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Photography

Happy Accidents Photography Workshop…Lesson 3: Action Photography and Shutter Speed

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Probably one of the most challenging and frustrating types of photography to master is action photography. It can also be one of the most rewarding though. Being able to freeze a split second in time that you probably missed with the naked eye can result in some amazing photographs. There are a lot of things that have to happen just right though in order to get that perfect shot.

Capturing Action shots with your Phone.

iPhone shot of my daughter.

The camera technology available in smartphones these days is pretty incredible. I’m not gonna lie, if I’m just trying to get some cool action shots for social media or sometimes even for a little album of memories…I often prefer to use my iphone for many reasons. There are a lot of features that make it easy to get really great action shots.

Bursts~

For most phones, if you hold down the shutter button the camera will automatically take burst photos. This feature works great for action shots because instead of trying to pick the perfect time, you will quickly get several shots of the action and can pick out the best one.

Screenshot from a video

Video~

Another way to guarantee you get just the right moment in an action shot with your phone is to take a video. This method is great if you are wanting both a video and still shots at the same time anyway and also ensures you capture every single second of the action. To choose your still action shots from the video, simply hit the play button and then hold your finger down on the film strip at the bottom. Slide through the strip as slowly as needed until you find the moment you want to capture and then take a screen shot (this can be tricky and you might want to practice how to best accomplish this). Once you get your screen shot you can crop it down to the desired image size.

Light/Shutter Speed

In photography, shutter speed or exposure time is the length of time when the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light, also when a camera’s shutter is open when taking a photograph. The amount of light that reaches the film or image sensor is proportional to the exposure time. As far as I know (at least for iPhones) you cannot directly adjust the shutter speed on your phone camera. You can however control the lighting which can in turn adjust your shutter speed. When you shoot in areas that aren’t well lit your phone will compensate by slowing the shutter speed to let in more light. This will result in blurry action shots. For sharper shots, shoot in well-lit areas when possible or increase your exposure (slide up that little sunshine icon on your iPhone or tap it on android) to allow more light into the camera.

Shutter Priority Mode

On your DSLR camera the Auto “Action Mode” is called Shutter Priority Mode. It is marked with and “S” on your Nikon camera and “TV” on Canon (which stands for “Time Value” because “S” would be too obvious). When using this mode you can choose your shutter speed and ISO and the camera will adjust the aperture. Remember our friend the Exposure Triangle from Lesson 2?

If you look at shutter speed, the faster your speed (best for action), the less light will be allowed into the camera. Therefore, your ISO will need to be higher and/or your camera will adjust your aperture to be smaller (or wider open). Using this mode is an easy way to get some good action shots in good light. This may be the best option for you if you are trying to capture action shots of soccer, baseball, football or other outdoor sports and activities. As you may have noticed though, my daughter is a competitive gymnast. Meets are indoors and usually the gyms are poorly lit (at least for action photography). Also, flash photography is prohibited in gymnastics because the flashes can be distracting which is dangerous for the gymnasts while they are practicing or competing. In this type of situation, Shutter Priority mode can be tricky because your camera will most likely set a very small aperture which can make it difficult to focus on your subject. Once you learn to shoot in manual mode (choose ALL settings on your own) you can meet somewhere in the middle and then, if needed adjust your brightness with some basic editing (we will cover both of these in future lessons).

So when and why would we want to use a long exposure (slow shutter speed)? Well, slow shutter speeds are used for when you want to capture the motion, instead of freezing it. When working with slow shutter speeds you will want to use a tripod because the exposure time is long and it will be nearly impossible to hold the camera still throughout the entire exposure which will result in the whole image being blurry instead of just the motion. Photographers often use slow shutter speeds for waterfalls, to catch headlights and taillights of traffic in motion, and for fireworks. It is also useful in very low light settings when you are photographing a still object but need more light.

Focus

In Lesson 2 I discussed focus in general. The same rules apply in action shots however your subject will be (obviously) moving so you will have to adjust your focus along with them. This will happen every time you hold the shutter button down halfway prior to taking your shot. If you want to be able to take a lot of shots quickly without refocusing for every shot you might consider changing your camera settings to allow for something called “Back-Button Focus“. Back button focus is not only helpful in action photography, but ALL photography because you can quickly take several shots and only refocus when you want to. The way it works is be removing the focus actuation from the shutter button and instead assign this function to a button on the back of the camera. Now when you shoot, you’ll press your back-button to lock focus and then press the shutter to take the image. This is especially helpful for moments like when my daughter is competing on the balance beam and I know her distance from me is going to be the same throughout her routine. I only need to set the focus once and then can raise the camera whenever I want and shoot. The focus will stay the same and the shutter button will immediately capture the moment instead of trying to find the focus. I have set my focus button to use the AF-ON button on the back of my camera. Your camera’s manual (or google) will tell you how to reset this for your camera.

Continuous Shooting Mode

Continuous shooting mode on your camera works in the same way that “bursts” work on your phone. By holding down the shutter button, your camera will take several shots continuously which can help you capture just the right moment in action shots.

Homework:

  • With your phone, try the different action techniques listed above (pets and kiddos make great subjects).
  • Move your camera to Shutter Priority Mode and practice some different action shots. Adjust the ISO and Shutter Speed and see how it changes your aperture. Don’t forget to watch your focus.
  • Post your images in the facebook group!
Click to join the Facebook Group!
Photography

Happy Accidents Photography Workshop…Lesson 1- Composition

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Welcome!

This is the first lesson in a series of photography posts I will be sharing. These posts are helpful tips, lessons and tutorials to improve your photography skills whether you are a Instagrammer, hobbyist or serious photographer. There will be “homework” assignments at the end of each post for you to practice the tips and information I have shared. I also have created a Facebook group for everyone using these lessons. PLEASE join this group…it is where the fun stuff will be. In the group you will be encouraged to share your assignments and photos, get critiques, find links to new posts and lessons, and more!

Click here to join the Facebook Group!

Composition

Whether you have a great camera that you are trying to learn how to use, have been doing photography for a while and want to get more serious about it or just love taking iPhone photos for Instagram, learning good composition is always the best place to start. No matter how good of a technical photographer you are or how great your editing skills might be, the composition of your photo is where the good stuff is and without it no amount of skills or editing will create a great photo.

Yesterday a Happy Accident happened. I was getting all caught up on Facebook and a friend posted some wonderful photos she took of her beautiful girls. I was scrolling through them when I came across one that made me stop. The composition was nothing short of magical. There were just SO many things right about it. I knew right away I wanted to play with it in Photoshop. As soon as I was finished cleaning up from dinner I sat down to my computer and had SO. MUCH. FUN. with this photo. I went back to her post to share my creation with her and found that another friend of hers felt the same urge to play with it. That’s what I call an inspiring photo! I was already preparing to write this post and thought this was a fantastic example of great composition. With her permission I’m sharing her image here:

And here is my edit:

While my edits may have added to the image, it already had the important elements that can’t be edited into a photo to make it great. It was just a pleasing, happy photo without any editing at all.

So how do you achieve great composition? Well, sometimes it’s just plain luck but there are several techniques and tricks that can help you turn “snapshots” into works of art…or at least make them more interesting. Here are a few of my favorites:

The Rule of Thirds

Rule of Thirds
Rule of Thirds
Rule of Thirds

By definition the Rule Of Thirds in photography is a type of composition in which an image is divided evenly into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and the subject of the image is placed at the intersection of those dividing lines, or along one of the lines itself. This often makes the image more interesting or pleasing to the eye than placing the subject directly in the center. I’ll be the first to admit I break this “rule” a lot. There are often times that placing your subject smack dab in the center or along the bottom or top of an image works best. So which should you do? I follow my gut but if you are new to this rule chances are you are already in the habit of centering your subject most or all the time. While you are experimenting with this technique try taking a couple of shots for each photo. Center your subject in one and then take the same shot but use the “Rule of Thirds”. Which do you like better? In time you will start to learn whether following the “rule” or breaking it works best for each specific shot.

Centered (and square cause I stole it from my Instagram page, LOL).
Centered

Leading Lines

This composition technique refers to lines in an image that lead the viewers attention to the main subject of the photo. This could be a road or path, a staircase, fence or many other objects that can create lines in a photography. Leading lines are a great way to add interest to an image while still keeping the subject the center of attention.

**Note…Railroad Tracks are often used for leading lines. While they may work well for this purpose, I am strongly against shooting on railroad tracks. It is illegal and dangerous. Even non-working tracks are a bad idea because these photos often encourage other people to try railroad track photo shoots. Regardless whether you are a professional photographer, hobby photographer, or parent please DO NOT SHOOT ON RAILROAD TRACKS EVER!

Framing

Another great way to add interest to your image while still drawing attention to your main subject is a technique called “framing”. This technique, like leading lines, uses other objects to draw the eye to your subject. With framing instead of using lines to lead to your subject the objects you use wrap around or partially around them to frame them. Architectural elements, tree branches, archways, and windows all work well as common frames.

Patterns

Finding and using interesting patterns is a technique that can add interest, texture, and depth to your images. Plus they are just fun! Patterns can come from interesting background objects, fences, quilts, blinds and even light!

Try new angles

When taking photographs we put a lot of thought into the position of our subjects. This can be nerve wracking when shooting kids and pets who often don’t appreciate our pose ideas or like to sit still for long. One of the easiest ways to add some creativity to your images though is for YOU to change positions. When shooting kids and pets, try getting down on their level. Try taking some shots from above your subject or below when possible to mix things up a bit.

Rule of Space

This rule states that if the subject is not looking directly to the camera, or looks out of the frame, there should be enough space for the subject to look into. This technique creates intrigue in the minds of the viewers. A good example of this rule is my friend’s photo of her little girl from the beginning of this post. This rule also applies to photographing a moving object or subject. There should be space for the subject to travel into. For this rule, I like to think of the edge of the image as a “wall”. In my example image below, if there was a lot of space behind her and she was all the way to the left edge of the image it would feel strange and like she was facing the imaginary wall created by the edge of the photo.

Avoid Limb Chops

The term limb chops refers to cutting off a subjects body part in an unflattering way. This does not mean that you have to include a person’s entire body in every image. There are just good and bad places to crop bodies in your frame. For instance at the wrist or ankles looks awkward and like you lopped off a hand or foot. The diagram below shows good and bad places to crop limbs and bodies.

Background

While you are focusing (both literally and mentally) on your subject, it can be easy to ignore the background. The background can make or break your images though. Even with Photoshop skills, it isn’t fun to try and remove garbage cans, cars, or random people from the background of your otherwise wonderful photos. Before shooting, check out your background and if necessary and possible move or turn your subject to get rid of unwanted items in the shot. Life doesn’t always happen in front of pretty backdrops though. When shooting kids and candid moments or memories are happening… capture them first, regardless of the background. Then try moving them to slightly different area or angle to see if you can get a better shot. There are tricks you can learn both in your camera settings and editing that can make unsightly backgrounds less noticeable but it’s still always a good idea to keep unwanted items out of your shots when possible.

Homework:

  • Pick a subject and plan a little photo shoot. Try using the “Rule of Thirds”. Take the same shot centering your subject.
  • Create images using 2 other techniques of your choice listed above.
  • Join the Facebook group if you haven’t already and share your images!
Home, Jesus Whispers, Photography

COVID-19 Life, 3-21-2020

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I don’t know how many days we are into this craziness because there’s no real specific “start” date. Things are changing so much and so quickly from day to day and it feels like this has been going on forever in some ways. A lot of the time it all feels like a dream and I have no doubt someday, hopefully soon, when we look back on all of this it will be hard to believe it wasn’t. I want to remember all of the craziness though. I know it will make us all so much more grateful for the little things. Meeting a friend for lunch at a sit-down restaurant or taking the whole family out to a favorite pizza joint. Hugging people again. Watching your children practice or compete in their sports and activities. Waving goodbye to them as they get on the school bus. Going to the grocery store with a list and a plan instead of buying what’s available and making it work. A good workout at the gym. Toilet Paper.

I want to remember the good too. There have been so many “Happy Accidents” that have come out of all of this which has been almost as big of a shock as the craziness. Time. Everyone is so busy all the time that we have even started to foolishly think busy=successful. These last several days have reminded me of my own childhood when things were simpler. Slower. The days were long. My kids have played games, rode bikes, gone fishing, and still had time to fit in their beloved electronics. My house is getting clean…like really clean, not just quickly picked up and spot cleaned in a hurry. Cooking meals is no longer a burden, but instead a blessing. We eat together and not just dinner. Although church services are online, we don’t have sport events keeping us from them and watching in jammies with my favorite coffee cup isn’t terrible. People are reaching out to help each other and doing random acts of kindness like never before. We are learning not to waste or take for granted.

So here’s to remembering today. Even though it was cool, the sun was shining. I stopped in the grocery store to grab some chocolate milk. That’s something new. I used to buy chocolate milk often when the kids were littler but rarely do anymore. I have found myself looking at everyday things like “milk” though and wondering how I can make them more fun. When your stuck in the house that’s important I think. Also, the more options we have the longer the regular milk lasts for things like cooking and cereal. I was surprised that the shelves were stocked better than I had seen in a long time. There was some meat, a little bread and most of the aisles, although not exactly full, weren’t completely empty. Except the toilet paper aisle of course. I brought my camera. Not my just my phone, my BIG camera. This was something I worked up the courage to do the year that I kept a 365 day photo blog but that courage has faded and it felt weird. A man caught me photographing the toilet paper aisle and stared at me as if that’s the strangest thing going on in the grocery store these days. Not. Even. Close. I wanted to capture more but… baby steps.

I came home and started cleaning. I learned that our gray stools that the kids sit in at the kitchen counter are actually white. I put my favorite Contemporary Christian playlist on shuffle and the first song that played was “Stand In Your Love” which felt like a comforting message. (My fear doesn’t stand a chance when I stand in Your love!).

The kids hung out on electronics for a little while and then went outside. I ran. I am signed up for a 5k the beginning of May and have been working up the bravery to see what I could really do outside where there are hills and wind and I can’t just stop when I want (cause I have to get back home). The gym is closed now so ready or not. I ran 2.72 miles. Just half a mile short of a 5k and it was easy. I got home just in time to learn that starting Tuesday, my county will be under a “Stay At Home Order” for at least 30 days. I thought I at least knew what those days would look like, now I’m not sure.

I came in and did my sit ups on one of those giant balls with a handle that kids bounce around on because I don’t own a yoga ball. I used a dumb bell instead of a med ball for Russian Twists. I’m learning to be flexible and improvise. Tacos for dinner made out of beef patties that were on sale because there was no packaged beef or turkey the day I got groceries. I wanted a Diet Pepsi. I earned it. We have a CVS right down the road so I headed out for my reward. Yeah, I know…artificial sweeteners are bad, blah, blah, blah but it’s more important to be kind to ourselves right now I think (in moderation). CVS turned out to be one of those moments where everything is feeling kinda normal and then it hits you like a brick wall and you feel like you are in a freaky movie. Somehow I missed it all until I got to the check out. The first thing I noticed was there was a man who seemed to be randomly standing in the middle of the store about halfway between myself and the checkout. I then realized he was actually practicing social distancing, like the whole 6 feet away from the line so I stood 6 feet behind him and the two of us managed to create a line across half of the store. Then there were the crates. They were heavy duty plastic crates stacked two rows deep between the cashier/counter and where the customers stand to pay. There were signs on top asking customers to comply with social distancing (as if we had a choice). Handing them my cash was tricky because I could barely reach them and considered tossing it at them. They had gloves and masks on. That was today.

This past week was Spring Break for our schools so we have one more “day off” and then Monday we start homeschooling. The next day we start “Stay At Home Order”. More change. More unknowns.

Things around the house are taking on a whole new meaning.
She makes me smile!
🙂
Marissa cheats a little.
Jesus Whispers, Photography

But today….Optimism during the Coronavirus Pandemic

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A few days ago I was searching for a particular photo from a long time ago which led me to stumble across an old blog that I used to keep. Within the blog was a 365 photo project. For one year I tried to take at least one photo every day and blog a little about it. Only now, years later do I realize what a treasure that was. Most of these photos were just of everyday activities and moments, many of them we wouldn’t have even remembered if it wasn’t for that blog and those photos. It truly inspired me to get back into capturing these moments more often.

It also has occurred to me that we are currently living in not only uncertain and scary times, but what will no doubt be a huge moment in history. Our children will remember bits and pieces and our grandchildren and great grandchildren will probably read about the Coronovirus Disease 2019.

There are also a lot of thoughts and emotions going on in my mind and heart and I have considered that writing about everything that is going on in the world would not only be interesting to look back on in the years to come, but therapeutic.

But today, the sun was shining. It is spring and in true spring fashion in the mid-west, it has been rainy and gray. Not ideal when everything is shut down, you are “social distancing” and essentially under quarantine. It was supposed to be in the 70’s but stormy again. But today, the rain cleared and little by little the sun broke through the clouds and the sky turned blue. I was planning on going back to work after coming home to make lunch for my kids. But today, I stayed home instead and pulled weeds in the sunshine while my son played roller hockey and then I played a game of basketball with him…he won. The grocery store shelves are growing more empty every day. But today, we will have burgers on the grill just like an ordinary spring evening. I sit at my desk writing this and glance over at a calendar full of events that will never happen and empty of the normal spring photo sessions that help support my family and pay the bills. But today, the windows in my office are open, the curtains gently blowing in the breeze and outside there is a constant stream of couples walking together, neighbors blowing bubbles with their toddlers or older kids playing basketball in the driveway. No one really knows what tomorrow, next week or even next month will look like. But today, it was a good day.

Photography

After The Photo Session…What to do with your digital photograpy images.

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 **This blog contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

You found the perfect photographer. Picked a date for your session. Changed the date for your session because you realized someone had a baseball/volleyball/soccer game that day. Ran all over place finding the perfect outfits for everyone. Got haircuts. You arrive at your session excited to get some great new photos of your family. You survive repeatedly herding that one child that keeps wandering off and pleading with the other one to “JUST SMILE PLEASE”!

You receive your gallery and are pleasantly surprised to see that your wonderful photographer somehow worked a miracle and captured a lot of great images. You look at your gallery several times, show your family, your friends, post some on social media and enjoy reading all of the “great photo!” comments. And then….nothing.

Today, most clients prefer receiving digital images with printing rights from their photographer rather than purchasing prints. The benefits of receiving digital images include being able to order what you want, when you want and at what price point works best for you. If something comes up and you need a photo printed quickly for a gift or party, you can upload it to a 1 hour lab (Walmart, Costco, Walgreens). If it’s quality you want, many pro photo labs have public versions available online for anyone to use (Mpix) but without the pressure of making a decision right away. So what’s the catch? Not having to make a decision right away means- not making a decision right away….or for weeks, months, or sometimes ever! Time slips away and the images still sit on the flash drive or computer and suddenly those “updated” photos you wanted aren’t so updated anymore. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your digital images and enjoy them for years to come!

Make a list

Prior to your session, walk around your house. Look at the frames you have and decide if there are some that need fresh, updated photos. Write down both the size of the photos needed for the frames and whether they are vertical or horizontal layout. The layout is something people often don’t think about but it’s important to determine this and then let your photographer know if you have a certain layout need before or at the beginning of the session. Photographers usually decide this in the moment and you will often get more of one layout than another so for instance if you have a frame that you want to fill with vertical photos, tell your photographer you will need a good selection of that layout to choose from.

Look for blank spaces on walls. Maybe you need a canvas to fill a bare spot or for over the fireplace. Canvases are one of my favorite ways to display images around my home. They look great alone, combined with other canvases or other wall decor. I used to include canvases in my products available for my clients to purchase, however the cost of them from my professional lab was out of the price range that some of them wanted to stay in. For my personal use, I had been using a company called Canvas On Demand. Their canvases are extremely affordable and great quality. I have many that are several years old and still look beautiful! I now recommend my clients get more bang for their buck and order their own canvases from them!

Decide where you will order your prints from

Now that you have a list of your printing needs, it’s a smart idea to think about where you will be purchasing your prints. This may be multiple places depending on your needs. For instance, if you are ordering some large portraits and frame fillers to display around your home, or gifts for others, the quality may be the most important factor to you. Your photographer will most likely have a professional lab that they work with and that you can order from. These prints will usually be the most accurate as far as color and often have protective and/or UV coating so that they will stay beautiful for years to come. If you are wanting a canvas you may want to order that separately from Canvas On Demand (link above) or another company.

Many of my High School Senior Portrait clients like to have a bunch of wallets to hand out and trade at their graduation parties. It can get pricey to order the amount needed and usually the absolute best quality isn’t a priority in this situation so they often use a cheaper local lab that can deliver quickly (this sometimes gets forgotten about until the last minute so speed is definitely a bonus). There are many local options that offer quick turn-around or even 1 hour printing including Target, Walmart, Costco, Walgreens, CVS and more. The quality and color using these labs can vary but for small prints and wallets where time and cost is the priority this can often be the best option.

Think Gifts!

Prints, canvases and other photo products make the BEST gifts! Think about holidays and birthdays coming up and who might love a print or canvas from your recent photo session. Grandparents LOVE family portraits or senior photos. Maybe order an image on a coffee mug or make a blanket or calendar using images from your session. There are several online companies that offer a huge variety of photo gifts.

Treat yourself

If you don’t know exactly what you want to do with your images or if you just aren’t ready to order everything right away, it is still a good idea to do SOMETHING with your images as soon as your gallery is delivered to you. Companies like Shutterfly offer several products that you can personalize using your images. You will be most excited about your images while they are still new so now is the time to show them off. Order yourself a calendar for work, a phone case or a photo book! The possibilities are almost endless. No matter how you decide to enjoy your images, timing is key. Hopefully you now have the tips and advice needed to prevent your cherished photos from sitting on your computer or flash drive and instead enjoy them for years to come.