Monument Valley at NightMonument Valley in winter at night pre dawn.

Monument Valley is part of the Colorado Plateau and consists of a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, some over 1000 feet high with overall elevation of the park at 5000 to 6000 elevation. Desert climate with cold winters and hot summers are to be expected. Cameras need to be protected from the dust as well as bumpy roads. Money TreeMonument Valley view from the money tree in the fall.

 This road in the movie "Forrest Gump" is infamous where Forrest decided to go home. It is located on the back side of Monument Valley and popular with photographers. Director John A Ford also used Monument Valley as the location for many of his films from the 1930s. Forrest Gump RoadBack side of Monument Valley.

  Monument Vallery GirlDawn with photographer in Monument Valley

 A handful of Navajo (10 families) make their home in the park, where they live without running water or electricity and rely on farming and grazing for income. All visitors must exit before the sun goes down and are asked to respect their privacy. I hope you get a chance to visit. Young Navajo weaver.

Arches National Park – This relatively small park is spectacular with its concentration of arches, fantastic monoliths and fins with the La Sal Mountains in the background (snowcapped and especially stunning in winter). The scenic paved road is only a 45-mile round trip.

The Balanced Rock defies the unstoppable forces of nature. Balanced Rock, ArchesBalanced Rock in Arches, Moab Utah.

The Windows in winter is even more magical! Windows in Sepia

Delicate arch is hard to photograph unless you hike, and thus was disappointing. Canyonlands

Canyonlands National Park – This is a huge park with three districts separated by an impassible river system (the Colorado River and Green River), so plan wisely. The Upper section – Island in the Sky - is the most approachable and easy to visit without the need for hiking. It has sweeping canyon vistas, outstand rock formations with some arches as well.  Mesa Arch is a classic photo opportunity, especially at sunrise, with canyons and the La Sal Mountains seen through the arch, but requires a hike up hill in the dark.  I did it and not easy. Sunset Mesa Arch

Take a side trip to Dead Horse Point in this state park for two panoramic views, one with a view of the bend in the Colorado River. Dead Horse State Park

The other two districts (the Maze- wild and desolate and Needles- known for its diversity of pinnacles, arches, grabens and canyons) are more adventurous, requiring hiking, 4x4 vehicles or backpacking.   Thus, we did not try to visit them.

I hope you get a chance to visit Moab and the other parks in Southern Utah.

Lots of interesting spots to photograph here with different photographer and camera requirements.

Let’s explore Antelope Canyon, a sandstone slot canyon East of Page AZ, near Lake Powell and the Utah – AZ border. The slot canyons were formed from millions of years of water erosion and the canyon walls climb 120 feet above the sandy stream bed. The Upper Antelope Canyon is more accessible as it does not require stair or ladder climbing on shifting sandy ground.  It is necessary to book a tour with Navajo guides (as it is in the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo nation). and best to book a photography tour if you can use a tripod and a DSLR, SLR or mirrorless camera needed for each member of your group.  Non photographers are NOT allowed. The extra expense is well worth it. I would recommend Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tours, LLC. 928 380-1874 and for the photographer tours https://www.navajoantelopecanyon.com/Photo.asp Antelope Canyon 5Horizontal of the Antelope Canyon wall with stick.

The light beams are only visible during the summer months, best between late March and early October.  However, my September 27 visit was too late to see them.  However, I think less light glare produced better color and vibrancy in the images.  Also, were less routine.

1. A tripod is essential, and you will be staged by the photography tour group either low to the ground or high.  Shooting is either ahead or overhead, on sandy ground, so a stable tripod is important. Antelope Canyon 2Vertical Antelope Canyon chamber.
2. Most images require Long Exposures – 4-5 seconds, depending on your ISO and F stop - (usually F/8-11). Plan on ISO 200 or higher depending how still and long you can maintain your camera stability even on a tripod with proximity to other photographers and the traffic passing by!  I used mostly 800 to 1000.  Manual or Aperture Priority with cloudy White Balance.  _ Antelope Canyon 4Close up of the Canyon wall.
3. Use your blinkies (or Zebra’s in mirrorless) to avoid blown out highlights and avoid large dark black shadows areas without detail.
4. Other tour groups that are not allowed the use of tripods are plentiful and include cell phones rising high above head.  Not easy to handle crowd control, but the photo tour did a great job and controlled the maddening selfie crowd. 
5. Colors are subtle and bold with deep purples to brilliant orange to pale pastels.  Shoot some close-up detail shots to explore the undulating patterns and unworldly colors in our natural landscape.  Antelope Canyon 1Horizontal of the Antelope Canyon chamber.
6. My iPhone GPS keep changing the time zone and the arrival time.  Arizona does not follow daylight savings time (nor does the Hopi nation) but the Navajo do. Antelope Canyon is in Mountain Standard Time (MST) all year, same as Page, AZ. I keep worrying that I was an hour late. 
7. To see the light beams you need to go at peak tourist time – summer months.  Not sure it is worth it. Antelope Canyon 6Sand pouring off a ledge in the canyon.

In honor of the Grand Canyon’s 100^th year anniversary as a National Park, I thought I would review some winter photographs I took at the park over the past 5 years.  The Grand Canyon is the 15^th site in the US to have been named a national park.  Located in Northwest Arizona, the canyon is a mile-deep gorge created by the Colorado River and 18 miles at its widest spot. In the past it reached the Pacific but for the last two decades it stopped flowing after about 750 miles.

It is one of the seven natural wonders of the word, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most photographed landscapes in the world.

1. It is difficult to photograph the river itself, since it is so deep and often in shadow, with the largest stretch of the river visible from Desert View close to the East Entrance. It is known for its wonderful sunset location. Colorado RiverColorado River running through the Grand Canyon from the south rim.
2. The colors of the Grand Canyon are quite remarkable; cloudy skies, clean winter air or after a rainstorm enhances this effect. Grand CanyonGrand canyon with deep shadows.
3. Dawn and dusk bring out the nuances of the canyon with more saturated colors combined with light and shadow contrast. This image also has a texture overlay. The Grand CanyonMorning toned colors on the Grand Canyon from the South Rim
4. Remember, great landscape photography needs interesting light and a center of interest. Grand Canyon ColorsGrand Canyon with the Colorado River.
5. Have fun with double exposures or painting with light at night, as in this reconstructed Hopi Watchtower at Desert View. Lonely TreeTree double exposure in camera with the south rim of the Grand Canyon. In camera double exposure with Nikon. Desert View Watchtower at NightLight painted Desert View Watchtower and a starry night.
6. The North Rim is less popular since it is closed during the winter months, at a higher elevation, more difficult to reach by car due to its remoteness and since most viewpoints require hiking. But for the more physically fit, it is less crowded with a less touristy feel. The North RimDeer grazing in the frosted early dawn grass. I hope you get to visit the park to enjoy its true beauty and majesty first hand.

Monument Valley stampMonument Valley sunrise view with happy woman in a textured stamp look.

Night TrainFreight train approaching its destination during a light rain in early evening

First LightGood Harbor Beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts at early morning with painterly treatment

SurferSurfer in high surf

Happy New Year. Hope this will be an inspiration to us all!

1. Pastel colors added in Photoshop and smudged over a very busy photo to soften and isolate the subject. _ Trapper
2. Add a textured overlay and then blend into the image with overlay, lighting or darkening blend modes. _
3. Add a textured overlay in an appropriate color and texture and then paint on a mask in black to remove this texture where you do not want it. _-2 _
4. Add an element (such as this butterfly) to add a pop of color and mystery. In the Mist
5. Decide how much of the original image you want to highlight. In the windSummer wildflowers in the breeze with textured overlay.
6. Or isolate the center of interest. ScarletRed geranium with ethereal blue and green background mist.

Some thoughts and decisions to consider:

1. Do you want a soft background (created with a wide open f stop such as F/2.8) Spring dogwood
2. or a black or white simple background to make you image stand out? PoppyPoppy against black background.
3. Do you want to use a studio background in color to complement your flower? TulipDark pink and white tulip against aqua blue background.
4. Is the flower suggesting a human activity, such as dancing, or suggesting an emotion? Dance of the IrisJapanese Iris in Blue Purple with hints of yellow against black background.
5. Is a macro floral portrait just about the soft colors or patterns in an image? Peony Glow 2Pastel with pink and yellow peony macro. Purity 2White dahlia against white with pale yellow tones in center.
6. Can you use in camera double exposure to create an image? This daffodil hanging on a string over black acrylic captured as it sways – as a triple exposure. Chorus LineDaffodil triple exposure with reflections on black
7. Create a static image suggesting a flowing circle or other pattern such as this bunch of orange tulips reflected on white acrylic. Orange Tulip CircleOrange tinged with yellow tulips on white refected in a curve.
8. Immerse a flower in water or freeze flowers to confuse the viewer. Dahlia20x30 metal 2/10 - Sold Ice QueenFrozen pink tulip with ice crystals.
9. Look for natural patterns in nature with curves or lines. All about the curveButterfly on a flower with a curved stem against a soft green background.
10. Simplify a flower to its central element and use B&W to enhance the structure itself. VelvetCalla lily macro in B&W.
11. Place flowers on a flat bed scanner in a dark room to create a physical montage. Yellow Floral MedleySunflowers and other yellow flowers against black background.
12. Create a montage in photoshop using layers and textures. Two WorldsPhoto montage of flowers and butterflies with texture.
13. Go to extremes and create an abstract. Orchid Fantasy GlobeOrchid against painted texture montage. Review your images and see what patterns emerge to find a theme to work on.

In Gloucester, I can grow English lavender (Hidcote) English lavenderHidcote lavender

but in Arizona the common variety is French or Spanish lavender (also called butterfly or Anouk lavender). Spanish LavenderSpanish or French lavender is also called Butterfly lavender for good reason.

A trip to England and the Cotswold’s happened to be at lavender time. A visit to a lavender farm allowed me to photograph the lavender fields up close. Remember, when telling a story, you want to highlight the big picture, smaller views and of course close ups.  

Visual storytelling may include captions, but the picture is the key element. Country RoadCountry road with a man with red tie and jacket walking along fields dotted with sheep.

Pre-visualize the story you want to tell. What will be the lead shot, subsequent shots and a closing shot. Gate to the Lavender Farm

Think about all the key elements in your photography, such as light and composition.

Daisy lane

The images should emote a felling or meaning. Lavender Forever

Never be afraid of failure. We learn from our mistakes. Lavender Rows

1. African Spoonbill – I created this image by compositing the same bird, later in flight, into the scene to create a more interesting feel of movement. African Spoonbillafrican spoonbill duo in flight over a lake with water reflections and textured background
2. Vervet Monkey – One of my earlier attempts in Photoshop to blur the background. Vervet Monkey
3. Orchid Nector – My first study of glassware in the studio with the white background, black line technique. Orchid nectorOrchids in pastel glassware on white with reflections and black line.
4. Elephants in the Mist – The sepia tint enriched the old Africa look I wanted. Elephants in the MistTwo elephants walking down a path in the early morning mist - in Africa, with sepia tones.
5. Orchid on White – My early botanical study of the orchid which was a first-place winner. Orchid on WhiteFirst Place in Photography - Magnolia Art show 2010
6. The Grand Canyon – I appreciated the painting layer addition of color and texture to enhance the morning colors on the South Rim. The Grand Canyonmorning toned colors on the Grand Canyon from the South Rim
7. Dance of the Iris – I still love the studio image of the Siberian iris on a black background shot from above to establish the feeling of motion in a still subject and drama. Dance of the IrisJapanese Iris in Blue Purple with hints of yellow against black background.
8. Abundance by the Sea – A winter activity to study lighting still life to mimic the old European masters. Abundance by the SeaLobster with grapes, violin, candle, orange and vase
9. Moonset over Sedona – A fun grab shot without time for a tripod. Moon set over Sedona
10. Calla Study 2 – A classic Black & White study of a calla lily. Calla Study 2B&W study of a calla lily against black.

Do a quick survey of your older images and see what you come up with. Narrow the list down to ten pictures and write why you liked them. You may be surprised!

1. Find the best light.  Dawn and dusk have warm colors and side light. However, if animals, flowers, nature or people are your subject, cloudy days are great since the light is soft and gentle without harsh contrast. Yellow GlowYellow aspen leaves along the riverbed.
2. Look for interesting compositions.  Winding roads, fences that transect or meandering streams add to the depth of the photo. Avoid signs, works, large white or red zones that will distract the eye. The Lonely RoadFall foliage in the west along a roadside.
3. Capture Backlight Silhouettes. Look for a subject that clearly will stand out against the sky and be recognizable as a silhouette.
4. Look and Observe before Shooting. Zoom with your feet; position yourself up or down looking for the right vantage point.  Look for obstructions in the way and avoid telephone poles or such appearing to grow out of your subject. Morning Fog Tetons 3
5. Be patient and have attention to detail. Look for an image that you see in your mind’s eye to represent an impression of what your felt.  Not just fly by shooting. You are a photographer! On the RangeBison grazing on fall grass.
6. Remember, you need a foreground, mid-ground and background. All three zones need to be acknowledged in creating your image. Snake River ColorSnake River in the Tetons in the fall with yellow aspen and cloudy skies.
7. Consider Black & White to create drama. Snake River In B&WSnake River in the Tetons in the fall with aspen, light snow and cloudy skies.

1. Use long exposures to shoot water or best waterfalls in the fall scenery. Use a small aperture (such as F/11 to F/22, remembering apertures are a fraction), Low ISO, polarizing filter and then a slow shutter speed (variable – need to test the results and adapt) to soften the water. Water motion Fall Waterfall at Dam
2. Use long zoom lenses to isolate the leaves and colors. Use a tripod to stabilize.  If windy, remove lens hood to help. Pumpkins
3. Shallow Depth of Field - will help isolate your subject.  Fall Zen
4. Move your camera: while panning, racking focus, zooming in or out and during longer exposures. Fall Motion
5. Look at reflections to double the bang! Perfect Fall
6. Shoot low and wide to get the whole picture of the moment. Essex Fall

Triple FireworksIn camera triple fireworks exposure over the harbor.

12. Try in camera triple exposures if you have a Nikon DSLR - keep on auto gain. See above.

Fireworks over the NeckFireworks over the harbor and the neck.

Fireworks over Gloucester HarborFirework montage over harbor waters. The year's 4th of July photo montages from our July 3rd Gloucester fireworks.  Enjoy.

1. Vary your depth of field (DOF = zone of acceptable sharpness) to see what looks best. Get and have a background that is distant from your flower with nice muted or complementary shades. OR use a more telephoto lens zoomed in at 200 or 300 mm while able to be more distant from the flower. Basically, you need your camera to be closer to your subject than the subject is to the background while shooting wide open with a long (say, 200mm or 300mm) or long macro lens (180 - 200 mm). Key factors that influence DOF: aperture, focal length and distance to the subject. Spring is hereGrape hyacinth in blue purple against soft green and yellow.
2. Change your position. Don’t just shoot down on a flower or flowers. Look from below or from the side. Don't forget the underside. Early morning dew  adds to the dreamy quality. You can bring a spray bottle to help if nature disappoints. Adding glycerin to the water will help produce larger droplets. Rainy Day SunshineShasta Daisy with raindrops. PoppyRed poppy with backside highlighted against black background.
3. It wind is your enemy, go with it. Try long exposures on a tripod to capture the flowers motion in the wind. Patience is important. Azalea bud in the WindWood azalea bud in the wind.
4. Find an object of interest in or around your flower to spice up your image, such as a butterfly or bug. Madam ButterflyButterfly with flower in nature background. Coneflower with BeePink coneflower or echinacea with bee.
5. Look for abstract or graphic elements.B&W will bring out the texture if desired. Velvet MumVortex of a velvety mum.
6. Light is essential: Whether ambient (natural) or man made. Backlighting may work with translucent flowers but mid day on a sunny day requires diffusion to even the light. If light is dim especially if close up, external or ring flash may be required.  Sunflower BacksBackside viewof sunflowers against pure white background. dogwoodDogwood in the wild.
7. Getting the correct focus is important. Place your object of interest as parallel - or flat to your plane of shooting.  Manual focus is essential. Imaging stacking software, such as Helicon Focus, may help if you want the hyper-realistic look.  I prefer selective focus to bring the eye to what I want to emphasize. Spring PansyPansy in soft colors
8. The LensBaby Velvet 56 mm f/1.6 and now Velvet 85 mm f/1.8 will add a soft glow around the edges - a gorgeous bokeh (blur), and creates a different, softer look. CoolPurple clematis with softness. PerfectionPretty bright pink rose with yellow center and dark soft background.

1. The main reason to use a fish-eye lens on landscapes is to emphasize the foreground and still allow you to include the sky. Remember, you must have something of interest in the foreground, so move around and select carefully. Lismore Castle, IrelandLismore Castle Ireland from the Blackwater River with reflections.
2. Landscapes with the horizon at the middle: should have little distortion, and will look like a panoramic picture. So if you need a very wide angle landscape (nearly 180 degree view), this may be the perfect lens. Often, however this may be boring, and at times you may want to emphasize the curve of the earth in the image and embrace the distortion but placing the horizon line close to the top or bottom of the frame. However, avoid getting your limbs in the frame. Never forget basic composition so look for leading lines, color, etc. to vitalize your landscape. Gloucester Harbor
3. Use the fish-eye lens to enhance shape or structure in architecture: such as the curve of a building or object. Fish-eye lens will bend and distort verticals so either embrace or avoid or correct this (Tilt shift lens or post processing in LR or PS). 20140619_CAM_051
4. Try using a fish-eye as a vertical image (instead of horizontal by rotating your camera 90 degrees) to be able to include the foreground and more sky. Haleakala Crater
5. Also try pointing directly up at the sky or somewhere in between. In these pictures, the palms and sky take on a completely unexpected look. Full Moon AboveSepia toned skyward view of 3 palm trees and the full moon Palms
6. Move closer to your subject to exaggerate DOF - depth of field (versus a telephoto lens which will flatten it). However, with portrait subjects close to the lens, facial features will become quite distorted. Unless you want this comical effect, avoid getting too close to people. A good use would be to keep people closer to the mid ground to help capture them in their environment or place. Facial Distortion with Fisheye

I was having a serious slow down in processing using Lightroom, and making these adjustments did help. I hope they help you as well.

Dawn PatrolColorful balloons pre dawn at the balloon festival.

Then all these dawn patrol balloonists and their volunteers fire the balloons with the hot air lighting up the sky in brilliant colors.

20161004_BalloonFestival_063Balloon getting ready for pre dawn lift off at the International Balloon festival

With the start of the mass ascension at daybreak, hundreds of balloons launch in two waves, orchestrated by the "Zebras".

Mass Ascension StartingGetting ready for mass ascension of balloons in two phases.

Balloon ParadeColorful balloons during mass ascension.

The sky was filled with hundreds of colorful balloons.  And their chase cars needed to follow them for pick up when they landed. 

1. Explore abstracts in Black & White. Even if the sky is too bright and weather too hot, stay cool by walking around the dockside looking for reflections. AbstractReflections in B&W Dark Reflections 2. If days are bright and sun producing glare and dappled light on flowers in the garden, use a translucent (one or 2 stop) diffuser overhead to soften the light (as a big cloud would). I like the Lastolite trigrip diffuser panel with a handle.

Glare and Dappled Light Diffused Light

3. Create a photo in the studio with an LED lite panel and a large acrylic sheet to produce a reflection. I have these panels in white, black and mirror surface. Dark MagicPurple clematis with reflection on black.

4. Try freezing flowers and letting them melt in the sun. Amazing results can be achieved and you will feel cooler shooting them.

Ice Queen 3Frozen white and pink tulip with ice crystals.

5. Try slow shutter speeds at dusk around the water. Will be terrific if lights dot the shoreline or cars are driving by in the distance. A tripod is essential.

Harbor LightsDusk on the harbor with lights across the water. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Underwater 1Underwater at a pond with water lily pads. Green water and blue sky.

Underwater 2Underwater abstract nude with lily pads.

Underwater 3Underwater with nude in B&W

Underwater 4Underwater nued with water lilies.

I would be easier in warmer water with a snorkel. 

Symmetry is captivating.  All hand held since the flash freezes motion.

SymmetryBright red poppy with black markings. Poppy as center of attentionDark peach poppy with yellow green center. SunshineBright yellow daisy. Peony rufflesPretty in pink peony.

Foxglove in pastelLavender foxglove bloom with painting texture.

Add a texture or make a digital painting for your inner Monet.

This garden scene was shot with my dSLR as a comparison. 

My inner MonetDigital painting of an Impressionistic Garden.

1. Start with B&W in mind: to emphasize specific elements or patterns in a scene.  Great if you see lines, shadows and shapes or to enhance texture with side lighting. Night AgaveAgave in B&W to enhance the abstract patterns. Zen FogZen like B&W seascape with cormorant in the fog.
2. Expression and eyes are even more important in a B&W portrait. Simplify and avoid clutter. _
3. Shoot in RAW and then process for B&W in Lightroom using the HSL controls, or use a plug in such as Silver Efex Pro (now free) or On1Photo. On the TablePeonies and Iris in a bunch on black table against black
4. High contrast is needed for great B&W with pure white, pure black as well as a mid-range of greys. Auto set your whites and blacks in Lightroom (LR) by holding down the shift key and double clicking on the toggles over each BK and White point setting. Then increase the clarity to boost mid tone contrast. Venice hat
5. Use a polarizer to reduce specular highlights which will distract from B&W.
6. Ask yourself, does color distract? Then think B&W! Gathering Storm, YosemiteTunnel View in Yosemite with winter storm and mist looming in B&W. Gathering Storm, YosemiteTunnel View in Yosemite with winter storm and mist looming in B&W.

1. Flash -continued

Aperture - controls flash exposure of the subject
Shutter Speed - controls the ambient light (background).
So, in manual mode on the camera, by dragging the shutter - reducing the shutter speed (ie duration) - you will bring in more ambient light to the background while choosing an appropriate aperture, flash will control the exposure of your subject.
To drag the shutter, choose a shutter speed slightly under the sync speed (typical SS is 1/125, 1/60th or even 1/30th).

2. Camera Max Sync Speed - Do not exceed your camera's max synchronization speed - usually around 1/250th. In manual, usually choose 1/125^th as a start.

Spring MorningPink tulip with dew against green grass.

3. Watch your background - Look for simple non distracting background. Move your subject if need be. Avoid patterns and high contrast. Keep your subject far away from the background (8-10 feet if possible) to soften the background. For portraits, back, off-white or neutral tones (mid grey) are often used so not to clash with skin tones, hair coloring or clothing.

_small child in cowgirl clothes against a barn doorsmall child in cowgirl clothes against a barn door.

4. Hi Key - overexposed white background
Low Key - dark tones with black background.
Need to light a white background to be white. If not, it will be grey to black.

Dahlia Trio3 Lavender-Pink dahlia with soft glow on white background

Sunny DaySunflowers against black with textured old film overlay. Make it your New Year's resolution to use available light - any light that is available - from daylight, lamp or flashlight to pop up flash or stand alone flash units!

Pow Wow Dancerno flash

2. Control contrast - Contrast is the difference in brightness between highlights and shadows. Hi contrast - shadows are pure black - adds increased depth if desired.
Decrease contrast - by adding light to shadows with fill flash. Reduce the flash EV or output to minus 1 1/3 to minus 2. Some cameras will. do this automatically in the Program mode. Keep the dome diffuser off and the bounce card up to get catch lights in the eyes. _with fill lightwith fill light
3. Basic Flash Settings: Manual Flash, TTL-BL or TTL. Manual Flash: either Full, 1/4 power if >10 feet away from subject or 1/8 power if < 10 feet away.  TTL-BL to light background and subject - with aperture priority or Program mode - and matrix metering (or evaluative with Canon cameras - thus i-TTL for Nikon while e-TTL for Canon)
TTL to light just the subject (and control how the environment will look) with Camera on Manual and spot or center weighted metering.
4. Rear curtain sync (second curtain sync - Canon) - is best. It fires the flash at the end of the interval to produce the blur trailing behind the movement (instead of in front). For Blinkers - use front curtain sync or manual flash to turn off pre-flash. Mayor of Arthur Avenue
5. White Balance - Custom, Flash or Auto. Auto best if using flash intermittently during your shoot. CTO (color temperature orange) gel can be used to balance light or create a warming effect. Cowgirlwith CTO gelled flash
More about Flash next month.  E mail me your questions!

Quantity

Quality

Direction

Color Temperature

2. Quantity:  the amount of light you are recording reflected off your subject. Your camera Through the Lens (TTL) metering  reads light bouncing off the subject for the value of midtones. Incident light meters read light falling of your subject and tells you the exposure for the midtones – BEST.
3. Quality of Light: Hard or Soft.  Hard light has a sharp transition from the highlights, to neutrals, to shadows which are deep and dark – best to delineate contours and shapes. LIGHT ILLUMINATES WHILE SHADOWS DEFINE. 

           Soft light has a slow and gradual shift from highlights, to neutrals, to shadows – creates diffuse light with soft shadows. Spilled onionsVarious types of onions with a pottery jug against pale blue textured background.

4. Quality is determined by 2 factors: Size and Distance. Large light source that is close to the subject is softer and can wrap around the subject and add light to the shadow side. Small light source creates a small spot of light with highly focused specular highlights – hard, harsh light. See below: Paddling HomeEvening paddle surfer against textured green-blue background. Color Orange in a rowOrange mini pumpkins on a plank with orange acorn squash behind against brown toned background. Above: Soft diffuse light from a strobe in a softbox close to the still life.
5. Direction: Light travels in a straight line. When it strikes a surface, its angle of incidence is equal to its angle of reflectance. White surfaces give a diffuse reflection, Silver or gold a focused refection either cool or warm while black absorbs for blocks reflection.
6. Color Temperature: A measurement in degrees Kelvin that indicates the hue of a specific type of light. Lower numbers are warmer and higher K are cooler and bluer. Such as: 2000-3000 Sun at sunrise or sunset; 5500 – 6500 Daylight (sun plus sky); 6000-7500 Overcast, 8000-1000 Partly Cloudy. Wrangler at DawnA lone wrangler or cowboy with horses at dawn with gold dust and sunrays against a hillside Sunrise cowboy.

More to follow.

1. The Dehaze filter in Lightroom.  The Dehaze slider is located in the develop module (in Lightroom 6 or CC), under Effects. Increasing the Clarity slider does NOT mimic the effect, but that was all you have in prior versions. See these examples: first is with Dehaze, second with increased Clarity With Dehaze with increased clarity original The original image.
2. Look for complementary colors in your images, such as yellow-orange and blue like in this image. Winding roads, trails, footprints let the eye travel and add interest. Dune Walk
3. Change the temperature or tint in Lightroom or Photoshop to add warmth. Or just add sepia tones to the highlights in split toning, adjusting the hue ( I use around 45)  and saturation (increase the saturation first to 50%, so you can see the changes, then back off until you see just a bit of warmth). Yosemite gold
4. Or stick with B&W when color does not add to the image.  Rock Stream B&W
5. And just have Fun!  Play in Photoshop layers with merging different images or distorting with filters to create abstracts. There is no ONE formula, just your creativity.  Some recent examples of mine:  Water Twirl Ice BeautyPhotomontage of flowers in ice in three's as a square with vibrant colors.

1. How to type copyright symbol: © - Option G (MAC) or Alt-0169 (PC). Note that the MAC uses the Option key while the PC uses the Alt key and the numeric keyboard to the right. On a laptop, need to use the NumLock key and the substitute keypad or just use the Custom Shape Tool in Photoshop. You should add your copyright to the metadata of all your photos along with your contact info. For the Copyright IPTC info in Lightroom for example, I would use: Copyright Judith Monteferrante ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Under Usage Terms: No usage without prior explicit and written permission.
2. For my watermark, I use my trademark Logo. The Trademark Symbol: ™ is Option-2 on the MAC and Alt-0153 on the PC. See the JMP ™
3. Update to Lightroom CC with bundled Photoshop via Adobe Creative Cloud. You can still purchase stand alone Lightroom, but updates will not be available. Beach HDR
4. New Lightroom CC features: Merge to Panorama or HDR in develop settings under Photo.  High dynamic range or HDR in Lightroom (see image above) only needs 3 exposures (-2, 0 and +2 recommended) and with merge to HDR, a RAW HDR image as a dng file is created allowing a greater range of post processing capabilities. There is also a People View that will automatically scan for faces and help you sort and name people in your photos.
5. Other LR CC highlights: In Preferences under Performance if you have a graphics processor, this will automatically be check and increase your processing speed tremendously. I also like the ability to check the “Ignore clicks on badges” that I used to hit inadvertently. Another is the ability to correctly set the white and black point by holding down the Shift Key and then double click on the toggle switch for the Whites and then the Blacks. _ _
6. My favorite OLD Lightroom feature is the View Mode set up in View Options to display only Common Photo Settings (SS, F stop, ISO, focal length and lens) plus Exposure Bias. I have learned a lot of photography over the years by using this feature along with the histogram on the camera display and then to help in processing. _-2

Tulip ReflectionsPink and orange tulips reflected on white.

Add a secondary light to the flowers themselves for emphasis. Orange Tulip circleOrange tinged with yellow tulips on white refected in a curve.

Change the background to black with black acrylic for reflections for more drama. Digital paint for a romantic look.

When able to do outdoor photography with spring to summer flowers, try wide open apertures to get bokeh, or soft backgrounds. Coneflower in my garden                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       f/3.2 f/3.2Bokeh with f/3.2 f/36 f/36

1. Get to know the people you are photographing. Make them comfortable. Ask about their shop and their jobs. Deli Manager

2. I always like to give back. I return on many occasions to the same locale and bring prints for them as gifts or give them jpegs if desired for their own social medial and PR. Word spreads and the cooperation keeps improving.

Behind the Deli Counter Playing Cards

3. Linger. Don't rush. Be part of the community. This will allow you time to set up for a particular photo even using off camera flash without causing discomfort or alarm.

Pulling Fresh Mozarella Meat Market

4. Accept humble offerings of coffee, cheese, pasta etc. since they want to show you that your work is valuable to them. Show respect and they will respect you. Fresh Pasta

5. Enjoy your new found friends. Expand your horizon and try other neighborhoods that you would like to get to know.

Enter the Fish Store Mayor of Arthur Avenue

1. You do not need a new camera to take a great picture. Learn to use your camera and study the User Manual as the first step. Take the manual with you or download a digital copy to your portable device. Understand all the controls. Shoot often and rate your photos. Then reevaluate your favorites frequently. In Lightroom, save your favorites in a Collection to make this easier.

Shoot in aperture priority with exposure compensation to make adjustments in exposure as your go to setting. Learn to use manual when you need greater control, such as the studio setting with accessory lighting. Peonies in a JarDeep pink peony still life with peonies in a clear glass jar with hinged lid with rubber gasket and textured background in peach tones.

2. Knowledge is everything. Never stop learning from reading, taking workshops, on line tutorials such as Kelby One Training. Photography is ever changing and there is always more to know. Learning lighting – available light to strobe (flash or studio) is important. Black and WhiteClear glass vase with glass beads and baby's breath and wine glass against black with reflections on black.
3. Composition and design elements are the key to making your photograph compelling. Michael Freeman’s “The Photographer’s Eye” is an excellent review and a great investment.
4. I always shoot in RAW, save as DNG’s and process and organize my images in Lightroom. I still do use Photoshop CC when needed, especially when adding texture layers, masking, creating book covers with text overlaying an image or doing extensive dust or pollen removal. But then save, not save as to bring the image back into Lightroom. A big advantage to Lightroom is that it is nondestructive and you can always get back to the original by choosing Edit Original. Lightroom history saves all. In Photoshop you would need to always use the Smart Filter option.  I occasionally use SilverEfex Pro for B&W conversions and some other Nik or Topaz filters. Juicy GrapesGreen seedless grape bunch with spashing water drops against black background
5. Critique is Key to improvement. And not from family or friends. Enter competitions, juried shows, portfolio reviews and become active in art association photo interest groups. Don’t let Facebook become your only focus group. 

Please let me know what I can do to help. Would a Lightroom Boot Camp or "Learning to See the Light" tutorial help? Group or individual instruction is available. [email protected].                Happy New Year, Judith

BONUS SLIDESHOW:

Forget the Golden hours of Dawn or Dusk: Shoot in mid-day with an infrared converted camera or digital SLR for high contrast images or on a cloudy or foggy day to create mystery. B&W or toned is often best. Schooner FestivalEastern Point Lighthouse during Schooner Festival races in sepia. _ Fogged In Paint FactoryFoggy seascape in B&W plus red with calm harbor waters and cormorant sitting on buoy.

Ignore the rule of thirds for greater freedom: Move with your feet and not just use your zoom lens. See the world from all angles to find a unique perspective. Blue WaterStill blue water with boats and dory's at Beacon Marine, Gloucester Harbor, MA

Avoid Program or Auto modes as well as Scene modes if you want to advance your photographic skills: Learn aperture priority with exposure compensation to adjust your exposure; darker for silhouettes or lighter. Or, even better, use manual and adjust your aperture or shutter speed to achieve the look you want. Take control! Sunrise, BudapestRiver view early morning with tree line and sun reflected in the calm waters.

Don’t always shoot with the sun at your back: Side lighting will reveal texture and detail while back-lighting can create rim light or silhouettes. SlimB&W nude silhouette on the rocks. Orange SkiffB&W with orange skiff among black or brown ones along a dock.

Learn the rules but then try breaking them to see the effects? Have fun and look around you. Slow down by using a tripod. Learn by making mistakes.

1. Back lite photos (light from behind the subject) present two choices: either fill flash to help light the subject create a silhouette.  By changing your camera settings in aperture priority to add Minus 1 ½ to Minus 2 exposure compensation, the subject will go nearly black. The silhouetted subject needs to be distinct enough on its own to be recognizable without the additional detail provided by lighting.
   20141016_Danube_544_edit_54 Prague guards Changing of the Guard Color, B&W or toned is another choice to make. In general, I Lose the color if it does not add to the picture.
2. Shadows may create a more compelling photo than the subject itself. Line and pattern are key. Let your eye fill in the blank details. Less is more. Light Shadows Musical Shadow
3. When shooting for shadows: remember soft diffused light close to the subject – such as a large umbrella or soft box or even clouds (relatively closer than the sun) will produce softer shadows. If the light source is distant and unmodified – i.e. direct- the light will be harsh and thus, will create sharp shadows. Know what you want to achieve and thus select the correct lighting. Pear on a Plate alt Pear on a plate
4. Reflections can include or exclude the object it is reflecting. Day or night, reflections can add an extra dimension or can even stand alone. Budapest at nightNight lights and reflections under the bridge. 20100813_Nudes_253Female nude in a tidal pool with reflections. In color

An assignment I was given at the Griffin Museum of Photography Atelier 21 program recently was “A Sense of Place”. We were told to walk around and shoot images of the area where you live, spend your weekends, were you work, etc. Thinking about that I planned on staying around my home and area. I did not want to include the gardens since so much of what I do is flower and still life photography. I decided to photograph the day to day life and joy of my pets. Since it was not easy walking with them on a dual leash and shooting with a DSLR, I was not happy with the results.  So I changed the concept to more of a illustrative approach such as for a Children’s book: “THE JOY OF A DOGS LIFE”. I used the new Topaz Impression application after basic processing in LightRoom. More to do and text to write!

Cuba: wake up timeCuba in Bed

Cuba's wake up time with his toy "Baby". Baby

Tony and Cuba waiting for their morning walk. Waiting for the Walk out of bed

Down the driveway! The long walk starts

Pure joy running on the morning dew covered lawn. Joy

Starting the exploration: Exploration

Their favorite place: our favorite place our view What do you think? A fun assignment. Try it yourself with Topaz Impression.

1. Look for bad weather with great skies before a storm as well as the post storm quiet. This gives you freedom to go beyond the golden hours of predawn and dusk. Protect your gear with a shower cap or just dry off with a towel when done shooting. After the StormOcean waves cashing on a rock with seagull, waves and cloudy skies. Walk after the RainRoad along cane fields with puddle reflecting a dark storm cloudy sky at dusk.

Even rainy days can present unique opportunities. Try shooting through your windshield for a unique blurred water look.

Rainy DayThru my car window at Good Harbor Beach during a rain storm.

2. Trust your instinct. If a site looks inviting, explore it further looking for angles and the direction of light to enhance the effect you envision. Walk around. Apps will help you predict sunrise, sunset and moonrise. I recommend TPE, The Photographer's Ephemeris.   Here is a link to a good review of Shooting the moon with help from this app.

3. Learn to tell a story or awaken the viewers imagination. Look for a strong element in the foreground to anchor your image, mid ground to balance and give direction, while choosing a background that will tie it all together and set the stage. Summer, Good Harbor Beachsummer beach scene with house on the rocks , seagrass and water. Good Harbor DuskDusk light over an ocean beach with an inlet waterway.

4. Capture an impression of what you see using light, movement and all your camera settings. Control of aperture and shutter speed (actually shutter duration) will provide the necessary tools if you take control. Supplementary fill flash of the foreground may be helpful to add interest to the foreground. Adding texture or other painterly effects can help.

Guardian of Cape Cod

5. HDR (High Dynamic Range) is another tool you can utilize to show the full tonal range of an image. By capturing multiple images in rapid succession in aperture priority with a fixed aperture but with varying Shutter Speed you can produce an image that your eye can see but the camera cannot yet capture effectively in one shot. Set up for 3 to 5 exposure bracketed shots (each varying by one f stop for under, correct and overexposed images) on Continuous High with a tripod or steady handhold. Process these images in Photoshop with merge to HDR, NIK HDR Efex Pro or Photomatix Pro.
Old IrelandOld stone structure or ruin in a wildflower and grass field in Ireland with dark stormy sky.

Figure 1: War at Sea Figure 2. Shipwreck

Shipwrecks were quite common during storms and war with hidden danger around every corner. Treasures buried in the sands and journals left behind provide hints of a seafaring family’s way of life. 

With this set up in my studio, tethered to a laptop for instantaneous review, shards were photographed against a graduated grey background –

Figure 3. Shards in studio Figure 4. Shards in studio set up Figure 5. Shards in studio tether set up overview as well as macro detail shots.

Figure 7. Calm Figure 6. Diasters

Then after assembly, embedded in sand and mortar as if found that way beneath the sea.

Figure 8. Diane with templates for Assembly Figure 10. Diane with wall installation Figure 9. Embedded in Sand and Morter

Final Installation is on four walls at the Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, MA. (see below). A fifth wall will have Chinese export plates transformed by Diane KW using the diary and logbook documents.  Hope you can visit.

Wall IV Wall I Wall II Wall III

Judith Monteferrante Photography

1. Shoot iconic structures from a different vantage point. Move around. Follow the light to choose front, back or side lighting. Early morning and dusk are favorites but stay later waiting for the deep blue sky post sunset and use a tripod for longer exposures.
   _-2 _-3
2. Do some close ups or macro images. This helps to tell the story by exploring one aspect of it. These iris are in Monet's Gardens.  _-5 _-6
3. Look for patterns or reflections. This helps train your eye to see and makes a more interesting picture. Remember, you need an interesting foreground, mid ground and background for a good landscape! _-4
4. Try double exposures in camera. Read your manual! This makes a well-known scene look completely new and fresh. Louve
5. Consider B&W or Sepia. This gives an air of drama or antiquity to your image depending on your location. And remember, just have fun. Paris view Eiffel tower down the streetEiffel tower from the neighboring street with appartment buiildings_in B&W.

But with that out of the way, let’s have some fun.

1. The main reason to use a fish-eye lens on landscapes is to emphasize the foreground and still allow you to include the sky. Remember, you must have something of interest in the foreground, so move around and select carefully. Lismore CastleLismore Castle Ireland from the Blackwater River with reflections.
2. Landscapes with the horizon at the middle: should have little distortion, and will look like a panoramic picture. So if you need a very wide angle landscape (nearly 180 degree view), this may be the perfect lens. Often, however this may be boring, and at times you may want to emphasize the curve of the earth in the image and embrace the distortion but placing the horizon line close to the top or bottom of the frame. However, avoid getting your limbs in the frame. Never forget basic composition so look for leading lines, color, etc. to vitalize your landscape.       Rome ColiseumColiseum in Rome, Italy at night.
3. Use the fish-eye lens to enhance shape or structure in architecture: such as the curve of a building or object. Fish-eye lens will bend and distort verticals so either embrace or avoid or correct this (Tilt shift lens or post processing in LR or PS).     BuddahBuddah in a temple with colorful orchids with HDR and a fisheye lens.
4. Try using a fish-eye as a vertical image (instead of horizontal by rotating your camera 90 degrees) to be able to include the foreground and more sky.    Haleakala Sunburst
5. Also try pointing directly up at the sky or somewhere in between. In these pictures, the palms and sky take on a completely unexpected look.  Full Moon AboveSepia toned skyward view of 3 palm trees and the full moon Tropical PalmsPainterly palms.
6. Move closer to your subject to exaggerate DOF (versus a telephoto lens which will flatten it). However, with portrait subjects close to the lens, facial features will become quite distorted. Unless you want this comical effect, avoid getting too close to people. A good use would be to keep people closer to the mid ground to help capture them in their environment or place.  _ _-2

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1. Strobes (or Flash) vs. Available Light:

During a performance, flash is typically avoided due to its distracting effect. Occasionally off camera flash on a light stand on stage is allowed, but don’t overwhelm the stage lights. Use  Spot metering mode on the main musician’s face which should be in the light since the background is best left dark. Using aperture priority, an aperture of F/4-5.6 is a good starting point, but you may need a wide open aperture of F/2.8 with a fast lens. This will limit the DOF (depth of field), but keeping the performers in one plane will help. Usually a high enough ISO to allow a reasonable shutter speed should be quite doable if you have a fairly current low noise hi ISO camera. If not possible, seize the effect of motion or learn to anticipate pauses and shoot then. In the studio, I shoot with 4 to 5 strobes and always in Manual mode with F/8-11 typically and 1/125, with an ISO 200 (to 400). I meter the foreground and background with a hand held light meter and adjust the lights accordingly. If using a white background, overexpose it by one to one ½ stops. If black, keep light off the background for pure black.

2. On Location: During an indoor performance, learn to keep quiet and keep a low profile. Look for simplicity and avoid distracting elements in the frame as much as possible. Keep to the side to separate the musicians from their microphone. Try to show the interaction among the musicians. Capture the musicians enjoying themselves; their “music face”. SugarTones__ 05_

3. Prepare: Creativity is a must and look for a theme or storytelling quality. Plan ahead with some possible scenarios. Listen to your client regarding what their needs and ideas are. Props are important and may be instruments, microphones or items of clothing such as jackets or hats. Push the limits for possible poses. Keep in mind the style of their music and the instruments they use. Meet with them in advance and review some possibilities. Note their hair color since if dark haired against a black background they will benefit from hair light. Have at least a dark and a white background with possible gels to add color. Prepare as much as you can in advance. I test some lighting scenarios on myself the day of the shoot. SugarTones__ 42_

4. Clothing: Solid colors without logos or patterns are the best. At least two changes of clothing – one relaxed and one more formal with choice of dark and light outfits. Dark or black clothing against a dark background is slimming. Keep tones and styles similar if shooting 2 or more people. Avoid sleeveless tops except for the young – long sleeve is best. Avoid lots of jewelry. Simple casual clothes such as jeans and a white or black T shirt are timeless.

5. Expressions:  Look for facial expressions and posture. Vary the positions and have some looking at the camera, some looking away, some looking at each other.  With or without their instruments. Some contemplative, some smiling. With and without singing and or playing. Make it a two way conversation.

sugar tones_ 11_

1. What do you do on a dull gray day with haze, fog or mist? Add a tint. This is easy to do in Lightroom by adjusting the White Balance (WB) with the temperature slider towards yellow to add warmth or the tint slider towards magenta. WB can be adjusted the same way in Camera RAW in Photoshop, or you can add an adjustment layer to modify the hue/ saturation, add a tint to Black & White, or pick a color for the Photo Filter or choose a warming or cooling filter among other choices.  Golden Gate Haze _
2. It is hard to expose for the Landscape and the Moon. This African scene from the shores of the Zambezi River works however with the orange harvest moon and the darker tree with the darker grassy hill. However typically to expose properly for both as well as to maintain the size of the moon your mind sees, it is best to shoot each separately. Use a telephoto lens to zoom into the moon and just expose for the moon alone and then zoom out and shoot a wide angle scene to include the moon.  Afterwards in Photoshop, just exchange for the larger and properly exposed moon. Moon rise on the Banks of the Zambezi Moonrise and sunset over Saguaro cactus
3. What do you do with back lit scenes too distant to use fill flash? Create a silhouette. In aperture priority, use – 1 to – 2 exposure compensation to allow the silhouette to go completely black. You can still adjust the black point afterwards as well. You do need a clearly recognizable figure for a silhouette to work well. Sunrise Fishing Walk in the ParkSilhouette in Black and White along a river bed and pond.
4. Photography of glassware has special lighting requirements to add the black or white line to the edge of the glass. First you need to be in a darkened room to avoid reflections on glass. White Line: Against black, add white foam core to the edges of the scene with black foam core or other background directly behind the glass. Light only the white edges. This can also be done by using a white sheet or translucent material as the white and then lighting it from behind. Black Line: is the reverse. Just light the white foam core or the translucent material behind the glass with the light (or just use a softbox as your white panel). Add black material to the edges or just the absence of light to these areas will create the black line. Romeo and JulietGlassware against black with reflections and flowers Orchid nectorOrchids in pastel glassware on white with reflections and black line.
5. Reflections will be crisp if you use plexiglass – black, white or mirrored. Reflections enhance the dimension of a still life. If you just use glass over white or black paper, there will be a double line in the reflection, due to the refraction by the thickness of the glass.  Pear AntiquePears lined up in a row with reflections on black and painterly texture.

Let’s review six key elements that I believe add to this magic: eyes, patterns, reflections, action, environment and/or the young. I see youLeopard cub behind a tree in sepia.

1. The Eyes have it! It has been said that the eyes are windows to the soul. Eyes draw us in and evoke an emotional response. Eyes (or near eye) need to be in focus and best if shooting at their level and not down. Eyes need to be at a good location according to rules of composition. For example, at an intersection point on the grid for the Rule of Thirds or in the top 1/3^rd if a head shot or head and shoulders. A catch light is important as well, since this conveys a spark of life and a connection. Front lighting, flash with the white card up or using the focused flash beam with or without the Better Beamer to extend this distance. Out on a LimbLeopard in a tree.
2. Patterns or Symmetry create a graphic pattern. Learn to look for patterns and shapes. Zebra stripes are like fingerprints, and are unique for each animal. If the message of the image is this pattern, think of what distracts from this. Color does, so convert to B&W with a definite white and black point but minimal in the mid-range (or grey tones). If the grey tones remain, you would just have a color photo with the colors removed. Black and white often reveals more about the subject by enhancing contrast and texture with control of the position of your light. Silver Efex Pro 2 has some great presets to try. Toned images such as Sepia add warmth and an old world feel.  Zebra watchingcolor version Zebra WatchingBaby zebra at the watering hole in B&W and square format. PatternsZebra stripes in various patterns in B&W
3. Reflections double the impact. Look to shoot after a rain storm or near a quiet body of water such as a puddle, pond or lake without sun shining directly on the water. African Spoonbillbirdersworlddaily.com Image of the Week as of Oct 3, 2011 Zebra reflectedZebra during the Great Migration with reflections in a muddy river bed. B&W
4. Look for Action that you can either freeze or blur. Avoid shooting when animals are eating with their head down or resting, usually mid day. Most activity occurs in the early hours of the day or around dusk. When light levels are lower, it is easier to use a slow shutter speed and pan. With mid day light, freezing the action is much easier. Typical shutter speeds to freeze action would be 1/125 for large animals, 1/250 for medium animals, 1/500 for small animals or large birds and 1/1000 for small birds. Use continuous servo Auto Focus with predictive focus tracking and Continuous Low or High speed shutter release mode to follow action. Choose the auto focus area mode, such as Dynamic to track action and select 21 focus point option! Read your manual, since options will differ depending on your camera. Panning for Motion requires a slower shutter: 1/60, 1/30 or slower and may require a low ISO, stopping down to a small aperture such as f/22-32 and / or using a Polarizing or ND filter. Target the subject’s shoulders or torso and keep the panning vector aligned with the animal’s direction of travel. Set for high speed shutter release, and move smoothly through he series, continuing the pan even after you releasing the shutter button. Turn off vibration reduction during panning. Lots of trial and error here.  Bear FrenzyBrown bear at Brooks Falls, AK. running out of the water towards the path for the falls. FlightImpala running with panned blurred background.
5. Sense of place will help you tell a story. Environment is important in setting the stage and to create a sense of place. Dusk and Dawn, the Golden Hour, has always been important for the photographer, and getting up early and staying out late is typical. During the golden hours, the sun is at an angle where it will illuminate mist, fog or dust, giving you a great golden glow when the weather conditions permit it.  It is best to avoid cluttered background either with your position, by zooming in or by using a more shallow depth of field (shooting wide open – one or 2 stops smaller than the max aperture: such as f/4 to f/5.6 with an f/2.8 lens). Following MomElephants with baby at Dusk. Elephants in the MistElephants walking down a path in dawn mist. In sepia. Three Bears fishingBrown bears at Brooks Falls, AK. fishing for salmon with one leaping up the waterfall.
6. Everyone loves a baby or a family scene. Plan your trips around the time of year young can be anticipated. This generally means spring in the US but the opposite for Africa. For example on the Serengeti most of the wildebeest calves are born during a three week period, usually the beginning of February. The lioness will share the task of raising young with her sisters and multiple sets of cubs may be seen at the same time especially during our fall in Kenya. Mother and ChildThomson's Gazelle mom and child. Kenya. Cubs with MomLion Cubs with a lionese taking a walk.

1. Remember the three basics to getting a good shot: SAS – concentrate on the SUBJECT then see how you can draw ATTENTION to that subject then SIMPLIFY by making sure nothing is in the shot that will distract. Avoid having the horizon dead center, remember the rule of thirds and look for leading lines which will draw the eye into the photo. Good Harbor BeachGood Harbor Beach
2. Exposure challenges with snow: The modern digital camera has a very accurate matrix or evaluative through the lens meter (TTL) that measures the light reflected back adjusts for average luminance (50% lightness or middle grey). Therefore snow may meter too bright if it is a large part of your image. The camera exposure in aperture priority or shutter priority may then compensate and make the snow more light grey. You want the snow to be pure white and slightly overexposed.  The color balance may appear blue tinged (will suggest the cold but may be not what you want). Therefore when shooting in aperture exposure mode, add +1/3 to 2/3 exposure compensation if needed and perform an in camera White Balance for the most accurate color or just use a Cloudy white balance to warm up the Blue if desired. Avoid Auto White Balance.
3. Cold protection: Remember to dress in layers, wear hi tech snow boots, a hat, and gloves made for cross country skiing or, if planning an all-day shoot, use ice climbing gloves. Keep your spare batteries warm in an inner pocket of your snow jacket and pack plenty of them, since the cold will discharge batteries much quicker. Avoid breathing on your lens. Breathe through your mouth to avoid getting condensation on your viewfinder. When going from a warm to cool place or the reverse, protect your camera and lens with a sealed plastic bag lined with a white towel inside to absorb the condensation. This may take a few hours. Keep the gear in your car when working covered with a white towel when out of the bag. Choose a memory card suited to extreme temperatures. Avoid changing lenses in winter weather. _-7
4. Great Skies: In the winter, dawn and dusk still add wonderful color and mystery to your photos. Grey skies can add drama. Plan on shooting during a snow storm or right after one for the most mystery and controllable light. Avoid full sun or mixed and dappled light for a landscape with snow. Niles Beach in winterNiles Beach
5. Remember foreground, mid ground and background elements: Zoom out or stand back to look for foreground elements to balance out the photo and add interest or flow to the rest of the image. _-5

1. Wrong focus point:  Focus on the eyes or the eye closest to the camera. For head and shoulder shots, eyes should be in the top 1/3rd of the view. Eyes are the window to the soul and give the portrait life! Also position the camera at the same level as their eye line or slightly below. If they are too tall, have them sit or you can move further away and zoom in. This is essential for children and pets as well. If doing a group photo, keep everyone in the same plane (equal distance from the camera) to give you more option in the choice of aperture (f/stop) and still keep everyone in focus. This concept is also important for macro photography. Lonesome CowboyDude rancher
2. Lack of attention to the Background: Unless you are doing an environmental portrait where the background helps tell the story, pay attention to the background to avoid distracting from your picture. Distance from the background is important (greater is better- as much as 10 feet if possible) as well as adjusting the depth of field to blur the background (create Bokeh by using a wide open aperture such as 1.4 or 2.8 - remember proper focus will be even more important). Or get closer and have the subject fill the frame. 20090727_Kurzweil_Girls with lite_557
3. Using the wrong lens: Again, unless using a wide angle lens close to the subject to capture the environment as above, avoid wide angle lenses since they distort (such as making the nose more prominent). Stepping away from the subject and use a telephoto lens such as 200-300 mm is the most flattering and is used by fashion photographers. Some portrait photographers favor the 85 mm prime lenses (with FX - or full format cameras) or 100 mm macro (if a DX format - digital cropped camera) but most prefer a focal length from 120 to 200 mm.
4. Taking boring, routine portraits: Get to know your subject before you start shooting. Ask them to bring a prop from their hobbies or profession, or just something that is important to them. An interesting location or great textured wall or background may be another option to consider. Turn the camera and shoot vertical (portrait orientation). A simple flower, fruit or favorite hat may help bring out the soul of the person and enliven them and thus the picture. Change perspective or add a slant; mix up your style; try something new. Cowboycowboy from a dude ranch in Arizona done in sepia. The Artistcolorful female artist with paint brush and canvas. Remember your goal is to bring out their personality and character.
5. Poor posing techniques: Most people are intimidated by being in front of the camera, so make them feel comfortable first by just chatting. Guide them into some attractive natural appearing poses and avoid having them sit squarely facing the camera. Good posture is always important. Start with having them facing 45 degrees away from the camera and then have them turn their head to face the camera. (45 degrees is a good angle to remember)  Another is to sit sideways in a chair with the legs angled.  Watch the position of their Impyoung girl in B&W feet and hands. Fish shopkeeperItalian fish shop on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx
6. Poor lighting: Choice of light will enhance or soften features, so this is another crucial aspect. Avoid outside locations on a sunny day unless early morning or dusk or just look for shady spots. Cloudy days are more forgiving. If using flash, all your portraits will be vastly improved by taking the flash off the camera and positioning the flash or any light source to one side at around 45 degrees and slightly above the subject pointing downward like the sun. Window light (with sheer fabric or frosted shower curtain softening it if it is a bright sunny day) should also come from around 45 degrees from your subject so that light can illuminate while shadows define. If they are facing the window directly, light will be flat which may be useful to soften wrinkles. Beauty light is similar with a piece of white foam core or fabric held at any angle below the frame of your picture and angled upward towards the chin, to eliminate harsh shadows or soften them. DreamingOlder woman dreaming of leaving this picture for her daughter. Nude Matured series. Expectation_011

1. Solarization or polarization effect – Sabatier effect-  with Photoshop and a curve adjustment level to create a colorful background for my “Motherhood” image of a pregnant zebra mare with young zebra from my first trip to Africa. The zebras were masked to exclude the effect on them. This effect was popularized by the surrealist photographer Man Ray in the early twentieth center. This occurred when his darkroom assistant accidentally turned the light on while a print was in the developer causing a partial reversal of the tones in the image. Using a Photoshop curve adjustment level with an inverted V and the other adjustments OR use a duplicated image and blend with the Difference mode can also work. I do not think PS filters work as well. Different images react in different ways, so experiment.  MotherhoodPregnant Zebra mare nursing with colorful solarized background.
2. Digital Infrared (or Infra Red) photography – with my old Nikon D2 converted to an IR camera by LifePixel which they did by removing the IR blocking (hot mirror) filter in front of the sensor and replacing it with a filter that removes visible light. (These conversions work best on older cameras).  I had a color IR conversion done, so I need to convert my images to B&W or reverse the channels so the sky remains blue and ground is red-orange. I prefer B&W. This “Woods effect” is caused mainly by foliage that strongly reflects so that it appears white while the Sky appears dark black. Focus is less sharp. Landscapes work best. People appear soft and veins become prominent.  Path to nowhereWinding path along a pond with weeping willows and other trees done with infrared as a B&amp;W.
3. Light Painting a Landscape or Structure at Night – using long exposures, prefocusing then switch to manual focus, tripod, remote shutter trigger and then lighting part of the subject during the exposure (flashlight or multiple on the flash itself triggering of the flash). This photo was taken late at night during a light drizzle, no other light source anywhere near the scene and total cloud cover. I was surprised to see stairs when I reviewed my images later. Shutter Speed 30 seconds, but longer SS usually needed, f/8 and ISO 400 are starting guidelines. If very long exposures are anticipated, use a higher ISO to freeze the stars. My exposure for this picture was Shutter Speed of 5 seconds (which really is duration), Aperture of f/2.8, ISO 200, 0 EV. Lots of trial and error. Remember to choose a setting with minimal if any available light. Bring a headlamp for setup, but then need to turn it off. The first to try this was Pablo Picasso. Again, experiment and always have fun!  Night at Croton DamLight painted bridge over a dam or waterfall with nighttime sky with clouds and stars revealed.
4. HDR – I am not a big fan of HDL but some images with a wide range of light benefit from HDR. My newer Nikon camera can now do this in camera but requires a switch to jpeg format first. Photoshop as well as other vendors speed the post processing. Enough said. Lots to read if you are interested. May work even better on your B&W images.  Buddha
5. B&W landscapes – photographed in color and then converted to B&W. Today, there are so many ways to convert to B&W but I usually use Nik Silver Effex Pro recently. This is an individual choice. Shoot in Raw format and look for lines, shadows, shapes and patterns as well as side lighting to enhance texture. Remember to keep the wide tonal contrast range with a black point for some pure black and white point as well as varying tones of grey.  Gathering Storm, YosemiteTunnel View in Yosemite with winter storm and mist looming in B&W.

Once Upon a Time

Were were all invit...

By Judith Monteferrante

Book Preview

 

The link to the book preview to "Once Upon a Time, We were invited to a Castle"  Lismore Castle in Ireland. Take a look! Full preview available.

September High Five Photo Tips:

1. Ideally travel light: one body (unless you have the room for a spare), enough memory cards, and a lightweight monopod. My favorite is a roller camera bag. Remember you need to protect against heat, cold, sand and moisture. Extra trash bags come in handy. I don’t like to carry extra weight, and would rather walk around just with the camera and lens for freedom, and leave all the extras in the hotel or car.Ballroom Gathering, Lismore Castle

  2. Travel opens up a wide scope of genres for the avid photographer to explore, and choice of lens or lenses is important. If you can select one glass, opt for a fast zoom such as an 18-200mm DX or 28-300mm FX etc. Sometimes you’ll find the focal point far off in the distance, but other times it could be right under your nose, as such a variable focal length lens that starts with a healthy wide angle and follows through to telephoto is ideal. If you have extra room or would prefer a wider choice consider: a portrait prime lens (e.g. 50mm or 85mm), a wide angle lens or fisheye (e.g. 10-24mm) and a telephoto (e.g. 70-200mm or 80-400mm).Lismore Castle

3.  Shooting in RAW will offer the greatest flexibility on your return and highest resolution files. It is best to download your images to a laptop or photo storage device every night which will also allow a quick review to make sure all your settings are ok. When you go off shooting, take twice the amount of cards/capacity with you than you would expect to need as well as spare batteries, lens cleaners and a towel if it rains to dry your camera and a pillow case to protect your camera from sand if needed.Ireland in the Summer

4.  Each night, after a busy day with your camera, take the time to add keywords and locations of places, people and activities featured in your photos while still fresh in your memory.Candlelite Dinning

5. In choice tourist destinations, it can be difficult thinking of novel ways to shoot recognizable landmarks and sight-seeing subjects. I prefer to focus on originality and plan for a story I want to tell. My Lismore Castle Book is one such example. This helps me plan what shots I took each day, remembering to get the long views at different times of the day, macro and detail shots and enough people and location shots to anchor the story. Take a look at the book preview on the link above to see what I mean.Lismore Castle at Night

1. The Spot Removal brush - which is really an advanced healing brush - has been greatly improved and works more like the content aware healing brush in Photoshop. You can paint over the entire defect in a continuous motion and then even adjust the correction source. Terrific! On the bottom of the picture, you can check visualize spots: then adjust the size to help locate spots by edge detection on smooth surfaces, the sky, dust on tables, etc. Very helpful. See example below.
2. The Graduated Filter has always been one of my favorite additions to Lightroom. Now there is an additional Radial Filter,  that gives more control to global and localized adjustments such as off center vignettes and adding highlights, which is an improvement over the Adjustment Brush tool. See below.

Candle snuffed Candle snuffed edited Visualize spot tool

3. Perspective can now be fixed with vertical correction and also level to correct the horizon easily with the new Upright Tool. In the Lens Correction module>Basic - check Enable Profile Corrections (don’t check remove chromatic aberration) and check auto, level, vertical or full depending on the image. If not enough and you need more control, select Manual on the top bar.

4. If you would like to work on your files on a laptop (such as after a shoot while traveling) or on a work computer without the original Hard Drive connected, you can create Smart Previews (at time of download or after) that will allow you to work in the Develop module without the original images. These are 20% of the size of your original files and allow for faster downloads and then you need to create only standard previews. When you re-link to your hard drive, it will update your original files and connect them with your develop or metatadata updates keeping the smart preview and the original.

Orchid Duet 1

5. Some additional Notes: Negative Sharpness reduces apparent depth of field while negative clarity creates softening. Audio and video can now easily be added to slideshows, even on a PC. And the best part, all your settings and presets from the prior version are remembered. On MAC however make sure you check - store presets with catalog. Plus the Book module has been greatly improved. Great! Lightroom 5 is priced at $149 as a standalone purchase, with upgrading pricing of $79 available to current Lightroom users. Subscribers to Adobe's Creative Cloud service will also receive access to Lightroom 5 with their memberships.

EPV0061_edit_untitled_89

-20081114_Kurzweil_219_edit_33

Nudes_Barbara B-261

2. A great portrait does not always need the face - add mystery. Less may be more!

CrotonRSworkshop_0411

3. Props or the environment are often an important part of the portrait. This includes clothing. Be aware of everything!

20090126_McNallyModelShoot_209

4. Look for a plain or simple background. Avoid distracting the eye with a busy background or an over-bright sky. You may need to move your subject. Sometimes standing a bit further away and zooming in to throw the background out of focus will be needed for a background to be less distracting and make your subject stand out easily.

20090727_Kurzweil_Girls with lite_557

5. Be aware of various skin tones and preset your White Balance to a neutral target (custom white balance (WB) with a white or grey WB card or by shooting a color checker WB card to correct later.

20081012_portraits_082-60

1. Taking pictures in the Golden Hour around sunrise and sunset.  Requires more stamina and early to wake and late to dinner, but the light is gorgeous and an accepted rule for professional nature photographers.  Mid day is a challenge but the shadows create magical contrast and quiet more intimate scenes. There are lots of ways to counter the harsh light, but that is for another blog posting.  This is also a great time to shoot with an infrared converted camera. Always have your camera at hand, any time of day.Arabian Horse 2. Rule of Thirds.  This is a good start but not the only guideline for composition. It is essential however to not place the horizon line in mid image.  That is a snapshot, not a photograph. Avoid fly by shooting, where thought is not required. Slow down. Move and reposition. Backlite Whales These Orca whales divide the scene but the dramatic back lighting and reflections overcome that restraint. These tomatoes are another example.Tomatoes at the market

3. Trust your TTL (Through the Lens) camera metering. Metering is set to put mid gray in the middle of the tonal range. Therefore, if your image is mainly white, this will be metered as mid gray. Thus, the resultant image will be midtoned and the snow, grey and not white.  For a largely white scene such as a snow scape or fog scene, when shooting in aperture priority, add +1 or more exposure comp. _-2 Winter shaddows

4. All photos should have a bell shaped histogram and thus average.  Wrong. Every image should have its own shaped histogram depending on the tones in the image. A purely black and white zebra, will only have tones at both ends of the scales.  An image with dark to mid tones, like this cabbage and pepper abstract, will have a left shifted curve. There is NO NORMAL.Red Cabbage 2 Histogram

5. Always shoot with the sun to your back.  Most of the above images prove that wrong and boring. Nothing is as magical as back light and as revealing of texture as side light. Move and explore the potential of light.The Lion Queen

1. Tell a Story or Create a Mood or Feeling– What is the reason or objective for this still life? Why am I doing this?  Create a plot first. Warm or cool will help set the mood. Create tension or a relationship. Never forget - what is the center of interest? Is it evident? Do you want to emulate realism, abstraction, cubism, expressionism, impressionism? End of Day
2. Lighting - You will need to decide on whether you want to use window light, candle light, tungsten light or utilize strobe light such as studio strobes or flash. Diffuse this light with fabric, tracing paper, frosted shower curtain or with bigger lights -  soft boxes or translucent umbrellas. Light and shade are key. Keep light from one direction (like the sun).
3. Composition – This is not a landscape! Express your point of view. Horizontal is peaceful and suggests movement while diagonals suggest conflict. Differential in height is important and a triangular shape to the object in positioning with triangular movement is one way to go. Curved and circular motion is another possibility.  Remember to consider negative and positive space. Lost and found edges will help set a mood. Soft v. hard edges will help establish a relationship in that sharp edges bring out outlines and contrast while soft edges will help enhance these sharp edge effects. Texture is another element to consider – rough, smooth, even, uneven. Remember to simply!Circular Motion in Orange
4. Materials and their arrangement – From choosing the background such as a home setting, canvas or other cloth or paper material to the objects you will display and their relationships. Surface qualities such as polished wood or acrylic will enhance reflections, while old wood or tumbled marble will not. Shapes, size and placement such as facing or overlapping, will exhibit a dramatic effect. Odd or even number of objects? Color, dark or light, tall or short, with a pattern or plain, straight or curved, large or small among other qualities, will have great effect. Remember, you are in control and the artist.Peach Halves
5. Traditional v. Contemporary – Traditional still life is horizontal. In times past, homes had high and small windows and artists preferred the light falling from the left. Use only one light source to mimic this traditional look. White foam core can help fill in and soften the shadows. Alter the perspective. The impressionist artist often kept the tabletop skewed._-2

2. Learn to use your flash off camera and as fill light. Even in broad daylight, flash can improve your photography greatly. In mid-day sun, for shallow depth of field use your Auto Hi Speed FP flash settings (with minus 1 to 2 flash exposure comp) on you camera for Nikon or on the flash for Canon to allow bursts of flash despite the full sun without overexposing. If this seems daunting, sign up for my Creative Lighting course this February at North Shore Community College!  Info below.Monteferrante_J_State Fishing Pier_Glouc (1 of 1)
3. Don’t be afraid of the rain or foul weather. Shooting right after the rain can add reflections in puddles and any wet surfaces that can enhance the image. Stormy clouds create extra interest.Monteferrante_J_Good Harbor in Rain (1 of 1)
4. Wake up earlier to get morning light – right before and for about an hour after sunrise.  And/or eat later and shoot the hour before and after sunset.  However, don’t just shoot the sunset, but the scene behind you that the magical sunset is lighting! Monteferrante_J_Good Harbor in Rain and Fog (1 of 1)
5. Citiscapes with deep blue skies after the sunset (for about an hour) is a great time to shoot city lights at night.Monteferrante_J_NYC (1 of 1)

NEWS ON COURSES I am teaching:   

1. Creative Lighting Photography  

with Judith Monteferrante - at North Shore Community College, Danvers, MA

Four Tuesday evenings in February, 2013 (Feb 5 through 26th) 

For complete information, click on the link in blue above, go to the blue "Search" column on the left, click on "Instructor" and choose Judith Monteferrante.  

Sign up now.

2. Boston Camera Club - Creative Available Light - any light that is available. March 19, 2013 at 6 pm.  Parish House of All Saints Parish Church, 1773 Beacon Street, Brookline, Massachusetts.  Join the Boston Camera Club for monthly educational sessions.

Some subjects actually work better on cloudy days. For animals and people, cloudy weather softens the light and overcomes the problem of your subject squinting into the light. In the forest, overcast skies prevent the heavy contrast that is a problem on sunny days.

Paddling Home

2. Landscape photos: create a more interesting composition. Many photos can be made more interesting not by zooming right in on the subject, but by zooming out, or standing further back to capture more of the surroundings. The important thing is to use make sure you use the surroundings to add impact to the picture.Gathering Storm, Yosemite

3. Sunset and Sunrise. Everyone loves taking sunset (and sunrise) photos. A brilliant sunset sky can make a great photo, but you can make it even better by looking for a good subject in the foreground. The key is to find something that stands out against the sky, with an outline people can recognize; a tree, a windmill, even a row of power poles. The subject does not have to dominate the photo; in fact it is probably best if it only takes up about ten percent of the composition so that the sky remains the starring attraction. But if you can create a striking silhouette, you will immediately add character to your sunset photograph.

4. Animals (And People). Portrait style photos are usually spoiled by a distracting background. When you take a photo of a friend, a pet, or an animal, you don’t want the surroundings to take attention away from the subject.

So here’s the trick. Don’t stand close to your subject and take the photo with a regular or wide-angle lens. Stand further back and zoom in with your largest lens magnification. This will have two results. First, it will reduce the area behind and around the subject that is visible in the photo. Second, it will minimize the depth of field, which means only your subject should be in focus. Anything in front or behind the subject will be out of focus, and will not cause a distraction.Lilac Breasted Roller

5. Concentrate. Sometimes all it takes to make a photo a success is to move a little to the left or right, or zoom in or out just a little more. If you just point the camera in the general direction of the subject without thinking about what you are doing, your results will not improve. If you slow down and really examine what you can see in the viewfinder before you press the button, your success rate will improve. Simple things to look out for include; trees and power-poles appearing to grow out of the head of the subject (move yourself or the subject to a better position); litter on the ground (pick it up); aircraft or distracting clouds in the sky (wait for them to pass by); blurry branches on a windy day (wait for conditions to settle for a moment). All these things and more can ruin a photo, and they can all be remedied by taking a good look to make sure your picture has captured everything you want, and nothing you don’t want. Atmosphere and weather is so important!AR-372

Tips from Andrew Goodall. Thanks!  Photos are mine. We can all learn from others. Follow my tweets for lots of great learning links.https://twitter.com/drjmonte

Solitary Sailboat

Tom

Swirl

5. Shoot daily. Everyone is now a photographer and recent poll said 1 out of 125 adults say they are visual artists. Really???  Hard to believe. So what you do need to set yourself apart? Read, attend workshops, practice! Keep experimenting.

1. Photograph the Weather! Often best right before or just after the storm.

   Nor'easter Storm

2. Keep it simple but not too simple.  You do need a point of interest. Slow down, look and think. A tripod often helps - more then just providing a stable platform.   
3. Be creative with Pet photography.  It is always raining cats and dogs, so take advantage. Get Down to their eye level. Create action shots by hold treats such as peanut butter or store bought treats. Horses will perk up there ears if you crinkle paper. Experiment! 
4. Think! Plan and Create.  Forget drive by shooting.  

   Beacon Marine Gold

5. Explore the water and night sky. Summer is the perfect time to get out and expand your horizons. Get out of the box. Think and Dream. Thus, create. 

Alec Soth

1. • 1
     Understand the art photography process. A photographer achieves a compelling shot by shooting an engaging subject using proper lighting in the best environment. The photographer then creates either a photographic print or a digital photographic print.
   • 2
     Establish price guidelines for your collection. Decide whether to collect fewer, more valuable pieces or develop a larger collection of less-expensive pieces. Your interest in subject matter or specific artist may help to set this level. More established artists' work will demand a larger investment.
   • 3
     Choose a style or photographer. Many collectors of fine art photography are drawn to a specific subject or the style of a certain photographer. Once you find a piece that you're interested in, ask the photographer about the photograph. Ask if there's a story behind it, or what connected the artist to the subject at that moment. Sometimes you're fortunate enough to speak with the artist one-on-one. At other times, you'll need to depend on phone calls or e-mails. Knowing more about the piece will give it value to you--both personally and financially.
   • 4
     Choose which piece to invest in, and make the purchase.
   • 5
     Care for your art.  Place your prints in a frame that has museum glass.  Use a acid free mat for protection and to enhance the presentation.
   • 6
     Add more pieces over time at a rate that your budget can tolerate.