Great Portraits in the Great Outdoors

If you have ever photographed your weekend outing, family reunion, or a special vacation getaway with your friends or family, you know that outdoor photography can present some very special challenges. This is true even for the most seasoned photographer. Direct sunlight can be harsh. Unwanted objects can interfere with your composition. Proper color rendering can be problematic. And many times, good old Mother Nature is just not feeling cooperative. Perhaps, there's not much that can be done about Mother Nature, but with some practice and patience you can overcome many of the other challenges you face as an outdoor portrait photographer. Along my journey as a photographer I've learned some outdoor techniques that may benefit those who choose to follow:
1. Keep it simple. The subtle pattern and color of an adobe wall, the simple repeating pattern and muted tones of planks on a fishing pier, or the uniform color of a patch of blue bonnets, snapdragons, or yellow primrose can serve as wonderful backdrops for your outdoor portraits. When you are composing your portrait, you want your subject to be the focal point that all eyes are drawn to. Busy patterns, large areas of excessively vibrant colors (especially a mixture of different colors), or over imposing forms in your foreground or background that are not treated properly, can really distract from her if you are not careful.

2. Control the depth of field (the range of distances from your camera that are in focus). The edge of a forest, or mountains in the distance may render beautifully as a backdrop for your subject with proper control over the depth of field. If you have an SLR camera, you can adjust your depth of field to bring the background more or less out of focus relative to your subject. This serves as eye control for the observer of your portrait. The eye is naturally drawn to what is brightest and most sharply focused. If your subject is sharply focused relative to the background, she will be accentuated as the focal point of your portrait. Controlling the depth of field is accomplished by adjusting your aperture setting (the size of your lens opening, expressed in f-stops). The smaller the f-stop the larger the opening of your lens, and the smaller the depth of field will be. For instance, when you see a photograph in a nature magazine of a beautiful butterfly in a patch of flowers, and the butterfly is in razor sharp focus but the flowers are gently blurred; this was accomplished by the photographer using a narrow depth of field (small f-stop setting). For bright light situations this may be difficult to achieve. For any given intensity of light, as you open up the aperture (lower the f-stop) you must increase the shutter speed (thereby decreasing exposure time) to avoid over exposure. Increasing the shutter speed generally reduces resolution in the image. Experiment to find the combination of aperture setting and shutter speed that gives the result you desire.

3. Be mindful of distracting objects behind your subject. What is plainly a bush, a mailbox, or a birdhouse to your eye, can appear like an extra appendage growing out of the top of your subject's head in your two dimensional portrait. You may get some interesting effects this way, but generally they will not make a good impression on your subject. Take the time to find an interesting angle that eliminates distracting objects from the background.

4. Control the light. "Down light" (e.g. harsh midday light) is generally undesirable. Due to the shadow patterns it creates, it can bring out the worst in your subject … can anyone say, "Raccoon eyes"? "Lateral light" (e.g. early morning and late afternoon light) is much more desirable. Lateral light can be controlled and directed to create beautiful shadow patterns across the face of your subject. There is a saying with many photographers who shoot outdoors, "the first tree in the forest is best" for a background. The reason is, the canopy of the first tree controls the harsh down light, but being on the edge of the forest, you still have lateral light to work with. The same idea holds true for porches or the edge of any other type of overhang. Professional photographers sometimes use shade cloth and reflectors to block down light while directing available lateral light to enhance their subject and achieve their desired effect.

5. Correct the color. Before the digital age, corrective filters or special films were mostly used for color correction in outdoor portraits. With digital cameras, the color can be corrected using your white balance setting (expressed as color temperature in degrees Kelvin). Most digital cameras today do a pretty good job of automatically adjusting the white balance for outdoor exposures. If you would like to experiment with your manual white balance setting use the table below as a guide. For a more detailed understanding of the meaning of color temperature correction, see the article at: http://www.sizes.com/units/color_temperature.htm

Temperature Typical Sources
1000K....... Candles; oil lamps
2400K....... Early morning sunrise
3200K....... Tungsten light bulbs
4000K....... Fluorescent
5200K....... Typical daylight; electronic flash
6000K....... Cloudy Day
7000K....... Shade


Keeping your composition simple, controlling the depth of field, and eliminating objects that may distract from your subject, all help to accentuate your subject as the focal point of your portrait. Controlling the available natural light and correcting the white balance of your photographs can reveal and enhance the true beauty of your subject. Beyond this, make it your aim each day to unleash your creativity that you may see the world around you in fresh and unique ways. Never be content with seeing the ordinary as ordinary. Just stop and think for a moment, everything there is, is ordinary to someone. Art is created by those with the ability to see beyond the ordinary, to interpret their world in an exceptional way, and to reflect their interpretation for others to see. So, experiment and don't be afraid to try something new. The world is abundant in forms, textures, colors, and patterns of light ... all the handy-work of God. Grand landscapes and magnificent manmade structures are not required for great photos in the great outdoors. May Mother Nature always cooperate with you. Good day and happy clicking!

How to DeaI with Dealers

Photo dealers, like cameras, come in a staggering variety of sizes, types, and quality grades. Whether they're found in small, local camera stores, big department-store chains, discount houses, or mail-order companies, they all have one thing in common-they'd like to make a sale.

At the elite end of the dealer spectrum are salespeople who know what they're talking about, honestly want to help you get the best equipment for your purpose, take time explaining features and options, and have competitive prices. At the other end are quick-buck artists who are simply out to make the most profit in the least amount of time and could hardly care less about your long-term satisfaction or repeat business. Many dealers, especially those with the lowest prices, fall somewhere in between these two extremes.

What constitutes an ideal dealer? It really depends on you. If you're generally in the market for new equipment and know exactly what you want before walking into the store, your most important criteria may be low prices, reliability and liberal return policies. If you expect your dealer to take time providing information and guidance, it may be well worth spending a few bucks extra to go to a full-service dealer.

Whatever type of dealer you choose, when you find a good, honest one who steers you right, stick with him-a photo enthusiast can have no better ally. And if you do encounter one of the dishonest, discourteous bad apples, run for the nearest exit or hang up the phone. The following tips should help you to figure out which dealers are which.

1. Do your homework. Dealing with salespeople is a lot easier if you know what equipment you want and have a good idea of what it should cost. To narrow down your selection, mull over your photographic needs and wants, then read test reports, news reports, brochures, and ads on equipment that interests you. To check prices, look them up in newspaper or other print ads or scan the mail-order ads in this publication. Once you cull your choices, examine the products in person.

2. Ask questions. The quickest way to find out whether a dealer knows what he's talking about and is honest is to ask a lot of questions. A good dealer will know the features of the equipment he's selling and be will to explain differences between competing brands. His opinions will be presented in a reasonable manner. Beware of dealers who disparage major brands with strong language or try to foist off little-known brands. Be suspicious of dealers who are loath to sell you what you want, refuse to honor their advertised prices, or charge extra for normally included items like lens caps and battery covers.

3. Stand your ground. Once you've come to an informed decision on buying a particular piece of equipment, stick with it. Don't let yourself be switched to something else because the item you want isn't in stock or you can get a "great deal." And don't settle for the salesman's demonstrator-you want a fresh camera in a box.

4. Keep your cool. If a dealer says something outrageous, has an obvious hidden agenda, is impolite, ignores you, or takes you for a fool, don't get mad or waste your time arguing with him. Just depart gracefully. Don't go back. And warn all your friends about his business. If you're actually cheated, report it to the Better Business Bureau and local or state consumer-protection agencies.

5. Check the record. Before you make a large purchase from a store unknown to you or in a strange city call the local Better Business Bureau, consumer-protection agency, or the consumer advocate of the local newspaper. Even good stores may have a few complaints on file, but if you find that a store has records of excessive problems, steer clear of it.

6. Expect the expected. Don't expect the harried clerk at a discount store to debate the fine points of four different point-and-shoots in the midst of the lunch-hour crunch. Don't exprect the mail-order phone salesperson to be a technical whiz who knows exactly which autofocus system does what. In short, be reasonable. Don't pay more than you have to, but don't expect the local camera store that lets you browse to meet the low discount price to the penny.

7. Be fair. Don't spend 45 minutes picking a dealer's brain and then buy the camera down the street for $10 less. If his price is way out of line, tell him so and give him a chance to make the sale. Not only will this assuage your conscience, it will encourage good dealers to stay that way.

Getting The Most Out Of Digital Camera Memory Cards

Most photographers, whether amateur or professional, have a digital camera. While regular film cameras still exist and are quite popular, there is nothing like saving money on film developing and being able to see a live review of your photos at the moment you take them. These are the benefits of a digital camera but, in order to enjoy these perks, we have to understand the importance of memory cards.

Memory cards are small devices that fit inside the digital camera and store each photo that we take. It allows for us to review the images immediately and also permits us to make actual prints. If you have ever strolled by the express photo department in a local retail store, you are likely to see a large machine that resembles a copier. This is a unit that often provides actual photos, within minutes, from the use of memory cards and other digital media. Upon closer inspection, you may notice that the unit has a small slot for memory cards to be inserted. At that time, it then begins to read the contents and display the results on screen for photo selection. An individual can select which photos to print and what, if any, retouches are to be made. Upon completing the order, print photos are usually available within seconds and are disbursed in a tray beneath the unit

Because memory cards are so important to the operation of our digital camera, they must be kept as safe as possible. The best way to ensure the safety of memory cards is to keep them away from extreme heat or cold, avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and keep them away from water at all times. It is best not to handle the cards excessively, but rather store them inside your digital camera for added security.

Memory cards are designed to hold a certain number of photos, which is determined based on the capacity of the card. If you plan to take a lot of photos or simply wish to have ample space without having to continually buy memory cards, consider a model that holds a lot of photos. For the occasional picture taker, basic memory cards will be ideal with a less than 100 image capacity.

When shopping for memory cards, make sure that the product you choose is compatible with your camera and is made by a well known manufacturer. Memory cards are readily available in the electronics section of most retail stores and online at any electronics or specialty retailer.