Flash

I have the best flash that Canon makes, yet I almost never use it.  I choose not to use it, not because it is bad, but I love ambient light. In my opinion natural light is priceless. If I can pull of no flash I will. But there are situations where I either need or want a flash. In my mind they can be grouped into two situations. 

1. Back light. When there is a lot of light behind your subject, they will most likely will be shadowed. A flash can fill that in.

2. Studio like. When I need/ want a larger depth of field, lower ISO or faster shutter speed, I will use a flash. Typically I am trying to imitate a studio-like condition like my second post of the Orchid.

I am not saying flash is bad, but I am not saying it is good either. What I am saying, first and foremost is that you can NOT control your flash or your camera in Automatic. I personally love not using flash, and I will show you how we can take great photos without it. The first thing you must know is don't let your camera decide when to use it or not. The camera is NOT as smart as you are.

TIPS: When taking photos start without a flash. When you are in those two categories then try the flash. Do not rely on it heavily.

When in Program, Shutter or Aperture Priority, or Manual, underexpose your exposure (we'll talk more about this soon), by 1 stop. Put the exposure at -1.o and use a flash and allow it to make up for the difference. Most likely it will give you a perfect balance of natural and flash light.

How to Master Manual Settings

Some people find photography complicated. Many find settings that include the word aperture frustrating. And a lot of people find the idea of only shooting in Manual (The M) extremely hard or scary. 

I have been teaching how to make manual easy for almost 3 years now. It is really not that hard at all and I will help you explore not only why you should, but how it can even be easier 

than Aperture or Shutter Priority (A or Av / S or Tv). Arguable even Program Mode (P).  I will show you how.

Get Out of AUTO...

Automatic is the worst mode you could shoot your camera in. The sad but true thing is that a $200 Point and Shoot can out perform a thousand dollar DSLR, when that DSLR is in Automatic Mode.  The two most important adjustments on your camera you have no control of in Auto. 

What are these two? FLASH and ISO. Ever wonder why your photos are dark in a big room, or why faces are shadows ,when there is backlight behind your subject? FLASH is to blame. 

Have you ever had a blurry picture? Of course we all have... Do you realize that ISO is the number one ally is never getting a blurry photo again. Program mode, (which we will talk about next) is a billion times better because you can select your ISO.

TIP: If your camera is in Auto, change it to the Program Mode (P). And never ever put it back in Automatic. Your photos will thank you, I promise.  Crash Course in ISO: When it is dark and/ or your subject is moving crank that ISO up, 800 or 1600. When it is bright you can lower it. Play around and remember avoid Auto like a plague: the plague of "eh" pictures.

1:1 Macro of Phalaenopsis Orchid

Phalaenopsis... Great word right? I personally have no idea how to say it but Google tells me that this is the orchid I pictured below. 

Macro photography can be a lot fun. I have decent list of lenses, but I only recently bought a macro lens - the Canon 100mm f/2.8 USM. It is an extremely sharp lens, a lot of light and great focal distance, I love using it for portrait work as well as macro photography. 

The shot above was taken on the Canon 5D, at 1/160th of a second, at an aperture of f/14.0, and an ISO of 100.  I needed to shoot at a high enough shutter speed, typically to compensate for movement but in this case it is all about making sure I don't move (especially in and out). F/14 is a very small opening with a lot of depth of field, but if you look closely not everything is in focus, which helps you draw you into what I find fascinating and surreal.  Because I wanted the least grain, and the most depth of field I used a flash. It was a Canon 580EX held off camera only barely out of the photo. 

TIP: When trying to get the tightest shot possible. Zoom your lens in all the way, and most importantly manually focus your lens to the closet setting. After you do that do not move your focus ring, move physically into focus.

Welcome to the Pictured Forever Blog

I am excited to start a new blog concerning not only my photos, but photography specifically. I first want to start this blog by sharing the fact the I believe if you are going to truly take advantage of your camera, manual is the only way to shoot. There is no other way to take and keep control of a perfect exposure and/ or photo.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me or contact me through my webpage: picturedforever.com