Mobile Photography

When it comes to composing interior photos, I have found that, when it doubt, it is always best to shoot straight on. Using your room’s architectural framework as a guide, point your camera so that it aligns perfectly with one of your walls. If your camera has a grid or compositional guides in the viewfinder (even iPhones have this feature built in), this is a perfect moment to use that tool. You want to make it so that the wall’s horizontal and vertical lines (along with the horizontal and vertical elements of items along that wall) are aligned, almost as if on a grid, within your viewfinder.

One of the biggest obstacles you might encounter when photographing an interior space is lack of space. When shooting indoors, especially within tiny apartments or smaller rooms like kitchens and bathrooms, you might find yourself backed into a wall (literally) when attempting to get the perfect shot. Oftentimes, people’s first instinct is to go out an buy a wide-angle lens to fix this issue, but this option often results in distorted, “fisheyed” images. I’ve found that the best way to get the shot you want is to not change your lens, but change your environment.

If you’re shooting close-ups or vignettes within your space, it is important to know how (and when) to use your aperture. Essentially the tool that controls the size of the hole light is allowed to come through, aperture is also responsible for controlling your camera’s depth of field. If you’re shooting a close-up of a vase, for example, and you want your background to be blurred out, the focus tool is just one half of what you will need to achieve that effect. The smaller your aperture number (or the wider the aperture hole), the shallower your depth of field. The larger your aperture number (or the tighter the aperture hole), the more in focus and sharp everything will be. To get a blurred background on your vase photo, then, you will want to shoot with a wider aperture, or the smallest f-stop your camera will allow. Conversely, if you’re shooting a wider space or an entire room, you want to make sure that your f-stop is cranked all the way up so that everything is in sharp focus.

One of the most commonly asked questions by digital photographers is how they can keep the sky from looking so overexposed and washed out in their images. The photo to the right is a perfect example — a very pretty landscape, but a painfully overexposed sky. Most of the time the sky is going to be the brightest part of your scene on sunny days. When we look at a scene with our eyes we’re able to see the deep blue sky above the landscape, as well as the detail of the landscape itself. Unfortunately, the digital sensors in our cameras don’t have the dynamic range that our eyes do, meaning they can’t capture the full range of tones that we can see, and if the difference in brightness of the sky and the land are simply too far apart, it’s very difficult for both elements of the image to be captured properly.

Whenever possible, it’s always better to get things done right to begin with. The following methods are a few ways to ensure your photos are properly exposed with nice blue skies! Whichever solution you use, your results will be improved by shooting in RAW and using your camera’s manual settings, giving you full control over the exposure.

While teaching photography I am often asked, “What do you think about when you take a picture?” This can be a hard question to answer. I'm not bragging when I say I've been shooting for 20 years and the art of creating images has become more reflex than quantifiable thought process. I don't think a whole lost when shooting.

This is the most common reason for most images to be taken. The scene in front of us is pretty and we want to capture it, preserve it or share it. The problem here is not every pretty scene makes a great or even good photo.

Because it evokes emotion, here now is a great reason to take a photo. If you feel stirred inside with any emotion, chances are the viewers of your image will be too.

Because it tells a story, sometimes the space inside a frame has a whole story coming to life. Action, suspense, a life well lived. Any theme is fair game and the greatest photojournalists of out time have been masters at finding those stories.

You’ve probably heard, at some point, someone refer to the “Golden Hour” of photography. There are actually two Golden Hours: the first and last hours of sunlight each day. These are the ideal times to shoot outside, because the sun is low, glowing  red or orange or yellow, and it’s casting shadows that add depth to your pictures. But what about all those other hours in a day, when the sun is high in the sky and everything is bathed in a flat, colorless wash of light? You’ve got to keep up with it by moving the reflectors around to account for the sun’s changing position, while also keeping in mind where you want the light to hit your subject.

Figure out the right exposure settings before you start working with the reflectors. Use a translucent light panel above your subject, using something like Photoflex’s LightReach Plus, to soften the ambient light. This keeps the light from flooding the scene and washing out the shot. Place a reflector off to the side to bounce the light back onto your subject.  Here, they use a 39-inch gold-white one so that it casts a warm glow on the scene. Make sure the reflector isn’t pointed directly at your model; having the center of it pointed just off your subject and reflecting off its edges work best. You can use another soft white reflector on the opposite side of the first one, to slightly reduce shadows (and therefore contrast).

Most photographers know the basics to good product photos - using a tripod, setting your camera to the widest aperture, using a white background, creating  an out-of-focus background, and more. But what about those really unique product photographs? You know the ones. They simply don’t look like a normal product photo you’d see in a regular catalog. These are usually used for full page features in a catalog or in ads for top brands.

Now, hanging products for better view is not necessarily an unusual practice in and of itself. Creative hanging, however, is. Maybe you should hang the product upside down, sideways, or in an unusual location. Suspend it from wires or ropes that remain a part of the photo. Go grotesque, sexy, or humorous. Play around with it and be sure to take way more photos than is necessary, and definitely be sure your lighting is perfect.

Usually photographers place the camera at the same level as the product so that the shot comes out at eye-level. Most of the time, you want to be careful about shooting from odd angles, simply because it can distort a product. However, sometimes you can get away with this, especially if distortion is a look you are going for or if the product is one that will be difficult to distort.

The rule of thirds is a “rule of thumb” or guideline for composing photographs. It proposes that an image should be divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines. All the important elements of the photo should be placed along these lines or their intersections.

Two distinct, equal lights, should never appear in the same picture: One should be principal, and the rest sub-ordinate, both in dimension and degree: Unequal parts and gradations lead the attention easily from part to part, while parts of equal appearance hold it awkwardly suspended, as if unable to determine which of those parts is to be considered as the subordinate. “And to give the utmost force and solidity to your work, some part of the picture should be as light, and some as dark as possible: These two extremes are then to be harmonized and reconciled to each other.”

The hour or so before the sun goes down is a wonderful time to shoot portraits – this ‘Golden Hour’ is renowned among photographers for the qualities of its light and creative possibilities.

Gorgeous warm glow, the colour of light at this time of day can just make your subjects glow.

Light picking up anything in the air, any paticles in the air get picked up and highlihgted in the light shining in from just above the horizon.

Silhouettes, shoot into the sun and possibilities for full or partial silhouettes are endless.

Lens flare, while sometimes seen as something to be avoided - another possibility with shooting into the sun is lens flare which can add atmosphere to your shots when used in moderation.

This is an easy point to make – photographs are better when they show people’s emotions. However, it’s much easier said than done. It is difficult to capture emotions in the wild, but they are there if you look for them. Be careful about getting overly distracted by a person’s clothing or look and instead pay attention to people’s faces and postures and capture them when they are expressive – both the strong and subtle expressions. 

Tell a story, this is related to photojournalism in a way, but think about a story and capture it. Gentrification in my neighborhood is a big and often talked about issue so when I’m out I pay attention to scenes and situations that portray it. Another example is the shot below of a trendy crowd waiting outside a popular brunch spot. There are a million and a half ways to visually show the effects of gentrification.

When all else fails, just create a gorgeous design. Pay attention to colored walls, lines and columns, advertisements, and textures. Pay attention to strong contrasts, especially with colors. I know some of these elements may seem new and ordinary, but as many of them age they will have significant cultural value. Seek out everyday things that are beautiful and create some beautiful scenes.

Always pay attention to the lines and corners in your photos and also think about the way that a viewer’s eyes might enter and follow through the scene. This is important to the balance of your images.

Have you ever heard of the "4 Seconds" Myth in Concert Photography? Well, probably not, because I made this phenomenon up as a play on words with the 4 Leaf Clover "Myth." The 4 Seconds Myth talks about the fact that there's a maximum period of time at just a few concerts when you can in fact shoot at crisp, noiseless ISO 100.

It's half myth and half fact, because sometimes the opportunity is there (even if you don't see it), and even if you're there for it, you have to do something about it to increase the chances that luck will play its part. It's about being aware all the time.

Hundreds of years ago people didn’t know there were 4 Leaf “Lucky” Clovers, in the same way that nowadays many photographers don’t know that, from time-to-time, there’s 4 seconds of enough light on stage at a few concerts to shoot at ISO 100. What seemed impossible was always there waiting for the lucky, aware photographer to take advantage of.

The 4 Sec Myth works this way: There is a moment in a show when beautiful and powerful light falls on the stage (and on the musicians of course), lasting only a few, let’s say about 4, seconds. That gives you:

• 1 Second to Notice it.
• 1 Second to Set the Camera.
• 1 Second to Focus.
• 1 Second to Take the Photo (…and rule them all, yeah!)

And then the moment’s gone. Only a little bit of creepy light remains on stage.

I know what you’re thinking: “No way, man! I could never shoot concerts below ISO 1600! You must be drunk!”

Well, yes my friend, I cannot deny it. But truth be told, maybe you just haven’t shot enough. Or maybe you’re not paying close enough attention to what you’re doing. Or maybe you set your camera in Auto Mode, but dare to believe/declare yourself a photographer. Or just maybe you’re not in the habit of figuring out ways to create better photos for your clients (or whomever you choose to amaze with your work).

Holidays are meant for relaxing, having fun and, if we’re being honest, making everyone back home jealous with lots of lovely photos! From local food and beaches, to interesting architecture and nights out, it’s all worth snapping for the memory book.

f you’ve got something interesting in mind, you’re halfway there. From this point, ask yourself how to make it even more exciting. For example, with an impressive building:

• What do you want to focus on? Is there anything that sets it apart?
• Is a straight-on photo going to do it justice, or should you use an angle? Straight-on photos can look a little flat and feel impersonal, so opting for an angle is often best.

Take photos of the subject and from the subject. This creates dynamic shots and when you’re flicking through your image folder you’ll get an all-round impression of your subject; for example, the building’s unique points and decoration, and a view from the higher floors of the surrounding landscape.

Say something about your destination: Holiday photos are personal to everyone, but it’s great when they reveal something about your chosen destination so someone can say, “Oh, you went to Cyprus and saw the painted churches?” With this in mind, capture landmarks as well as photographing your friends, partner and family. Although it must be said, for the most part avoid clichés! Yeah, we thought this gallery would look familiar! A little too familiar…Instead, save these snaps for your camera-phone and get some giggles when sharing online.

Winter, spring, summer, and fall: each season provides us with unique photo opportunities and challenges. Here are some autumn photography tips to help you capture the most from the season of challenges.

Towel: if you’re going to follow my “get down and dirty” tip below, it’s a good idea to pack along a small towel to protect your clothes from getting wet and dirty or, at the very least, protect your camera from ground dirt and dampness.

Rain cover: depending on the severity of the weather, you should consider packing along some kind of rain cover for your camera, be it a standard umbrella or an advanced rain cover like the thinkTANK Hydrophobia 70-200.

Polarizing filter: if you own a DSLR, this is one of the most useful filters you can have. In relation to autumn photography, a polarizing filter can help accentuate all the vibrant fall colours. Check out Digital Photography School’s article – How to Use and Buy Polarizing Filters – to learn more and to discover an alternative option for those who own a point-and-shoot camera.

Low light photography is so much fun and isn’t as intimidating as it may first look. My first exposure to shooting in low light came about when I was shooting daily for a 365 project a few years ago. I would forget that I hadn’t taken a picture for the day and would freak out when I had nothing but darkness to shoot in. Or even worse, artificial light. Let’s say those images weren’t exactly the ones I’m most proud of. But now I realize that I just didn’t really know how to shoot in the available light that I had. A little over a year ago, I took my first class at Clickin Moms where I was first taught how to shoot in low light, using available light, and creating desirable lighting situations in low light. After the class, my eyes were opened to a whole new genre of photography that I hadn’t really given much thought to before, other than to run away from it. So, for today’s post, I’m going to answer the questions that I had when I first began shooting in low light.

Using technical terms, the image appeared “underexposed” so that the image SOOC would match what the naked eye could see. By that I mean an image of a subject in dim light with the surrounding areas cloaked in darkness too.  Well, it took me a minute to realize it, and I’m pretty sure the instructor had to explain it to me more than once, but that isn’t exactly how low lighting imagery works. I’m sure people do shoot in that way and it may work well for them, but for me, it didn’t quite work that way and it took doing for it all to actually click.

Great app, costs a few pence here and there but great fun. What you get is a retro styled camera with a variety of lens options and frames/borders that add that real vintage feel to your pics. Hipstamatic was way further ahead of facebook and instagram with the whole ‘filter’ thang. The quality of the pics is sooo much better that those on instagram, being sharper, higher clarity. In addition you can organise prints and order real analogue prints via there store. There are a few extra bells and whistles now, but the base unit is the same. The sharing options are pretty awesome too, linking nicely to instagram / tumblr / flickr etc.

Leave the default camera on your iPhone alone and get your head around this powerful camera and video app. Seriously impressed with this bit of kit, it features: Auto white balance (and lock), focus lock, anti-shake, timer, filters, exposure control (by simply scrubbing over area you want to expose for), burst mode, tags (great for like me when you are part taking photos for one of your blogs at a later date), geotags, big button mode (turning your screen into a button – great for covert street photography) and great sharing tools.

Slice, dice and mix match those pics into multi-montage diptychs and beyond. Its a great tool for creating photo-stories and when you don’t want to flood your feed with 4 – 6 images of a similar thing.

Without a doubt, over the last couple of years this has been the app that people have asked me the most about.