Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom lens
Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom lens
To try out the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L fish-eye zoom (affiliate), I headed to Times Square in Manhattan. What better place to check out a fish-eye lens - there are enough tall buildings and billboards to fill the frame of a lens that gives a 180 degree view! Now, before I continue, I have to admit that even though I have a fish-eye lens in my bag, (the Nikon 16mm f2.8), I only occasionally use it. I feel that a fish-eye lens can be over-used very quickly when it draws too much attention to the distorted view that the lens gives, rather Read more inside...Photoshop action – selective sharpening (download)
Photoshop action - selective sharpening (download)
Jim McGuinness, a regular follower of the Tangents blog, has made available a tutorial on how to do selective sharpening in Photoshop. Even better, he has made it available as a downloadable action as well. You can download the action and the instructions on how to use it, from here. Right-click & save-as, 2 of the files files: - the action as either Windows / Mac compressed file - the instruction as a PDF Expand / uncompress the sitx file. You'll get a Photoshop icon. Drag your image onto the icon, and photoshop will Read more inside...Wedding photography – Tips for detail shots of the wedding rings
Wedding photography - Tips for detail shots of the wedding rings
In photographing the detail images of the wedding rings, there are a few things to aim for: - context within which to place the rings, - a few images with different angles, - great lighting which is easily achievable. Then we also have to take care of the depth-of-field and the tricky focusing ... Read more inside...Off-camera flash for dramatic back-lighting
Off-camera flash for dramatic back-lighting
During this engagement photo session with a couple, Ashley and Michael, we roamed around the campus grounds of the university where they had met. In the one part of the grounds, there was this clump of trees, planted in a small rectangle with two seats. Since it was so dark there under the trees, they wondered who'd ever go and sit there. It just didn't look appetizing. Then I though ... hmmm, with some off-camera flash from behind, we can really make this place look like something. Read more inside...Hudson Valley Click – photo shoot
Hudson Valley Click - report-back on recent Shoot Out
I've mentioned the Hudson Valley Click before - a group of photographers in New York state who arranges monthly shoots for members, and any visitor who'd like to attend. They are all good opportunities to network and more importantly, to shoot some and play with the photography toys a bit. I just came back from the latest shootout - The Totally Kick Ass Wedding Shoot Out. It was pretty cool again to get to attend and photograph various models and come up with ideas. This time I decided to whip out the Canon 5D mk II and lenses, Read more inside...Directional light with off-camera bounce flash
Directional light with off-camera bounce flash
During the same afternoon that I had the opportunity to photograph Ulorin Vex, I took several other sequences of images of her in other costume. Here we worked in the foyer area of the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco. (If only all other hotels had such a diversity of immediately photogenic areas!) With this image, I wanted a near-symmetrical image, with just Ulorin Vex's posture slightly breaking the symmetry up. Just enough to make a stunning subject even more eye-catching. A little more about the train-of-thought to getting to this Read more inside...off-camera flash – creating separation with back-lighting
off-camera flash – creating separation with back-lighting (model: Bethany)
Another image from the photo session with Bethany, when I was in San Francisco earlier this year. This interesting background is part of the lobby area of a San Francisco night-club. I knew the wooden panelling and subdued incandescent lighting would make an interesting background because of the repetitive pattern and glow. A slow shutter speed brought the background light in ... and then I used flash to light her. I didn't gel my flash - specifically so that the background light would go that warm. The Read more inside...“Using the available light” is not a random decision
"Using the available light" is not a random decision
Since I often use flash or additional light, there was some surprise in the (favorable) comments in the Facebook album when I mentioned this photo was shot without any flash. Not even fill-flash. Just the available light. But where I posed the bride, was a specific decision. It wasn't just random. Now, I often get the feeling that when someone boasts they only use available light, that it is meant to disguise that they don't know how to use additional lighting. My thought here is that unless you find yourself in great light, or Read more inside...technique – using lens flare for effect
technique - using lens flare for effect
While lens designers try to minimize lens flare, and we use lens hoods, we can often use lens flare for special effect. Shielding the front element of the lens from direct sun and other strong light sources helps giving a more contrasty image. But letting the lens flare take over in a controlled way, can really give impact. That golden, sun-drenched summery feel to a photograph enhances the mood. During this recent photo session in Central Park, New York, with a couple, Alli and Scott, the lens flare was quite intentional. But as is usual, Read more inside...- « Previous Page
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