But it is quite possible to have nice images if you accept the accumulated requirements of a technique ignored by most: multiflash. Even better, for fast-moving subjects, the flash is the only way to stop the movement; Nevertheless, you’d want to render this more elegant, more discrete and ensure that it renders the subject to its best.

Example in hand: Hummingbirds. Impossible to stop wings when they beat between 20 and 80 times per second. Even 1/8000s is squarely insufficient if it does not catch the wing immobile either in high or low position. But, while a big fat flash shot solves the problem once and for all, you get a picture with a splash of white light, and shadows drawn from the light’s axis. Solution: several flashes (hence the name: multiflash).

As a matter of factn using several flashes is not simple, as any studio photographer will tell you. But you will quickly discover that it is all a matter of handling the balance of several items that I could (too?) quickly summarize with:

• Provide lighting source similar to natural light
• Avoid ugly shadows with additional sources
• Provide a setting that enhances the subject

These are three axis I want to follow here. It will not make you an expert. But it may give you some leads to experiment in a more ordered way, if you want to identify the best parameters quicker.

Preliminary conditions

One critical requirement when setting up this technique is often not obvious: Ambient light. It’s too easy to forget that outdoors light is in competition with your flash lighting setup. So, you must start from a relative dark ambiance. To the point that it would feel insufficient for photograph (without a flash).

So, even in the wild, you must set everything up in the shadows. A roof, an awning, a dense tree above, a forest. All is good, since we will want to work with relatively low flash power (often 1/32 power, or even lower). So, te ambient light must be too dark for photo. If not, you risk mixing both lights and getting some kind of ugly “double exposure” in one shot (sometimes confused with a lack of focus).

When shooting at hummingbirds, feeders will be set in darker places, under a tree, or even in the forest shadow.

Natural light

The first objective will always be to try and get a setup which can be considered more natural (or relatively natural). Main light sources must always come from above (the sun shines from above).

Avoid big light from under the subject. The picture would feel weirdly unbalanced.

Soften the shadows

But since a flash will often produce a very harsh light, it is recommended to compensate this with secondary softer light sources to lighten the main shadows (more or less below and opposite to the main flash source).

You may be tempted to avoid adding flashes and use reflectors or soft source like studio umbrellas. The biggest issue is that even a single (usually) black flash is already perturbating animals/birds behavior. Opening a white reflector of 1 meter diameter (or more) and studio umbrellas will probably ensure that you never see your model again in you improvised studio in the wild. Not counting the difficulty of installing up large gear in natural settings. At the strict minimum, you will need to schedule some time for the animals getting used to the presence of your equipment before starting a photo op.

Enhance the subject

This starts with the background. Several options are available to you.

1. Natural background: Ensure that you have one or several (powerful enough) flash(es) to light the background plants. This may be be tremendously hard if they are far behind. Check and check again to ensure that the appearance is nice and clean.
2. Printed/drawn background: If the natural background is too far, too messy or not nice enough, you can try attaching a printed background. In case of hummingbirds, the size is not an issue. I would not try this for an elephant (!).
   What to draw? everything is possible but don’t overdo it. Less is often better. Less details, less artificial colors, less artificial shapes.
3. Black or dark background: If the background is far behind, not lit, or in low light, you will get a very dark background for your model. The is a very good choice to enhance the colors of the hummingbird feathers.

Setting up the camera and flashes

Finally, let’s setup the camera itself.

1. Compulsory manual mode.
2. ISO 400
3. Speed: synchro-X or 1/200 (These are the basic flash settings!)
4. Aperture: The flash will freeze the model; In order to favor details you will close the aperture too. Start with f/16.
   But, really, it is possible or necessary to vary aperture (and ISO) lightly to ensure the perfect exposure (don’t fiddle with speed, it won’t influence in flash photo).

Your flashes will be set between 1/16 power and 1/128 power, in order to allow fast recharge cycles (a short 3-to-4 picture burst must not be interrupted by flashes recharging between actions).

The balance between the various flash lights is a combination of distance to the subject (it reduces light quantity) and flash power setting. 1/16 for a firm light. 1/64 for the shadows. Combined with distance.

The camera flash (see above) is the Master to control the others (set as Slaves). Generally, you need to use the Wireless mode of the flashes. But it could be even simpler if your flashes can merely shoot when they “see” the main flash light. The easiest setting indeed.

There is a very good paper from Nate Chappell (Multi-flash Hummingbird Photography) that could help understand this specific point. Nate is not only a photographer with a long-researched technique, but he is sharing it with people in his photo-tour company where he is leading bird photo workshops (mostly on the American continents). You will notice that he is using the Nikon SB-26 because they are rugged, powerful, not too expensive, and easy to configure for synchronization with all flashes on the market (including on-camera ones).

This post is certainly too short to explain it all. There is still a lot of space to experiment by yourself (and I recommend this). But I hope it will help you start the journey to multiflash photography of hummingbirds (not in Europe) or of tits (much more common in France) or any other wildlife.

We all know about wildlife photography. Most of us have seen nice pictures taken of hummingbirds (their colors are often impressive and changing with light). Most photographers will try and make good images of a flying hummingbird (not easy with these little speed demons!). But did you notice how pretty their feather are?

Why not try and do macro-photography of the plumage of these birds always in movement and whose wings flap 50 times per second? It would be nice picture, wouldn’t it? It can’t be too hard, right? Right? Oo maybe it’s a bit difficult…

I won’t forget that hummingbirds are only present in the Americas (Sorry! none in Europe, Africa or Asia) and mostly hiding in the tropical forests (though you may find them in cities and up to Canada).

For my own first successful trials, I worked from hummingbird refuges in Ecuador forests. It’s always easier when your models are present in large numbers.

Also, Ecuador has the advantage of hosting many locations where the hummingbirds are not too afraid of human presence.

Also notice that in most Ecuador locations, hummingbirds are not too easily afraid of human beings. They would not leave the place for hours when you appear. This is important because the photographer will introduce a significant perturbation as you will see.

The general rule is that we want to bring the bird to the camera, not the opposite (it would be useless trying to run after a hummingbird to try and stick your lens in its face). So, we will use a location the bird loves to go to and set our “photo trap” up, before waiting for the model to jump into the camera field.

All hummingbirds need to feed nearly continuously and they prefer very high energy drinks, flower nectar or the next best thing: Sugar water delivered in feeders installed by their human friends in a garden.

One of the big hurdles is ensure that the bird is staying right where you need it to be. I would never try this with a branch or a flower. But you can use a feeder. Just be sure to choose one where the bird can easily stand while drinking (like on the left) and not one where the bird will need to hover in front of the drinking holes (like on the right).

In the second case, the bird may appear stationary at first. But it really keeps moving slightly, making your focusing ever so slightly more difficult. And you don’t need this additional trouble!

If you observe hummingbirds, you will notice that when they will stop at a feeder to drink, there are a limited number of “feeding holes” (you can temporarily limit this with tape) and this means a limited number of preset positions for the bird.

Setup your camera and macro lens (or even better, your long focal lens attached in front of a macro extender) on a robust tripod. Pre-focus where the head of the bird will appear when it lands on the feeder. Then wait.

Several things will quickly appear critical at this juncture. Let’s go through them.

• Hummingbirds are attracted to red and orange colors. Avoid wearing these colors. It may confuse them, or distract them.
• Your movements must ALWAYS be very slow. You are so big and so near! The aim is to look like a rock, not a huge predator.
• Your tripod head must be set to allow minor side movements: You want to be able to reframe easily, and you cannot move a hand, just a slight push on the camera.
• Here, a pendular head (Wimberley-type) becomes a real asset.
• Whatever happens, don’t move for at least ten minutes. The hummingbirds must get used to your presence.

From this point, you will (merely) have to do with the “usual” difficulties of macrophotography (mostly a lack of depth of field – you will need to wait for the sun shining on the feeder ; don’t move the feeder, let the sun come to the feeder).

Then, you should be able to produce some interesting photos showing the marvelous details of the minuscule feathers of the small hummingbirds.

• The Art of Waves: A Lifetime of Awe-Inspiring Surf Photographs talks about the book of Clark Little which demonstrates that you can shoot photos of waves during 15 years: The Art of Waves. And he is interested in the wave itself, and what is below.
• Photographing Waves: One of The Most Rewarding Subjects is another PetaPixel post wirtten by Rachael Talibart. There she describes her passion and how she invites us to dive into wave photography.

Maybe, this will push you into photographing some waves during the Summer vacations.

However, both of them did a great job of showing them in ways that make them shine.

Warren Keelan

You should visit his website, Instagram, Facebook, 500px, and Twitter.

Even better, you can buy the 2020 calendar edited by Warren from some of his best pictures. A good way to keep looking at these photographs all eyar long.

Rachael Talibart

Growing in Southeast England, Rachael spent quite some time in her father’s boat. Apparently, she did not find the experience very pleasant and she did not grow into a great sailor, but into a great photographer, both fascinated and inspired by the waves of a furious sea.

Several major storms gave her the opportunity to go and shoot waves in violent conditions, leading to superb images that most people would not know how to create in most cases. Her website is full of gorgeous such pictures.

There are many of them, but I looked at one of the most famous ones:
The Dogwood 52 Week Photography Challenge.

Major advantage: It does not concentrate on the technical side of photographic but extends to all ways to improve the resulting image. A good way to bring me out of my confort zone. Maybe to improve my work within the three main directions of the challenge:

• Story telling
• Composition
• Inspiration

If you want to know, my own 2019 results will be published on Roumazeilles.net (in the #Dogwood2019 category). I’ll try and comment about the experience at the end of 2019 (If I succeed at keep the impetus).

The original appeared on https://xkcd.com/1855/ (a web site perfectly suited to geeks, photographers or not).

1. Always format the memory card in-camera (formatting on a computer may not be right for your camera, same thing about formatting on another camera)
2. Always wait 3 seconds before ejecting the memroy card (or check the red LED flashing on the camera body and wait until it defintely stops blinking)
3. Copy/backup the contents as soon as possible (a portable hard drive is the best option; Do not wait for time in front of your portable PC), then immediately re-format the card (on the camera!)
4. Never apply image selection in-camera (judging image quality is nearly impossible on the camera LCD; Always edit on your PC/Mac)
5. Personal routine: Store empty and exposed cards in separate bags (different sleeves in the backpack, different colors/texture for different card cases or bags)

Again this month, I walked by a pro photographer on a mission to convince everybody to use (Roger, you know who you are!)

Even though the story is rather simple and fast becoming simpler.

What’s a RAW file?

When a digital camera catches a photo it takes raw data from the image sensor. If it does not do much, it stores them in a RAW file (easy, eh?) If it tries to handle them, it will try an improve them, reduce their size reasonably and it will store them in a different file format (99.99% as JPEG format).

Except in specific cases (entry-level smart-phones), all cameras are able to store a RAW file (if you ask). All cameras will know how to give you a JPEG file.
Except in specific cases (e.g. Linux), all common Operating Systems (MacOS/OSX and Windows) are able to read RAW files as well as JPEG. But even on Linux, it’s easy to find cheap (or free) tools reading RAW Files.

Advantages of JPEG

Really! All! tools can use it.

Files are compressed: They are as small as reasonably possible, use as little memory space as possible on the memory card or on the hard drive.

Drawbacks of JPEG

Compression is at the origin of some issues more or less perceptible depending on the original image:

Advantages of RAW

A RAW file contains all the range of informations captured by the sensor. On the real photo cameras (not smartphones), there is often a wide margin because the sensor is much more sensitive than what is normally needed by the snapshot. But tis is exactly what is needed to “save” some pictures which came out over-exposed or grossly under-exposed, where a JPEG has already lost the important information.

You probably noticed that some picture taken inside a building can come out very yellowish or that some landscapes can appear quite blueish. It comes from the color management automatically applied by the camera on the JPEG photo. For a RAW file, the color management is always kept as an external option that you can modify or choose at the last minute if you are not 100% happy with the engineers choice. You can decide in RAW while a JPEG will forfeit your possibility of choice.

Drawbacks of RAW

RAW are bigger than JPEG files (roughly ten times). So, you can store less pictures on a given memory card, or on a given hard disk drive. But, let’s recognize than this is getting negligeable in front of the permanent progress of capacities/sizes (and the corresponding plumetting prices).

Recommendation from YLovePhoto

Most cameras allow you to store both formats at the same time. Do it!

Then, you will choose which one to use according to the application. I recommend to start working on the JPEG (after all, engineers worked their head off to cover most situations). But, in some few cases, you will be happy to use the RAW version.

• to save an over-exposed picture
• to refine the details of a large size print
• to correct color shift on a tough picture (inside building with complex lighting, high in the mountain, sunset)

You’ll get the most of both worlds at the only (minimal) cost of size. But looking at Amazon prices for memory cards…

Sources and information complements

• PetaPixel: Why you should shoot in RAW
• These Are the Advantages and Disadvantages Of Shooting Raw (LightStalking)
• The Online Photographer: JPEGophobia
• Should you shoot in RAW or JPEG? (DIY Photography)
• RAW Software: What is Available and What Should You Use? (LightStalking)
• A RAW Feast on the Linux Darktable (Photo Editor)
• Photoshop CS6 et le RAW par la pratique : comprendre les courbes

Roger Pimenta on Facebook.
Roger Pimenta’s side company RejectionMedia web site.

So, I collected a few excellent guides or tutorials which provide good summaries (I think) of the possibilities of these cameras when it comes to autofocus or AF.

• How to use autofocus with moving subjects (all brands)
• Action photography: AF modes (for Nikon cameras)
• Canon 5D Mark III: Autofocus (AI Servo) for Birds in Flight
• Understanding Canon EOS 1DX Autofocus
• Sony A6000 and A5100 Autofocus Guide
• Sony: Autofocus (AF) modes

Good reading!

If you travel to Canada, Scandinavia or Russia this Winter (long nights!), you may be tempted to capture it on your camera sensor. But will you know how to make these pictures pop? It may be the only trip you’ll have the occasion to catch these Northern Lights. I doubt it and I tried to summon several experts and the articles they posted about photographing northern lights.

They are long (but you should read them from top to bottom anyway). So, I’ll try to give you a summary or key items to remember, before you read them to correct my approximations or bad interpretations.

• It’s easier with a camera fitted with a sensitive sensor (a Full-Frame sensor D-SLR would be great), a lens with a large aperture (f/2.8 or better, if possible) with a short focal length (14 to 50mm, to get a wide field of the sky).
• Don’t be afraid experimenting, or trying again and again with various camera settings.
• Start with ISO 1600, f/2.8 and 15 seconds shutter (tripod is compulsory).
• Check your tests with the histogram and shoot everything in RAW.
• Picture composition is important and framing something else than the sky may be critical (think reflections in a lake, framing a rock, a house or a tree).

And, stay as warm as possible (nights can be cold).

The blog posts I referenced:

• Secrets to Shooting the Northern Lights by Grant Collier
• Northern Lights chasing in Iceland with the Nikon D810 by Jonathan Zdziarski (You can appreciate it, even without a Nikon DSLR)
• How To Photograph The Northern Lights by Chris Brinlee Jr

Wikipedia photo.

But cold is rather an ennemy for our photo gear (and for photographers). So, here are a few of the tips and tricks I collected from photographers really used to this situation and who accepted to share them with me (and you).

Gear

Normal operating temperature of most cameras is between 0°C and 35°C. Most of them would probably keep working under 0°C, but they would be more exposed to the risk of locking down. Pro cameras have a much wider range (their cost is also much larger) but even they need to be taken care of.

Acclimatization

Avoid going directly from a hot car to the low external temperature (or worse, bringing back to heat a camera which just spent fifteen minutes at -30°C) without a very smooth transition. Keep your gear in a bag during long minutes (usually half an hour is enough) in a bag which will slow down the transition as much as possible.
Some products are designed specifically for that purpose (to protect and to allow easy manipulation during those transition phases):

• Lenscoat BodyGuard Compact CB
• Protective neoprene pouches – Lens pouches

You want to avoid condensation as much as possible (short-circuits can easily damage the best electronics) or frost (which will glue mechanisms). Beware of flash lights which are more sensitive because of high voltages used inside their electronics.

When temperatures are really low or for ease of use, you can leave all your gear (except batteries) in the permanent cold. Just be sure to avoid humidity and, if you are in more “civilized” areas, to keep it out of sight.

If condensation happens, don’t wait: Remove the battery, remove the lens and let it all breathe and dry, avoiding humid places. Limit all mechanical handling (don’t play with this lens rings) and keep the batteries out until the last trace of humidity is gone for sure. With no electricity, there are very very few risks of permanent damage.

Rain or snow

From all that precedes, you have understood that you don’t want to expose your gear to rain or snow or sleet, when it’s cold. Anything protective will be good. Even a plastic bag attached with gaffer scotch tape will protect your camera and lens.

Battery

Now, go buy some more spare batteries. In cold weather, their autonomy drops down to ridiculous levels. You will need to switch them often. So, you need a stock.

But the best to keep them working is keep them warm: Inside your own clothes (not inthe external pockets, of course). Just draw it out when needed. Even if you need to do that quite often.

(and don’t forget to have enough chargers -or enough charging time- to bring three times more batteries than ususal; Keep charging).

Lenses

To avoid humidity, just avoid swithing lenses. All the more, if you are outside and it is snowing…

Photography

The photographer must stay warm

OK! Maybe not warm, but not too cold. And confortable enough not to shiver (this would blur the shots ). You will do nothing good if you are frozen. Start by getting advice from people from the region, follwo their advice. And start with:

• For Winter clothes, several layers are better than one.
• Since you may have to move from one temperature to another, you must be ready to adapt quickly (add or remove layers).
• Don’t go too far: Avoid sweating; It would only reduce the efficiency of the best technical clothes.

But remember two important factors:

• Most photographers move very little; Most sports-oriented recommendations must be adapted (less phyiscal exertion means less heat produced by the body).
• In case of wind, if you can’t find a proper shelter (e.g. when stalking an animal), the effects of cold are amplified quickly and you need added protection.

Gloves

Try and handle little buttons either with frozen fingers or with mittens… My recommendation:

• A first layer of silk mini-gloves (very thin, very confortable and quite isolating)
• On top of them, you’ll put the thickest gloves you can buy if you find them practical to handle the camera. Don’t be shy! Bring your camera to the clothes store. Or use the gloves to handle the buttons on the side of your smartphone. You’ll be a good judge of what is OK or not.
• Possibly, buy very thick gloves but cut the forefinger to allow the finger out. Not elegant, but efficient. And, there comes the advantage of a silk glove inside.

Silk gloves tend to tear down easily, but they cost near to nothing. So, find a bargain sale and buy several pairs.

Bag

More than ever, you want a bag that is easy to open and close (even with mittens) and easy to handle (even over thick clothes).

Plan ahead

You will have less opportunities to fail or miss. So, plan ahead. Prepare for all. Think about the photos you want to shoot and choose your gear for that. Choose your focal length. Choose sensitivity. Choose your clothes.

Before you leave.

Experiment

In Winter, most subjects are slower. It’s time to experiment. Change speed and aperture. change sensitivity. Change your frame.

Expose

Light can be tricky, so, if you think you can handle it, go RAW to have more correction possibilities for an imperfect exposure.

On snow, you may have to over-expose to keep a white surface despite the camera computer trying to make it look dull and grey. 1 stop. Sometimes 2. Check the histogram if your camera can display it. Or use exposure bracketing (e.g. 3 or 5 shots with 1/2 stop spaces).

Since it may be very difficult to correctly judge images on a small LCD, never delete an image in the field. This is better done in front of your computer screen.

Correct

Back on the computer, you will choose the best exposed shot (where there is no burnt white lights, no black shadows) and you may correct it slightly to your taste.

If your pictures appear quite dull, think about pushing the blacks a little. Sometimes a little added contrast may do wonders, but remember that Winter is made of low contrasts on white surfaces.

Watch

Look for your subject, but don’t forget your footsteps in the snow. Maybe, you need to plan where you’ll be walking? Again, plan ahead.

Remove snow

A few snow flakes may be photo-bombing your best shot. Remember that you always can use a slow speed and a tripod to hide a few of them.

And some personal pleasure!

Don’t forget a little comfort: Bring a vacuum bottle filled with a hot drink. There’s nothing better to improve poor morale when it’s cold or when the light does not want to be right.

photo credit: Tarun K Photography

Then, there is only one solution: Be prepared!

• Explore the location: Know where you go, use Google Maps and Google Earth to discover the topography, the terrain, the location of monuments, roads and streets leading from one place to another.
• Orient yourself: the same tools will allow to see on what side you want to go to make the back-lit photos you want or to have the best angle at sun rise.
• Let inspiration come to you: There is nothing wrong in using Flickr to know what the other travelers have brought back from the place you don’t know yet. Discover the usual pictures that everybody gets and find some that are less common or more surprising : You’ll get the images that everybody expect back at home and a few good surprises too (even if you will not stay long enough to explore all aspects of a single subject).

But there is also a mean to speed preparation up and to go much further: Get a guide. It has many advantages:

• A guide knows every square meter of your destination: You will never be as prepared as he is.
• Choose a guide who knows what photography is. Most will only lead you to the place. This is even more important for difficult photo subjects like a safari photo trip: Your guide must be able to place himself (or place the car) at the right location, he will have to accept to stay longer in one location, near one animal; He should accept to leave early and stay late on the spot. You will avoid most of the tourist-run places. for this, the best is to find photo-oriented travel agents or to talk to the guide (even using Skype).

photo credit: SPM435
• You will be able to concentrate on photography without worrying too much about the rest (he’s not a body guard, but you shouldn’t have to keep an eye on your back and on your bag while you shoot).
• In some cases, the guide is the only mean to reach some locations: He’s the key to some religious ceremonies, to isolated places, to off-road tracks only accessible under precise conditions, etc.

Nevertheless, also think about keeping time to breathe, to think and to take the place in. Don’t stick to eye to the viewfinder all day long. Look around, widen your personal landscape. If your traveling with your family, also bring them into the photo business: I recommend making sure that everybody has a camera and you dispense some advice and make sure children participate (for example, a friend of mine had a real golden wooden frame that kids would use to frame themselves with monuments during specific photo games).

1. Color: Even if the leaves are already colored, shooting at sunrise or sunset will add a little bit more of colors and it is always more natural than blooming it with a saturation filter in Photoshop.
2. Color: Green is also a color, so watch for color oppositions.
3. Polarizing filter: Reducing the specular light reflexion, some of the colors will be enhanced by the use of a POL-C filter.

photo credit: samenstelling
4. Background: Like always, check your background and if it is not adequate be sure to open the aperture to blur it.
5. Speed: If there is wind, even a light one, be sure to push the shutter speed up to fix it.
6. Speed: If there is a river, a stream or some other moving object, be sure to push the shutter speed down to blur them.
7. Tripod: If you shoot pictures under the trees, you will probably not have enough light for fast speeds, so bring your tripod.
8. Water: Leaves look better when covered with some water (it could be rain or some water you brought).
9. HDR: Many forest pictures suffer from extreme dark areas and very bright areas (specially when the subject is back-lit). It’s the right moment to try and use HDR (High Dynamic Range) techniques.

You may have seen this photo somewhere else (I found it on an FTP dump site). Please, let me know who is the author.

1. When? Fog does not appear in any weather conditions but it is relatively predictable. More or less, for a misty morning, you will need to have a relatively warm day before with a cold night without wind. Fog will tend to accumulate in the depressions (like a valley) which will favor night radiation fog and coastal areas will often have a good source of water vapor and a good potential for heat loss over ground.



2. How? Use the light histogram to “shoot at right” or “expose at right”. It’s a fact that the camera will tend to under-expose the picture to try and get a medium grey image while the reality that you want to catch is rather white. In some case, you will probably use a preset over-exposure of 1 EV or 1.5 EV.
3. Back-light: Even if you do not easily see the sun, favor the “back-lit” orientation.

photo credit: 1suisse
4. Silhouettes: Fog is the occasion to sharply cut the silhouettes on a clear background.
5. Surfaces: Mist will tend to draw clear-cut surfaces on the different planes of the picture.
6. Rays: As soon as the sun starts to be available and starts to pierce the last strands of mist, watch for the moment when light rays will appear in the landscape.

Is a UV filter harmful?

First, I would like to demonstrate once again the critical importance of having a very good quality filter rather than the usual plastic junk. Too often, we forget that the filter is degrading the image quality and that the better the lens, the worst the impact. To clearly show this impact, LensRentals tried to stack up to 50 filters on the same lens. the result is so immediately obvious that you don’t need to go pixel-peeping at 100% scale:

But even one filter will decrease image quality.

Of course, if you want to compare the impact of the impact difference between a pro filter and a cheap run-of-the-mill filter, you can stack just 5 pro UV filters and 5 cheap UV filters. Here again, you’ve got food for thought before you buy your next photo filter:

I insist! this last test does not use 50 filters, but only 5 UV filters and the result is immediately perceptible to the naked eye of the non-expert, even if you’re not looking for it. With only one filter, you can do the test by your own and decide that using filters is a matter of thoughtful choice.

How Polarizing Filters Work?

This is one of the best and simplest explanations and demonstrations of the operation of these basic filters: A Polarizing Filter on the left and the Neutral Grey Filter on the right.

Source: PetaPixel.

For a long time, we saw round and square filters, filter holders, gelatin or gel filters in colors or in grey hues, progressive graduated neutral density filters, stacks of filters, surprising little colored objects which were used to reinforce the sky, the clouds, the grass, the trees, the mountain glaciers, the lakes reflections, and which were used to smooth the sky, the clouds, the grass, the trees, the mountain glaciers, the lakes reflections. In short, apart from a few specialists as admired and as venerated as Mayans High Priests (apparently, without the need to practice human sacrifice to support their credibility, though), nobody really knew what all this was about. OK! I may be slightly off the board here (though I am sure I never heard of a photographer sacrificing live animals before shooting a landscape picture). Some people had learned a few tricks and recipes, but it was most incomprehensible to the masses like you and me.

With the advent of digital photography, everything changed: Photoshop or The Gimp or any other photographic software was able to replace all colored filters and the photographer could drop his collection of gelatins into the junk bin before going to simpler (or more complex) issues. We ran for the software manuals

But this was an error! If it stays true that the immense majority of filters are already in the first Photoshop-like software package, this is not a general rule. Colored filters are trivial to apply in Photoshop. Graduated filters are so easy that kids can use them. Color correction, exposure correction are but a click away in Photoshop and easier than a bunch of fragile gel filters attached to a complex holder. And if you do it wrong, just Undo it and try again.

But there are two optical filters that are still totally unavoidable even with the best software (and I am not speaking about the useless UV filter whose main application is protection against frontal shocks):

• Polarizing filter
• High-density neutral grey filter

Polarizing

A polarizing glass selectively filters light detecting its polarisation (a physical property quite difficult to perceive in most conditions but easily measurable on reflected light). The filter will reduce brightness of reflections without impact on the rest of the picture, an aspect that is inaccessible to Photoshop. It also plays a great role on slecting the desnity of the blue sky which varies in function of the sun light angle.

The effects of a polarizing filter on the sky in a photograph. The picture on the right uses the filter.

If you keep only one filter, this will be a polarizing filter.

Only one remark: If you find an old pola-filter from silver-analog-film times, check first if it is a linear pola. Films were not very regarding, but digital sensors can only react to circular pola filters. Note that this remark becomes less and less important since all current filters are actually circular polarizing filters.

High-density neutral grey

The other useful filter is a high-density neutral grey one. You can easily see through a low-density (pale) neutral grey filter but it is not very useful with the extreme range of sensitivity that our photo cameras exhibit today: Just rotate the sensitivity wheel a little or drop back to Photoshop. But, if you take a ND400, you’ll immediately notice that even if you can still see something through it, it nearly black now. The filter is so dense that it has the same effect as dropping the sensitivity though the floor a lot below the usual minimum of ISO 100. Consequence: Long exposures even at mid-day: Instead of 1/200s, you’ll need 5s exposures (1000 times more). Welcome to motion blur even on slow objects and under the mid-day sun.

The most common application (or the most commonly used) is landscape photography incorporating motion blur of sea water or white water river, as in the examples below.

photo credit: -Chiotas-

photo credit: ciccioetneo

photo credit: dahon©

Beware!

To answer a question from Sébastien, I will also remind you of some elementary precautions to apply when using a filter (any filter).

• Always buy a high-quality filter: You use a luxury pro lens with fluorite or ED glass optical elements; Don’t drop any plastic sheet in front of it if you want to avoid re-introducing ugly additional effects (like optical distortion and chromatic aberration). Unfortunately, the prices goes with this requirement.
• If you use a wide-angle lens (this is often the case for landscape photography, isn’t it?), select a low rim filter to avoid seeing it obstructing slightly the field of view (generating a small vignetting effect). Here, again, it comes with a price (all the more for the polarizing filters which are mechanically more complex).
• For neutral grey filters, beware of the chromatic shift introduced by the denser and cheaper filters. It is often easy to compensate in a software suite, but the filter may easily be slightly blue or orange (depending on brands).

So, what? Two filters in the bag, this is no problem.

Of course, with five lenses, you may have five different screwing diameters. But this is still much better than the whole collection of the past.

photo © 2009 Amaury | more info (via: Wylio)

1. Know the place: You may use maps or scout the location, but be prepared and since there will be a lot of people and moving around is less of an option when the show starts, be sure to know exactly where you want to be (and be there beforehand).
2. No flash: It won’t help for the fireworks, it could only light up some foreground elements in front of the show (and light balance will be difficult to obtain). It’s better/easier to use the shadow of these foreground objects, if it is easily recognizable.
3. Use a tripod: It’s night time, there is light, but not enough. Apertures will be wide and speed will be low. Get a heavy, sturdy one (Avoid being bumped into by people and limit exposure to the wind: All these make blurry photos).
4. No autofocus: You need to focus at the infinity and then go back to manual.
5. Use long shutter speeds: The longer speeds will allow filling the pictures with more light (But don’t over do it; Several light flowers are good, a bunch of colored streaks is probably not right).
6. Experiment with apertures: If there is more than the fireworks to be placed in the picture (a good idea), try experimenting with the aperture to choose the best depth-of-field.
7. Have a flashlight: At night, it will be difficult to find your way around.
8. Have replacement parts ready: Batteries or Flash cards must be in an easily accessible location (without light, it’s easy to reach for your pockets, right?)
9. Don’t check the pictures on the LCD: There is no time for this, shoot, you’ll look later. (Option: Check only 1 or 2 images at the beginning, nothing after that).
10. Frame: Think and try different compositions and frames (panoramic, vertical, etc.)

Happy shooting, now!

1. There is no light: In most small concert venues, light is just not there. As a concert-goer, you make think that the stage is flooded in light. This is really not the case. While lighting techniques may be sophisticated, they are very expensive and even the biggest international-level stages are insufficiently lit. Bring a prime lens with a pro-level large-aperture: f/2.8 is OK, if you can get a f/2 or better, you will perceive the difference. We would recommend to start with a cheap second-hand 50mm or 80mm lens.
2. Always shoot in RAW: The processing software will allow to compensate for the wild color balance of lighting and to use the most sophisticated noise reduction algorithm (since you will use high ISO, you’ll get too much noise).
3. Use either Aperture priority mode (or manual if you feel comfortable with it): You want to use the widest aperture and you want to stick to it.
4. Use the fastest ISO that your camera allows while keeping noise level low enough for you. Anyway, you will feel that it’s not fast enough, so stick to this value.
5. Use central AF: This is the most efficient AF sensor and you will need that to cope with the weird contrasts and low lights that are trying to make your autofocus trip.

Etiquette

There is one little secret that concert photographers do not usually share with you: Live music photography is mostly all about etiquette. Or should I say rules? Or even regulations? It is not immediately apparent to the public, but there are rules to stick to. Know them, use them.

• Don’t be a burden on Security: The security guards are there for a purpose, they need to ensure safety both for the public and the artists. But you are going to be in the way. So, be polite and obedient. One of the worst things would be to continuously move around; Stick to your place an never leave the pit or the security people will perceive you as a pain in the neck.

JerkSystem at Elysée Montmartre
Copyright (C) Yves Roumazeilles
• Don’t be a pain to other photographers: Again, moving around is usually difficult and it will come as unpleasant to the other photographers. Even if they know you and like you, rushing around will get them annoyed (to say the least). Choose you spot and don’t move (mostly).
• Don’t piss off the fans: They paid for it; Don’t get in the way or make it very very short and move out. If there are times when music is very quiet, just don’t shoot. You don’t want your shutter to be heard (no problem during heavy metal live performance, a major issue for classical music and some jazz). It’s quite easy to be forcefully removed from the pit…
• One rule to rule them all: 3 songs, no flash. Some concert may accept exceptions to this universal rule, but NEVER break this one, without an explicit and repeated confirmation from the concert hall management. In most cases, security will come to you at the end of the third song. Just pack you gear and move out. Don’t complain, don’t argue, don’t try to steal one more shot. And be sure that your camera not even has a flash, to be sure not to break the “no flash” commandment.
• Your pit access badge is not a backstage badge. So, don’t try to piss off security walking in the wrong direction.

When you’re done, you may leave politely, but it is usually acceptable if you stay and I suggest you do so. 3 songs of intense shooting is too much for you to take the music in. Stay and share the concert with the fans. You may be one, you may become one.

1. Normal: Shutter pressed by the photographer’s digit
2. Remote shutter
3. Remote shutter and mirror lockup enabled

DSLR Mirror Vibration from Camera Technica on Vimeo.

Conclusion: Do like all the best landscape photographers obsessed with the finer details: Use a tripod, lock the mirror up before shooting and use a remote shutter (and beware of the wind, too).

Car racing (or motorcycle racing) is assuredly a favorite spot for photographing an exceptional subject: bright colors, shiny metal, technical expertise, intense concentration around competition, everything is present. So, here are a few tips to start motor race photography in the best possible conditions.

1. Gear: With or without accreditation, you will certainly be far from the track; So, you must get a long focal telephoto lens (200mm mini, 400mm is even better if you want to catch some details).
2. Advanced preparation: Ideally, you must go and visit the place to “take your bearings” (remember that it is often easier to move around the circuit during the officials tests a few days before the race), and you will be able to take advantage of it to shoot some more photos.
3. Competition: This is a race, so try and capture the spirit. Think about shooting not only one nice car, but several of them simultaneously (it’s easier in the curves) possibly during the overtaking phases.
4. Speed: Everything is fast, so you must choose a high shutter speed (at least 1/1000s when the car runs before you, maybe 1/250s when the car comes to you in a low speed curve).
5. Autofocus: Be sure to choose the continuous AF mode or AI-Servo mode ; The cars are fast and this is the most common trap even for fast AF systems.
6. Stands: Look around and don’t let the track keep all your attention. The stands are a place where a lot of things happen. Even better, on most race tracks, the arrival of a car in the pit is announced to the teams (and to the photographer) by a horn.
7. Podium: Of course, don’t forget to shoot the winner, either under the checkered flag or on the final podium.

One additional advice: Accreditation can be a real issue for all major car races. For example, if you are not a pro, with a large set of previous work in the automotive field, and the support of an influential press body, your chances to a photo accreditation is nil in Les 24 Heures du Mans. But it is always possible (maybe even good) to practice in the less restricted conditions offered by less prominent races on major tracks, races on small local circuits, or even kart racing competitions. And entrance fees are much lower, too.

1. Organize your space: A helicopter is a very small space, already quite cluttered. As soon as you climb, set your gear up in a way that will not bother others. Don’t touch the controls if they are accessible, even when handling your bag or its contents. Check before take-off how you can change your lens if you intend to do it in flight.
2. Attach everything: A helicopter moves, bends, vibrates and is far from the ground. Make sure the bag won’t move (better, attach it) and make sure that the camera strap is around your neck..
3. Open the door: It will depend on the model (and on the pilot) but if it is possible, take a jacket (against the wind) and open the door to have no obstacle between your lens and the subject.
4. Watch for the blades: After all, you’ll forget easily about them but the blades can readily go into the frame on a standard or wide-angle shot. Either you want them clearly in (test the shutter speed for better effect), or you want to make sure they do not appear at all.
5. Choose your angle: Avoid shooting flat at the horizon (with its atmospheric haze) and take advantage of the overhanging position to try either slightly high angle shots or perfectly vertical ones right under the helicopter.

More than a tip, an advice: Have fun. Shoot as much as you can but keep also some time to watch and inhale. There is a world out of the viewfinder.

• Controlling Your Photo’s Background: Part I and Part II
• How to photograph 7 wine bottles on a white background (a video from learnmyshot.com, with a very good demonstration of studio lighting):
  
• How to photograph one Champagne bottle on a white background (another video from Stephen Hermitage, with another very good demonstration of studio lighting):
  
• Food photography : comment faire saliver vos lecteurs ! un article passablement intéressant sur un blog de fille photographe. Ne vous laissez pas arrêter par le côté rose bonbon ; tout le blog est vraiment bien, y compris les porjets de photo chaque semaine.
• PetaPixel: Secrets of Food Styling and Photography
• Fotogénico, pero no comestible. “Cocina y fotografía son una combinación que a algunos les parecerá sencillamente insuperable” (en Español).
• For the specialists (or the most intense photographers), I want to also suggest some more for very high speed photography (to stop a bullet or an explosion):
  • Bullet Photography At Home
  • DIY High Speed Photography for $20
  • Portrait photography resources brings eight links to web sites specially useful to the studio photographer.
• Ten Tips for Shooting Studio Portraits
• How to Take a Perfect Head Shot with a Single Light
• Light Stalking Ten Tips for Shooting Studio Portraits
• jakegarn: The art of the pose

photo © 2009 Autumn & Phill M. | more info (via: Wylio)

So, this month’s Y-tips are all about trying to help us shift to high gear to make our photos as nice as the pets we love.

1. Choose the best time: Take advantage from the proximity with your model to choose the time when it is most available, most cooperative.
2. Climb down to your subject level: As for many other models, an animal is best shot from eye level (its eye!), even if it means crawling on the floor or shooting a pet when it is set on furniture.
3. Watch the background: Inside or outside, the picture background can be quite distracting. Choose an adequate background or use a wide aperture to make it fuzzy.
4. Include its environmental: Choose a beautiful location that goes well with the pet and do not frame too tightly around (include the field, the beach, for example).
5. Close the frame: On the exact opposite, you can go very near a cooperating animal. Why not try to shoot a detail (an eye, an hear, a tail tip)?
6. Compose a scene Once again, since your pet is much more cooperative than the neighbor’s cat, you can try to create a scene. But be sure to prepare everything before you bring the animal in; Pets are less patient than most human pro models.

Not taking photos is refusing to simply press the shutter button because we have seen something. Making a photo is a matter of attitude, being constructive in front of all pictures. We must choose our framing, choose our exposure, choose our depth of field, choose exact moment. This way, I will build my own photo rather than taking what appeared there. And, any photograph can have such an aim for quality.

There is no photograph to be taken, there are only photographs to be built. Thanks to Ansel Adams.

photo credit: Dinh Huynh

So, let’s not forget the basic advice for the photographer in cold weather and we’ll bring good pictures back from the near-Arctic zone of our holidays.

1. Protection against mist and water vapor: Cold generates mist any time hardware moves quickly from one place to another one, violently changing temperature. In a house, it’s warm with a lot of humidity; Outside, it’s cold and the air is dry. Use a plastic bag for freezing food. You’ll close the camera and lenses with outside dry air before getting back in. Don’t forget to remove the battery and/or memory card on the doorstep, of course.
2. Protection against snow: As for rain, you must be wary of the bad consequences of humidity directly one the photo equipment. If the camera is weather-sealed, you’ll forget about it, mostly. But, if not, don’t let snow fall onto it. It’s so much nicer, but it will short-circuit electrical contacts in about the same time.
3. Electrical storage: Be prepared: You need more batteries. In the cold temperatures, all batteries seem to loose a lot of their autonomy. It is advisable to keep unused batteries near your body (for body heat), but above all double all your habits for additional energy storage. You need twice the spare batteries.
4. Protection of the photographer: Hardware is not the only one sensitive to cold. The software photographer also gets cold. Remember to always be clothed more than adequately. You will not shoot good pictures if your are frozen to immobility and get a cold. Remember that it’s always more difficult if you are not moving for a long time.
5. Protection of the photographer: More specifically, choose cautiously your gloves. They must be as warm as possible and as thin as possible (to keep a good finger sensitivity on the controls). You’ll find excellent technical products in shops specializing in outdoor and alpine sports.
6. Don’t forget the light: This is the most common problem with snow, you must over-expose by 2 stops when snow is visible in the viewfinder. The metering sensor and system will try to render some kind of medium light grey color, and with all this white snow, it will strongly under-expose. You must compensate and OVER-expose.

Snap nice frozen photos! And show us them on the Facebook page, or in the Flickr group.

photo credit: kevindooley

The cause of digital noise is inside the photo sensor itself. Short of using a sensor at a very low temperature (this is the astronomers solution, though), thermal random moves of the electrons in the sensor material will produce false color values in the sensor. These small spots are corrected (but only up to a point) by the firmware of the photo camera, but we can help it a bit.

• Use small ISO: The higher the ISO sensitivity, the more difficult it is for the sensor to amplify these small useful signals. Be specially aware of the risks involved with the “Auto ISO” mode which will choose (not always wisely) the sensitivity. Some Nikon DSLR cameras like the D7000 allow to fix your own limits to the max ISO values of the auto ISO mode; This is a good thing. The maximum value depends a lot on your camera, but today, 400 ISO are very difficult (too much?) for a compact camera, only the most modern APS-C cameras will safely reach 800 ISO, semi-pro and pro DSLR will go further. But beware: The older generations (last year!) may be limited to one or two stops lower.
• Don’t forget the noise reduction mode of your camera: This is specially true for long exposures (more than 1/10s) and nearly all cameras have a special mode to identify long exposure noise, but it is not always selected in the menus.
• Keep your camera cold: We forget it too often, this is “thermal noise”. The warmer the sensor, the more noise there will be. So, keep the camera cold. If you use the LiveView mode or video capture, give it some time (one minute?) for the sensor to cool down after these continuous and intensive uses before trying to shoot a low noise picture.

After that, there is only Photoshop, GIMP or any other photo repair software which will be able to correct what has been recorded by the sensor.

« 2011, Neiges et Glaces du Monde » (2011, Snows and ices of the world) is a project of Marion Jonchères, French mountaineer, sportswoman, adventurer to the end of the world. During a full year, this frail young woman will face cold and altitude while climbing icy summits all over the world, on all continents.

But Marion is also a photographer ; This is why we asked her to share her tips and tricks with us for a better photography in (high) altitude. They will be applicable under 6000m too, of course.

You can follow her 2011 adventure on her blog at ice-altitude.com.

When Yves asks me about the peculiarities of mountain photography, I ask back: What mountain photography? The pictures of the admiring tourist using his photo camera from an outdoor café facing the snowy peaks? Maybe not… Or the pictures of an assiduous practitioner, whose camera is a part of the mountaineering gear? Of course, this goes with some constrains… Here are the lessons I draw from my modest amateur experience.

• • Focus on a camera body as compact and lightweight as possibleDon’t forget that you must carry the photo gear and that it must not limit your progression. The photo hardware is stored in the backpack or carried, inside the clothes or on a shoulder strap. Forget about sensitive equipment!
    If you leave for a trekking or a long expedition, remember the spare batteries or solar battery chargers. The most farsighted mountaineer will have several memory cards, just as insurance against losing all the pictures in case of the long fall of the camera into a crevice or a river…
  • Use a UV filterUltra-violet (UV) light density will increase with altitude. Snow has a blinding effect. The UV filter (Skylight 1A or 1B) helps moderate these effects. Moreover, it will protect the lens if, like I do to speed up operation, you never cover the lens between shots.
  • Favor a wide-angle lens and leave the telephoto homeA wide-angle lens (up to 18 mm) will allow to step back from the somewhat imposing mountains and will better capture your feeling in front of a mountain range… Sometimes, one would wish being equipped for panorama photography!To capture pictures of your climbing partner in action, forget the telephoto lens except if you intend to check on his ice spikes or his climbing helmet. However, a slightly longer focal length (135 mm) is useful to isolate an individual while keeping some image depth.

    And if you want to track the progress of your partners on a mountain side or define an itinerary, you’d better have binoculars ; It’s less heavy and more powerful.

  • Of the difficulty to capture the actual inclination of a rock / snow / ice slopeThe rock wall is vertical and snow slope is inclined to more than 60 degrees, and your leader, above you, still seems to be crawling on all fours? This is the main difficulty for a picture or the progress of your leader. You’d better try to shoot pictures of a person roughly on the same level as you (be sure to catch his best profile!), the sky or other mountains being a background to highlight the position of your model and the slope he/she’s working on. Some low angle shots may be successful too if you keep composition lines or a focal point (an ice tongue or a moraine…).

• Forget about back-lightingExcept if you want to draw the different planes of ranges up to the horizon, mountain is usually quite ugly when back-lit, crushed in light, rock will become black, without any of the contrasts brought by a more favorable lighting.
• Which is the nicest light?Very personal question… If the sunsets can give you magnificent colors, most notably in rosy tints, still prefer the colors of sunrise. The morning orange will be warmer than in the evening and the atmosphere will be clearer. Also notice with interest the pastel lights so peculiar in a Winter afternoon, drawing into apricot or peach: Quite a treat (figuratively speaking)!
• To dazzle your friendsYou just climbed a snow couloir still somewhat unimpressive? So, climb down quickly and shoot the couloir while facing it from a little distance: Your friends may feel that it is now near vertical!
• Despite all your talent and the quality of all your gear… be ready for frustration!Stopping to get your camera out of your jacket will quickly become annoying when you also have to concentrate on your progress. How many times did I feel I had shot 100 pictures to discover only 30 in the camera when the climb is done and most of them uninterested or not spectacular enough or not worth taking… It is somewhat hard to simultaneously climb, admire and shoot! Choose your partner cautiously: On top of his mountaineering qualities, he must be patient to stop whenever you want and whenever the safety conditions are met (certainly not under a serac or in the middle of a snow bridge…)

Here’s what I can do to help start again with fresh ideas, new energy for photography:

• Open a photo book and start looking for what surprises you and is different from your own work: Different subjects, different compositions, new colors, new places.
• Pop a DVD and watch a movie. Sometimes, you will notice how a director of photography can be a great photograph. I’d like to mention two movies right now: In Cold Blood (by Richard Brooks, 1967; DoPh: Conrad L. Hall) and Desert Flower (by Sherry Horman, 2009; DoPh: Ken Kelsch).
• Go to an art museum near me and check for all kinds of paintings and graphic art.
• Go and visit a local craftsman to see what they do with metal, wood or stone. Art can sometimes start from all kinds of materials.
• Open a photography magazine and skip the hardware/software pages to check the pictures from great photographers: I like the photo agency pages of Chasseur d’Images (in France, Europe) for they present commercial photography at its best.

Usually, it’s enough to go further, not only as a zombie, but as a renewed photographer.

Post scriptum: For those who did not recognize his name, Conrad L. Hall is a director of photography who is widely recognized and participated to many great movies. Just remember American Beauty and Road to Perdition (both of Sam Mendes), or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.