info., Starters School, Tips Tutorials & Techniques

Tagged equipment, exposure, Manual Control, Vocabulary

Out on a Night Shoot – Night Composition

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Damon (Editor) | 3 comments

A new angle on the London Eye. Be careful with long exposures, the urban environment can create strong colour casts. Click to view large.

Thinking Ahead

Planning your night shoots are essential. Working in the dark can be dangerous and is more difficult. Make sure you plan ahead – read this first: Planning and Preparing for a Night Shoot

Night Composition

Night-time and low light composition is similar to daytime – the rules of composition don’t change. However, expect to account for the following:

Highlights and shadows have different impacts at night compared to daytime. Practice in the garden at home before your shoot. Then you will be able to see the different quality of light that creates shadows and how much more powerful highlights can be.
Low light and night leads to longer exposures. Be aware of any bright lights you will have in your field of view. You may need to think about the direction or angle of the shot to compensate.
Be aware of very strong colour casts, especially in urban areas. Neon lights can make some strong orange or green effects. Be prepared with a knowledge of how to compensate using white balance settings.
Cloud levels can affect light levels, especially in urban areas. Clouds reflect light back down – you can lose the blackness of sky in heavy cloud cover. Wilderness shots can be ruined by nearby light sources like cities. Plan for this by pre-visits. Colour casts may be intensified by cloud cover.
Night reflections are brighter than day reflections – be aware of the difference with your settings. Night reflections will still need a longer exposure, but you may need to experiment with the settings or take a range of shots to get it right. It is easy to over-expose a night shot with bright reflections.
Consider the shot angle relative to bright lights. They may produce great flare – fun to shoot and it looks good (see the bright multipoint street light in the photo above). It can also mean colour banding and bright reflection spots inside the lens. This leaves orbs of light all over your shot. Consider excluding very bright lights, especially if they are coming in from the side. A lens hood is always worthwhile at night.
If you are doing light painting or catching light trails from something moving, watch the background. Some light trails are ruined by the colour or brightness of say, a shop front. Compose for different angles or heights to avoid it.
The light/dark contrasts are much stronger at night. So you might consider black and white instead of colour – especially when there are strong neon colour casts.
Preparing your shot is important. Advanced practice helps, but often the actual settings are done on the spot. Do lots of shots. Try different settings and lengths of exposure. You will certainly mess up some shots – we all do. The more you experiment (especially in your first few night shoots) the better you will get at estimating what works.
Be logical in your experiments. Start using the light meter in your camera to get a good exposure setting. Then go up one third of a stop and shoot again. Then one third more… until you are certain you have it all covered. Do the same going down a third from your ideal, then another… and so on.

Light Battles Dark

Digital cameras cannot see the same wide range of contrasts as the human eye. The range of contrasts at night is far too wide for even top-of-the-line cameras. Try and find a happy medium, avoiding very bright lights in particular. Make sure you have your histogram turned on and set to ‘blink’ if the white detail is lost. Than you will be able to spot very bright lights in the screen after each shot. You can then change your shot.

Weather Conditions – night effects

In wilderness areas, away from light pollution, ‘dark’ is very dark! It sounds odd to say that. However, most urban dwellers do not really know how intense ‘dark’ can be. They have always been used to street lights. With no cloud the darkness can be very intense on moonless nights. So you really need a torch (flash-light). Wilderness long exposures will be much longer than if you took a night shot in an urban environment.

Cloud may lighten the environment a little in the wilderness, and quite a lot more in an urban environment. They reflect the light back. So it may increase any colour casts from local light sources like neon street lights. Fog can create some odd colours at night too. Sometimes orange neon colours turn greenish. Darkness under trees may look black, but may come out bluish in post processing – depending on light levels and background colours.

Strong local light sources and reflected light may mean that the sky is very dark and the ground level is comparatively light. This is especially true when photographing light trails from cars. The light from a busy road can light up the local area. Our eyes see a constant level of light. But over a long exposure the light levels get very high in the shot. Try shooting to exclude the sky so that there is less contrast against bright lights near the ground. Alternatively you might shoot upwards to get the sky – shooting above the light at ground level.

The Moon and stars

The moon is a strong light source. Be careful with it in the frame if you want to include other things. It can be too bright causing highlights or flare on your lens. Check your screen after each shot (Chimping). If you are shooting at ground level the moon can help by lighting the sky. This lessens the sky ‘darkness’ making light levels at ground level manageable.

The Earth rotates and as it does so the moon and stars change position relative to us on the ground. To the eye the movement is not apparent. However, to a stationary camera they both move. If your exposure is too long then they will leave a track. Short exposures will not be too noticeable. If you are exposing for more than 15 seconds the stars will start to have an elongation noticeable to the eye in a high resolution image. This is an approximation as the atmospheric conditions and your position on the Earth’s surface will both change this time. However, it is worth considering how long your exposure will be when you can see stars in the frame.

On the other hand, very long exposures can create exciting star-tracks. These are where the movement of the Earth cause the stars to create long arcs of light during a long exposure. Look up “star tracks” in Google Images .

Practice

Night shooting is great fun. With practice and awareness of the above you can get great results. Fortunately you don’t need to go far to practice. Your garden or the street outside is a great place to start. Try out some of the ideas in your local area before planning a more complex shoot on location. You will benefit from what you learn.

Have fun with your night shots!

By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

#1854#

3 Comments

Posted in Background Info., Camera control, Composition, How to..., Light and Lighting, Things to try, Tips Tutorials & Techniques

Tagged Approach, Blinkies, Camera, equipment, exposure, Light, Low light, Moon, Night, Planning, Reflections, Tripod

Tag Archives: equipment

Seven deadly photography sins

Some things you should be careful about…

Lust

Pride

Sloth

Envy

Gluttony

Wrath

Greed

Being a better photographer…

By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

How to decide what to take on a photo-walk

A trip out is a key part of your photography.

The purpose?

Purpose determines direction

The point is…

By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

Thread Size for Photography Equipment

Interested in Photography Equipment?

Universal Photography Thread Size Table

Manufacturer awareness – consumer awareness

Tripods

Tripod heads

Lighting equipment and stands

A lesson learned…

What is the ‘Bulb’ Setting?

Definition: Bulb Mode; Bulb Setting

Bulb Mode; bulb Setting

Activating ‘bulb mode’

Contribute A Definition?

Contribute A Definition?

Out on a Night Shoot – Night Composition

Thinking Ahead

Night Composition

Light Battles Dark

Weather Conditions – night effects

The Moon and stars

Practice

By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

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