All Aboard

Outing Date: 7/28/2008
Location: Ferry Terminal / Ferry Building Plaza
Composition Details: ISO 100, f/13, 15 seconds



I had a little fun with the processing on this one and experimented with a new technique I'm calling 'Lightroom HDR.' It's not technically HDR, so therefore it's Lightroom HDR.

light trails

Outing Date: 7.29.2008
Location: Ferry Terminal
Composition Details: 10mm, 100 ISO, f/7.1, 4s



this shot wasn't what I set out to get but I still like it. I wanted to get a shot of the train at a standstill while also showing the movement as it whisks away. the couple shots that I did get of this concept didn't turn out as great as I had hoped but still ok. this one was a shot I took right after I took one with the aforementioned concept above. it's funny how often this happens that I end up liking something I took randomly more than what I set out to take.

all aboard

Outing Date: 07.21.2008
Location: 17th and Market
Composition Details: 46mm, 1000 ISO, f/2.8, 1/125 s

Fiddler on the Muni

Outing Date: 7/22/2008
Location: Embarcadero Muni Station, San Francisco
Composition Details: ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/15 second

Tall and Proud

Outing Date: 7/7/2008
Location: China Town/Financial District, San Francisco
Composition Details: ISO 100, f/16, 1/10 second



We didn't make it out this week due to other arrangements, so here is one of the pictures I took last week.

I have attempted this picture before (almost the same angle) and was never 100% satisfied with the results. As we approached the same spot, I forced myself to stop and try again. I think I took 10 or so different pictures at different angles and then processed them all in different ways. Some of them came out nicely, others did not, but I think I am satisfied with how this one came out.

Lesson Learned: Never give up on a composition or picture. Continue to try something new and eventually you will find what you are looking for.

Happy Shooting!

a long days work

Outing Date: 07.07.2008
Location: Transamerica Pyramid
Composition Details: 11mm, 640 ISO, f/6.3, 1/640 s



It's Tuesday so here's a shot from our most recent Monday Night Outing. I was focusing on this fire hydrant trying to find the best way to utilize the sunlight that was being bounced off the building when I saw this lady walking my way threw the corner of my eye. I knew if I timed it just right I could get her back lit by the bounced sunlight which would give me a nice silhouette and some nice shadows coming towards me. I didn't have much time to think so I fired off a burst when I saw the light was behind her and hoped for the best. This is what came out of it. It's nice when everything works out exactly as planned.

strobe on a rope

This weekend I had a chance to practice something I've been itching to try for a few weeks now. Light that comes straight from your camera is probably the worst thing you can do for your pictures. It creates a really bland and shadowless image (all the shadows are cast behind the person). Shadows show depth and texture in the photo so if possible you always want that light coming from a different direction other than straight from your camera (if at all possible try to bounce the light off a ceiling or a wall or anything really). I came across a solution to this problem (other than hiring an assistant) on Strobist. He employed the Strobe on a Rope technique. For this technique you attach your flash to a monopod (basically a stick) and either trigger it with a TTL cord or wireless triggers. It's basically an extension of your arm allowing you to move your flash anywhere within the radius of the stick.

On Saturday I had a chance to test this technique out. It worked just as it was suppose to giving me nice directional lighting. But man it started to get heavy pretty quick. Trying to coordinate composition and holding that light stick up at the right angle was a little bit of a challenge. I was only able to practice it on our walk to a liquor store so I didn't get much time to setup and fire test shots to really nail down the lighting and exposure. But I think I'm sold, I really like the look that it gives. Although maybe next time I'll grab somebody and make him/her hold the stick up so I can focus more on composition.

Here are a couple images from the streets of Santa Clara using this technique, Santa Clara is still considered urban right =]?

Jon and Lars...


Drew. I really liked the moon here...

Hats For Sale

Date: 7/5/2008
Location: Fillmore Jazz Festival
Composition Details: ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/1000 sec.



View my full set from the Fillmore Jazz Festival

Quick Down and Dirty Firework Photography Tips

4th of July is tomorrow and for those of us in the United States, it is Independence Day. This means the majority of us will be eating hot dogs and hamburgers and watching fireworks. Well, get your camera out and get ready to take some photographs of those fancy pyrotechnics.

There are already a ton of tips out there, so I won't go into great detail, but rather provide you with a summary of the most important tips to keep in mind and some links to other resources.

Just to be upfront, these tips are mostly geared toward SLR users, but if you have a point and shoot that is fully manual, you should be able to utilize these tips as well.

Tips:

1. Do not let your camera decide what is best for you...
   
2. Set your ISO as low as it goes. Most cameras can be set to 100 ISO.
   
3. Do not trust your meter. The camera meter is useless for fireworks. For the best firework photos, you'll be best off shooting in manual mode or utilizing your camera's exposure compensation.
4. Do not trust your auto-focus either. If you have full control of your focus, set it to infinity.
5. In order to take long exposures, you'll need a tripod to stabilize your camera.
6. Even though you are using a tripod, it is still a good idea to keep your hands off the camera during long exposures by using a shutter-release cable.
7. Set your lens speed (aka: aperture) to where your lens is the sharpest (usually between f/8 and f/14). This is different for every lens.
   
8. Coming up with the perfect exposure time is tricky and really depends on the firework display. However, if you are using a shutter-release cable, instead of trying to time the fireworks, set your camera to BULB and use your shutter-release cable to expose the picture for 1-4 seconds. Jim Zuckerman's formula is: 1.6 second exposure at F-stop 14 with an ISO of 100.
9. Do NOT use a flash.
   
10. Mix it up with some vertical (portrait) photos and pay attention to how you are framing your photographs.
11. Do a search on flickr for some motivation before you head out.
12. Have fun and be creative!
    

Other Resources:

1. How to Photograph Fireworks Displays - Digital Photography School
2. How to Photograph Amazing Fireworks - Your Photo Tips
3. How to Photograph Fireworks - TWIP
4. What's the Single Biggest Mistake People Make That Leads to Poor Photographs of Fireworks? - 7 Photography Questions with Jim Zuckerman
5. Get Better Fireworks Photos This Fourth of July - Life Hacker

If you have any questions, further tips, or better resources don't hesitate to leave them in the comments.

Happy Shooting!