Christmas Season Photos

Get out your cameras. It is a great time of year for all types of photography. Have you tried night photos in the colorful lights of your city? If you take your photos around twilight time the camera meter will probably work well with no special adjustments.

Then there is always the trees. Try getting in close to catch the wonder of all the lights and colorful ornaments.

Then there is always the fun of capturing blurred backgrounds behind an in-focus foreground. Smoothly blurred backgrounds in photography are called "bokeh" a term derived from Japanese.

Of course everyone will have the cameras out for Christmas gatherings with families. Be prepared for once-in-a-lifetime shots as children and adults enjoy this wondrous season. For more of my photography and blog entries visit www.danwrayphoto.com.

Time to Vote!

I voted. Have you?

Local Artists

The Falling Rivers Gallery on Main street in Albemarle has been described as a hidden treasure in this region. Among its attractions are the inexpensive art classes offered by participating artists in the Gallery. This week I photographed a class taught by visual artist Vicki Galloway. The class is called "One Stroke" and it provides beginning painters with the opportunity to learn basic strokes for things like flowers and leaves.

If you might be interested in an art class some time, contact the Falling Rivers Gallery and get on their contact list. They can be reached by phone at 704.983.4278 or email at 
fallingriversgallery@yahoo.com

Get out and about with your camera while you can. The Fall season is a great time to explore and record your experiences.

Catch the Fever

Well "The Hunger Games" is just about all my younger teen talks about these days. The DVD is now out and WalMart has already sold out of them. Now there is an abundance of Hunger Games stuff that one can buy. So if you need a current photo project how about capturing some of the Hunger Games action. There is an art contest about to start about the book and movie but photography is not allowed, unfortunately. But nevertheless, the photographer can look for opportunities to capture some of the hype and enthusiasm. Here is an example, my daughter with a Mockingjay pin on her favorite hat.

Feel free to contact me with photographic questions or suggestions at: dansphotophile@hotmail.com, or visit my web site at www.danwrayphoto.com

Taking a Break

Two men take a well deserved break behind the Off the Square restaurant in Albemarle. This happens to be right outside the door of the Falling Rivers Gallery where I was on duty that day. Always keep a camera handy if you want to document local life.

Email me at dansphotophile@hotmail.com, or visit my web site: http://www.danwrayphoto.com

There's Just Something About Fog

I have been fairly active on Flickr lately. It is fun to post photos and join groups. The huge volume of pictures on Flickr is overwhelming, some excellent and some just vanilla. Recently I posted a photo that I took years ago while on a trip in Maine. It was taken on slide film so I converted it to digital by scanning the slide. The scene was one that might not have gotten any attention were it not for fog. The whole valley and road in the scene was overlaid with a gentle, but not too dense fog. After posting the picture, which I converted to Black and White, I noticed it got some attention and good comments. Then I started noticing that a lot of photos with the atmosphere provided by fog were getting attention. Then I noticed that my daughter grabbed a rather pedestrian shot I took on a local country road and used it for a screen shot on one of our computers. Again it is fog that makes the difference, as you can see below. Photographs need something to create a feeling, a story, an atmosphere, and for some pictures fog is the ticket. If I can, I try to get out with the camera whenever there is fog. Most of the time that means having the camera with me as I travel. As I have said before in this blog, it pays to keep a camera with you as much as possible. 

 

 

Write me with questions or comments at dansphotophile@hotmail.com, or visit my web page at www.danwrayphoto.com or search DanWr on Flickr.

Seeking Fresh Inspiration

Sometimes we go long periods without picking up the camera. We don't feel inspired. We experience a dry spell. I am speaking to those who use their camera for more than just record keeping, and family memories. There are various ways to rekindle interest in photography, but I am going to suggest just one. Start a photo project. A photography project can be anything that interests you. It can be about the special people in your life, or some organization you belong to, or an issue that matters to you. It can be about living things or non-living things. One summer some years ago I needed a project so I decided to photograph the entire life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly. It took me two or three months to complete the project but it was most satisfying, and a great learning experience. Here is an example of some of the photos in that project.

Do you have questions, or a photographic topic you would like to hear about? Contact me at: dansphotophile@hotmail.com

Tennis Lessons at Moorehead Park, Albemarle

This was taken with the small mirror-less Samsung NX210 and the 50-200 OIS lens. The little camera worked surprisingly well for action with a fast shutter response.

Perspective

One of the most important aspects of composition is perspective. This normally involves the photographer in moving about to change angles or viewpoint on the subject. There is a great scene in the movie Big Country when two men are having a fist fight out on the prairie, and the camera is moved back with a wide angle perspective to show how small they are in that great landscape. That is perspective. Here is a Stanly County example, the horse sculpture in the Locust town center. The first shot is at almost eye level. For the second shot I put the camera almost on the ground to create the sense of a much more commanding horse.

Do you have questions or topics you would like to see on this blog? Contact me at dansphotophile@hotmail.com, or go to my website at danwrayphoto.com.

Stuck at Home Photography

What does the photographer do when stuck at home? I injured my ankle and have to stay around the house while I wait for an orthopedic appointment. So this is a good time to play with cameras in ways that I usually don't. I have, for example, a Samsung NX210. This is a compact mirror-less camera with a large sensor and interchangeable lenses. It also has a feature that I never have used until now, called Magic Camera. This creates gimmicky pictures based on present templates. It also has a set of digital filters that create various effects. So being bored with my housebound condition I found a beautiful fresh tulip blossom in one of my flower pots on the deck, and tried out these playful camera features. Here are some results.

Here is another using the digital Fisheye filter on the same flower:

Do you have questions? Contact me at dansphotophile@hotmail.com or visit my web site at www.danwrayphoto.com

Digital Sensor Sizes

Many of us started photography in the age of 35mm film cameras. So as the digital age has come upon us we have had to adjust our thinking to the fact that the sensors in digital cameras come in many sizes. To make this adjustment the industry standard has continued to be the 35mm film standard. So in sensor terms a "full frame" sensor is the same size as 35mm film. There are many things to keep in mind when considering sensor sizes. But two are especially important. First of all the larger the sensor the better overall quality in can produce in the final picture. Not all sensors are created equal, but this is an important rule of thumb. The typical "point-and-shoot" camera has a very small sensor (see illustration below). Professional and advanced amateur cameras have larger sensors, often the APC sizes as shown on the chart. Larger sensors can take in more information from light, and record a larger range of colors and tones. They often produce better results in low light. They can retain more detail. Of course all of this comes at a cost. Larger sensor cameras are more expensive, with full frame cameras being especially expensive.
There is another important issue concerning sensor sizes. Most lens makers continue to label lenses like they did in the days of 35mm film (with some exceptions). But these lenses perform differently depending on the sensor in the camera. For example, a lens labelled 50mm performs as a so-called "normal" lens on a full frame sensor or on 35mm film. However, on an APC size sensor (the typical Nikon or Canon DSLR) its focal length is effectively 75mm, thus it has become a short telephoto lens. The smaller the sensor the more this effect is magnified. There are other sensor issues relevant to camera performance, but this should serve as a basic introduction.

Note: these are not actual size, but relative sizes. Do you have questions or feedback? Email me at dansphotophile@hotmail.com, or visit my website at www.danwrayphoto.com

It is all about the Light

Photographers today, both amateur and professional, have an abundance of options for fine equipment. Digital cameras are getting better all the time, and most people can find one that will do the job within their price range. No matter what equipment you use, it is all about the light. While good pictures can be taken any time of the day, it is a truism that the best pictures are most likely taken early and late. The warm light of sunrise and sunset cannot be equaled. If there is some early morning fog so much the better. Here is an example from the Swift Island launch area on a fishing tournament day.

Do you have a suggestion for a future blog topic? Sent me a note: dansphotophile@hotmail.com

This is why you should always have a camera with you. There are interesting things to photograph everywhere. For some the camera will just be the phone. The best camera for any situation is the one you have with you.

Hummingbirds

The PhotoPhile by Dan Wray

Monday, May 28, 2012

Hummingbirds

The Ruby-throated hummingbirds are back. In fact they were back early this year. If you want to photograph them on your back porch here are some tips. Set up your camera on a tripod and pre-focus on a flower or feeder that you have seen the birds using. You will need either a remote electronic release for the camera, or a physical wire release. If you use the former you can go inside and trigger the camera from a distance. If you have to use a physical release you will have to stay close to the camera and not move much. In fact you can even trigger the camera by hand if you have the patience to stand still by the tripod for a time. The birds do get used to people, and sometimes will give you the treat of flying right up to your face to take a look! A flash is vital to this exercise. Most cameras today will balance flash and available light exposure. So set the camera for available light and then turn on the flash for balanced fill light. Assuming you are using a digital camera, take a test shot light this one.

If you are not satisfied with the test exposure make some adjustments and try again until it is right. In this case the background was the sky on a grey overcast day with slight underexposure. That is why it looks like a neutral grey background. Once you are satisfied with the test, sit back and wait for the main attraction and maybe you will get something like this, or even better.

Remember, I am eager to hear from you with ideas, questions, or stories of your photographic successes or failures. Email me at: dansphotophile@hotmail.com

It is a great time of year for colorful backyard photography. Chances are you can do this kind of thing with almost any camera you own. Many zoom lenses for DSLRs now have a macro setting for shooting close-ups. Standard lenses, such as the one used for this Fuchsia picture, can become macro lenses by attaching a close-up filter to the front of the lens. Of course, if budget permits, macro lenses can be purchased for any interchangeable lens camera today.  These open up a whole world of sometimes unnoticed small things close to home. This is what I have always enjoyed about macro photography. It can be done without taking trips to exotic places. There are many exotic small things in our own backyards. Do you have questions, or suggestions? Contact me at dansphotophile@hotmail.com.

The title of this new blog signifies a fondness for photography. It is a combination of the word for light, photo, and the word for love or fondness, phile. Both are from Greek roots. It is like the word bibliophile, a person who is fond of books. So where do we begin? In a new blog about photography it might seem natural to begin with a discussion of equipment. We will get to discussions of equipment but not at first. If you are reading this you have some interest in photography. Perhaps you are an active enthusiast, or maybe just a casual shooter. Maybe you wish you knew more, or have wanted to get started doing more photography. So where do you start? How do you improve? The answer is ever so simple. You improve by doing, as with any other skill set. So the first piece of advice I offer is to get whatever equipment you have and go take pictures. See what interests you, and what grabs your attention.  Years ago I used to take every Monday off and usually go out someplace to take pictures. Due to my interest in nature photography I tried to get an early start. Many a morning I lay in bed after the alarm rang thinking about whether I would get up or not. Perhaps it would be a waste of time, I thought. If I go out, I might not get any good pictures. So the arguments went. But the answer I developed went like this:  If I get up and go out I might get some good pictures. If I stay in bed I certainly will not get any pictures. So get up and find out what you can get.
I want to hear from you. What would you like to see in this blog? What questions do you have about photography? Your responses will enrich this blog.  Send me your thoughts at dansphotophile@hotmail.com.