The Fundamentals of Focusing Techniques Photo Tip for October 2011 Selective Focusing Example by Doreen Erhardt© There are a variety of focusing techniques that professional photographers use to create stunning images. It may be the most important feature in any given photograph, with beautiful lighting being a close second. There are terms which are applied to many of these methods, but unless you truly understand the fundamental guidelines behind each of these skills, you will not achieve successful results and your images may be considered blurry rather than pleasing. In this article we'll discuss when and how to apply Focusing Effects to create images like the professionals. A blurry photograph does not give a dreamy or soft focus effect. Though it may not be obvious to the amateur eye the difference between an out-of-focus photograph vs. a photograph where a skilled focusing effect has been properly applied; it is very noticeable to the trained eye and most often even to the eye of the average viewer even though they can only describe it as blurry. This is something the amateur really needs to focus on . . . pun intended! Let's begin with the terms for these techniques with some descriptions and examples of these focusing methods. The Dreamy Effect Beautiful example of the Dreamy Effect Photo courtesy of PhotoshopTutorials.com The photographs you see with a Dreamy Effect are created using a variety of techniques, none of which are manipulating your focus; intentionally or unintentionally. A dreamy effect is created on-camera using either a soft focus filter or something in front of the lens such as pantyhose or Vaseline, in combination with (usually natural) lighting. More commonly created today using post-processing techniques in some combination to create a dreamy glow that is soft but not blurry. Soft Focus Lovely example of Soft Focus Photo courtesy of Wallcoo.net Soft Focus is not a term used in conjunction with Depth of Field as they are not related. A soft focus image is a sharp image with an ethereal haze effect applied. This is an on-camera filtering technique and/or post-processing technique to soften harsh elements in the photograph, such as; wrinkles and smoothing out skin. This effect is commonly used on portraits of women, for weddings and for romantic images. An out of focus photograph or a photograph with blurry primary elements is not a successful example of applying creative focusing techniques, it's just a blurry photograph. Bokeh Excellent example of proper Bokeh effect in a photograph Photo courtesy of © Silvia Lorenzo The Bokeh effect in photography is Japanese in origin and refers to a blur or blurry quality to a PORTION of the photograph. Soft focus and Bokeh have fundamental differences. In a photograph with soft focus there is an intentional blurriness added to the subject while the edges of the subject retain their sharp focus. In Bokeh, it is only an element of an image intentionally blurred for the specific effect of emphasizing certain points of light. Macro Photography Outstanding Macro Example Photo courtesy of Photography TK Designs© A quick side note on Macro photography because it is a world of it's own. First let me explain that Macro Photography is not close-up photography. There is typically a one to one ratio between the size of the subject and the size on the image sensor in Macro Photography, this is not the case with close-up photography which can be achieved with any lens. Macro lens have a very shallow DOF so they utilize selective focus to keep the subject sharp while letting everything else blur. This is the one exception to the basic focusing rules, HOWEVER, the result still needs to make sense to the viewing audience. The small area of focus range in a Macro shot MUST BE in the right place or the photograph is considered blurry and unappealing. Selective Focus Selective Focus Example Photograph © John Baker Photographer LLC/Travel Images.com/JayBeeStock.com Selective Focus is the process of focusing on one element within the scene to create emphasis on that element. This can not be done with a camera setting of Auto, you accomplish this by running the camera manually to achieve a wide aperture and obtain a shallow depth of field. Today's Digital SLR cameras all have focusing points which can be used in conjunction with Depth of Field control to carefully select the area(s) where sharp focus is needed. As in ALL good photographic shots, you first need to know the message you are trying to portray to determine which elements in your shot are PRIMARY focal points, which are secondary and which can or should fade completely into the background. Your primary subject needs to have absolute sharp focus in all the right places. Your secondary elements can have soft focus where the DOF starts to drop off, and your non-essential elements can be out of focus. Below is a great example: There is a chocolate kiss in the front with sharp focus, i.e., the Primary Focal Point. Just behind that other candies begin to drop out of focusing range; the secondary focal points which help tell the story of where the kiss came from, with the remaining elements falling completely out of focus. Now for commercial sales, the background really should be cleaned up in this photograph to remove the distraction of the doorjamb, but otherwise this is a well-focused photograph. So What's a Primary Focal Point? In portrait shots of people, it is critical to have the eyes, face and hair that surrounds the face in sharp focus. Depending on the mood of the message, the rest of the person can fall into the secondary focus category allowing DOF to drop away. If the story you are trying to tell in a photograph is of a person holding something, then the primary focus point needs to include head to waist in include what they're holding with focus not dropping off until waist level and/or behind the head. When photographing animals; in a head to mid-section shot, the eyes, nose and ears must be in focus with the DOF falling off behind the head and/or below the chest. In a full body shot of an animal, the focus needs to be from head to toe if they are engaged with their environment. You can focus on one petal of a flower and have all others fall out of focus, but the human eye does not accept that as appealing if that single focal point is the petal which seems to be the furthest away from the image foreground. If you shoot a flower at an angle where the center of the flower is of particular interest and that center falls out of focus, this too is usually not considered pleasing. If you photograph a lily or tulip straight on for example, as long as the center of the flower is sharply focused, the petals can fall out of focus and create a pleasing effect. Are you beginning to see that the elements which require sharp focus are critical to your overall composition? You can have a perfect specimen of a flower (free of bugs, dying petals, etc.), beautiful lighting, stunning composition and if you ignore the vital decision to choose the right focusing technique to support all that perfection; you will have ruined your composition. Foreground Elements Though it is true that selective focus is used to emphasize the subject thus throwing much of the rest of the photograph out of focus, there are some things to consider when trying to pull off the effect. Do not think that using this focusing technique is a way to 'remove' distracting elements . . . it is not, especially when those distractions are in the foreground. What DOES work is when the element in the foreground has a direct relationship to the subject and rest of the scene, i.e.; the lockers which create repetition, or grasses in a meadow, or petals on a flower. There must be a blending of the out of focus foreground leading the eye to the primary focal point. Elements like dead branches in a garden or pet bowls in front of the pet cause the eye to reject what they are seeing rather than be drawn in by the color, harmony and blending of the foreground. It will make or break a photograph and this is a far too common mistake for the amateur photographer. What hasn't been discussed here is WHAT Depth of Field is and HOW to achieve it - that article was already written and you'll find that here: Focus on Depth of Focus.
We also have not touched on the difference between showing Motion Blur and a blurred photograph due to motion. That article you will find here: Motion Capture Photography Until next time; May you Stay Focused and Happy Shooting!
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Posted July 28th, 2011 More on Storytelling with Your Camera Really great advice for learning how to truly make photographic art ... as I've said many times, a photograph has to tell a story to capture attention. Scott Bourne shares his knowledge and its worth the quick read! Read Article Photo Courtesy Noupe.com Dash of Inspiration Post for GCU Community Blog Animals of all kinds have inspired artists and photographers since the beginning of time. For some these wonderful creatures are rendered with such realism that they come to life before your very eyes; for others the whimsical, silly and comical side of animals is brilliantly portrayed. So what makes great animal imagery? Read Full Article and Get Links Dash of Inspiration Post for GCU Community Blog Floral Photography 101 and Beyond! I offer some beautiful examples of floral photography along with tips and many great video tutorials on post processing floral images to make them marketable and give them that WOW factor! View Examples Guide to a Winning Photograph Photo Tips from May & June 2011 "Sand Man" ©Doreen Erhardt I remember my amateur days in photography. What I looked forward to the most in those early days was receiving constructive criticism from all the experts along the way. Some of those were my teachers during my 4-years of studying photography; some were members of the Photographic Society of America where for 10-years I participated in offering critique to other photographers as well as received critique on my own work. All these lessons were invaluable to me and were stepping stones to becoming classified as a Master Photographer, being the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Art & Science of Photography and winning hundreds of ribbons over the years. This is where my background comes from as I step into this area of offering guidelines for winning photographs. Anyone can take pictures, but to create photographs that are winners, there is much more to it than simply pointing the camera at something and clicking the shutter. What I will try to offer here is the means to evaluate your photos with the eye of a professional. In order to be competitive in competitions, be accepted on stock photo sites and actually make money on your photography you need to know what makes a winning photograph and arm yourself with the knowledge to be your own worst critic. There are thousands of photographs cluttering Print on Demand sites that will most likely never sell; these poor quality snapshots have zero marketability. It doesn't mean the person who is selling a poor quality snapshot can't take a winning photograph, it simply means they don't know how to evaluate their images to determine which are marketable and which should be post-processed, or sometimes even rejected. To properly judge an image for it's merit as a winner, you must put aside your own connection to the photograph. The viewer does not know, nor do they care, that it's your dog. The viewer will be distracted by the sofa cushions and floor lamp in your photograph. You as a photographer have to learn how to rate your own photographs and properly judge the technical faults as well as the ability for the photograph to evoke a feeling in the viewer. I have been a photographer for more than 35-years and I have thousands of photographs the world will never see as they were shot. These 'rejects' of mine as should yours are put aside and used as elements in new digital creations. Guideline 1: A Photograph Must Evoke Emotion Leaf Motif © Doreen Erhardt 2011 Look at the example above: The photo of the woods in the upper left is not only technically imperfect, the poor lighting and lack of subject make it emotionless. The average person would not feel anything when viewing this photograph. Now look at the professional photographs of similar subject matter and notice the difference. In every one of those images, the photographers have captured a statement, something to be felt by the viewer...it may be a different emotion from viewer to viewer but that's even better! What is critical is that when your photograph is viewed, people FEEL SOMETHING. Landscape photography is actually one of the most difficult subjects to render. A good scenic photograph either evokes a mood or makes the viewer want to be there. As we stand in the moment with our camera in hand, we feel the emotion because our senses are keen to the smells, the feel of the air, and the sounds of nature. However, when captured as a photograph it easily becomes one-dimensional so all the viewer will experience is the vision. Guideline 2: Is the Subject Well-Lit? Was the Mood, Texture & Form Captured? Before you shoot the picture, evaluate the lighting; is it exceptional? Will it create a mood? Find the forms that make the scene. Can you place them in a composition that draws the eye in and back out of the finished photo? Look for the texture that you so easily see with a naked eye. Can you find a way to capture those textures as part of your image and make the viewer want to touch what you've recorded? Guideline 3: What is the Subject of the Photograph? How the subject stands out in a photograph, giving the viewer an 'in your face' presentation of what the photograph is all about; can make a winning photograph or create a photo for the reject file. Look at the Angel images above. The one in the upper left is a snapshot. The subject clearly is the statue, however the lighting is poor and the background is distracting only because it does let the subject pop and adds no value to the composition. This is a fine photo to document the statue, but it's not going to win any competitions or even sell in the marketplace. The thumbnail examples below that image give you a good idea how to focus in on the subject and tell a story. Every one of those professional images of angel statues tells a story and opens your mind to let your own emotion depict how you feel when viewing them. Guideline 4: Avoid Distracting Elements, Clutter and Chaos The photo above right is a typical snapshot. The kids are cute, but what IS the subject? It's cluttered, manic and belongs only in the scrapbooks of the people in the photograph, yet I see these types of photographs for sales on POD's all the time. As a general rule of thumb your subject needs to take up at least 1/3 of the image to really have impact on your audience. This is particularly true if your goal is to sell the image in small format; such as greeting cards. You may see the toad in the dried grass or the bird on the branch from 50-feet away, BUT if you didn't know it was there, does it pop out of the photograph? Watch anything that is in the foreground that could distract from your subject as well as that which is behind it. Watch out for poles, power lines, dead grass or branches. These are all distractions, they are unattractive and do not make for a winning photograph. There are always exceptions to the 1/3-rule, those exceptions however still have focus on the subject so the viewers eye is drawn to message immediately. Guideline 5: Correct Color Cast! © http://www.zazzle.com/MyZazzleCards Technical quality will make or break a well balanced, well composed photograph! Here is a wonderful example of a great message! The photo itself says so much and the photographer added the perfect expression for a marketable winner! However; it is also an example of technical flaws to be aware of and correct before sharing with the world. Color cast is unpleasant; our eyes do not correct for it and in fact intensify it. This image has a magenta cast which is unnatural for this subject. Almost all photo software these days have the ability to correct color, so when you have a color cast that isn't within the natural realm of your subject, FIX IT. If you are unable to remove a color cast to reveal realistic hues, then remove all color. This image for example would be even more dynamic in black and white. There are hundreds of purple instead of black animals, pink waterfalls and blue snow on photographs throughout the POD market, most of which are likely to never sell. Guideline 6: Blown Highlights and Black Holes ©Jan Marco Another technical flaw I see way too often is Hot Spots. Here is a poor quality photograph for more than one reason. First is the obvious BLOW OUT of highlights from a flash which was too powerful. There is absolutely no detail left in those highlights, so recovery is impossible. In addition to that, think back to what is the SUBJECT? This photograph tells us nothing, it evokes no emotion or thought of any kind. Also be aware of the opposite of blown highlights which is Black Holes. These are areas in your photograph where the shadows have gone beyond the detail point; overly saturated shadows leave nothing but a black area in your photograph where nothing was recorded. Now, unlike hot spots, black holes don't always make a good go photo bad, it depends where the lack of detail is located. If it's at the edge of a background, it might add to the mood of the photograph as a vignette might, if all other factors of that photo have been well captured. However, if the black hole(s) are on a face or somewhere within the boundaries of your subject it will once again be a distraction and stand out like a sore thumb...these flaws will definitely not win you awards or make you money. Guideline 7: FIX Those Eyes! Eyes are fixed and isn't he cute? The eyes of all living creatures are the doorway to their soul, so why would you try to market a photograph with the pupils of your subject showing the effects of flash and poor correction? The pupils of eyes in almost ALL living creatures are black, not red, not green, not yellow and not hazy grey. The Labrador above is a perfect example of a photograph that shouldn't be for sale until the eyes are fixed... and see how easy it is to bring life back to those beautiful eyes? Aside from the fact that the image is way too dark to be desirable, the cat example above right is another good example of an important guideline. Though the photographer fixed the 'red eye', they did not follow through with catch lights. If eyes don't have catch lights, there is no expression of life. There is a disconnect between the viewer and the subject, regardless of how technically great that photo may be. Adding catch lights are very simple and will make that subject come alive! Guideline 8: Is the Composition Balanced? Is it Pleasing? Fountain of Youth ©DoreenErhardt Though there is a basic composition rule to photograph and that is the rule of thirds, many winning photographs break that rule. What IS important about composition is that it draws the viewer in and out of the photograph. Look at the fountain image left. Your eyes will either go from the top of the fountain down and out through the bottom of the photograph, or for some their eyes will go from the bottom right corner and follow the leaves out of the image through the side or top. An eye that wanders throughout the photo not knowing where to focus is an indication of a poor composition. Balance is also important to a composition. In general it is best to follow some basic design rules. If there is more than one object as your subject, then the objects must balance is size, color and shape. They can all be different, but they need to balance as a composition. Another good rule of composition is to stick with odd numbers of subjects one, three, five and so on. Again, these are basic guidelines and many winning photographs have broken these composition rules; BUT I guarantee you the photographers who made those winning photos new these rules well before they experimented in breaking them! Guideline 9: Is There a Full Range of Tonal Values? A winning photograph has a full range of tonal value from white to black. This goes for color, black and white and monotone images. All good photographs have good contrast and a solid range from light to dark with detail throughout. So check each image, many digital cameras provide a histogram which will show you the range and inform you if you are dropping out at one end or the other of the tonal spectrum. Here is a great explanation with examples of what I am talking about: Histogram for Digital Images Guideline 10: Does your Subject Stand Out from the Background? My Godson Johnny...he's so cute! ©Doreen Erhardt Sometimes the moment is just too perfect to worry about the clutter in the background or how well your subject will stand out against the chaos. That doesn't mean you won't get a winning photograph, it means you have to recognize that you will need to post-process the image before offering it to the public. There are lots of ways to accomplish this you can do what I did in this photo. I left only Johnny in color and made the surrounding area black and white. Now he pops out of that cluttered playroom. You can use selective Depth of Field when taking the photo to keep only your subject in focus... assuming lighting conditions allow you the flexibility. You could also paint on a Gaussian blur to the area around your subject or even replace the background with something entirely different. Checklist for a Winning Photograph Okay, so let's add all these examples up into a checklist you can use to evaluate every photo you take, giving you the knowledge to weed out the winner's from those that will go into the reject folder...and remember 'rejects' are just placed in a folder for creating new works, they need not literally be deleted. Remember to remove your own emotions and attachment you may have to the subject, and just because it isn't a marketable photograph doesn't mean it isn't a great addition to the scrapbook!
So, if you want to win competitions, have your submissions accepted and make money actually selling your photographs, they must pass this list of guidelines. A winning photograph speaks a thousands words, it is well-lit, the subject is in sharp focus and well composed, it's tonal values are rich, the color is vibrant and realistic, there is balance and lack of chaos and the subject pops off the background.
Image by Joe Penniston, Express Monorail Dash of Inspiration Post for GCU Community Blog For your July 4th Holiday, I’m going to keep it simple and give you links to 45 Beautiful Examples of time-exposure Photography and some quick tips for taking time exposures if anyone out there has never tried it and feels like playing! Happy 4th of July! Read Full Article and Visit Links Dash of Inspiration Post for GCU Community Blog I think most of us are drawn to the mystery found in a well done silhouette. Perhaps it’s because our own imaginations are allowed to fill in the missing details, so we could never be disappointed. To me, it’s like reading a well written mystery; we are given some basic information about the characters and the scene, but it’s up to our own mind to conjure up the missing pieces and create a complete picture to accompany the story. In art, silhouettes have been around for centuries as a form of portraiture. All of us have seen some famous examples such as; Beethoven’s portrait from the18th century, the Mudflap girl that we still see today on the mudflaps of big rigs and of course the story of evolution from ape to man. In photography ... Read Full Article and Visit Links to Examples & Tutorials ©Doreen Erhardt 2011 For any photographer, whether amateur or pro, flowers are a seemingly irresistible subject. Though it's easy to take a picture of a garden or bouquet, it takes some thought and a bit of technique to make those floral photos stand apart from the average snapshot. These techniques are not just having fancy equipment, though a macro lens, reflectors and back drops offer some exciting options; photographing gardens, nurseries in full bloom and bouquets can be very rewarding without a lot of expensive equipment . What makes a beautiful floral shot? A unique composition, well determined depth of field, and interesting lighting. These things properly combined allow you to represent the gift that nature has given us. Flowers have texture, markings and shape that just beg to be captured and interpreted by the viewer. Choosing a Subject and Composition The Lily ©Doreen Erhardt 2011 So let’s start with composition. If you wish to capture a garden shot or bouquet, then you also have to pay attention to the surrounding distractions and decide whether to include them or remove them. Seeing what surrounds the flower(s) is the first step in taking the perfect photograph. Dead branches, wilted flowers, and dried out bushes are only a few distractions you might find in a garden, so keep this in mind when choosing your subject. Look for the perfect specimen or the most unusual such as; variations in color, light or even a dew drop or frost can be lovely. In most cases, flowers with bugs, missing petals, dead spots or garden debris will not be visually appealing to the average viewer, and will stick out like a sore thumb in your photograph. If you wish to capture two or more blooms in one image that stand apart from the rest, find a set that are all facing a similar direction creating a flow that draws the eye into and then back out of the photograph. If the flower you think of as the ‘best of the bunch’ is surrounded by blooms facing in a variety of directions and you choose not to single out that perfect bloom, you may end up with a photograph that simply represents chaos. Consider these options when establishing the shooting background.
Important Factors to Consider Brushstrokes on Petals ©Doreen Erhardt 2011 Wind Even the slightest breeze can create problems for you when photographing flowers outside. Capturing the feeling of a soft breeze in a floral photograph is best done with a wide shot of a meadow or garden, so the viewer can see the bend in the stems in addition to some movement. The only thing a slight breeze does for the floral close-up is cause it to be blurry. So either plan your outside shoots on calm weather days or bring some blooms inside and shoot in a more controlled environment. Focus Your focus point, though always important when shooting any subject, is particularly critical when shooting flowers. If you are shooting with a Macro lens, the lack of DOF can make the perfect shot a flop if the only place with sharp focus is not the center of the flower or forefront petal. Using a longer lens and wider aperture to allow you to blur around your subject will provide a softness that works very well in flower shots and is also a good option. Summer Burst ©Doreen Erhardt 2011 Lighting Flowers, in my opinion, are one of the few subjects where the color temperature can vary greatly and still create pleasing results. Both natural light and artificial light will work for a close-up shot of flowers. The character and angle of light is however very important. As with most outdoor subjects, shoot morning and late afternoon to avoid harsh shadows. The soft lighting conditions of shade and cloudy days can be perfect times for flower photography and can create some wonderful lighting opportunities. You can use fill flash in deep shade if you consider using a flash diffuser to control wash out. Indirect lighting usually gives a more natural look and can be obtained with reflectors. Even white foam core or mat board to bounce the light back into the dark areas can help you create a natural, even lighting effect. A really lovely look, when it can be obtained, is a close-up with the sun coming through the petals as if the flower was lit from underneath. Also try back-lighting the flower for another appealing and unique perspective. Put the sun behind the flower and position the flower between the sun and your camera. Shooting indoor floral shots often create some beautiful results. The warm tones of light coming through a window or from tungsten bulbs are pleasing to the human eye when it comes to floral images. Again, rather than a flash, use a reflector, white paper or foam core to bounce the light back and fill in the shadows to create a softer light source. You can also use white paper or a white sheet to diffuse the light if it’s bright by putting it between the light source and your subject. Be Inspired & Creative! Vintage Tulip ©Doreen Erhardt 2011 The photograph above of the Red Tulips was taken with my new creative tool, a tabletop soft box. Natural light has always been my preference, but I am looking forward to experimenting with indoor photography in a mini studio. I had a full studio lighting set up, but when I stopped being the 'traveling portrait photographer' I was too lazy to set it up at home only to take it down an hour later...not to mention storing the beast! So, I sold it and just a few weeks ago invested in my wonderful little tabletop setup. So where will your inspiration take you? Maybe come spring you'll take your camera to the nursery or farmer's market in search of flowers...or maybe I gave you the reason you needed to buy yourself a gorgeous bouquet of blooms to bring home and try your hand at indoor floral photography. Maybe you now have the courage to visit the neighbor's beautiful garden, if you give them some of the photos I'm sure they would be thrilled to let you play in their yard for hours! Whatever you choose, may your photographs bloom! Dash of Inspiration
Post for GCU Community Blog I consider myself very fortunate, because I began my journey in photography as a student in 1980. This gave me the opportunity to learn photography in a film-based world, choosing different types of film for different situations and developing my ‘masterpieces’ in a darkroom. In my studies, I took four-years of Black and White photography which included studying Ansel Adams Zone System, it was in this class I was introduced to Infrared Film and the dreamy effects one could create simply by through the use of film and on-camera filters. Read Full Article SUNDAY TUTORIAL: Fixing RED EYE! View Tutorial Viewers of your photographs will first be drawn to the eyes of your subject. I call it the flash effect, because it's just as distracting regardless of the color when eyes are not clear and vivid, complete with catch-light. This tutorial is from Creative Pro and will hopefully inspire you to fix the eyes in all your living subjects! ENJOY and let me know if this was helpful! |
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