Shooting Your Way to Financial Freedom

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Shooting Your Way to Financial Freedom

A Beginner’s Guide to Metering and Exposure

In photography, exposure is the amount of light allowed to enter the camera, thereby making the image brighter or darker depending on the exposure time. If the shutter is open too long, the picture becomes overexposed, and far too bright. On the other hand, if the shutter is too quick, not enough light enters the camera, leaving the image dark and unusable. Clearly, the amount of exposure is an important part of photography.

Fortunately, modern digital cameras make this much easier. By using a light meter, digital cameras can automatically fine-tune an image’s exposure, resulting in better pictures.
However, while the camera can determine the relative brightness or darkness in a photograph, sometimes it does not produce the image you had in mind. Fortunately, many cameras provide several metering options to help take that perfect picture.

The majority of photographs use average metering. This method simply uses the whole image to determine the exposure time, resulting in consistent brightness values throughout the image. Most of today’s camera’s use a more advanced method that breaks up the image into several sections, determines the best exposure for each, and then recombines them, resulting in a more detailed image. Depending on the camera, this may also be known as evaluative, matrix, multi-zone, or honeycomb metering.

For pictures with a greater focus on a single subject, centre-weighted metering may be a better option. In this mode, the camera is most sensitive to the centre of the image, and so giving it the most “weight,” or importance. This method still leaves the surroundings visible, which can give a nice balance to the picture. It can also be used to capture a silhouetted subject, by working harder to properly expose appropriate area. This is the second most commonly used metering method.

In some cases, such as wildlife photography or extremely backlit subjects, spot metering is very useful. In this mode, the camera will only expose a very small section of the photograph, usually 5% or less of the image, ignoring the rest. For instance, spot lighting is excellent for photographing the moon, as it will ignore the darkness of the surrounding space, showing much more detail. Most cameras will automatically focus on the centre of the viewfinder; however some may allow you to adjust the focal point.

Finally, some cameras may offer a partial metering option, which is essentially spot metering over a larger area, around 10% to 15% of the image. Use partial metering when the edges of the image would badly affect the lighting of your subject.

Using this information, you should now know which option will work best for you.

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POPVIEW Lex van Rossen Exhibition and Awards

An annual competition, award and exhibition which was set up to find and reward the best new European music photographer.

This year’s winner of the coveted Lex van Rossen Award and cash price of €2,500 is accomplished young Belgian photographer Tom Verbruggen. The accolade, which was awarded earlier in the year at The Eurosonic/Noorderslag Festival in Groningen, recognised Verbruggen’s talent for capturing impressive live silhouettes and atmospheric backstage portraits. In fact, his work is said to have reminded the judges of the great Dutch music photographer Anton Corbjin. These images along with the work of six commended finalists will be exhibited at Roundhouse, Camden from 2nd August until 10th September 2009.

Amongst the highlights on display in London, will be images taken by NME photographer Danny North, representing UK talent with his portfolio of shots on the road, at music festivals and in the studio. The work of other commended finalists include, the unobtrusive imagery of Belgian photographer Charlie de Keersmaecker; quirky journalistic shots taken by Dutch photographer Jordi Huisman and striking portraitures captured by Frenchman Julien Bourgeois. Also included are Finnish photographer Kalle Bjorklid’s riveting images of audience interaction and Danish photographer, Patrick Ryming’s documentation of the highs and lows of life on tour.

The European character of this award is underlined by the support of Rockarchive, the international collective for music photographers. Jill Furmanovsky, acclaimed rock photographer and founder of the archive, was invited to the Noordelicht Gallery in March to open the exhibition there and gave a talk about rock photography to delegates at the festival. She noted that “the standard at the PopView awards was awesome and inspiring. We had a lot of trouble picking just one winner”!

More…….

Editor’s Note

Tom Verbruggen – Winner of the Lex Van Rossen Award 2009

Gent-born Tom Verbruggen was 22 years old when he got my first SLR camera. He has experimented  with technique since then and has recently founded the Genthology and Antwology collective for music photographers. The idea behind these photographic archives is to capture and contribute to the local music scene by creating a chronicle of pictures online. His atmospheric imagery reminded the judges of the great music photographer Anton Corbjin.

Commended Finalists

Danny North

Danny North has been involved in the music business for a number of years – he played bass guitar in   various bands, got involved in gig promotion and even managed a band. It was whilst managing this band that he really started getting interested in photography. Within months, he was out shooting more than ever and at the start of 2006, he was approached by the NME and decided to turn professional. Since then, he has shot commissions for the The Guardian and The Independent and regularly shoots for the UK magazines Rock Sound and Front. In November 2007, he became the Kaiser Chiefs official tour photographer and has completed two extensive UK tours with them so far.

Kalle Björklid

Kalle Björklid is a 28-year old semi-professional music photographer from Finland. His main areas of interest are concerts and documentary photography and his work has been published in a number of Finnish newspapers, music magazines, books, CD leaflets and DVD covers. He also works as an independent artist and exhibits regularly. While Björklid has photographed major international artists in big arenas and stadiums, his true passion is taking photographs in small dark clubs and documenting bands with a cult following.

Julien Bourgeouis

Julien Bourgeois discovered the art of photography in a darkroom when he was studying painting at Art College. He instinctively knew that this was his natural medium and joined the National Superior School of Photography (ENSP) in Arles where he won the first prize of The Broncolor Award for his use of light. He now lives in Paris working for a freelance portrait photographer for the likes of Le Monde, Liberation, Les Inrockuptibles, Rock & Folk and has most recently been recruited to work for UK magazine Clash. He also works with music labels such as Tôt ou Tard, Asthmatic Kitty, Full Time Hobby and K Records.

Patrick Ryming

Danish photographer Patrick Ryming bought his first camera in 2001 and started taking photos of friends he knew in various bands. He was hired to do his first commercial photo-shoot in 2003 and moved to Copenhagen shortly afterwards to work as a freelance photographer for music magazines, record companies and bands. Patrick shoots all of his work on film, which he develops himself. His philosophy is to show his work the way it was shot in the camera. All his prints are shown in full-frame without any cropping and he does not retouch the shots.

Jordi Huisman

Photographer Jordi Huisman began his photography career in 2003 and quickly became a freelancer, working for small local newspapers and magazines. He studied at the Royal Academy for Visual Arts in The Hague, Netherlands but quit the studies in his 2nd year because he was so busy freelancing.  In 2006, he began working on a series about the hip hop duo Pete Philly & Perquisite. Since then, he has completed an internship at one of the biggest newspapers in the Netherlands, Het Parool.  He spent the early part of this year travelling through Japan working on a new project.

Charlie de Keersmaeker

Belgian photographer Charlie de Keersmaeker is a regular photographer for Focus Knack Magazine. He has chosen to defy the digital revolution and shoots with monochrome film.

About Lex van Rossen

The award is named after the famous Dutch music photographer Lex van Rossen, who unfortunately died at the age of 57 in February 2007. Lex worked for magazines and newspapers like OOR, NRC Handelsblad and Haarlems Dagblad and left an impressive archive of his images. He is considered to be one of the leading Dutch music photographers of his time. The PopView organisation, now in its second year, aims to try to provide a stimulus for young, European music photographers.

About Rockarchive

Following in the footsteps of the Magnum Picture Collective and inspired by the digital revolution, photographer Jill Furmanovsky registered a website called rockarchive.com in 1998. The idea behind it was to make her work and that of other rock photographers and visual artists, more accessible to fans and collectors. To launch this project, Jill selected 30 classic black and white images of major rock artists from her 30 year archive, to make into an edition of 30 darkroom prints. Edition 30/30/30 as it became known, was the first collection for an innovative and original project that now publishes more than 500 images by 50 photographers and art directors. The collective continues to grow and celebrated its 10th Anniversary in 1998.

Contacts

For further information /Use of images/Interviews

Evelyn Byrne evelyn[@]gmail.com ; Mob: + 353 86 1613 450

ENDS

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Important Notes on Astrophotography

Is it Important Mastering Basic Astronomy? Having sufficient astrophoto-graphy equipment is not enough for shooting session. The basic knowledge of astronomy about sky map, coordinate, and cons-tellation is needed to recog-nize the name, type and position of the objects. Understanding the sky map and coordinate system will give us information about when and where DSO entering view zone, the estimation of position, then followed by observation using telescope to find the exact position when it’s already on the view zone.

It is not difficult, the information of DSO position can be acquired by using sky map software available freely on internet and can be accessed from a desktop/laptop, PDA, or smartphone.

After we discover the DSO position, then we can start shooting. A catalog contained of DSO list and detailed information about the objects can be found easily. For instance, Messier Object catalog consisting of 110 objects, such as galaxy, cluster, and nebula with various position and magnitude level.

Constellation is the easiest guide for discovering objects, because commonly DSO position is connected with the constellation where the object can be found. For example, Orion Nebula (M42; Messier Object number 42) lies on Orion Constellation. How do we find Orion? Use a star map or star chart application, so we will find its position and configuration. Where is the Perfect Location for Shooting? As long as the sky is clear without cloud, the perfect place could be anywhere, provided that it is free from light pollution. Out town, countryside, hill top and so on can be used as the shooting location.

However, it doesn’t mean that the shooting can not be executed in the city. It can be executed by using a filter with the ability to minimize artificial light (street light, building light, etc). If you don’t use a filter, the process of eliminating light pollution can be done on the digital image processing. How do We Take the Photograph? The photographing process in astrophotography for DSO with low light intensity is different from a common photography.

The duration of shutter speed is longer (more than 10 seconds to tens minutes, even hours), with ISO more or equivalent to 400, and must be taken in more than one shot then combined it with the process of stacking and aligning using a software for astrophotography. Each shot is called as subframe or subs. The greater amount of subs then noise resulted during the stacking process and aligning will be lower, besides that it gives a greater data accumulation to increase the detail of DSO. Commonly, all of digital or analog SLR can be used for astrophotography with the additional adapter and cable shutter release for bulb.

Does It Need a Digital Image Processing? In astrophotography, digital image processing is something that can not be ignored. A photograph produced by camera still needs digital processing before beingshown. Digital image processing is needed to give the perfect final touch. In astrophotography processing, the functions used in digital image processing is not different from other photography. It differs in the case of stacking and aligning process which only can be done by special application for astrophotography (Iris, Registax, AstroArt, DSS, MaximDL, and others).

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Selecting a Wedding Photographer

Wedding photography prices vary widely, and couples can be forgiven for being confused and bamboozled by the offerings.  If you are on a budget, be realistic about what you expect.   Rather than going for an inexperienced photographer, or getting a friend to shoot your wedding, perhaps you might be better off still booking that professional, but taking fewer options, booking for less time, or investing in the entry level album.

When trying to decide on your wedding photographer, ask yourself the following:

What do you want for your wedding coverage?  Do you require the photographer to be there for the bridal preparations?  Do you want the first dance captured?  Speeches?  Family groupings?  If so, you are probably looking at at least 7 hours commitment from your photographer.
What do you want to do with your photographs?  If you simply want some nice enlargements for the wall, it seems silly to book a photographer who will capture your mother putting on your veil.  It is unlikely that you will select this image as a lasting reminder of your day.
Would you like a wedding album?  An album is a particularly special reminder of your day.  Many brides remark to me that they think it will be just left in a drawer.  Well, yes, that’s likely the case.  Left in a drawer, and pulled out on those special times you want to sit back and remember your day.  Or when your children want to learn about their parents and their life before they were born.  Or, when you are gone, when THEIR children are making sense of their family history, where they come from, where they fit in.   The album is a lasting reminder of your family ties and bonds.  And when it begins with preparation images, and ends with the bride and groom exiting, it beautifully conveys the day in a story fashion, with style.  If you are considering an album, never skimp on your photographer’s time.   An album that only contains a handful of images does not reflect your wedding day as it was.
Do you require digital negatives?   Please bear in mind that when you are granted the rights to print the digital files, you are granted a limited personal license, and it is unlawful to modify or alter these images in any way.  Many photographers will offer discount services which include a couple of hours coverage and the files on disk.  You need to be very clear what you are getting with this service. Will the files be corrected for colour?  Will there be full photoshop edits done on them to remove distracting backgrounds and enhance the images or are they straight out of the camera?Some photographers will charge higher for the digital files and will take the time to fully edit the images to a print ready stage.  This is a time consuming task, and they will be priced accordingly, but will be much better value than straight out of the camera images that you are prevented from altering.
How will your images be archived and protected?  It’s a known fact that images on disk have a very limited life span compared to print items, and most couples simply don’t have the backup systems on their personal computers to ensure that the images will be protected long term.  As your photographers what sort of archival processes they offer.  Will your images be available for some time?  Are they removed from the system after a certain date?
How experienced is your photographer?  In this digital era there are many people who own an SLR camera, and many of them who also go into business.  But just as owning an oven does not make you a chef, simply having a camera does not make them a photographer.  By the same token, there are many people with talent who have no formal training and do a wonderful job.   Don’t select someone who will simply record your day if you value beautiful, well-composed portraits.
Does their style suit you?  Photography is an art form, and like all artists, a good photographer will have developed a strong personal style.  Does this style suit you?  Des their work speak to you on a personal and emotional level?
Finally, how do they present.  The photographer’s job on your wedding day is much more important than you may think.   The photographer is responsible for making sure everyone is on time, and for making snap judgements to alter the plans if that timing is thrown out.  A good photographer will know exactly what you require, and will work out a schedule of shooting to ensure it can all be achieved.  Photographers also need to make you feel relaxed, and to ensure that the time you spend away from your guests for your wedding photos is enjoyable, and a special part of your day.  You need to gell with them, and feel you can put your trust in them.

As with everything to do with wedding planning, there is a lot to consider.  You will need to weigh up your preferences against your budget and decide what you are prepared to compromise on, if anything.   A bad wedding photographer is a waste of money, no matter how inexpensive they are, so make sure you are really getting what you want; this day can’t be redone.

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Why You Should Become a Photographer

I became acquainted to photography only a little while ago. My friends had recently taken up this new hobby and went on and on about how great it is asking me to give it a try. I was a bit reluctant at first because the truth is I had never given it any thought.

To my surprise, my friends did not own the type of basic digital camera you are used to seeing everywhere. They had very large, high-tech devices with long noses, equipped with high resolution lenses which had a such a high zooming capability that one may have mistaken them to some paparazzi. One of them had taken up photography lessons and had influenced all of the others to buying this sort of cameras. When he first came holding that huge camera around his neck we were all very curios to discover all the features it had.

This was the first step to discovering the beauty of photography. We had no idea then that mere curiosity will take us ti a totally new world that we would have never discover otherwise. Then we started to practice, taking a few pictures every now and then and learning how to use the various features of the camera. We began to practice on how to focus effectively without cutting out on balance and then moved to zooming. My first shots were not all that great, but after a few days of practicing and more practicing | started to see some progress. For one week I used the SLR of one of my friends.

When I started to really enjoy it, I decided to buy my own camera. My friends told me that was their plan all along. If I knew it back then I would have probably been mad, but now I was thankful for making me discover photography. After practicing for a week or so, we decided we could start our journey to becoming real photographers. We began with portrait photography and then decided to move on to landscape pictures. We went out on a trip just to improve our skills. The destination we chose was supposed to be a great target for photography as it featured beautiful forests, a great atmosphere and plenty of wildlife. When we got there we were more than impressed – it was really breathtaking. We couldn’t have asked for a more suitable place for taking photos.

Then I really felt something different for the first time in my life. Something that cannot be explained in words. It just felt and it was amazing. Photography can teach you to appreciate things in a totally different way, regardless of how small or big they are. You see the beauty in every detail an then how all of these little things complete each other to make a whole – and this offers you a completely new vision. I now think everyone should try photography at least once. Even if only because it gives you the opportunity to see more beauty in the world – and the feeling is incredible.