Tag Archives: Photo-Technique

Cars and Vehicles, Photo-Technique, Studio, Training

White on White

White Car on White Background?

Like a black cat cowering in a coal bunker, photographing a white car on a white background presents certain difficulties. But then that’s why, when prestige car dealers need photography for their website, they use specialists like me!

This beautiful new BMW 116d sports the new design of the latest One Series, and cuts a dashing figure against its white background…

Fujifilm X-T3 with Circular Polariser F=50mm, f/5.6, at 1/30th Second on ISO3200

The key of course, is to slightly underexpose the white car, and overexpose the background by at least two stops. So, ideally the camera should be on a tripod, and the shot bracketed, and later combined in Photoshop. Best practice too is to use a light meter to get the correct exposure on the car.

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Cars and Vehicles, Commercial Photography, Photo-Technique, Training

The Circular Polariser Filter

The Circular Polariser

Look at the side of the car. It was photographed in bright November sunlight, so the side of the car, fully exposed to the sunlight, should be overexposed in comparison to the rest of the vehicle. On this image, a circular polariser filter was used n the lens of the camera, eliminating the effect of the UV rays on the highly polished surface of the car.

BMW 218

My filter is made by HOYA. Here’s an extract from their website:

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Lockdown Logs, Photo-Technique, Training

Ghosting Techniques

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Last night I read an interesting post by Dee Tutor on LinkedIn about Ghosting Techniques, and I thought one or two of you readers might like to make it an interesting project for next week! All you need to do is nip over and read Daria’s blog, find an old and particularly interesting looking graveyard, (now that we’re allowed to visit graveyards again) and have a go!

Read D Tutor’s Blog Post HERE.

Try to shoot from the back of the headstones, – to avoid someone being offended that you’ve used their family grave in a photo.
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Beautiful Ulster, Co. Down

Stormy Newcastle, Co.Down

What a wind!

Newcastle Co.Down is a favourite of mine, with it’s beautiful setting; the scenery that inspired Percy French to write his famous song, “Where the Mountains of Mourne Sweep Down to the Sea.”  He might not have found it just so inspiring today, for the wind was blowing a gale, and the seas were rough – the mountains overcast and dark.

Newcastle_58-120
In this image I was trying to show the darkness of the mountains against the stormy sea.  Shot in Acros Black and White, F=18mm, f/16 @ 1/40th sec ISO400

I had the Fujifilm X-T30, with a standard zoom, the 18-55mm f/2.8-4.  I love using this camera, for it’s small, but with a powerful processing engine.  For this walk I kept the camera on ISO400, with the film simulation mode set to Acros Black and White and shooting simultaneous Jpegs and RAW.

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Belfast, Black & White, News and Commentary, Photo-Technique, Reportage, Streetscapes, Training

World Politics – In Belfast

Political graffiti in the university quarter of Belfast – and why you don’t always need humans to document human interest.

An interesting aspect of documentary photography is that human influence and interaction can be implied, rather than overt.

Even if people are not actually in the photo, the human element is still present and the human story is still told.

This gable wall in Belfast points us to events on the other side of the world, and indicates the desire of locals here to show solidarity with their fellow students there.  There is a significant Chinese community in South Belfast, many of whom are students at the university, and many of them would have Hong Kong origins.

Fujifilm X-T30 shot in Acros film simulation.

F=22mm, f/11 at 1/60th sec on ISO400.

Photo-Technique, Still Life, Streetscapes, Training

Fujifilm and iPhone – Syncretism.

Yes. I agree. It’s a totally uninteresting photograph. A picture captured by a camera, sitting on a newspaper in a cafe, looking at an empty chair. ‘So what?’ I hear you exclaim, as you conclude that I’ve finally lost the plot entirely.

So, why have I posted it? Because of how it was captured. The camera is switched on, untouched. On my iphone the Fujifilm app has connected by WiFi to the camera and is showing me the image being recorded on the sensor. I can adjust the camera settings, shutter, aperture, ISO etc etc.

Also, because the camera is mirrorless it can capture images silently. No noisy mirror to move out of the way. With the focus beep switched off, and the camera set to ‘Electronic shutter’ instead of the mechanical shutter, there is no sound as it does its work. (Ideal for church interiors incidentally).

So, to a casual onlooker, the photographer is simply sitting playing with his phone.

The camera is capturing the moment

Beautiful Ulster, Photo-Technique

How to Make Silhouettes

How to Make Silhouettes.

There’s something really intriguing about human silhouettes, – they excite the mind.  Perhaps it’s the sense of mystery they evoke.  Who are these people?  What are they doing,  and why are they here?  In a moment of time, they have been captured forever against a background of light.  It’s evocative, – silhouettes make the brain work, trying to piece together the missing information, stimulating those little grey cells and producing the chemicals that trigger our emotions.   Continue reading How to Make Silhouettes →

Studio, Training

The Fujifilm X-T30

Ok – I’ve decided to become a trainee Vlogger.  Here’s my first effort.  If it’s successful I’m going to do some talks on image composition, gestalt theories in imaging etc, – stuff that will help beginner and novice photographers.  My plan is to post the videos on the Facebook group, Bob’s Photography Forum with links to this blog for images, text etc to accompany the lessons, and asking those who are in the group and who wish to participate, to post their images in the group.

We’ll see how it goes!  Here’s my test video…

Fo those who are unable to speak or comprehend Norn Iron, – here’s the (rough) English translation:-

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Photo-Technique, Training

Keeping It In Perspective

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Keeping it in Perspective.

This church at Hillsborough is popular with photographers. And why not? Look at the image!

Hillsborough_08P

There’s a pretty scene in there, with lots of the elements of design. There’s colour and shape, there’s lines drawing the eyes into the church, the central focus of the image. But there’s one problem. In many photographs of the church the trees are seemingly angled inwards, a distortion of perspective. It’s a natural lens effect, because the lens is low (usually at eye level) and the trees are high… Continue reading Keeping It In Perspective →