Photography Tips  

Jim is an award winning professional photographer, a certified Photoshop expert, a regular contributer to Apogee Photo magazine AND a full-time cruiser.

He shares his expertise on the Cruiseheimers Tech Net.  Jim occasionally conducts spontaneous photo walks and workshops at an anchorage near you.  

Visit Jimages  Jim Austin Photography and Jimages Digital 
.

The secret behind great pictures.

1. Just a few colors that compliment or contrast each other.

2.  It portrays a message. i.e. "How beautiful!" 


3.  Tells a story.

4.  Contains just a few picture elements.


5.  Leaves you questioning or wondering is it complete?
     "What else could be there too?"

6.  Has unusual juxtaposition.

7.  Gives you a reason to look at it over and over again.

8.  Good lighting makes great tones.
     Morning or evening light is best.

9.  Triggers a memory. Creates an association.

COMPOSITION
It's best to keep your subject off-center. Use the tic tac toe grid pattern in the frame if your camera has this setting. If not, imagine such a grid, as depicted here.

You find four intersections. The best place for your subject of interest is the intersection at the lower left, followed by the upper left, lower right and the last choice would be the upper right. This works for vertical shots too.

Query: What is Composition?
Jim: It means where your subject sits within your picture. The balance of space.
Query: Where is this grid setting?
Jim: Most cameras don't have it. You must use your imagination. Comment:
You can also use cropping afterward. (Scaramouche)

Lock the camera focus on your subject, then move the camera slightly. This will keep your subject in focus while off-center, and creates a softer background.

Place your subject off to the side and bring it to life by moving it to size.

Visit Jim's Flickr Gallery for even more composition help and examples.

Depth of Field
Set F-stop to a higher number.  16-22 is recommended.
Point and Shoot cameras should use landscape mode.
For a fun "test drive" visit Camerasim to experiment with different depth of field settings.

EXPOSURE
If subject is too dark, let more light into the camera.  Use the exposure compensation setting and bump it up by +1.

Use a fill flash to fill in shadows. A fill flash is not as powerful as a full flash. Find fill or forced flash settings on menu options.  A fill flash will bring out colors.

GOLDEN HOUR
This is the hour starting at sunrise, and the hour preceding sunset. These times give landscapes nice varied colors.  It's also good for portraits due to the soft side lighting.

INTEREST
Slow down and let go.  Look for small details when you are in the field searching for a sweeping landscape.  Look down for small detail shots and small intricate abstract patterns right under your feet.  Sit down while paying attention to small details.  Let go of finding what you think you set out to photograph.
Change your POV.  When you photograph, change your Point of View. We always see the world from our own perspective, from eye level. Change this.  Make photographs from a dog's perspective, a frog's perspective, or a butterfly's eye view. Photograph from the end of your forward berth, or from the bottom of your dinghy.

LIGHT
In bright sun, the underside of clouds are blue. Skin tones are red. This light makes them weird. Investigate the white balance setting to compensate.  Use white paper outdoors in the sun. If photos are in the shade, balance with the paper in the shade.

Learn to love the overcast days of Fall.  They have lower contrast.  On a sunny day the difference between shadows and harsh sunlight at noon is hard to handle for most digital cameras.  The soft, diffuse light of an overcast day is your friend.

ZOOM
Query: How to use the zoom effectively?
Jim: Back off of the digital zoom, or if you do use it, do so with a tripod.  Use optical zoom for best results. 

CRITTERS
Dolphins: When photographing dolphins, use very fast settings, such as 1/1500.
Lizards: Take the picture from their level with the sunlight coming in from the side.
Lobsters: To get some scale on it, include a loved one or a pet.

FIREWORKS
For fireworks use the camera's fireworks setting which opens the shutter for a long exposure.  If you don't have a fireworks setting, turn off the flash, close the aperture to the smallest (F number the largest), set the camera to aperture priority, and allow the camera to pick the long exposure.

flowers
Place flowers near the corners, off center.  Use a manual focus on the flower and the background will be blurry and soft.  A small aperture will make the image of the flower sharper.  Have some contrasting color in the background.

FLOWING WATER
Use a slow shutter speed, 1/115 or look in your menu settings to look for this option.

Group Shots
Don't just line them up. Change perspective. Move in close. Be creative. Be a picture director.

LANDSCAPES
Add a person to your landscape photo to provide scale.

MOON (Shooting the Moon)
Moon pictures turning out overly white and blurry is typical.  You don't need a tripod.  Use a faster speed of 1/125th and also F-11.

If using a point and shoot camera, use the landscape mode.  Shoot as if it's a bright sunny day.

PANORAMAS
After taking a series of three pictures, from left to right, with an overlap of 1/2 or 1/3, use photo software to stitch them together and crop.  HP printer software, Photoshop, or Photo Elements are all good programs to use.
Query: How to work with points of light on the horizon?
Jim: The software should match them up properly. Try to keep the sun behind you. Use more overlap while taking the pictures.

PORTRAITS
Take portraits at eye level.  Avoid under exposure.

Take three pictures of your subject
using -1, 0, then +1 settings on exposure compensation.
You'll get one good picture in three.
This is helpful when light suddenly changes outdoors.  You may want to under expose in extreme bright light only.  The purpose is to expand the dynamic range.

SEASCAPES
Remember to keep water lines horizontal.  If you take an image of a lake or the sea, make sure to keep the horizon level.  Even a slight skew of half a degree will make the viewer feel uncomfortable with the picture.
Add color to the foreground of blue water scenes. Add green or foliage for added interest and depth.

UNDERWATER OBJECTS
Query: What can be done about glare on the water's surface?
Jim: Use a circular polarizing filter, set your camera to overexpose, and having the sun behind you or directly overhead will reduce glare on the water.


HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR CATCH
1. Move into the shade.  Full sun will blow out the colors.
2. Use your fill-flash to even up the shade and bring out the color and reduce sharp contrast.
3. Position yourself at eye level of either the catch or the person holding it. and turn your camera vertical.
4. Include the fisherman's hands.

Comments:
Hold the fish at arms length to increase it's visual size. (Cat Tales)
Hold the fish out toward the camera and focus on the catch. This will soften the fisherman. (St Jude)
Use the wide angle setting to enhance the foreground.


HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH THE SPACE SHUTTLE
3-2-1 LIFTOFF
3.  Get the longest lens you can find, even longer than 300 mm if you can.  If not, you can get great images of the fire trail.

2.  Set your camera to continuous shooting mode, and keep the shutter release button down.

1.  After the shuttle is gone, get great pictures of just the cloud formations, as we've all seen in photos of the shuttle, but not necessarily a beautiful one of the rippled cloud tail the shuttle leaves behind.


Photo shoot SUGGESTIONS
Take a photo of someone you love.
Photograph something you pass every day.

Ever wonder what those camera modes mean?  

Manual
Manual gives you full control.  You have to think about aperture, speed, ISO, white balance, and flash. This mode has maximum flexibility.  

MACRO MODE 
The symbol looks like a flower on most cameras and is used for close-ups or macros. Use it to get in very close to your subject. You can also use zoom with the macro setting. This allows you to capture detail on very small objects. Use a tripod or a very steady hand.  Some cameras use telephoto. Suggested subjects include flowers and insects.

Query: How close should the lens be from the subject?
Jim: Six to twelve inches. Try a test shot.

Query: Should I use a flash?
Jim: Yes. But cut the flash power down one of two ways:
1. Put a piece of white paper over the flash to soften the light.
2. Change the flash exposure compensation through the internal menu.

NIGHT MODE
The symbol for this usually includes a moon of some description. When using night mode, the camera tries to create a little flash and to manage the focus. It works well in low-light situations like capturing indoor decorated Christmas trees, etc.

PORTRAIT MODE
The symbol for this usually looks like a person's head. It's used for taking photos of a person. This mode gives a softening to the face. It automatically uses a wider F stop, which makes a soft blurry background.

Query: What about cameras with 'smile finders'?
Jim: A face detector is a nice feature and it's fun to use, but look for other useful features when purchasing a new camera, such as lens quality, etc.

TRACKING MODE
When taking photos of dolphins or other moving objects, use the tracking mode.  This puts the camera in a continuous auto focus.  Use single auto focus for stationary objects or reset the lens. Check the contacts on a removable lens if not cooperating.

Want more information?
Camera Modes explained here, in an article by Darren Rowse.

L   Look for light.  Use natural light.  Move your subject into good light.
A   ASA 800.  Boost it to 800. This makes the camera more sensitive to light.
S   Support.  Support the camera with both hands. Lean your body against something solid.
T   Tripod.  Use a tripod to keep the camera steady for sharper pictures.

CREATE FADED BLURRY BACKGROUNDS
Use the telephoto setting on your subject and it will throw the background into a nice soft blur.

Store your camera in a plastic bag with silica gel.
Query: Where can I find a good source for silica gel?
Jim: Use blue cat litter found at pet stores.  It's mostly silica.

When deciding which camera to purchase, don't use the quantity of mega pixels as a factor, but pay attention to the quality of the photos.


POINT AND SHOOT CAMERAS - JIM'S TOP PICKS FOR 2010

• Canon Power Shot S95
• Pentax Optio
• Casio Exilim

UNDERWATER CAMERAS - JIM'S TOP PICKS FOR 2011
SeaLife Mini  It's rubber armor and easy operation would make it fun on your boat too.  It even takes AAA alkaline batteries.  More information.

REVOLUTIONARY
Lytro a Lightfield camera.  "The only camera that captures life in living pictures."  It's a whole new technology using light waves to process images.  Mouse over the images to bring different parts of it into focus.  Must see.

CLEAN YOUR PRINTER
Get best results from your printer by cleaning the print heads with the printer's built in software program.
Comment: Cleaning can also be done with Q tips and alcohol. (St Jude)

PAPER CHOICE
Use printer setup options for paper. Choose the type of paper you're actually using and the printer will use just the right amount of ink for the paper. It avoids over or under inking.

Query: What paper is best to use?
Jim: Glossy archival is best for long term storage.  Regular #20 bond is good, but colors will fade within a year.

Recommended Printing Services
If you'd rather have your photos professionally processed:
Costco Photo Center
Kodak Gallery - matte or glossy surfaces.
Shutterfly - order online.
Snapfish - order online; some freebies too.
Walgreen - can pick up in person, or have them mailed.

Average time from upload to in your hands is about 5 days.

(also printers in tech net section)

Query: What's a good software program to create slide shows?
Jim: Lightroom3 from Adobe.  And Windows Movie Maker is excellent for working with videos; this comes bundled with Windows.

Photoshop Elements is excellent software.  It provides all of the tools you'll want or need for working with your digital photos.
Cost is reasonable.

FYI: Gimp is a program similar to Photoshop.  It's free to download. (C_Language)

LOADING
Leave your card in the camera and use the cable to download pictures to your computer. This prevents loss of the card and/or data, and keeps the card in good condition.
Comment:
This idea really works. (Scaramouche)

Query: I've heard there's a type of card that eliminates the need for a cable. Is that correct?
Jim: That's right.  It has bluetooth built into it.  Have a look at Eye-Fi.

Use high quality compact flash/memory cards.  I recommend Hoodman and SanDisk brands.
Comment:
SanDisk cards have been our choice too. (Zephyr)

RESIZING
Before emailing a photo, crop it down to 640x480 pixels. This makes it easier to send and easier for your recipient to download or view.

On Win7 this process is simple.  Right clicking the photo brings up a menu.  Choose a size, choose your recipient, send.

An image size saved at 6x8" will work on all screens.  Save at 1024 x768 pixels at 96 pixels per inch.

Query: Will this work for Winlink?
Jim: Keep the size even smaller at or less than 100k or 1"x1".
Comments:
Use 75 or 80k. (Alcid)
Nikon View (software) has a built in e-mail size option.
Use JASC Studios* software for this. Be sure to save as a copy to preserve the original. (Bees Knees)
[*note JASC is now integrated into the Corel family of software products.]

Bigger
If you have no program that will resize your photos, the Smila Image Enlarger program will make 8x10s or 16x20s even larger for very high quality printing.  Free; open source.

Smaller
Win 7 uses Windows Live to reduce photo size. It's built into Win 7. 
Image Resizer is another program with rave reviews.  Free.

Gimp is always free. Open source.

E-MAIL ATTACHMENTS
Issue: Some pictures that come in through e-mail are huge; some as much as 3 megs. Connection speed can be problematic.
Jim: Use settings on your e-mail program to see if there's a way to read the mail without downloading attachments.  Also talk with the senders and ask them to reduce the photo size before sending them to you.
Comments:
Have family and friends post their pictures online so you can see them when you have a strong signal. (C_Language)

BACK UP
Back up your photos often.  Duplicate everything and place it on an external drive.  A terabyte drive is perfect.  Back up in advance rather than scrambling to recover from a crash.
Comments:
A CD will only reliably last about five years.  They will un-sandwich themselves eventually. (Dyad)
If you have an old computer that died from power supply failure, use the old hard drive in a new case for back up. (St Jude)

SCANNING
Recommend Scan Cafe for professional scanning. Send them slides, negatives, prints. You'll get excellent results.  
Query: Will they clean up the material as they scan?
Jim: Yes. They remove scratches, dust etc. They also offer a service just for cleaning.

Filters
A Polarizer will make water and sky bluer with less glare.  These are relatively inexpensive.  Polarizers are also made for some point and shoot cameras.  If not, get one and duct tape it over your lens.
Comment:
It's the best purchase you can make for you camera. (St Jude)

A Sky Filter protects the lens and is color neutral.  Think of it as a mechanical "fender" for your lens.

CARDS
High quality SD cards are more reliable.  The brands I recommend are SanDisk and Hoodman.

FLASH DIFFUSER and TRIPOD in One
Two in one for all of ten cents.  Learn how to make one.

TRIPODS
Four choices:

1. Merlin Steadicam at $849.

2. Steadycam Counterweight. Build it yourself for $14. Videos and full instructions online.

3. GorillaPod.  A small inexpensive, flexible tripod.

4. THE TEN CENT TRIPOD.   Bentley, aboard Salty Paws, invented
a super lightweight tripod made from a discarded CD tower and some nuts and bolts.  It's great for photos inside museums and anywhere. Photos with instructions are at Jimages.
Comment:
A fishing pole waist belt works great with a Steadycam Counterweight. (Scaramouche)

Back up Systems
Good sources for terabyte external drives:
bhphotovideo.com 
Western Digital 

My Passport terabyte drive includes software that makes backing up easy.
 
CARE AND CLEANING

Use Dust Off, an air spray, on lenses and camera view finder.  It will also prevent dust from getting into the body.  Always use on the lens only, never use on the inside of the lens or sensor. Remember to spray the inside of the lens cap too.
Comment:
Kleenex facial tissues are soft and gentle and work well as a cleaning agent.  Air cleaning is preferred over something abrasive. Turn the camera upside down to help remove dust. Also clean connectors.  If the connectors are dirty, the auto-focus won't work properly. (Zephyr)

CREATIVE FUN

Make your own calendar online at Lulu.com.  This site has a lot to offer for turning your photos into tangible print.  Make photo books, e-books, and more.  These make nice personal gifts.
Get the kids involved too, they'll have a great time.

Super fun DIY photography at Photojojo. How to take Impromptu Street Portraits
is just one of many activities.


BigShot is an educational site where older kids learn how to build and use a camera.  

WORLD'S FIRST PHOTO
FYI: The very first photograph ever taken was in 1838 in Paris.

The first self portrait ever made. 1839.

World's First Digital Camera
"The first digital camera, 1975, was a camera that didn't use any film to capture still images..." 

World's largest stop-motion animation

The entertaining GULP video was created at the seashore using a Nokia cell phone.  Be sure to click the behind the scenes look at the end of the animation.
A must see!

Join Flickr. It's fun for amateurs and pros. Jim's Galleries and Photostream are found there too.  Have a look.  
Set up your own account in minutes.
.