Cropping for Composition

     Straight out of the camera, a digital image is typically recorded in a 2 x 3 ratio, and can therefore be printed as 4 x 6, or any multiple thereof, without any modification.  However, printing to any other ratio, such as 5x7 or 8x10, will obviously require some cropping of the photo to the appropriate dimensions.  But cropping is not just for print preparation.  The Crop Tool is actually the single most effective tool in your post-processing arsenal for altering the overall look of your images.  A little bit of cropping can completely change the composition of a photo, and even provide several very different looks from a single image.

     Experiment with different shapes, sizes, angles and compositions.  Try non-standard ratios, like 1x1 or 16x9.  You may even find that you can give an old photo a brand new look!

Tim

photo jabber blog by tim wyler

beginner tips for new dslr photographers

better family photography

More Softball Fun

Here's a link to a previous post I did about shooting my kids' softball games- LINK

     I had a chance to shoot a few more softball game pics the other night.  It was a late game so I ran out of light pretty quick, but I was able to get the first inning.  This is my seven-year-old's team, a fun age to watch.  The girls are really just starting to figure things out and get a little bit of an understanding of the game.  

     I shot the batters from my usual spot, near the first base line dugout.  Should have worn a helmet as I nearly took a foul ball to the head!  These were shot at f2.8 in Aperture Priority mode, which at ISO 400, gave me a shutter speed of around 1/800th.  I used continuous focus so I could track the players as they ran to first base.  

If you're a softball Mom or Dad with a camera, there are a few more tips back on that previous post-

 HERE

Tim

photo jabber blog by tim wyler

basic photography tips

for taking better family photos

Odds & Ends

     I've been out of pocket the last few days and have not done any posting.  I just have a couple of odds and ends to contribute today....

     First- Apple's Photo Stream.  This is really cool!  ( that is to say, it's cool if you are an iPhone / iPad / iPhoto user )   In case you're not familiar...  Photo Stream is a part of Apple's iCloud.  It's a very simple way to share your iPhone photos to your iPad, Mac, or to other iPhone users on your account.

Here's how it works.  Just go into your iCloud settings and turn on the Photo Stream.  Now when you take photos with your iPhone, or add photos to the Camera Roll, those photos will automatically be copied to your Photo Stream album in the cloud. (photos will only go up to the cloud when connected to wifi)  When you open the Photo Stream album on your iPad or in iPhoto, your latest iPhone pics are there!  This works great if you have other iPhone users on your iCloud account.  For example....  My wife and I use the same iCloud account so we can share pictures automatically.  When either of us takes a photo with our iPhone, the photo automatically appears in the Photo Stream which we can view via iPhone or iPad.  It's great when I'm traveling and she wants to share new pics of the kiddos.  She doesn't have to email me the photos, they just magically appear in my Photo Stream.  The Photo Stream will keep only your last 1000 photos, so it is not a replacement for permanent backup.  But it's easy and free, so I like it.



     Second-  A quick portrait tip.....  The camera looks both ways.   You've possibly heard this, or perhaps some other rendition of it before.  It's a commonly shared tip because it's very very true.  Your mood, expression, and emotion will be reflected by your subject, just like a mirror.  This is especially true when photographing kids.  If you want joyous, laughing, excited, smiley expressions- you've got to set the tone.  It's not 100% effective 100% of the time, but it's close.


     Lastly-  Here's a photo of a friend and her daughter that I took last Fall.  Taken at my favorite time of day, the early evening sunlight angling in from behind them is providing the accent lighting.  Fill light is coming in from my speed light positioned camera left. And I think I have mentioned before that some of my favorite portraits are the ones in which the subjects are not looking at the camera.....

Hope you like,
Tim

photo jabber blog by tim wyler

basic photography tips for new dslr owners

simple techniques for taking better family photos

Summer Hike

     Last Summer my oldest daughter's church group took a Sunday afternoon excursion to a nearby hiking area.  I was asked to come along as a chaperone/photographer.  Well I like hiking, and I sort of do like taking pictures too, so....

Great bunch of girls with their awesome teacher Ms. Sharon

The girls all had a blast despite the heat

The trail ends at the waterfall.  Apparently the cool stream was very inviting...

They couldn't resist.

An uninvited visitor,  just passing through.

and the finish.. 

     This is a great group of girls.  They have really bonded these last couple of years under the leadership of their wonderful teacher, Ms. Sharon.  Everybody had a great time that day, including myself.  It was well worth enduring the heat and humidity to watch them laughing and playing in the rapids.
   
     I took lots of pictures, these are just a few.  I shot with my 55-250mm lens... very lightweight, and very versatile.  It's long, so I can zoom in tight for close-ups.  And it is just wide enough that I can get a group shot as long as I stand back a little ways.

     Everyone enjoyed seeing the pictures.  Ms. Sharon printed a bunch of 4x6's to give to the girls.  I also put together an Animoto video which the girls really enjoyed...







     Hoping to do it again this Summer, maybe it will be a little cooler this time :)


Tim

photo jabber blog by tim wyler

beginner photography tips for new dslr owners

family photography tips

better family photos

A Day at the Beach

     What family photo album would be complete without the shots from the big summer beach vacation!  The sun, the surf, hot sand, sunburns, jellyfish......   well you know.  It's still good classic family fun!  

the classic sandcastle building shot...  it's a must.

               Zoom in tight...                              Avoid distracting backgrounds...

A different perspective...

 The details...

Must include some beach vegetation!

     When capturing those family beach memories on camera, all the normal photographic rules apply.  But  here are a few extra tidbits which may help you yield better beach results...

• The plastic bag trick...  Ever walked out of your cool condo with camera in hand, ready for action, until the warm moist tropical air hits that camera lens and suddenly you're all fogged up?  Before you head out, put your camera in a plastic bag and set it out on the balcony for 20 minutes.  Your lens will adapt to the warm temperature and you will avoid the dreaded fog-over.
• Consider an old camera.  Keep in mind the sand and salty air do not make for a friendly environment for your nice shiny new camera.  Sure, you can bring the good one out for your portrait shoots.  But for those- hangin on the beach and just shooting some snapshots days, bring an old camera along.  Try to keep it protected when you're not using it.  And NEVER wipe the lens with a sandy towel or shirt.  
• If you're using a DSLR, do No Not Never change your lens on the beach.  Sand in Camera = Bad.
• As always.... Try to shoot in good light.  This means early or late in the day.  Avoid mid-day harsh sunlight.    - Having said that, we are just talking about vacation pics here.  It's perfectly fine to capture your memories at any time of day... just understand that your better photos will come in good light.
• Avoid busy, distracting backgrounds and zoom in tight on your subject. 
• Shoot from different perspectives...  Get low with lots of sand in the foreground.  Or try wading out into the water and shooting back toward the beach.
• Capture the details... the sand castles, the umbrellas, the little toes in the sand, etc...
• When shooting your fancy, dressed-up beach portraits... use fill-flash, so your sky will be pretty  and blue.
• Don't forget the all-important sea oats!  It's a requirement that you shoot your beach portraits in front of beach vegetation.  (usually dressed in khaki and white!)  

     

Tim

photo jabber blog by tim wyler

basic tips for beginner photographers

better family photos