Objects

Working Practice in the Studio

“What health and safety law requires

The basis of British health and safety law is the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The Act sets out the general duties, which employers have towards employees and members of the public, and employees have to themselves and to each other.

These duties are qualified in the Act by the principle of ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’. In other words, an employer does not have to take measures to avoid or reduce the risk if they are technically impossible or if the time, trouble or cost of the measures would be grossly disproportionate to the risk.

What the law requires here is what good management and common sense would lead employers to do anyway: that is, to look at what the risks are and take sensible measures to tackle them.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (the Management Regulations) generally make more explicit what employers are required to do to manage health and safety under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Like the Act, they apply to every work activity.

The main requirement on employers is to carry out a risk assessment. Employers with five or more employees need to record the significant findings of the risk assessment.

Risk assessment should be straightforward in a simple workplace such as a typical photographic studio or location. It should only be complicated if it deals with serious hazards such as those in a darkroom using chemicals.”

The above is modified from to reflect photographic needs or requirements: Health and Safety Executive. Health and safety regulations.

In creating an environment in the photo-studio or photographic location you will need to consider the following points in creating a health and safety framework.  

“The HSW Act and supporting regulations require employers (photographers) to ensure the safety, health and welfare at work of their employees so far as is reasonably practicable. It also places a general duty on employers (photographers) to conduct their business in such a way as to ensure that others (ie non-employees and members of the public) are not exposed to risks to their health or safety. 
Employees (assistants) are required to co-operate with their employers (photographers) in complying with health and safety law. They are required to take reasonable care to ensure they do not endanger themselves or anyone else using the premises, which could include assistants, models, make-up artists, hairdressers, stylists, models (etc),  and visitors. They should:

·         Follow the instructions and training given by their employer (the photographer) in the safe use of particular items of equipment such as photographic equipment, studio lights, darkroom and computer equipment as appropriate.

·         Inform their employer (the photographer) of any work situation which is a serious and immediate danger to health and safety, for example broken equipment.

·         Inform their employer (the photographer) of any shortcomings in the arrangements for ensuring the health and safety of employees. 
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, as amended (the Management Regulations), employers need to assess the risks to the health and safety of employees and others who may be affected by their activities. This may require employers their employer (the photographer)   taking advice from other professionals on specific risks.

Who is responsible for the assessment?

·         It is the employers’ (photographers) responsibility to ensure risk assessments are carried out. In practice, competent employees who have the relevant training, knowledge and understanding of the issues may undertake them. It is also important to involve key decision makers in the process (as appropriate) especially where there are significant resource implications. To be fully effective, they need to consider how other issues, such as environmental conditions, restricted workspace, and the risk of violence.”

The above content has been modified from: Health and Safety Executive. Health and safety matters for special educational needs: Legal issues including risk assessment.

Risk Assessments

We all know that we need to do some form of risk assessment but what is involved in doing this. Why if we are freelance photographers should we consider doing one. For a start, if you have public liability insurance you can claim to being aware of any issues before they arise and you have some paper work that shows you where aware of any issues if something should happen. Apart from this it is good practice to do a risk assessment as it shows you clients, subjects and co-workers that you do care about providing a positive and safe working environment for everyone. The Health and Safety Executive has the following guide you should download and consider using: “Five steps to risk assessment “ 

You can download the form only from here Photographers Risk Assessment

You need to follow these five steps, to not only be aware of risks but, also to do something about them.

1.     Identify hazards.

2.     Decide who might be harmed and how.

3.     Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions.

4.     Record your findings and implement them.

5.     Review your assessment and update if necessary.

Working on Location. The Health and Safety Executive has a useful guide in Buildings used for locations or temporary studios in film and television. That covers things like working in buildings, control measures, fire, responsibilities, hazards, Utilites, Vermin, hazardous materials, rubbish and debris to name a few of the details it goes into.

In the guide it refers to ‘must’ as being a legal obligation and words like ‘do’ should’ as advice on good practice. I would recommend that you download this guide from the link below as it is an in-depth look at things you should consider when working on location.

See link below for a form, that will help in checking the location for any health and safety issues that you may encounter. (which is also in the guide from the listed here). Health and Safety Executive, Buildings used for locations or temporary studios in film and television. or download the modified one that I have created based on the one for television. Here: Location photography Health and Safety

One area that photographers need to consider is the possibility of people tripping or slipping over.

“Slip and Trip Hazards Control measures

In order to effectively control slip and trip risks, employers should:

·         Identify the hazards – look for slip and trip hazards around the location or photo studio.

·         Decide who might be harmed and how – look at who comes onto the location or photo studio, and whether they are at risk.

·         Consider the risks and decide if precautions already being taken are enough, or if more needs to be done.

·         Record the findings.

·         Review the assessment regularly and revise it if necessary.

Location or photo studio premises are varied and often complex sites. The measures to control the risks will vary according to the different areas of the location or photo studio and the different activities being undertaken. Each will need to be assessed separately and a range of practical measures adopted to control the risk depending on the assessment. The risk factors to consider include:

·         Environmental (floor, steps, slopes etc).

·         Contamination (water, food, litter etc).

·         Organisational (task, safety culture etc).

·         Footwear (for example, footwear worn for photographic sessions may not always be in line with sensible shoes for work).

·         Individual factors (eg information and training, 
supervision, pedestrian behaviour etc).”

Tripping: - Camera Stand, Props, Tri-pods. Ensure the lights/fittings are secure on the stands and that there is sufficient space for everyone to move around without a tripping/collision hazard.

Bumps: Hanging Lights, Soft Boxes / Wafers

Electricity: Most of the cables are wired upwards and do not cause risk of tripping

Light: Flashlight is very strong and can damage the eyes, photographers, helpers & models should avoidunnecessary exposure to flash photography.Covers need to be removed before switching on the flash lamps and fittings should be attached prior to thelamps heating up.

When closing down never lay cables or anything else over hot lamps (allow them to cool first).

Turn the lights down to there lowest setting and then discharge the power before switching off.

Darkness: The low light in the studio presents a hazard in itself. Various props, wires, camera stands areless evident in the dark. When using the studio users should not rely on their usual senses. Extra attentionneeds to be paid, taking an extra look around before making movements, taking notice of where things are.

Heat: The flashlights become incredibly hot and could cause severe burns. They should never be handled.Cables should always be laid where they do not create a hazard. Where this cannot be done gaffer tapeshould be used to secure them to the floor/walls.

At the end of a session all equipment should be safely removed to the edges of the studio.

Never leave the studio unattended.

Image capture

Image capture refers to the different types of technology  that are able to take/capture images or pictures. The different types of image capture technology that exists are image scanners(scanners), digital cameras, smart phones and tablet systems.

Traditional cameras capture light onto photographic film or photographic plate. Video and digital cameras use an electronic image sensor, usually a charge coupled device (CCD) or a CMOS sensor to capture images which can be transferred or stored in a memory card or other storage inside the camera for later playback or processing.

Cameras

A camera is an optical instrument that records images that can be stored directly, transmitted to another location, or both. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the word camera obscura (Latin for "dark chamber"), an early mechanism for projecting images. The modern camera evolved from the camera obscura.

A camera may work with the light of the visible spectrum or with other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. A still camera is an optical device which creates a single image of an object or scene, and records it on an electronic sensor or photographic film. All cameras utilize the same basic design: light enters an enclosed box through a converging lens and an image is recorded on a light-sensitive medium. A shutter mechanism controls the length of time that light can enter the camera. Most photographic cameras have functions which allow a person to view the scene to be recorded, allow for a desired part of the scene to be in focus, and to control the exposure so that it is not too bright or too dim. A data display, often a liquid crystal display (LCD), permits the user to view settings such as film speed, exposure, and shutter speed.

Film format 

A film format is a technical definition of a set of standard characteristics regarding image capture on photographic film, for either stills or filmmaking. It can also apply to projected film, either slides or movies. The primary characteristic of a film format is its size and shape. Film was introdeced to photography in 1895 and is still used today.

A wide range of film and plate formats have been used by cameras. In the early history plate sizes were often specific for the make and model of camera although there quickly developed some standardisation for the more popular cameras. The introduction of roll film drove the standardization process still further so that by the 1950s only a few standard roll films were in use. These included 120 film providing 8, 12 or 16 exposures, 220 film providing 16 or 24 exposures, 127 film providing 8 or 12 exposures (principally in Brownie cameras) and 135 (35 mm film) providing 12, 20 or 36 exposures – or up to 72 exposures in the half-frame format or in bulk cassettes for the Leica Camera range.

For cine cameras, film 35 mm wide and perforated with sprocket holes was established as the standard format in the 1890s. It is still used for nearly all film-based professional motion picture production. For amateur use, several smaller and therefore less expensive formats were introduced. 17.5 mm film, created by splitting 35 mm film, was one early amateur format, but 9.5 mm film, introduced in Europe in 1922, and 16 mm film, introduced in the US in 1923, soon became the standards for "home movies" in their respective hemispheres. In 1932, the even more economical 8 mm format was created by doubling the number of perforations in 16 mm film, then splitting it, usually after exposure and processing. The Super 8 format, still 8 mm wide but with smaller perforations to make room for substantially larger film frames, was introduced in 1965.

Digital format

In digital photography, the image sensor format is the shape and size of the image sensor.

The image sensor format of a digital camera determines the angle of view of a particular lens when used with a particular camera. In particular, image sensors in digital SLR cameras tend to be smaller than the 24 mm × 36 mm image area of full-frame 35 mm cameras, and therefore lead to a narrower angle of view.

Lenses produced for 35 mm film cameras may mount well on the digital bodies, but the larger image circle of the 35 mm system lens allows unwanted light into the camera body, and the smaller size of the image sensor compared to 35 mm film format results in cropping of the image. This latter effect is known as field of view crop. The format size ratio (relative to the 35 mm film format) is known as the field of view crop factor, crop factor, lens factor, focal length conversion factor, focal length multiplier or lens multiplier.

Focus

Due to the optical properties of photographic lenses, only objects within a limited range of distances from the camera will be reproduced clearly. The process of adjusting this range is known as changing the camera's focus. There are various ways of focusing a camera accurately. The simplest cameras have fixed focus and use a small aperture and wide-angle lens to ensure that everything within a certain range of distance from the lens, usually around 3 metres (10 ft) to infinity, is in reasonable focus. Fixed focus cameras are usually inexpensive types, such as single-use cameras. The camera can also have a limited focusing range or scale-focus that is indicated on the camera body. The user will guess or calculate the distance to the subject and adjust the focus accordingly. On some cameras this is indicated by symbols (head-and-shoulders; two people standing upright; one tree; mountains).

Rangefinder cameras allow the distance to objects to be measured by means of a coupled parallax unit on top of the camera, allowing the focus to be set with accuracy. Single-lens reflex cameras allow the photographer to determine the focus and composition visually using the objective lens and a moving mirror to project the image onto a ground glass or plastic micro-prism screen. Twin-lens reflex cameras use an objective lens and a focusing lens unit (usually identical to the objective lens.) in a parallel body for composition and focusing. View cameras use a ground glass screen which is removed and replaced by either a photographic plate or a reusable holder containing sheet film before exposure. Modern cameras often offer autofocus systems to focus the camera automatically by a variety of methods.

The distance range in which objects appear clear and sharp, called depth of field, can be adjusted by many cameras. This allows for a photographer to control which objects appear in focus, and which do not.

Lenses

The lens of a camera captures the light from the subject and brings it to a focus on the film or detector. The design and manufacture of the lens is critical to the quality of the photograph being taken. The technological revolution in camera design in the 19th century revolutionized optical glass manufacture and lens design with great benefits for modern lens manufacture in a wide range of optical instruments from reading glasses to microscopes. Pioneers included Zeiss and Leitz.

Camera lenses are made in a wide range of focal lengths. They range from extreme wide angle, wide angle, standard, medium telephoto and telephoto. Each lens is best suited a certain type of photography. The extreme wide angle may be preferred for architecture because it has the capacity to capture a wide view of a building. The normal lens, because it often has a wide aperture, is often used for street and documentary photography. The telephoto lens is useful for sports and wildlife but it is more susceptible to camera shake

Today we had our first lesson in the studio, understanding lighting, exposure and white balance and how different light and white balance can affect the colour and feel to a shot.

Most SLR and DSLR cameras provide the option of changing the lens. This enables the use of lens that are best suited for the current photographic need, and allows the attachment of specialized lenses. Film SLR cameras have existed since the late 1950s, and over the years a very large number of different lenses have been produced, both by camera manufacturers (who typically only make lenses intended for their own camera bodies) and by third-party optics companies who may make lenses for several different camera lines.

DSLRs became affordable around the mid-1990s, and have become extremely popular in recent years. Some manufacturers, for example Minolta, Canon and Nikon, chose to make their DSLRs 100% compatible with their existing SLR lenses in the beginning, allowing owners of new DSLR's to continue to use their existing lenses and get a longer lifespan from their investment. Others, for example Olympus, chose to create a completely new lens mount and series of lenses for their DSLRs. The Pentax SLR camera K-mount system is backward compatible to all previous lens generations from Pentax, including the latest digital SLRs like the K-5 and K-r. A Pentax K-mount lens from the early 70s can be utilized on the newest Pentax DSLR although it may not provide features that are included in newer lenses (e.g. autofocus). There are a few exceptions from the MZ and ZX series of Pentax film cameras that do not work with some of the older lenses.

As implied by the above, lenses are only directly interchangeable within the "mount system" for which they are built. Mixing mounting systems requires an adapter, and most often results in compromises such as loss of functionality (e.g. lack of autofocus or automatic aperture control). Further, in some cases the adapter will require an additional optical element to correct for varied registration distances (the distance from the rear of the mount to the focal plane on the image sensor or film). Adapters may not be available to bridge every combination of lens mount and camera mount.

Zoom Lenses

The focal length of a zoom lens is not fixed; instead it can be varied between a specified minimum and maximum value. Modern lens technology is such that the loss of image quality in zoom lenses (relative to non-zoom lenses) is minimal, and zoom lenses have become the standard lenses for SLRs and DSLRs. This is different from the late 1980s when, due to image quality concerns, most professional photographers still relied primarily on standard non-zoom lenses. However, zoom lenses still typically have a lower maximum aperture than fixed-focal ("prime") lenses for the same weight and cost, especially for shorter focal lengths.

Zoom lenses are often described by the ratio of their longest to shortest focal lengths. For example, a zoom lens with focal lengths ranging from 100 mm to 400 mm may be described as a 4:1 or "4×" zoom. Typical zoom lenses cover a 3.5× range, for example from 24 – 90 mm (standard zoom) or 60 – 200 mm (telephoto zoom). "Super-zoom" lenses with a range of 10× or even 14× are becoming more common, although the image quality does typically suffer a bit compared with the more traditional zooms.

The maximum aperture for a zoom lens may be the same (constant) for all focal lengths, but it is more common that the maximum aperture is greater at the wide-angle end than at the telephoto end of the zoom range. For example, a 100 mm to 400 mm lens may have a maximum aperture of f/4.0 at the 100 mm end but will diminish to only f/5.6 at the 400 mm end of the zoom range. Zoom lenses with constant maximum apertures (such as f/2.8 for a 24-70mm lens) are usually reserved for lenses with higher build quality and are thus more expensive than those with variable maximum apertures.

Macro Lenses

Macro lenses are designed for extreme closeup work. Such lenses are popular for nature shooting such as small flowers, as well as for many technical applications. As most of these lenses can also focus to infinity and tend to be quite sharp, many are used as general-purpose optics.

Macro Lens

Extension Tubes

Extension tubes for extreme macro use with SLRs. Note the pen placed through the tube to illustrate that it does not contain any lens elements.

Macro Photography is extreme close-up photography, usually of very small subjects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than life size (though macrophotography technically refers to the art of making very large photographs).  By some definitions, a macro photograph is one in which the size of the subject on the negative or image sensor is life size or greater. However in other uses it refers to a finished photograph of a subject at greater than life size.

The ratio of the subject size on the film plane (or sensor plane) to the actual subject size is known as the reproduction ratio. Likewise, a macro lens is classically a lens capable of reproduction ratios greater than 1:1, although it often refers to any lens with a large reproduction ratio, despite rarely exceeding 1:1.

Special purpose lenses

Most users of SLR and DSLR cameras stick to using zoom lenses, while a few of the more adventurous amateurs and many professional photographers also invest in a few prime lenses. Special purpose lenses are, as the designation implies, for special purposes, and are not so common.

There are many different kinds of special purpose lenses, the most popular being fisheye lenses, which are extreme wide-angle lenses with an angle of view of up to 180 degrees or more, with very noticeable (sometimes intended) distortion. Perspective control lenses and soft-focus lenses, were more popular with film SLRs but are less popular for DSLRs because the same or similar results can be obtained with post-processing software..

Automatic Focus

Almost all modern lenses for SLRs and DSLRs provide automatic focus. The autofocus sensor(s) and electronics are actually in the camera body, and this circuitry provides electrical power and signals to a motor inside the lens that adjusts the focus. (Some older autofocus systems are based on a motor in the camera body and using a mechanical connection to the focus mechanism in the lens.)

There are two different kinds of in-lens electronic focus drive motors currently in use, the traditional servo motor and the more modern "ultrasonic" drive systems. These ultrasonic drives go by different names according to the manufacturer, for example USM (Canon), AF-S/Silent Wave (Nikon), Super Sonicwave Motor/SSM (Sony), Supersonic Wave Drive (Olympus), Extra Silent Motor (Panasonic/Leica), Supersonic Drive Motor (Pentax), and Hypersonic Motor/HSM (Sigma). These ultrasonic focus drives typically provide faster focusing than the non-ultrasonic drives, as well as being practically silent and using less battery power.

Optical Image Stabalization

Image stabilization is a technique used to reduce image blur caused by the camera not being held steady. There are two kinds of image stabilization used in SLR and DSLR cameras and their lenses:

In-body image stabilization is implemented by moving the image sensor in an attempt to counteract the sensed motion of the camera. The advantage of this technique is that it works for all lenses mounted on the camera, at least if the camera electronics are aware of the lens' focal length. This is most commonly done automatically, but some cameras (such as all Olympus bodies with IS) allow the user to input the focal length manually for use with lenses with no electronic coupling. In-body image stabilization is used in modern Olympus, Sony, and Pentax cameras.

In-lens image stabilization is implemented in the lens itself, and moves the lens elements in an attempt to counteract the sensed motion of the camera. The inherent advantage of this kind of image stabilization is that it steadies the viewfinder image, allowing for more accurate framing and autofocus. The disadvantage is that you have to pay the extra cost for every lens you buy for which you want image stabilization. Panasonic, Canon, and Nikon use lens-based image stabilization. Some third-party lenses from Sigma and Tamron also have lens-based IS systems.

The effectiveness of image stabilization systems varies somewhat from implementation to another, but there seems to be no inherent superiority to either lens-based or sensor-based systems  as far as the actual improvement in captured images.

Camera Accessories
Lens Hood: In photography, a lens hood or lens shade is a device used on the end of a lens to block the sun or other light source in order to prevent glare and lens flare

Lens Filter:In photography and videography, a filter is a camera accessory consisting of an optical filter that can be inserted in the optical path. The filter can be a square or oblong shape mounted in a holder accessory, or, more commonly, a glass or plastic disk with a metal or plastic ring frame, which can be screwed in front of or clipped onto the lens.

Filters modify the images recorded. Sometimes they are used to make only subtle changes to images; other times the image would simply not be possible without them. In monochrome photography coloured filters affect the relative brightness of different colours; red lipstick may be rendered as anything from almost white to almost black with different filters. Others change the colour balance of images, so that photographs under incandescent lighting show colours as they are perceived, rather than with a reddish tinge. There are filters that distort the image in a desired way, diffusing an otherwise sharp image, adding a starry effect, etc. Supplementary close-up lenses may be classified as filters. Linear and circular polarising filters reduce oblique reflections from non-metallic surfaces.

Many filters absorb part of the light available, necessitating longer exposure. As the filter is in the optical path, any imperfections—non-flat or non-parallel surfaces, reflections (minimised by optical coating), scratches, dirt—affect the image

Flash Equipment-A flash is a device used in photography producing a flash of artificial light (typically 1/1000 to 1/200 of a second) at a color temperature of about 5500 K to help illuminate a scene. A major purpose of a flash is to illuminate a dark scene. Other uses are capturing quickly moving objects or changing the quality of light. Flash refers either to the flash of light itself or to the electronic flash unit discharging the light. Most current flash units are electronic, having evolved from single-use flashbulbs and flammable powders. Modern cameras often activate flash units automatically.

Tripod-In photography, a tripod is used to stabilize and elevate a camera, a flash unit, or other photographic equipment. All photographic tripods have three legs and a mounting head to couple with a camera. The mounting head usually includes a thumbscrew that mates to a female threaded receptacle on the camera, as well as a mechanism to be able to rotate and tilt the camera when it is mounted on the tripod. Tripod legs are usually made to telescope, in order to save space when not in use. Tripods are usually made from aluminum, carbon fiber, steel, wood or plastic

Shutter Release Cable-A cable release is a cable that plugs into the side of a camera and has a trigger on the other end that when fired, it controls the shutter release.

Used when your camera is mounted on a tripod to prevent movement when taking a picture.

Backgrounds- Natural Suroundings

Backgrounds present both opportunities and challenges to photographers. On the one hand they can put a subjects in context and make it stand out in a way that highlights it wonderfully – but on the other hand backgrounds can overwhelm subjects and distract from them.

Some of the common problems that photographers have with backgrounds include:

Distracting Focal Points – we’ve all seen this happen – we line up a shot of a friend to take as a portrait and just as we press the shutter someone else pops their head up over their shoulder with a silly face. The result is that the real focal point of the shot becomes the face pulling person. This is an extreme example of distracting focal points in the background but it’s something that happens quite a lot.

Protruding Elements from Subjects Heads – I nearly didn’t include this one but it’s so common that I just had to mention it. When shooting a portrait one of the common mistakes is for some background element to look like it’s sticking up out of a person’s head – like a horn. It’s often trees (as in the photo to the left) but could be anything. These shots can be quite comical but can also really throw the composition of a shot off.

Competing Lines – if your subject has lines in it and your background also has strong lines they can compete in such a way that the image becomes busy or so that the lines clash with one another.

Strategies for Dealing with Distracting Backgrounds

1. Check your Background Before Hitting the Shutter Release

Always scan the background of your shots before taking a shot. Look for colors that don’t fit with the rest of the image, bright patches that might distract the eye, lines that clash, people that don’t belong etc.

2. Move Your Subject

This is once again a fairly simple technique but is probably the first thing you should consider. Quite often asking a portrait subject to take a step to the left or right will fix things either by putting the distraction behind them or by putting it out of frame.

3. Change your Shooting Angle

If you have distracting elements in the background of a shot but can’t move your subject another strategy is to move yourself and shoot from a new angle. This might mean rotating around your subject but could also include getting down low to make the sky the background or even getting up high and shooting down onto your subject to make the background the ground.

4. Using Aperture to Blur Backgrounds

One of the most useful things to learn as a way to combat distractions in backgrounds (and foregrounds) is to use the power of your lens to throw the background out of focus using depth of field. What you’re trying to achieve with this technique is a nice blurred background where you can’t really make out what’s going on there.

The easiest way to do this is to use a wide aperture (the smaller the number the wider the aperture). The wider your aperture the more blurry your background should become.

The quickest way to see the impact of this strategy is to switch your camera into aperture priority mode and to take a number of shots at different apertures. Start with an aperture of f/20 and work your way down – one stop at a time. Once you get down to under f/4 you’ll start seeing the background in your shots getting blurrier and blurrier.

5. Using Focal Length to Blur Backgrounds

Another way to help get your backgrounds nice and blurry is to use a lens with a long focal length. Longer tele-photo do help a little to get narrower depth of field (although the amount is less than many think). In actual fact the impact is smaller than it seems and the main reason for the change is that with a longer focal length the subject actually takes up more space in the frame. Lots of arguments have been had over whether focal length impacts this – you can read more about it here and here – I’ll leave it to the experts to discuss the finer points but will say that using longer focal lengths does seem to have some impact and is worth experimenting with.

6. Place Subjects In front of Open Spaces

Placing your subject a long way in front of other objects will also help to make those objects more blurry. For example if you have the choice between shooting your subject standing right in front of a brick wall or standing in front of an open field – the open field shot will have a much more blurred background simply because the brick wall is just centimeters from your subject and inside the focal range whereas an open field stretches off into the distance where everything will be out of focus.

7. Fill your frame with your subject

One of the most effective ways of removing distractions from backgrounds is to remove the background altogether by totally filling the frame with your subject. Get up close and/or use your zoom lens to tightly frame the shot and you’ll not only remove distractions but could end up with a high impact shot as well.

8. Make your Own Background

Sometimes there just isn’t any suitable background and so you might want to consider making your own. This could range from buying a purpose built studio background or simply buying some cloth to do the job for you.

I know of one keep photographer who goes out shooting photographic portraits and carries large colored sheets of card with him to put up on walls to act as a background.

The other thing to keep in mind is that in many instances you can move things around in the background of your shots (especially if you’re shooting indoors). For example I was recently photographed in my home for a newspaper and the photographer had me move a number of pieces of furniture during the shoot because they were distracting in the shots. It took a little effort but the impact in the shots was quite incredible.

9. Post Processing

I’m no expert in using photo editing software but there are numerous ways of editing a shot after you’ve taken it to get rid of distracting elements. These can include blurring techniques, actual removing of elements and replacing them and techniques such as selective coloring (ie making your subject stand out by making your background black and white (or at least sucking some of the color out of it).

Backdrops in the studio

There is an absolutely HUGE range of Studio Backgrounds / Backdrops available to the Modern Studio Photographer from Colorama, Interfit, KARLite and Lastolite to name a few, covering almost every event imaginable! To make things simpler we can break down the current market offerings into several categories;

Paper, Vinyl, PVC, Curtains, Hi-Lites, Collapsibles.

Paper is a "disposable" Studio background supplied in standard sized rolls and is ideal for flat Matt images without any need to worry about creases - Perfect for High / Low Key & Chromakey Work.  It is the preferred medium for most Studios and in the UK and is supplied predominantly by Colorama and Lastolite, there are cheaper brands available but care should be taken over evenness of the colour shade, thickness, exact shade matching from one roll to the next etc,

ADVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
Flat and Crease Free	Cannot be used on deep pile carpets, as it can be easily punctured by tall shoe heels
Even colour across the entire width and length	Not very portable - i.e. 2.72m STD width will not fit in most cars or fit into most people's lounges (for the Portable Studio Photographer).
Tear off sections of the paper as it gets dirty	Disposable Item - so costs can mount over a period of time
Wide Range of Colours available	Storage of multiple colours can be difficult.
Easy to use	Can get "dirty" very quickly with certain subjects (Children/Animals etc)

Available in the following sizes

Studio Vinyl

Studio Vinyl Background / Backdrop Rolls are hard wearing and available in a limited number of colours (White/Black/Grey/Chroma Green) usually 2.72m wide x 6m long.  Taking the best properties of Studio Paper Rolls these are semi disposable and as a rule of thumb will last about the same amount of time as 7-10 paper rolls.  Their "wipe clean" properties make them ideal for dirtier subjects far outlasting paper rolls in those scenarios.  Their weight (approx 18kg) make them extremely UNPORTABLE and it usually takes 2 people to fit one to a suitable support and get it into position  Fixed Studio Use only. Available from Colorama & Lastolite

PVC

Used for Studio Product Photography, these small background sheets come in Matt, Gloss and Graduated variants to create the desired effect allowing for wipe clean long term use.  Available from Colorama & Interfit.

Curtain Backdrops

Curtain backdrops / backgrounds contain a huge range of products falling into the four main categories below, their main advantages are that they are relatively cheap to produce allowing for literally tens of thousands of designs.  The fact that they are material based ,means that they can be folded, making for great portability and storage and being material they can be produced in much bigger sizes (The Karlite Curtain range for instance, go from 2.6mx2.6m to 6mx6m).  Traditional curtains should be made from 100% cotton muslin although there are some non-muslin variants on the market that  get round one of their major pitfalls - CREASES, examples of these include Lastolites Knitted Backgrounds and the material used on Karlite's Plain Collapsible Backgrounds.  Be wary of Muslin backgrounds / backdrops that claim to be totally crease free - this is extremely unlikely unless the material is so thin as to be translucent.  Muslin Curtain Backdrop / Backgrounds are available from Interfit, KARLite and Lastolite.

PLAIN

Backgrounds with similar uses as Paper Rolls, these are much more portable and are available in much greater sizes, available from Interfit, KARLite and Lastolite.

DYED

A huge range of Backgrounds / Backdrops is available within this category in all thicknesses of Muslin, these are normally hand dyed in the Asian sub-continent which means that no two curtains are ever the same, a uniqueness that appeals to most photographers.  Lastolite curtains are the exception, as these are printed and therefore each one is identical to the next.  Known as traditional Background / Backdrop curtains.  Available from Interfit, KARLite and Lastolite.

SPRAY DYED

Again a huge range of Studio backdrops / backgrounds available in this type, here the backdrop is initially dyed and then spray painted to create the desired effect.  With the exception of KARLite curtains, these are rarely machine washable. Available from KARLite.

SCENIC

These Muslin background / backdrop curtains are hand air sprayed by artists to create a "dreamy" photographic effect.  Extremely effective when used correctly.  Ideal for event work. Sometimes also known as "Old Masters" backdrops / Background Curtains.  Care should be taken to purchase these from a reputable dealer as not all "artists" are capable of spray painting to the same level of quality.  There are many examples of cheap versions being bought on the likes of eBay direct from USA/China/India, only for the purchaser to be disappointed on receipt - buyer beware!

Available from KARLite.

PHOTO REALISTICS

New to the market, these backdrop / Background curtains are actual photographs that are digitally printed onto a specially coated material.  There are thousands available (KARLite has access to over 3000 different ones).  I deal for event/Glamour and wedding work where they offer the wedding photographer a weather and venue  independent choice of backgrounds for that "special" day. The level of detail can be amazing.

Only available in the UK from KARLite.

FANTASY BACKGROUNDS

Used over another base background such a paper roll.  These are made from a very thin translucent material that has the ability to  change colour depending upon the thickness of the material in use (folded over itself several times) and also on the background roll colour.  The possibilities are endless.  Ideal for Glamour work and for creating a dreamy look - such as would be used with either a wedding dress or tutu shot.  Available in many different shades/colours.

Available from KARLite.

HI-LITES

The Lastolite HiLite backgrounds range allows the photographer to work in a way that was extremely difficult to achieve in the past, ‘High Key’ photography on location and in restrictive spaces. By rear lighting the white background itself there is no longer a need to use a background light behind the subject. Furthermore, because the background is actually illuminated it means the subject can stand virtually right in front of it without casting a shadow. The HiLite backgrounds also works as a large rear softbox and illuminates the subject as well, meaning you can use just one other flash head to light the subject from the front. What’s more, the whole thing is collapsible.

Can be suspended on a portable background support system and can even be used as a very large softbox.  Available from Lastolite.

COLLAPSIBLES

These Studio Backdrops / Backgrounds are designed to collapse into a circle about a third of the size of the background when open.  Available in both plain and dyed colour versions, with or without a train (bit you stand on) these are ideal for portable studio work.  Disadvantage being the opened size, only really suitable for singles - couples at a push.   Available from Interfit, KARLite and Lastolite  

 Studio Session, depending upon what you are trying to convey in your pictures - mood, effect etc.  But you wouldn't generally use a Photo Realistic backdrop of a Wild West scene to shoot a wedding unless specifically asked to, by the wedding party!  As a rule of thumb, you should begin with White, Black, Grey & Blue backgrounds in your collection.

The table below gives our advice on the types of Backgrounds / Backdrops and where they should and shouldn't be used, as far as we can;

White balancing is extremely important for reproducing accurate colors in your photographs.  The question is, when exactly is the best time to set your white balance?  Most every digital camera sold has some ability to change the white balance depending on the type of light that you are shooting in (daylight, cloudy, shady, flash, fluorescent, and tungston).
Most cameras also have a setting whereby the camera will pick what it believes is the most appropriate color balance for the light, also referred to as Auto White Balance.  The big problem with built-in white balance settings is that they are rigid and don’t take into account the subtle changes in color temperature that can affect the colorcast in an image.  Things like atmospheric conditions (clouds, smog) and reflective and translucent surfaces all have an influence on the color temperature.  Then add a little mixed lighting like fluorescent lights and daylight from a window and you have a color temperature that no pre-set balance will be able to handle.  Even the auto setting will have trouble with scenes like this.  Auto settings can also be influenced by colors of objects in the image so once again, not the best choice.  This is why many advanced dslr cameras now have custom white balance settings to assist you in getting the best possible color rendition in your images.

Exposure

In photography, exposure is the quantity of light reaching a photographic film, as determined by shutter speed and lens aperture. In digital photography "film" is substituted with "sensor". 

"Correct" exposure may be defined as an exposure that achieves the effect the photographer intended.

A more technical approach recognises that a photographic film (or sensor) has a physically limited useful exposure range, sometimes called its dynamic range.[ If, for any part of the photograph, the actual exposure is outside this range, the film cannot record it accurately. In a very simple model, for example, out-of-range values would be recorded as "black" (underexposed) or "white" (overexposed) rather than the precisely graduated shades of colour and tone required to describe "detail". Therefore, the purpose of exposure adjustment (and/or lighting adjustment) is to control the physical amount of light from the subject that is allowed to fall on the film, so that 'significant' areas of shadow and highlight detail do not exceed the film's useful exposure range. This ensures that no 'significant' information is lost during capture.

It is worth noting that the photographer may carefully overexpose or underexpose the photograph to eliminate "insignificant" or "unwanted" detail; to make, for example, a white altar cloth appear immaculately clean, or to emulate the heavy, pitiless shadows of film noir. However, it is technically much easier to discard recorded information during post processing than to try to 're-create' unrecorded information.

Over exposed and under exposed.

A photograph may be described as overexposed when it has a loss of highlight detail, that is, when important bright parts of an image are "washed out" or effectively all white, known as "blown out highlights" or "clipped whites".A photograph may be described as underexposed when it has a loss of shadow detail, that is, when important dark areas are "muddy" or indistinguishable from black, known as "blocked up shadows" (or sometimes "crushed shadows," "crushed blacks," or "clipped blacks," especially in video.As the image to the right shows, these terms are technical ones rather than artistic judgments; an overexposed or underexposed image may be "correct", in that it provides the effect that the photographer intended. Intentionally over- or under- exposing (relative to a standard or the camera's automatic exposure) is casually referred to as "shooting to the right" or "shooting to the left", respectively, as these shift the histogram of the image to the right or left.

Over exposed

Under exposed

Test Shots Taken

Daylight Setting 1

Tungston Setting 1

Repositioning and adding light can have a major effect on your images as shown below.

Personal Research into lighting and camera settings

ISO

ISO is similar to film speed on film cameras. Unlike aperture and shutter speed, ISO doesn't control how much light enters the camera, but instead controls how sensitive the camera is to that light. The lower the ISO, the less sensitive the camera is. In other words, a lower ISO will require more light to properly expose a picture than a higher ISO.

Most entry level digital SLR's will have an ISO range from 100 to 1600. More expensive digital SLR's may have ISO 50, 3200, and a select few have 6400. On most cameras, ISO is adjusted in full stops. Only the more expensive cameras will have 1/3 stop adjustments of ISO. In most cases you will be able to adjust your ISO to 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600. For example, ISO 100 will need twice as much light to expose the same picture as ISO 200.

A lower ISO will produce a higher quality image but requires more light to expose a picture.

A higher ISO will produce a lower quality image but requires less light to expose a picture.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is one of several methods used to control the amount of light recorded by the camera's digital sensor or film. It is also used to manipulate the visual effects of the final image beyond its luminosity.

Slower shutter speeds are often selected to suggest movement in a still photograph of a moving subject.

Excessively fast shutter speeds can cause a moving subject to appear unnaturally frozen. For instance, a running person may be caught with both feet in the air with all indication of movement lost in the frozen moment.

When a slower shutter speed is selected, a longer time passes from the moment the shutter opens till the moment it closes. More time is available for movement in the subject to be recorded by the camera.

A slightly slower shutter speed will allow the photographer to introduce an element of blur, either in the subject, where, in our example, the feet, which are the fastest moving element in the frame, might be blurred while the rest remains sharp; or if the camera is panned to follow a moving subject, the background is blurred while the subject remains sharp.

The exact point at which the background or subject will start to blur depends on the rate at which the object is moving, the angle that the object is moving in relation to the camera, the distance it is from the camera and the focal length of the lens in relation to the size of the digital sensor or film.The camera's shutter speed, the lens's brightness (f-number), and the scene's luminance together determine the amount of light that reaches the film or sensor (the exposure). Exposure value (EV) is a single quantity that accounts for the shutter speed and the f-number.

Multiple combinations of shutter speed and f-number can give the same exposure value. Doubling the exposure time doubles the amount of light (subtracts 1 EV). Making the f-number one stop brighter (reducing the f-number by a factor of \scriptstyle \sqrt{2}) also doubles the amount of light. A shutter speed of 1/50 s with an f/4.0 lens gives the same exposure value as a 1/100 s shutter with an f/2.8 lens, and also the same exposure value as a 1/200 s shutter with an f/2.0 lens.

In addition to its effect on exposure, the shutter speed changes the way movement appears in photographs. Very short shutter speeds can be used to freeze fast-moving subjects, for example at sporting events. Very long shutter speeds are used to intentionally blur a moving subject for artistic effect.[2] Short exposure times are sometimes called "fast", and long exposure times "slow".

Adjustment to the aperture controls the depth of field, the distance range over which objects are acceptably sharp; such adjustments need to be compensated by changes in the shutter speed.

Fast Shutter Speed


Slow Shutter Speed

Apperture

The aperture stop is an important element in most optical designs. Its most obvious feature is that it limits the amount of light that can reach the image/film plane. This can be either unavoidable, as in a telescope where one wants to collect as much light as possible; or deliberate, to prevent saturation of a detector or overexposure of film. In both cases, the size of the aperture stop is constrained by things other than the amount of light admitted; however:

The size of the stop is one factor that affects depth of field. Smaller stops (larger f numbers) produce a longer depth of field, allowing objects at a wide range of distances to all be in focus at the same time.

The stop limits the effect of optical aberrations. If the stop is too large, the image will be distorted. More sophisticated optical system designs can mitigate the effect of aberrations, allowing a larger stop and therefore greater light collecting ability.

The stop determines whether the image will be vignetted. Larger stops can cause the intensity reaching the film or detector to fall off toward the edges of the picture, especially when for off-axis points a different stop becomes the aperture stop by virtue of cutting off more light than did the stop that was the aperture stop on the optic axis.

A larger aperture stop requires larger diameter optics, which are heavier and more expensive.

In addition to an aperture stop, a photographic lens may have one or more field stops, which limit the system's field of view. When the field of view is limited by a field stop in the lens (rather than at the film or sensor) vignetting results; this is only a problem if the resulting field of view is less than was desired.

image 1: large Aperture or F-Stop giving a larger depth of field ( greater detail in the distance).
Image 2: Small Aperture or F-Stop giving a shallow depth of field (Less detail in distance and creating blur).

Examples for large aperture(shallow depth of field)

Examples for Small aperture(large depth of field)

Personal Shots for large and small depth of field

Small

Large

Focus and Focal Points

Manual focus

Although nearly all modern digital cameras can focus the lens automatically (the Leica M9, Leica M9-P and Leica Monochrom being notable exceptions) they also allow you to focus manually instead.Manual focus is a particularly good option with macro photography because many cameras struggle to lock onto very close subjects and the lens ends up hunting (moving in and out of focus) every time the shutter release button is depressed.

Live View technology makes manual focusing very easy because it is usually possible to enlarge the image on the screen so that you can see the precise spot that you are interested in, and then adjust the focus until it is perfectly sharp.

Single Shot Autofocus

Live View technology makes manual focusing very easy because it is usually possible to enlarge the image on the screen so that you can see the precise spot that you are interested in, and then adjust the focus until it is perfectly sharp.

Continuous autofocus

When this camera focus option is selected the camera will continue to focus the lens as long as the shutter release button is half-pressed, or the AF button is pressed.

This makes it a very good option when photographing moving subjects because the camera will adjust the focus distance as the subject moves.

 Advanced cameras such as the Canon EOS 7D and Nikon D7000 have options that enable you to specify which AF points the camera will use to track the subject as it moves about in the frame.

Some even allow you to specify how quickly the camera should respond to changes in subject distance to avoid the subject going out of focus when a stadium pillar, for example, momentarily blocks the view.

When using continuous AF it’s usually best to set the starting AF point manually so the camera knows what the target is before it starts to track it.

If you like shooting sport or fast action then make sure you check out your camera’s continuous AF options.

Automatic focus point selection

When you are focusing automatically you need to have the active AF point over the subject in the viewfinder to get it sharp.

 Broadly speaking, there are two ways of selecting the AF point using this camera focus technique.

 The easiest is to let your camera decide for you and use the automatic AF selection point option.

 In many situations the camera will do a decent job and this is a useful option when you don’t have much time to get the shot.

 However, your camera will usually try to focus on the closest object near the centre of the frame and it’s not usually very good at pin-pointing smaller subjects or fine details.

 For this reason it’s often better to set the AF point yourself.

Manual AF point selection

Setting the AF point yourself gives you the maximum level of control over where your camera focuses, and it’s a good option for landscape, still life and portrait photography when you have time to operate the necessary camera controls.

 Setting this camera focus option is usually done by pressing the AF point selection button and then using the navigation controls to select the AF point you want while you look through the viewfinder.

 Once you reach the AF point that is over your subject, you’re ready to focus and take the picture.

Face Detection AF

This popular camera focus option is a form of automatic AF point selection found on most compact and compact system cameras – and even some SLRs in Live View mode (when the image is composed on screen).

It works by recognising face shapes in the scene and then prioritising the focus towards them.

Refinements on this camera focus system include Smile Shutter, which triggers the shutter to fire when the camera detects that the subject is smiling (it doesn’t work with every smile, but it can be very effective).

Some cameras can also be set to recognise particular faces in a crowd and focus on them. This is a very useful option for photographing your children at parties or events when they are surrounded by other kids.When Face Detection AF is activated you’ll notice boxes appearing around peoples’ faces on the camera’s LCD to show that they have been recognised. Half-pressing the shutter release brings the faces into focus ready for the shot to be taken.As you might imagine, Face Detection AF is extremely useful at parties and social gatherings when you want to get lots of people pictures.

Focus and recompose technique

Although most digital cameras offer a collection of AF points so that you can select the one that sits over your subject, there may not always be one exactly where you need it.

 In these instances the camera ‘focus and recompose’ technique comes in very handy – and it can be quicker than selecting an AF point even if there is one over your subject.

 Imagine, for example, that the central AF point is selected, but your subject is off to one side of the frame. All you need to do is move the camera so that the AF point is over the subject and half-press the shutter button so that the lens focuses.

 Now, with the shutter button still half-pressed to keep the focus locked, recompose the image so that the subject is where you want it in the frame and press the shutter release home to take the shot.

 This also a useful focus technique to use in low light, as the outer AF points tend to be less sensitive than the central one.

When using this camera focus technique, it is essential that the camera is set to single AF mode.

 If it is set to continuous AF, the camera will refocus the lens on whatever subject is under the active AF point when you recompose the image.

Hyperfocal distance focusing

This is a popular camera focusing technique that is designed to get the maximum amount of a scene sharp at any given aperture.

 The traditional way of using it is to focus on the subject and then use the lens’ depth of field scale (or a tape measure and depth of field tables) to find out where the nearest acceptably sharp point is.

 This point, where the depth of field starts in front of the focus point, is known as the hyperfocal point.

Once the hyperfocal point is found/calculated, the lens is refocused to it so that the subject remains sharp and greater use is made of the depth of field

The popularity of zoom lenses and consequent loss of depth of field scales has made it harder to apply this technique precisely, but you can still measure or estimate the focus distance and use smartphone apps such as DOF Master to tell you the hyperfocal distance.

 Alternatively, you can rely on the principle that depth of field extends roughly twice as far behind the point of focus as it does in front and focus approximately one third of the way into the scene.

 Hyperfocal distance focusing is popular in landscape photography and whenever you need lots of depth of field.

Focus stacking

This is a digital technique in which several images taken with different focus distances are combined into one image that is sharp from the foreground all the way through the background.

Although it can be applied to landscape photography, it is especially useful for macro photography because depth of field is very limited when subjects are extremely close.

With the camera firmly mounted on a tripod, take the first shot with the nearest part of the scene in focus. Then, without moving the camera, refocus just a little further into the scene and take the second shot before focusing further in again.

Repeat this until you have a shot with the focus on the furthest part of the scene.

Now all the shots can be combined to create one image that is sharp throughout. This can be done manually using any image editing software that supports layers – Photoshop Elements is fine.

But it can also be done automatically using software like Combine ZM, which is free to download and use, or using Photoshop’s Photo Merge function.

Considering light’s direction

An important consideration when taking pictures is the direction of your

light, which affects the resulting images. Here are the most common directions

light comes from:

✦ Front lighting: Front lighting is the direction most photographers work

with. Your light source is behind your back and shines directly on your

subject. Front lighting is nice and safe. It provides decent illumination

and solves most exposure problems.

✦ Side lighting: Position your camera and your subject at a right angle to

your light source, and you have side lighting. Side light is great for

bringing out texture and detail. It can also create a moody sort of image

where your subject appears to be emerging from the shadows.

✦ Back lighting: Beginners are all taught to avoid this one. Put your light

source behind your subject and you have a difficult (but sometimes

rewarding) kind of lighting known as backlighting (see Figure 7-7). If you’re

working with a backlit subject, it’s particularly important either to meter

off your subject (rather than letting the strong light behind it determine

the exposure) or set your exposure compensation control to add an

f-stop or two of extra exposure. Although too strong a light source behind

your subject can overwhelm the image, carefully controlled backlighting

creates a lovely effect known as rim lighting, which produces a beautiful

glow around your subject.

Supplemental, or accessory, flash is simply an external flash you use separately

or in conjunction with your camera’s built-in flash unit. There are several ways

to use supplemental flash:

✦ Hot shoe mount accessory flash: If your camera has a hot shoe (a mount

that triggers your flash when you press the shutter button), then a hot

shoe mount accessory flash is a great addition to your photographic

arsenal. These units are frequently designed to work specifically with

your camera model, and usually described as dedicated flash units. The

best of these models swivel and tilt in a variety of ways to permit bounce

flash and can receive information from the camera lens to tell it the exact

distance your subject is from the camera.

✦ Slaved flash units: A slaved flash relies on a built-in photoelectric cell

that triggers the flash unit when another flash goes off. Although slaved

flash units or slave triggers (devices that attach to non-slave flashes to

make them slaves) have been around for a long time, digital cameras

require a special type of slave technology because digital camera built-in

flash units operate differently than built-in flash units on regular film cameras.
These flashes fire a special pre-flash to calibrate some camera

settings and trigger traditional slaves before the lens opens.

✦ Reflectors: Sometimes the answer isn’t necessarily an extra light source

but simply a matter of redirecting an existing one. Reflectors serve this

purpose. You can either use one of the many photographic reflector

systems (many of which are collapsible and have different coverings to

change the color of the reflected light), or you can make your own

reflector with a sheet of white foam core board, or even aluminum foil

glued or stapled to a lightweight sheet of plywood. Then you position the

reflector so it bounces your light source into the shadow areas.

✦ Diffusers: Photographers place diffusers between their subject and the

light source to soften the light and reduce its intensity. Commercial

versions are available, or you can fix a sheet across a sunlit window or

stretch a pillowcase over a window screen or homemade wooden frame

to create your own diffuser.

All digital cameras come with built-in light meters, or sensors that measure light

in any one of several different ways, depending on how advanced your camera is.

Here’s a listing of the most common metering systems.

✦ Center-weighted averaging assumes that the most important subject matter

is in the center of the viewfinder, and it measures the image’s overall

brightness and weights its reading to slightly favor the viewfinder’s central

portion. Center-weighted averaging is a good general-purpose choice.

✦ Center metering bases its light reading on the center part of the image only.

If you follow the rule of thirds religiously, center metering can emphasize to

the wrong part of the composition as a result.

✦ Evaluative, multisegment, or matrix metering are more sophisticated

metering systems that break the image down into zones and measure and

evaluate each segment before calculating a best exposure based on typical

photographic compositions. These are very good general-purpose metering

methods. If your camera offers one of these three modes and you don’t want

to be bothered with figuring out how to meter manually, this is your best

choice.

✦ Spot metering reduces the metered area to a very small spot (the center

circle) of your viewfinder. It’s useful for difficult metering conditions because

you can point the spot sensor directly at the most important element in your

scene and take a light meter reading off just that spot. Sophisticated cameras

such as the Canon EOS 1D enable you to take a series of spot meter readings

and then average them together for an overall value.

It’s important when taking light meter readings to make sure you’re properly measuring

the light falling on your subject. If your subject is strongly backlit, then odds

are that the strong light behind your subject will fool the light meter and return

a reading that’s too high for your subject. It’s better to either zoom in close to

meter directly off your subject or to dial in a couple of f-stops worth of exposure

compensation (to +1 or +2) to correct for the backlighting.

Colour Temperature

So what is color temperature? In short, each light source has its own individual color, or ‘color temperature’, which varies from red to blue.

Candles, sunsets and tungsten bulbs give off light that’s close to red (hence the ‘warm’ look they give to pictures), whereas clear blue skies give off a ‘cool’ blue light. It’s fairly obvious stuff once you read it.

Color temperature is typically recorded in kelvin, the unit of absolute temperature. Cool colors like blue and white generally have color temperatures over 7000K, while warmer colors like red and orange lie around the 2000K mark.

When you set your camera’s white balance manually (find out how to make a custom white balance setting) you can choose from a number of pre-set color temperature options like Tungsten, Daylight, Cloudy and Shade, or customize your own setting.

In the infographic below I’ve illustrated the color temperature scale and show you where these popular white balance settings sit within it. We’ve also shown where some common shooting conditions, such as hazy skies and sunsets, sit within the color temperature scale and what white balance setting you might want to use to capture accurate colors in these conditions.

.

Digital Image Processing

Should I set my camera to jpg or RAW format?

This question really depends on the types of images you're going to be making. If you're simply going to be taking snap shots that you know you'll never enlarge more than 5x7, then shooting jpg's are fine. But lets say you're going on a vacation and you plan to take snap shots as well as some scenics/etc., then you might want to shoot in RAW format. You just never know when you're going to capture an image that you may want to work with later in post processing. RAW camera files are uncompressed and processed image files, where jpg files are compressed. I like to think as RAW files as being digital negatives and jpg's as digital proofs. RAW is what the photographer sees and jpg's are what the clients sees. And since compact flash and SD memory cards are relatively cheap these days, load up on them so that you never have to worry about running out of space on your cards.

Proper Exposure In Camera

The first step in achieving a quality image is to try and get your exposure correct in camera. That means keeping an eye on your histogram and making sure that you're not clipping in the shadows or highlights.

Shoot For A Well Balanced Histogram

It's important to know how to read a histogram and what to look for when reviewing your shots in camera. It may look OK in your LCD but in reality the image could be too light or dark depending on your lighting senario. A nicely balanced histogram should peak in the middle of the curve. like the examples below.

Post Production

Post-production is part of filmmaking, video production and photography process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art. It is a term for all stages of production occurring after the actual end of shooting and/or recording the completed work.

Professional post-producers usually use RAW images (Raw image format) provided by the photographers or image-bank when the client is on a budget or needs something quicker. In advertising it usually requires assembling several images together in a photo-composition.

The first stage of post-production usually requires revealing the RAW images in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom or Camera Raw. If it's more than one image, and they belong to a set, ideally post-producers try to equalize the images before loading them into Photoshop, After that, if necessary, the next step would be to cut the objects in the images with the Pen Tool for a perfect and clean cut. The next stage would be cleaning the image using tools such as the healing tool, clone tool and patch tool.

The next stages depend on what the client ordered. If it's a photo-montage, the post-producers would usually start assembling the different images into the final document, and start to integrate the images with the background.

Types of work usually done:

·         Advertising that requires one background (as one or more images to assemble) and one or more models. (Usually the most time consuming as a lot of times these are image bank images which don't have much quality, and they all have different light and color as they were not controlled by only one photographer in one set location)

·         Product-photography that usually requires several images of the same object with different lights, and assembled together, to control light and unwanted reflections, and/or to assemble parts that would be difficult to get in one shot, such as a beer glass for a beer advertising. (Sometimes to composite one image of a beer glass it requires 4 or 5 images: one for the base, one for the beer, one for the label, one for the foam, and one or more for splashing beer if that is desired)

·         Fashion photography that usually requires a really heavy post-production for editorial and/or advertising.

Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems.

Photoshop CS6, released in May 2012, added new creative design tools and provided a redesigned interface[65] with a focus on enhanced performance.[66] New features have been added to the Content-Aware tool such as the Content-Aware Patch and Content-Aware Move.[66]

Adobe Photoshop CS6 brought a suite of tools for video editing. Color and exposure adjustments, as well as layers, are among a few things that are featured in this new editor. Upon completion of editing, the user is presented with a handful of options of exporting into a few popular formats.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is a digital asset management and digital image processing app developed by Adobe Systems for Windows and OS X, designed to assist users in managing large quantities of digital images and doing post production work. Lightroom combines photo management and editing in one interface.[1]

It is not a file browser like Adobe Bridge, but rather an image management application database which helps in viewing, editing, and managing digital photos. Lightroom's closest competitor is Apple's Aperture program which similarly provides photo management and non-destructive editing capabilities.

Lightroom Version 5.0

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 was officially released on June 9, 2013 after having been available in beta format since April 15, 2013.^[9] The program requires OSX 10.7 or better, Windows 7 or Windows 8. Some of the changes include:

·         Radial gradient to highlight an elliptical area

·         Advanced healing/cloning brush to brush the spot removal tool over an area

·         Smart previews to allow one to work with images that are off-line

·         The ability to save custom layouts in the Book module

·         Support of PNG files

·         Support of video files in slideshows

·         Various other updates, including automatic perspective correction and enhancements to smart collections

The Dark Room

A darkroom is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light sensitive photographic materials, including photographic film and photographic paper. Darkrooms have been created and used since the inception of photography in the early 19th century. Darkrooms have many various manifestations, from the elaborate space used by Ansel Adam] to a retooled ambulance wagon used by Timothy H. O'Sullivan. From the initial development to the creation of prints, the darkroom process allows complete control over the medium.

Due to the popularity of color photography and complexity of processing color film  and printing color photographs and also to the rise, first of Polaroid technology and later digital photography, darkrooms are decreasing in popularity, though are still commonplace on college campuses, schools and in the studios of many professional photographers.

In most darkrooms, an enlarger, an optical apparatus similar to a slide projector, that projects the image of a negative onto a base, finely controls the focus, intensity and duration of light, is used for printmaking. A sheet of photographic paper is exposed to the enlarged image from the negative.

When making black-and-white prints, a safelight is commonly used to illuminate the work area. Since the majority of black-and-white papers are sensitive to only blue, or to blue and green light, a red- or amber-colored light can be safely used without exposing the paper.

Color print paper, being sensitive to all parts of the visible spectrum, must be kept in complete darkness until the prints are properly fixed.

Another use for a darkroom is to load film in and out of cameras, development spools, or film holders, which requires complete darkness. Lacking a darkroom, a photographer can make use of a changing bag, which is a small bag with sleeved arm holes specially designed to be completely light proof and used to prepare film prior to exposure or developing.

Print processing

During exposure, values in the image can be adjusted, most often by "dodging" (reducing the amount of light to a specific area of an image by selectively blocking light to it for part or all of the exposure time) and/or "burning" (giving additional exposure to specific area of an image by exposing only it while blocking light to the rest). Filters, usually thin pieces of colored plastic, can be used to increase or decrease an image's contrast (the difference between dark tones and light tones). After exposure, the photographic printing paper (which still appears blank) is ready to be processed.

Photographers generally begin printing a roll of film by making a contact print of their negatives to use as a quick reference to decide which images to enlarge. Some large format photographers, such as Edward Weston, make only contact prints of their large (4x5", 5x7", 8x10" or larger) negatives.

The paper that has been exposed is processed, first by immersion in a photographic developer, halting development with a stop bath, and fixing in a photographic fixer. The print is then washed to remove the processing chemicals and dried. There are a variety of other, additional steps a photographer may take, such as toning.

Photographic Printing

Photographic printing is the process of producing a final image on paper for viewing, using chemically sensitized paper. The paper is exposed to a photographic negative, a positive transparency (or slide), or a digital image file projected using an enlarger or digital exposure unit such as a LightJet printer. Alternatively, the negative or transparency may be placed atop the paper and directly exposed, creating a contact print. Photographs are more commonly printed on plain paper, for example by a color printer, but this is not considered "photographic printing".

Following exposure, the paper is processed to reveal and make permanent the latent image.

Printing on black-and-white paper

The process consists of four major steps, performed in a photographic darkroom or within an automated photo printing machine. These steps are:

Exposure of the image onto the sensitized paper using a contact printer or enlarger;

Processing of the latent image using the following chemical process:

Development of the exposed image reduces the silver halide in the latent image to metallic silver;

Stopping development by neutralising, diluting or removing the developing chemicals;

Fixing the image by dissolving undeveloped silver halide from the light-sensitive emulsion:

Washing thoroughly to remove processing chemicals protects the finished print from fading and deterioration.

Optionally, after fixing, the print is treated with a hypo clearing agent to ensure complete removal of the fixer, which would otherwise compromise the long term stability of the image. Prints can be chemically toned or hand coloured after processing.

Panalure paper

Kodak Panalure is a panchromatic black-and-white photographic printing paper. Panalure was developed to facilitate the printing of full-tone black-and-white images from colour negatives – a difficult task with conventional orthochromatic papers due to the orange tint of the film base. Panalure also finds application as paper negatives in large format cameras. It is generally not suitable for conventional black-and-white printing, since it must be handled and developed in near-complete darkness.

Kodak has announced that it will no longer produce or sell this product. However, as of early 2006, it is still available from various online retailers.

Printing on colour paper

Colour papers require specific chemical processing in proprietary chemicals. Today's processes are called RA-4, which is for printing colour negatives, and Ilfochrome, for colour transparencies.

Printing from colour negatives

Colour negatives are printed on RA-4 papers and produce a Type C print. These are essentially the same as colour negative films in that they consist of three emulsion layers, each sensitive to red, green and blue light. Upon processing, colour couplers produce cyan, magenta and yellow dyes, representing the true colours of the subject. The processing sequence is very similar to the C-41 process.

Rollei make a film called 'Digibase 200 Pro' that is like a conventional C-41 film but it has no orange mask, allowing easy prints on black-and-white paper with a grade 2 or 3 variable contrast filter.

Printing from colour transparencies

Ilfochrome paper uses the dye destruction process to produce prints from positive transparencies. The colour dyes are incorporated into the paper and bleached during processing. Ilfochrome, EP2 and Type R print papers and chemicals are no longer in production.

Photo Print Sizes

Standard photographic print sizes are used in photographic printing. Cut sheets of paper meant for printing photographs are commonly sold in these sizes.

They are often denoted with a code of the format nR, where the number n represents the length of the shorter edge in inches. In the normal series, the long edge is the length of the short edge plus 2 inches (10" or less) or 3 inches (11" and above). The alternative Super series, denoted SnR, has an aspect ratio of 3:2 (or as close as possible) and thus provides a better fit for standard 135 film (35mm) at sizes of 8 inches or above.

Food Shots/Macro

We were asked to choose an item of food to photograph, I decided to use Kiwi fruit and strawberry.

I place them on the table using an overhead lighting set up initially and then used another LED to throw some light through the Kiwi fruit to add luminosity to the subject matter.

Results - Edited in Lightroom 3

Results - Edited in Lightroom 3

Final Chosen Macro Image

I like the sharpness in this image leading off into the distance with a shallow depth of field using a low F-Stop. The color's work well and I could see this hanging in any kitchen.

Week 3

Today's brief was on glass food bottles, experimenting with different light and angles.

We set up a products table with a lighting system to the right as below:

My first chosen shot



Next we chose to back light our shot with LED's behind the curve of the table.

Personal Studio Time

I booked the studio to collect more images on lighting and try to create a shot with no shadow and gentle highlights on the bottle. I tethered the shots to my laptop.

Lighting from the right

We see reflections on the right side of the bottle and shadow on the left.

Lighting from the left

We see highlights on the right and shadow on the left.

Lighting from the front

We see lighting on the front of the bottle and a stretched shadow from behind.

Lighting from below and behind

We see very little shadow detail with ambient light surounding the bottle.

Adding a Softbox, cones, reflectors and mirrors.

This was my attempt to shoot with no shadow detail and gentle highlights.I used a color card to get my white balance.

Reflective Image Shot

I have chosen this shot as I tried to create a piece that eliminated any shadow detail on the surface of the table, i propped the bottle onto an angle using a lens cap, which created shadows underneath the bottle. Using LED Lights underneath and behind to illuminate the background, I also place two light sets at either side to remove shadows cast.  Shooting at ISO 100 to eliminate any noise, 

I watermarked using Photoshop Cs6.

Quite happy with the result. Although I would have liked to add some strip lighting to create more highlights down the side of the bottle.

Personal Studio Time to practice lighting

I booked the studio to develop my lighting skills as it is quite difficult in a class environment to  try different techniques and situations. I decided to shoot a glass cut bell with some various props to see what I could create.

Final Image edited using lightroom 5

Week 4

Thus weeks project was unusual foods, after taking a trip to our local Asian grocerey store we headed back to photograph them.

The Chili Pepper

Chili peppers originated in the Americas. After the Columbian Exchange, many cultivars of chili pepper spread across the world, used in both food and medicine. These chili peppers arrived in Asia by the hand of the Portuguese navigators during the 16th century.

India is the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of chili peppers.Among which Guntur in Andhra Pradesh produces 30% of all the chilies produced in India, and the state of Andhra Pradesh contributes to 75% of all the chilli exports from India.

History

Chili peppers have been a part of the human diet in the Americas since at least 7500 BC. There is archaeological evidence at sites located in southwestern Ecuador that chili peppers were domesticated more than 6000 years ago, and were one of the first self-pollinating crops cultivated in Central and South America

Christopher Columbus was one of the first Europeans to encounter them (in the Caribbean), and called them "peppers" because they, like black and white pepper of the Piper genus known in Europe, have a spicy hot taste unlike other foodstuffs. Upon their introduction into Europe, chilis were grown as botanical curiosities in the gardens of Spanish and Portuguese monasteries. But the monks experimented with the chili culinary potential and discovered that their pungency offered a substitute for black peppercorns, which at the time were so costly that they were used as legal currency in some countries.

Chilies were cultivated around the globe after Columbus. Diego Álvarez Chanca, a physician on Columbus' second voyage to the West Indies in 1493, brought the first chili peppers to Spain and first wrote about their medicinal effects in 1494.

The spread of chili peppers to Asia was most likely a natural consequence of its introduction to Portuguese traders (Lisbon was a common port of call for Spanish ships sailing to and from the Americas) who, aware of its trade value, would have likely promoted its commerce in the Asian spice trade routes then dominated by Portuguese and Arab traders.

There is a verifiable correlation between the chili pepper geographical dissemination and consumption in Asia and the presence of Portuguese traders, India and southeast Asia being obvious examples..

Natural Light

Overhead Studio Light

Shooting into Natural light with a Wide Aperture

Wide Aperture, Overhead Studio Light

Week 5
This weeks tutorial was focused on editing software ie: Lightroom 5.
Images from last weeks shoot were used to edit using various techniques and finishes. (as Above)Color enhancement, cropping, tonal ranges, White balance.

Week 6
This week we have been asked to try to replicate an image by Andre Kertesz "Fork and plate"

This shot was quite difficult to replicate as I didn't have a deep enough white plate or bowl to catch 

the shadow inside the plate as seen in the original.  My fork was completely different too in comparison.

I think I needed another light to create the shadow effect underneath the plate. My camera was on a 

tripod with boom,  I tried different set ups  with the flash, different levels of light. I shot at F5.6 to blur 

out the background. iso 800 with a 1/40 shutter speed.

Working with what I had, a flash on an extension lead!! I didn't create a replica shot but I am 

quite happy with the outcome.

The Humble Bean

Most commercial canned baked beans are made from haricot beans, also known as navy beans – a variety of Phaseolus vulgaris in a sauce. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, a tomato and sugar sauce is most commonly used.Canned baked beans are used as a convenience food, shortening cooking times for a meal, or may be eaten straight from the can, in camping or emergency settings, as they are fully cooked. They are sometimes served with chips, waffles, or the like.

History

The beans presently used to make baked beans are all native to North America and were introduced to Italy in 1528 and to France by 1547.[citation needed] The dish of baked beans is commonly described as having a savory-sweet flavor and a brownish or reddish tinted white bean once baked, stewed, canned or otherwise cooked. According to alternative traditions, sailors brought cassoulet from the south of France or northern France and the Channel Islands where bean stews were popular. Most probably, a number of regional bean recipes coalesced and cross-fertilised in North America and ultimately gave rise to the baked bean culinary tradition familiar today.

While many recipes today are stewed, traditionally beans were slow baked in a ceramic or cast-iron beanpot. A tradition in Maine, USA, of "bean hole" cooking, may have originated with the native Penobscot people and was later practiced in logging camps. A fire would be made in a stone-lined pit, allowed to burn down to hot coals and then a pot with eleven pounds of seasoned beans would be placed in the ashes, covered over with dirt and left to cook overnight or longer. These beans were a staple of Maine's logging camps, being served at every meal.

Canned beans, often with pork, were among the first convenience foods and it is this form that they became exported and popularised by US companies operating in the UK in the early 20th century. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated in 1996 that "It has for years been recognized by consumers generally that the designation 'beans with pork,' or 'pork and beans' is the common or usual name for an article of commerce that contains very little pork.This is typically a piece of salt pork to add fat to the dish.

United Kingdom and Ireland

In the UK, Ireland, Hong Kong and Singapore the term baked beans usually refers to tinned beans in a tomato sauce, originally imported from American companies including Heinz as an 'exotic' imported convenience food, quite distinct from the French-style cassoulet largely unknown in Britain at that time. Heinz baked beans were first sold in the UK in 1886 in the upmarket Fortnum & Mason store in London as a foreign delicacy at a high price. Many people now regard baked beans as an integral part of the modern full English breakfast, including beans on toast. Every day 2.3 million British people eat Heinz Baked Beans; 1 million of those people eat them for dinner. Although Heinz Baked Beans continue to be the biggest selling brand, other brands such as Branston Baked Beans, supermarket own brands, and HP baked beans (later purchased by Heinz), are available

.Heinz brand beans in a can, found in many British kitchens. Heinz is generally acknowledged to be the leading brand.

Although they are now a staple food, the store continues the tradition of selling Heinz Beans among its more expensive wares. Baked beans are also considered to be a staple food of students most commonly served on buttered toast, as they are typically easily and quickly prepared, cheap and nutritious.

Freshly cooked from raw ingredients 'baked beans', much closer to their original unprocessed, unindustrialised form are making an appearance on the menus of some Brunch establishments and restaurants.
Global Baked Bean Manufacturers

Branston

Cambels

Bush's 
Van camp's 
B&m brick oven 
Hanover 
Heinz 
Spc 
Weight watchers 
Bi-lo 
Wattie's 
Corale 
Home brand 
Cole's farmland 
Batchelor's 
Yeo's 
Ayam brand 
Kimball 
Tesco value 
Value time 
Great value

Health

In 2002 the British Dietetic Association allowed manufacturers of canned baked beans to advertise the product as contributing to the recommended daily consumption of five – six vegetables per person. This concession was criticised by heart specialists who pointed to the high levels of sugar and salt in the product. However, it has been proven that consumption of baked beans does indeed lower total cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, even in normo-cholesterolaemic individuals.[11][12] Some manufacturers produce a "healthy" version of the product with reduced levels of sugar and salt.

Consumer and Advertising

Generally baked beans are considered as a cheap food. However even the price of the same baked beans can vary considerably from country to country. For example, Tesco value baked beans in tomato sauce cost £0.25 in the UK. The same, in a Tesco shop in Poland would cost 2,49 zł (around £0.50). Transport costs and tax variations influence local pricing, but labour costs in Poland are about 5 times lower than in the UK.Because of the price, baked beans are also considered as "donation food", especially in cans used in camping/military/disaster food.
Baked Bean manufactureres like Hienz, Branston etc.. Spend vast amounts of money on advertising campaigns to promote the brands they produce. Tv advertising has become a key factor in sales promotion over the years proving very successful.

Variety
With competition for sales becoming more prominant, Heinz introduced different recipes for their beans and other companies soon followed suit. BBQ,curry, chilie and garlic were introduced followed closely by the Heinz Five Range.
Seasonal pro motive beans have also been introduced to market sales such as , Halloween, Christmas, Winter...

The Brief

20/20

Product Shot

Commercial Shot

I chose this shot because it is clean and all in focus using a larger F-Stop. The overhead lighting put some great reflections on the top of the tins but not enough to distract from the product name and subject matter. The under table and back lighting gave enough light to illuminate the table the way I wanted and the flash gave me the light I wanted for the front of the product.

Pack Shot

My Pack Shot was to focus on the packaging and the product whilst loosing focus to the front and back. Using a breakfast theme I tried to create an image that a consumer would be able to relate too. I'm not happy with the backdrop to the shot but other than that I achieved technically what I wanted.

Table top set up

We were given a brief to construct a table top set up so I booked the studio to develop a shot of a Poison Bottle. 

Final Images edited using Lightroom 5

Using an Led underneath and at the back of the table to light up the subject matter. I used dark boards at the side of the table to hold on to shadow detail in the bottle and mirrors to direct highlights to the top and neck of the bottle. Shot on a tripod I tried to create a shot that could be used as a good commercial piece.

Betty Crocker/Vintage

Final Betty Crocker/Vintage Shot

I struggled a little with this brief due to lack of props and authentic looking materials. I tried to create a farmhouse kitchen scene that would be familiar to the consumer. Shot in the studio and edited in Lightroom 5 to give it a typical 60's Betty Crocker feel.. I would have liked a much better shot and given the idea more justice, I tried doing the shoot at home also but didn't feel the images were lit well enough as I had limited lighting. Given the chance to re-shoot this again with more props I feel I could have a much better finished product. 

Personal review of 2013 term

I feel I have developed a lot this term with technical ability to create lighting and develop a shot. I have found research to be very helpful and it has helped me to be organised in different areas of photography. The way I approach ANY shot now has changed and I think more concisely about the image and type of composition I want to achieve. One thing I do know is props and set ups can make or break a shot and this is an area I intend to concentrate on to develop better com positional images. Next term I will be better organised in cataloging in lightroom, blog, contact sheets etc..
This has been the start of a personal and professional journey and I have enjoyed each task and obstacle that has been set.