Beyond Megapixels » DIY

Your Weekend Project – Drip Drip Drop!

Tiffany Joyce — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 07:00:35 +0000

I just had way too much fun taking pictures of drops of water. This is a GREAT rainy-day (or cold winter day) photography project. It’s also a great teaching method if you have children or teens interested in photography!

Here’s what you need:

- A camera (naturally!)
- A tripod
- An external flash
- A vessel to hold water (I used a colored glass pie plate)
- A reflective surface such as a hand-held reflector or just a piece of white paper or poster board
- A hanger
- A ziplock plastic sandwich bag
- Tape
- A safety pin
- A marker, pen or pencil
- Water

What you see here is the setup I used at my kitchen table (the water in the pie plate is cloudy because I tried dripping milk into the water – the effect was… gross. So! Not recommended.). I hung the hanger from a boom arm attached to one of my light stands, but you can use a plant hook or position your project in some other area where you can hang stuff from overhead. I put a triple-layer of tape over the top corner of the plastic bag and poked a hole through it, filled it about halfway with water, then hung it up on the hanger (the tape is to prevent the hole from tearing through and creating a splashdown).

Next I filled the pie plate about halfway with water and positioned it under the plastic bag. Then I braced the reflector directly behind the pie plate (with the vase we keep on the table), and set the tripod up directly in front of the setup.

Then I put my camera (Canon 7D) in Manual mode, set the aperture at f/8, the ISO at 100, and the shutter speed at 1/250 (the flash sync speed for my camera). I set my Canon 580EX II flash to ETTL, slaved it to the camera, and stopped down the power by about two stops. I put the camera on the tripod (I was using the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens that came with the camera) and positioned the flash in front and to the left of the pie plate (on its little plastic foot), aimed directly at the reflector.

Finally, I poked a tiny hole in the corner of the plastic bag with the safety pin, to allow a steady stream of drips to fall.

In order to focus on the drops, I put the lens on Manual focus (auto-focus would just never keep up). I positioned the tip of the marker right where the drops were hitting the water, and focused on that. From that point forward, unless I moved or bumped any part of the setup (which I did, repeatedly), the drops would stay in focus. If any changes occurred, I just re-focused on the marker again.

Then it was just a matter of shooting, shooting, shooting, trying to get the timing right. (Click on any image to see a larger version.)

I was surprised at how easy it was – literally the VERY first shot I took was the one at the beginning of this article. I slightly increased and decreased the flash’s power to see if that made a difference, and switched the reflective surface from white to translucent to soft gold to see how that would affect the image. I kind of love how you can see the text from the bottom of the pie plate come through in some of the images.

This is a really fun project, so I encourage you all to give it a try this weekend as your weekend project! Please share your photos with us on our Facebook Page or Flickr Group.

Have fun!

All photos copyright Tiffany Joyce.

10 Tips for a Great Photo Walk

Tiffany Joyce — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 07:00:38 +0000

As many of you are probably already aware, Scott Kelby’s (free!) Fourth Annual World Wide Photo Walk is taking place on October 1st and 2nd 2011 (the first year that the event is being held on two days). The purpose of the Photo Walk is to bring together photographers of all skill levels, in locations all over the world. Participants walk around their city or chosen location, photographing their environment and sharing their experiences with fellow walkers, and they can also participate in various contests hosted by the Kelby gang. The groups generally conclude their day by sharing a meal or a beverage, comparing the results of their walk and growing their network of friends. The event really supports the feeling of creativity and comradeship within the photographic community.

Whether you’ve participated every year in this event, you are joining in for the the first time this year, or you’re planning on hosting your own photo walk in the future, keep these tips in mind to make the most of your day.

1. Choose a light lens. The key word in the term “photo walk” is “walk”, so keep in mind that you’re going to be lugging around anything you choose to take with you, and a heavy lens is misery to walk around with for any length of time. Choose a light zoom lens in a flexible focal range – I’m fond of my 17-55mm (Canon/Nikon), many folks choose a 24-70mm (Canon/Nikon), or go with a longer lens such as a 70-300mm (Canon/Nikon). Be brave. Take just one lens. You can do it!

2. Streamline your camera. I’m of Jay Maisel’s school of thought – take a camera, take a lens. Tuck an extra battery or two, and an extra memory card, in your pocket. Leave off the lens hood (I choose to keep the UV filter on), and take off the battery grip. You want to be nimble with your camera. You’re going to be walking around in a group of people. Streamlining your camera will minimize your footprint and reduce the occurrences of lens fencing. It’s very liberating to leave off all of the accouterments we tend to collect.

3. Leave it in the car. Now, to completely oppose what I mentioned in #1 and #2, bring other options with you and leave them in your car. You may find the lens that you chose completely unacceptable for your surroundings. The bright sunlight may be causing wicked lens flare which would be helped by a lens hood. You may have mistakenly grabbed the batteries with no juice. Having some backup gear will give you some peace of mind. Now, don’t bring everything you own. Be thoughtful in your selection. Just don’t plan on carrying it around all day. And lock it in your trunk, don’t leave it in plain view on your back seat.

4. Dress for the weather and for the activity. Comfortable shoes are a must, and non-confining clothing is recommended. Pick pants or a jacket with plenty of pockets! Layer if you need to, to accommodate changing temperatures throughout the day.

5. Be open, and be polite. We’re all grown-ups. Be open to the opinions, advice, and feedback of the other photographers with you. Use common courtesy and manners. Reject obnoxious behavior – your own and others. It is always a good reminder for everyone to just mind their manners and play nice. So, be aware that while you’re trying to get “the” shot, so are all of the other folks in your group. Be mindful of where other folks are framing their pictures, so you don’t accidentally commit a photobomb. Be a good photo walk citizen.

6. Share. If you see a really cool angle or unique perspective, point it out. If some action is going on down the street that no one else has seen yet, let folks know. Keep your head on a swivel and hone your observational skills, but don’t “hog” the shot just because you want to be the only one cool enough to have spotted it.

7. Shoot in burst mode, or bracket your shots. For busy surroundings or areas with a lot of action, shooting in burst mode helps ensure that you capture the moment before it’s gone. If you’re unsure of the required exposure, bracket your shots to guarantee you get the right one.

8. Stand in one spot and look in EVERY direction. A photo walk implies that you will automatically keep moving along. Pause for a few moments every now and then. “Stand in the place where you are.” Let the group move ahead of you a bit so you can have an unfettered view of your surroundings. Look up, look down, turn 360 degrees to absorb every vantage available to you. Stand on something to give yourself an elevated view. Kneel and get your eyes level to the ground. Photograph the people as well as the place.

9. Keep mental notes for a second trip. There may be shots that would benefit all the more for being shot at another time of day than the one you found yourself in during your walk. Maybe some traffic trails on a specific corner would be especially cool. Perhaps some upcoming festival or celebration would provide a unique opportunity for inspired street photography. A photo walk is often a great opportunity to become familiar with a place, so that you can go back there and know exactly what you’d like to shoot.

10. Have fun. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Allow yourself to make mistakes. Relax. Enjoy the opportunity to surround yourself with fellow enthusiasts in person (says the blogger tied to her computer). Give constructive feedback to walk leaders or the Kelby gang so that they can help improve upon the experience for next year.

Are you planning on joining the World Wide Photo Walk? Have you ever participated in a photo walk, Kelby’s otherwise? Do you have some great advice to share? Feel free to speak up in the comments, or head on over to our Facebook page!

Photo credits (in order of appearance):
- Photo Walk Penang by Ishak J. on Flickr Creative Commons.
- Windmills @ Worldwide Photo Walk 2009 by Jiaren Lau on Flickr Creative Commons.

How To Photograph Fireworks

Tiffany Joyce — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 07:00:16 +0000

Well, my friends in the U.S., it’s that time of year again! Time for the nearly-obligatory post about how to photograph fireworks for your 4th of July celebration.

1. Location. It’s important to get to your location early so you can scout out a vantage point with uninterrupted views. I personally like to be up above and behind the crowd, so I can get shots of them highlighted in the glow of the fireworks display.

2. Gear. Bring a tripod and a remote shutter release to completely minimize vibration and shakiness. I prefer a wide angle lens to get overall shots, but you may prefer a telephoto lens to completely fill the frame with bursting light.

3. Aperture and ISO. Use an aperture that will bring the entire scene into focus, such as between f/8 and f/16. Resist the urge to crank up the ISO just because it’s dark outside – the light from the fireworks renders a high ISO unnecessary, so keep it around 200.

4. Shutter speed. This requires a bit of trial and error. You want to use a shutter speed that is long enough to catch the trails of light as the fireworks burst, but not so long as to overexpose the light from the fireworks. The “bulb” setting works well for this – simply press the shutter release right as the firework is about to explode, hold it down until it’s finished exploding, then release. This might take a bit of practice to get it right. Alternately, try setting the shutter speed to around five seconds and see if that gets you the level of exposure that you’d like.

5. Turn off auto-focus. Most DSLR’s will have a bit of a hard time focusing in dim light, so use the first few bursts to set the focus manually, then you can leave it alone for the rest of the display (unless you change positions or focal length).

6. Try light painting! There’s usually plenty of sparklers around, so to put a different spin on the images of the celebration, try your hand at light painting. With your camera on the tripod (in a dark area), set your shutter speed to between 10 and 30 seconds, ISO around 200, aperture between f/8 and f/16. Focus manually on the backdrop. Press the shutter, hop in front of the camera (or use a timer delay to give you a chance to get into position), and use the sparkler to “paint” words, designs, and shapes. The long exposure will translate the painting as uninterrupted streams of light in the image. Use trial and error to set the shutter speed correctly for your intended image.

Have fun, be safe, and show us some of your images in the Flickr Group or Facebook page!

Photo credit: Bayasaa on Flickr Creative Commons.

Auto Focus Microadjustments

Tiffany Joyce — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 07:00:37 +0000

I just spent a few hours over the weekend performing auto-focus micro-adjustments for three of my lenses. Not the MOST fun I’ve ever had with my camera, but a necessary activity for achieving correctly focused images.

Auto-focus micro-adjustments are sometimes necessary to calibrate the focus points of the lens/camera combination. Some lens/camera combinations tend to focus slightly in front of the focal point of the subject (“front-focus”), while others tend to focus more to the rear of the focal point of a subject (“back-focus”). When using auto-focus, the focus point should be tack-sharp exactly where it is placed. So if you determine that your lens/camera combination is consistently front- or back-focusing, perform an auto-focus micro-adjustment to correct this issue.

I used a Datacolor SpyderLensCal Lens Calibration System (hereafter referred to as the “target”), which I highly recommend for its ease of use and accurate results. I spent the most amount of time ensuring that the camera and target were lined up properly, which is very important to ensure accurate results. Here’s the setup that I recommend:

1. Put the camera on a tripod.

2. Place the target on its own stand or tripod, or on a flat level surface.

3. Separate the camera and target at a distance that is about mid-way along the lens’ focal range, or at about the distance you would normally shoot a subject when using the lens. Ensure the camera and the target are lined up horizontally and vertically.

4. Ensure the target is well-lit (as in bright sunlight or bright office lighting).

5. Set the camera on one-shot auto-focus and the drive to single shooting. Set the auto-focus point to single point AF and position the AF point directly in the center of the frame. When looking through the viewfinder, the auto-focus point should be positioned directly over the target’s focal point (on the LensCal, it’s the small square directly to the left of the ruler).

6. Use Program mode and set the ISO to 100.

7. Use a remote shutter release (or tethered shooting using the program’s shutter release). Mirror lockup is helpful as well, to ensure there is absolutely no vibration when the photo is taken.

It is extremely helpful to use tethered shooting while calibrating your lenses. Doing so will allow you to see the image results immediately on your computer and perform the necessary AF micro-adjustments on the camera without having to remove the memory card from the camera, download the photo onto your computer, open it in a photo editing program, check the focus alignment, put the memory card back in the camera, double-check the camera-to-target alignment to make sure nothing moved around, change the auto focus micro-adjustment setting, take another picture, and repeat that entire process for as many shots it takes to complete the calibration.

To ensure the target was level, I used the bubble level provided on the LensCal system. To ensure the camera was level, I used the bubble levels on the tripod, and I also used the very awesome, very cool electronic level built into my Canon EOS 7D (displayed when you press the “Info” button twice).

Once everything was all lined up and ready to go, I took the first shot with the micro-adjustment settings set to “0″ (as-is) to determine the extent of the focus issue. I was using the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM, and this is the result of that first shot (zoomed in 100%):

Click for full size

As you can see (and as I suspected), this lens has a significant front-focusing issue. Front-focusing requires that I move the micro-adjustment value to the positive side of the +/- 20 scale (for rear-focusing you would use a negative adjustment). On the Canon 7D, access the Custom Function III-05 AF Microadjustments menu, then choose “Adjust by Lens”. A screen appears with the name of the lens currently being used, and the +/- 20 scale. Here is a comparison at the -5, 0, +5 and +10 adjustment points to give you an idea of how the adjustments effect the focus:

Click to enlarge

Top right = -5
Top left = +5
Bottom right = 0
Bottom left = +10

It might be a little difficult to tell with this screen shot, but the “0″ point was most in focus somewhere between the +5 and +10 calibration. I ended up setting the calibration at +7 for this lens. I performed the same process and set my Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM, which was severely front-focusing, at +11. The Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM kit lens that came with the 7D was properly calibrated at 0. The Canon 7D has the ability to save the specific micro-adjustment settings for up to twenty different lenses. This process works similarly for other D-SLR’s which have auto-focus micro-adjustment capabilities (not an all-inclusive list, check your camera’s user manual):

Canon: 1DsMkIII, 1DMkIII, 1DMkIV, 5DMkII, 7D, 50D
Nikon: D3, D3x, D3s, D300, D300s, D700, D7000
Sony: A900, A850
Olympus: E-30, E-620
Pentax: K20D, K7D

I hope you find this article to be helpful in your own lens calibration efforts. Feel free to leave any questions, feedback or advice in the comments!

Tethered Shooting With A Canon DSLR

Tiffany Joyce — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:02:40 +0000

Tethered shooting is a useful photography tool. With the use of a USB or firewire cable run between the camera and a computer, the photographer can instantly review their shots on the computer screen. As the shutter is pressed, the images are recorded on the computer hard drive rather than the camera’s memory card. This capability comes in handy for many reasons:

To preview a larger image to ensure focus and composition.
To ensure lighting and exposure is correct.
To save the time it would take to download images from a camera.
To display photos in-process to the client or model.
To eliminate the concern of running out of memory card space.

There are a couple of con’s to mention about shooting tethered. First, it’s hard to be mobile with the computer and camera tethered together, which is why this option works best in a studio environment. Also, the photographer may rather have control over which shots the client sees, instead of putting them all on display, good or bad.

To set up tethered shooting, you’ll need your camera, a computer, the appropriate cable, and the appropriate software. For the purposes of this discussion I’ll be using my Canon 7D and the Canon EOS Utility software that came with the camera. Scott Kelby has written a great tutorial for Nikon and Lightroom users.

BEFORE using the provided cable to plug the camera into the computer’s USB port, it is important to load the EOS Utility software onto the computer (US customers can download the software for the 7D from here). Once you have done so, with the camera OFF, plug the cable (like this one) into the A/V Out Digital port on the camera, and plug the USB end into the computer. Then turn the computer on, and launch the EOS Utility software. From the menu, choose “Camera settings/Remote shooting”.

Click on the screen shot for a larger image.

The control panel that appears will look a lot like the menu display on the camera itself:

Click on the screen shot for a larger image.

You can set the tethering up in two different ways. The first way is to take photographs using the camera – all functionality is the same as if the camera were not tethered, with the exception of the fact that photos are being saved to the hard drive instead of the camera’s memory card. The software defaults to this functionality.

Click on the screen shot to see a larger view. I just took a picture of my monitor to show you what happens when the shutter button is pressed. A folder view is displayed, showing the destination folder where the new photo resides. A quick preview screen is also displayed, which can be made larger or smaller depending on your preferences for photo previewing.

The second way to shoot is to click on the “Live Preview” button on the control panel. This disables all of the functionality on the camera itself – you shoot from your PC by clicking the mouse on the shutter button on the control panel. Camera settings such as ISO, aperture, and shutter speed are also controlled by the camera. Auto-focus capabilities are turned off, making it necessary to manually focus the camera when composing the shot.

Again, click on the screen shot to see a larger view. What you see on the screen is live footage of whatever the camera lens is pointing at.

By clicking on “Preferences” from the control panel, you can change such settings as the destination folder to which the photos are sent, enable photos to be written to the memory card as well as to the hard drive, and several other options to augment functionality according to your preferences.

Header photo credit: “30D Tethered – Setup” by Matthew Keefe on Flickr Creative Commons.

How To Create A Free Photo Blog

Tiffany Joyce — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 07:00:33 +0000

A few readers over the past couple of weeks have e-mailed me, asking my advice on how to go about creating a photography blog of their own. I understand that website/blog creation can be intimidating for the uninitiated, but the process is extremely simple, and extremely flexible to every individual’s creative needs.

I have a couple of go-to weblog publishers that I recommend to friends – the best part is, they’re completely free.

Personally, I use WordPress for all of my (many!) personal blogging needs – in fact, this site you’re reading right now is a WordPress blog. It’s a free hosted blog service which allows you to create your own domain name, suffixed by “wordpress.com”. If you’ve purchased a domain name you can use it as well, and get rid of the wordpress reference in the URL. There are many site templates to choose from, several of them specifically oriented toward photo blogging. My experience with their customer support has always been excellent, and the administration is pretty intuitive via their dashboard system. You can be up and running with your own blog in no time flat, and no programming or HTML experienced is required.
Another popular and free hosted blog service is Blogger (also known as BlogSpot). After creating an account, Blogger will guide you through choosing a blog name (and URL suffixed by “blogger.com”), choosing a template, and publishing your first posts. Purchased domains can also be used to substitute the Blogger-generated URL.
Photoblog is an extremely simple site to use, and offers bare-bones photo-dedicated blogging. The drawback to this site is that user pages contain distracting ads. Photoposts does a better job of this photo-only format, with no mandatory ads.

Now, I personally upload very few photos to my blog site – I tend to use the HTML code provided via Flickr to post my photos to my blog without having to occupy my blog’s memory availability. Most blogs have a limit to how much storage space is provided with their free service (many offer upgrades to give you more space). Linking the photos from Flickr saves space on my blog.

Another note to be aware of – once you publish something to the internet, it’s there FOREVER. Sites like the Internet Archive Wayback Machine hold cached copies of website pages even after the website itself has been discontinued. So if you’re at all concerned about your work being “out there”, think about that before you publish on your blog. Photo copyrights still apply, so be sure to add a copyright notice to your blog to cover your work (this is the one I use). It can be difficult to track down violations and pursue legal action. Watermarking your photographs helps, and reverse image search engines like TinEye help you find where your images are being used.

I hope you’ve found this information useful, if you have any questions about getting started you can shoot me an e-mail. Do any of you have any free photo blog sites to recommend, or positive/negative experiences with those that I’ve already mentioned? Feel free to let us know in the comments!

Photo credit: “Latte blog” by Filipe Ferreira on Flickr Creative Commons.

Review: Kelby Training

Tiffany Joyce — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:00:23 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I finally subscribed to Kelby Training. I say “finally” because I have been mulling over the purchase of this subscription, and an accompanying subscription to NAPP, for quite some time. Everyone I consulted with about these memberships responded with the same advice: “Do it. You won’t regret it.” So, since I found myself with a bit of time on my hands during the holidays, I decided the time was right. I signed up for a subscription package, wherein I receive 14 months of NAPP membership for $99.00 (two bonus months for signing up for auto-renewal), and a one year subscription to Kelby Training for $179.00 (December 2010 prices).

Once my account was activated, I immediately logged into Kelby Training and started perusing the catalog of courses. Now, you’re probably aware that Scott Kelby, Kelby Media, and NAPP are the first, middle, and last names in all things Photoshop. What I find exciting about Kelby Training is that it covers a whole gambit of photography-related instruction, and isn’t just limited to Photoshop itself. Courses are categorized by topic and include “Photography” (the largest category), “Photoshop”, “Lightroom”, “Video”, “Flash”, “Aperture”, and several more. I clicked on the “Photography” category and was met with a list of over a hundred courses. Still trying to feel my way around the site, I looked for a “search” function and was pretty much stumped. It wasn’t until I clicked on “watch now” next to one of the courses that I discovered a keyword search box. It seems to me that a search box should be quickly apparent on either the “Home” or “Courses” page, but for some reason it is not.

Rest assured, though, that is the ONLY problem (if you can call it that) that I have come across thus far. Three full courses in, I am well and truly hooked on this training and can’t recommend it highly enough.

What’s nice about Kelby Training is that you can “try it before you buy it”. The first lesson of every single training course on the site is offered for free, and you can view as many of them as you would like. “Part one” is usually an introduction or overview and that is, of course, the hook that they hope will encourage the purchase of a subscription. Most courses, when viewed in their entirety, are over an hour long (some shorter, some significantly longer) and are comprised of individual lessons that are each typically under fifteen minutes long. Subscribers have the ability to “favorite” individual lessons within courses.

Courses are taught by a variety of regular and guest instructors, and are filmed either in-studio or on-location. Most of the courses are conversational in nature, but still follow a clear outline which is accompanied by visual aids (such as “before” and “after” shots, or on-screen demonstrations within the pertinent software) and occasional supplementary downloads.

The first course that I watched in its entirety (nearly two hours), and the one that convinced me that I made the right choice in subscribing, was “A Day with Jay Maisel”. In this course, Scott Kelby accompanies Jay Maisel on a walking tour of the streets of New York City. Maisel (whose biography can be found here) is a veritable treasure-trove of knowledge and photography anecdotes, and possesses an encyclopedic catalog of quotes and stories ready to be offered up as the situation warrants. I watched with delight as Kelby and Maisel interacted with the folks they met along their stroll, talking non-stop and pausing to take photos of people and landmarks. I marveled at the sheer amount of skill that Maisel demonstrated – a feeling I was apparently not alone in. I was rather amused at how humble Scott Kelby became in the face of Maisel’s talents (though Kelby seems to be a pretty humble guy in general). You know, it was rather reassuring to watch. As I mentioned in my previous post, Beating the Intimidation Factor, we tend to compare ourselves to the photographers we admire, and sometimes feel less significant in that comparison. That Kelby, someone I personally admire, can feel that way with regards to one of his peers, just served to remind me that we’re all in the same boat.

The second course that I veritably consumed was “10 Essential Studio Techniques Every Photographer Needs to Know”. In this course (which is a little over two hours long), Scott Kelby teaches about the fundamentals of studio lighting. In his own studio, he demonstrates his ability to create incredible portraits with just the use of a couple of lights and a working knowledge of how lighting effects the outcome of the photograph. I found myself pausing the video a lot, in order to switch over to my open OneNote document to take notes. And of course, in order to add to my already extensive wish lists on Amazon and B&H. I now have complete confidence that I can set up an in-home studio for less money than I thought it was going to require, and I will be able to wield the lighting equipment with something approaching skill right away.

I’m now happily plugging through the third course, “Yellowstone Big Game Photography”, taught on location by Moose Peterson. I was in Yellowstone back in 2008, and OH how I wish I’d had this training under my belt back then! Once I’ve finished the course I’m sure I’ll hop right on a travel website to book my next trip, this time armed with the knowledge that will allow me to even more successfully photograph the wildlife around Yellowstone.

I am really, truly enjoying the instruction that I am receiving through Kelby Training. It is, of course, much more fun to learn about the subjects that we have an enthusiasm for, but thus far the courses I’ve experienced have been entertaining as well as instructional. With new content being added every week (such as the forthcoming “A Day with Jay Maisel Part 2″, and a rumored Canon 7D instructional course), I’m certain that when my one year subscription nears its end, I’m going to sign up for another year.

If you’re looking for professionally produced, effective, and accessible training to supplement your photography skills, I highly recommend Kelby Training!

Photo credit: Tiffany Joyce.

*The Author did not receive any products or compensation in exchange for mentioning the Provider’s products and/or services on this website. The Author purchased this product for personal use with personal funds. We will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. This is not an advertisement.

Build a Home Photo Studio for Under $800

Tiffany Joyce — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:54:14 +0000

I have plans to turn one of the spare rooms in my home into a photo studio. I abruptly got frustrated with the surfaces and common areas of my home, and the lack of light in those areas. Living in Arizona as we do, we constructed our home to be energy efficient and let in less natural light than I would normally prefer in my home. There are no windows at all in the cave that is my kitchen – wreaking havoc on the photos of food that I like to post periodically to my recipe blog. The bank of windows along the rear of the house are covered with a full-length overhang, over the patio. The windows facing the front of the house are next to the front door and along the stairwell leading upstairs – it’s cumbersome to drag a table over to the natural light. My bedroom is crowded and cluttered. There are no windows at all along one entire side of the house. In a word, the interior of the house is dim.

All of this is great for the sweltering days of summer, when temperatures rise above 115f on a regular basis and we’re doing our best to avoid sunlight and keep our electric bill down. But it’s really tough to find a good spot to take photographs, without a whole lot of inconvenience and frustration. My daughter recently moved out on her own, and her 15×15 bedroom will soon be fulfilling its new destiny as my photo studio. I have grandiose dreams of family and friend portraits, still lifes, lighting experimentation, and an area of my home that I can dedicate to my photography.

However, I don’t have a heck of a lot of money with which to convert this room into my ideal in-home studio. So, I’m going to improvise a bit, with an eye toward coming in under $800.00.

Walls – They’re currently blue. I’m going to leave one wall blue, paint one matte black, paint one matte white, and paint one matte gray, trying as close as I can to match the color of a white/gray balance card. One gallon of interior paint runs about $25.00. Total cost to paint the room: $75.00.

Floors – The carpet up there is trashed from years of teenage abuse. I’m going to pull it up entirely and leave it bare. Total cost: sweat and tears..

Furnishings – I’ll need a bench, arranged next to one of the two windows (about $100). I’ll also need a work table that can be moved around easily (about $50), as well as a couple of folding TV trays ($30). A stool with rolling casters would come in handy (about $50), as well as an upright, backless bar stool (about $50). Finally, a couple of large cushions to throw down on the floor (about $100). Total furnishings: $380.

Equipment – I once priced out how much money it would cost if I were able to buy every single thing on my home photo studio wish list. It added up to over ten thousand dollars. So, that’s not going to happen any time soon. Instead, I concentrated on acquiring the bare minimum, and being a bit creative with solutions. This list takes into account that I already have a camera, speedlite, tripod, and desired lenses. Total equipment cost: $320:
- Cowboystudio 3 Photography Video Photo Portrait Studio Umbrella Continuous Lighting Kit. A great beginner’s continuous light kit for just $60.00.
- Westcott 40-Inch 5-in-1 Reflector, currently selling on Amazon for $30.00.
- Lastolite 3×4 foot KickerLite Indirect Floor Softbox. I’m paying a bit more for this, but I really want one. Currently selling on Amazon for $230.00.
- Backdrops and drapes are going to be accommodated with judicious use of tacks, hangers, and solid colored sheets. If I need a frame for some sort of application, my husband is right handy with PVC pipes and 2×4′s. I have some projects in mind that will be entry fodder for another day – suffice to say, you don’t have to drop a few hundred bucks for frames and muslin backdrops. Get creative! Cost is project dependent.

Final cost: $775.00. Significantly less if I forgo the kicker light. I believe all of the items listed above will give me a great head start on a perfectly functional, great amateur-level home photography studio. For under eight hundred dollars, the potential for learning and expanding upon my photography skills far exceeds the cost.

Do you have a home photo studio, or are you thinking of building one? Do you have any tips, hints, or good ideas to offer? Please feel free to share them in the comments!

Photo credits (in order of appearance):
- “Home Studio – Take 1″ by Trance Mist on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “Studio in the RAW: High Key Set-up” by Alan Antiporda on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “Photography Studio SFMOMA” by Wonderlane on Flickr Creative Commons.

Set Your Goals for 2011

Tiffany Joyce — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 23:13:39 +0000

Setting periodic goals for yourself is an excellent way to continue to enhance your photography skills. We are now less than two months away from 2011 (it sneaked up on us so fast!), so now is a great time to start thinking about what you’d like to accomplish in the forthcoming year. Following is a list of twenty ideas to help get your goal-setting process started.

1 – Take a photography class or workshop.
2 – Create a plan and a budget for purchasing your next piece of photographic equipment.
3 – Get into flash photography.
4 – Enter a photograph into a photography competition.
5 – Plan and organize a neighborhood photo walk.
6 – Throughly research and learn a skill you don’t currently posses (something like HDR, or motion blur, or photographing the night sky).
7 – Take more self-portraits (if you’re anything like me, you spend MUCH more time behind the camera than in front of it).
8 – Learn about and follow new photographic industry leaders (Facebook, Twitter, blogs).
9 – Conduct an old-school photo project – use a film camera for a while.
10 – Create an inexpensive home studio (a forthcoming article will discuss how to do this).
11 – Swap out the framed photos on your walls with new ones.
12 – Create a photography website or on-line portfolio (we’ll discuss this in an upcoming article as well).
13 – Stop putting off that colossal digital/physical photo organizing project you KNOW you need to get to (mine are WOEFULLY disorganized).
14 – You’ve got a tripod, right? Well then, shoot your own family portraits, then share them with your family and friends (hello next year’s Christmas cards!).
15 – Learn about lighting, and the use of natural and artificial light sources.
16 – Branch out into learning how to shoot quality video (lots of great still shots can be attained this way, too!).
17 – Set a goal to read a certain number of photography-oriented books.
18 – Rent and learn to use different types of photography equipment (lenses, lights, specialized gear, even different camera models). You don’t need to wait until you can afford to buy it!
19 – Find a photography mentor, or become a photography mentor.
20 – Become a member of a photographic association or club.

Do you have any ideas for photographic goals to add to the list? Feel free to tell us about them in the comments!

Photo credit: “Goals, Goals, Goals” by lululemon athletica on Flickr Creative Commons.

How to Write a Photography Proposal

Tiffany Joyce — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 07:00:21 +0000

Are you interested in going pro with your photography? One of the first things that you’ll need to learn is how to write a comprehensive proposal. Having a proposal for any photography work to be conducted protects both the photographer and the client from miscommunication, scope creep, copyright issues, and legal mishap.

So what sort of things should the proposal include?

Introduction – The proposal needs to begin with a brief description of the work to be performed, and the person who will be expected to perform the work. It should include the anticipated start date as well as the date by which the proposal should be accepted.

Example: “Proposal from [photographer's name] for [client's name] for the provision of photographic services enumerated below. Anticipated project date is [date] – proposal must be accepted no later than [date] in order to hold the quoted fees and reserve the schedule.

Detailed Project Description – Here the proposal should go into quite specific detail about the photography services being provided. This should include the amount of time it is anticipated that the project will take to complete, the equipment to be used, what the photographer is expected to provide, and what the client is expected to provide.

Example: “One-day, in-home photography session with multiple subjects/multiple outfits/multiple poses. Session will last up to three hours with an in-person or telephone consultation scheduled one week prior to session. Session will use natural lighting (external light sources/off-camera flash not provided by the photographer); various photographic equipment provided by the photographer and used at the photographer’s discretion; backdrops and/or staging to be provided by homeowners.”

Project Outcome – This section describes what the output of the project will be. This can include how many prints at different sizes, a minimum and/or maximum amount of digital pictures, and any post-processing expectations. This should also include the timeframe in which the photographer has to provide the expected product.

Example: “At least twenty, and up to fifty, digital photographs (JPEG format) will be provided to the client on a CD/DVD within one week after the photo session. All images will be retouched, if necessary, in order to achieve the quality desired, but will otherwise be free of effects. Client can choose up to five images for post-processing effects (black and white, vintage, etc.). Delivery of effect-applied images is within one week of client providing list of desired images to photographer.”

Estimated Charges and Fees – A schedule of fees should include hourly rates, per-image rates, post-processing fees, creative fees, fees for assistants, travel/mileage fees, model fees, special equipment fees, fulfillment charges, taxes, usage fees, contingency fees, and the like. It should total up the final cost for the project, and also include payment terms. If you are providing certain services for free, it often helps to list what those services are to further attract the client to your work.

Example:
- 3-hour photography session $150.00, payment due on day of session (cash or personal check)
- Post processing fee WAIVED
- Additional image fee ($2.00 for each image over 20) WAIVED

Project Modifications – Spell out in specific terms how any proposed modifications to the project will be handled. This will definitely assist in controlling “scope creep”, in which you find the scope of the project increasing in an uncontrolled manner. These modifications can cover those that the client suggests, those that the photographer suggests, and how both will handle unforeseeable circumstances should they occur.

Example: “Project modifications will be addressed in the following manner:
a. Client requested modifications that increase costs will be negotiated, and payment terms finalized, before any work is performed.
b. Client requested modifications that decrease costs will be reimbursed to the client within ten days of the work performed.
c. Photographer requested modifications that increase costs and associated payment terms will be discussed and approved or disapproved by the client prior to any work performed.
d. Photographer requested modifications that decrease costs will be discussed and approved or disapproved by the client prior to any work performed, and discounted from the project price and final payment total.
e. Unforeseen occurrences that affect the project (weather, sickness, client location that is not ready or as described, etc.) will be discussed and negotiated as they occur. Photographer will be held harmless from any inconvenience caused by unforeseen circumstances.”

Rights to Images/Work – You must state within the proposal the ownership of the images that you will be shooting. Make sure you also clearly state that you are performing the project as an Independent Contractor, and that work is NOT being performed as Work For Hire. This effects the legalities of copyright ownership should the work ever come into question.

Example: “All photographs are the copyright of [photographer], and will be released to the client for their personal use. No commercial reuse of the images is permitted without express written permission by [photographer]. Client agrees to allow images for use at the discretion of [photographer] (portfolio, advertisement, etc.). This project is being undertaken as an Independent Contractor and is not being performed as Work For Hire.”

Conclusion – Wrap up the proposal by thanking the client for their interest in your services, and provide contact information should they have any questions about the proposal.

Example: “Thank you very much for your interest in [photographer], and for the opportunity to submit this proposal for your review. Please feel free to contact me for any additional information, at [phone number] or [e-mail address]. Upon approval of this scope of work, please sign below and indicate your agreement for services based upon the contents of this proposal.”

Other things to consider – Be sure to use a professional layout for the proposal, with a dated title page. Place the proposal in a report binder or cover to add to the overall presentation and impression of professionalism. Also, be sure to follow up with the prospective client in a timely manner – perhaps about a week after providing the proposal. This demonstrates your continued interest in working on the project they have in mind. Once the proposal has been accepted, the work performed, and the final output provided, be sure to contact them again to thank them for the opportunity to work with them.

Do you have any suggestions for a quality photography proposal, or do you have any experiences to share regarding writing and/or receiving a proposal? Please tell us about them in the comments!

Photo credit: Tiffany Joyce.